Hope Through Prophecy

There are numerous prophecies throughout the Old Testament. While

many of these speak of doom and gloom for the nations in the area

surrounding Israel, such as what the book of Obadiah says about the

Edomites and what the book of Jonah says about the Ninevites, 700 of the

prophecies in the Old Testament speak about the details of the life of Jesus,

from His birth to His ministry, and even describing His death.

One of the most well-known prophecies about Jesus is found in Isaiah 7:14

which states, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the

virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

This prophecy was fulfilled when Mary, a virgin, gave birth to Jesus in

Bethlehem. This miraculous birth is a testament to Jesus’ divine nature as

the Son of God.

Another important prophecy about Jesus is found in Micah 5:2, which says,

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands

of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in

Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” This prophecy

was fulfilled when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, as foretold by the prophet

Micah.

A very fascinating prophecy of the coming Messiah is in Zechariah 9:9

which reads: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of

Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having

salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”;

What makes this prophecy so shocking is how it describes very specific,

seemingly unimportant details of an event that happened in the life of

Jesus, hundreds of years before it actually happened. This event happened

in Matthew 21:1-3, which states: “Now when they drew near Jerusalem,

and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two

disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village opposite you, and

immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them

and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say,

“The Lord has need of them,” and immediately he will send them.’”

Isaiah 53 is perhaps one of the most detailed prophecies about Jesus. It

describes His suffering and death on the cross, stating in Isaiah 53:4-6,

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed

Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our

transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our

peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep

have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the

LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” This prophecy was fulfilled

when Jesus died on the cross for the sins of humanity, taking upon Himself

the punishment that we deserved.

The Old Testament also contains prophecies about Jesus’ resurrection. In

Psalm 16:10, David writes, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will

You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” This prophecy was fulfilled

when Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, conquering death and

providing a way for us to have eternal life.

The importance of these prophecies cannot be overstated. They provide

evidence that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God, fulfilling the Old

Testament prophecies about the coming of a Savior. The fulfillment of

these prophecies demonstrate God’s sovereignty and faithfulness, as well

as His love for humanity. As it says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the

world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him

should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Furthermore, these prophecies give us as Christians hope and assurance in

our faith. Knowing that God’s promises are true and that He has fulfilled

them in the past, it gives us confidence that He will also fulfill His promises

to us in the present and future. As it says in Romans 8:32, “He who did not

spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with

Him also freely give us all things?”

Suffice to say, the prophecies about Jesus Christ are of utmost importance

to us as Christians, because they provide evidence of Jesus’ divinity and

show the fulfillment of God’s promises. They demonstrate God’s power,

sovereignty and faithfulness, as well as His love for humanity. These

prophecies give us hope and assurance in our faith, knowing that God’s

promises are true, and that He will fulfill them, as well as giving us hope

that God’s promises about our eternal home in heaven will be fulfilled as

well. As the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:19-22: “For the Son of

God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus,

and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the

promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God

through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed

us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a

guarantee.”

- Ben Smith

View Full Content Source:
https://www.cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/resources/articles/2023/10/15/hope-through-prophecy