Real Hope: Jesus' Birth Foretold预览

Ancient Origins - Future Purpose

This prophecy was given by Micah about 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ during the period between the fall of Israel and Judah and before their exile to Babylon. It was given to foretell the future survival and prosperity of the nation of Israel. The reason it’s included in the Christmas story is that it was quoted in Matthew 2 by the Jewish chief priests and teachers to advise King Herod as to where the Messiah, ‘the King of the Jews’ would be born.

The prophecy is powerful and accurate. It states that a future ruler of Israel will be born in a small insignificant village belonging to a small insignificant clan of Israel and, yet, this coming ruler carries both the momentum of ‘ancient origins’ and the momentum of future purpose. Through the prophecy, God says, ‘He will come for me’.

King Herod deceitfully asked the Jewish leaders as to where the child may be found so that he too may worship Him. His intention, however, was rather to kill off the child and remove any future opposition to his own rulership.

Jesus Christ, who was with God the Father at the creation of all things, comes into the world as ‘God in the flesh’ (incarnate), born of a virgin birth into a small clan in Bethlehem, just as predicted. No opposition, then, now or ever will or can stop Him because He came ‘for God’ and, wonderfully, He came for us.

Ask His unstoppable grace and purpose to reach you again this Christmas.

Written by JOHN SCOTT