FORETOLD
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:18-23 ESV
Why had the prophet FORETOLD about a virgin conceiving and bearing a son named Immanuel?
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God made three PROMISES that explain why the prophet foretold about a virgin conceiving and bearing a son named Immanuel:
#1: God’s promise to ABRAM
(His name was changed to Abraham after he received the promise)
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3 ESV
5 And [God] brought [Abram] outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:5-6 ESV
God promised to Abram a LAND, a SON, and a BLESSING.
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#2: God’s promise to DAVID
(King David, son of Jesse of Bethlehem in Judah, Israel’s greatest king)
11 Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” 2 Samuel 7:11-16 ESV
God promised to David a HOUSE and THRONE that lasts FOREVER.
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In 734 BC there was a THREAT that came against the promised SON.
(Promise to Judah of Israel: Land, Son, Blessing, House, Throne, Forever)
5 Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, 6 “Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it.” Isaiah 7:5-6 ESV
10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:10-14 ESV
The virgin conceiving and bearing a son named Immanuel was foretold by the prophet to confirm God’s promise with a MIRACLE.
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#3: God’s promise to YOU
(Made in God’s image, loved by God, and God wants you to know Him)
20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21 ESV
God promised to you SALVATION from SIN in JESUS.
(Jesus born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit, God with us.)
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In 2024 AD there is a THREAT that comes against your SALVATION.
37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. John 5:37-38 ESV
46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” John 5:46-47 ESV
23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” John 8:23-24 ESV
8 “And when [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me.” John 16:8-9 ESV
15 And [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16 ESV
14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. Mark 16:14 ESV
25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Luke 24:25-26 ESV
46 And [Jesus] said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” John 24:46-47 ESV
12 “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” John 3:12 ESV
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God’s promises foretold to Abram, David, and Judah of Israel have all come TRUE, today is the day to believe God’s promise to YOU.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15 ESV
(The word gospel means “good news”)
Jesus said to a man whose daughter had died: “Do not fear, only believe.” Mark 5:36 ESV
A father of a boy with a demon said to Jesus: “I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:24 ESV
Jesus said to two blind men: “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” Matthew 9:28 ESV
29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29 ESV
24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:23-24 ESV
13 “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:13-18 ESV
WHOEVER believes in Jesus:
• may have eternal life
• should not perish
• be saved through him
• is not condemned
12 But to all who did receive [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13 ESV
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