Beth-El Baptist Church

10/09/2011

Greg Tomlinson


What prophecies were fulfilled in the birth of Jesus?


The fulfillment of prophecy is a significant issue in the scriptures. It identifies true prophets of God (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 18:22). It demonstrates that YHWH is the one and only true God (Isaiah 43:9-11). The subject of fulfilled prophecy is very extensive so only a portion of those prophecies associated with the birth of Jesus will be evaluated.


  1. What prophecies are there about Jesus' lineage?

Genesis 12:1-3; 17:1-6; 18:17-18; 22:15-18 – Abraham

Genesis 17:19; 21:12 – Isaac

Genesis 25:23; 28:10-14 – Jacob

Genesis 49:10-11; Psalm 78:67-68 – Judah

Isaiah 11:10 – Jesse

1 Chronicles 17:10; Isaiah 9:7; 11:1-2; 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 132:11; Amos 9:11; Jeremiah 23:5 – David

1 Chronicles 17:11-12 – Solomon

Haggai 2:21-23 – Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel

Luke 3:23-38

Matthew 1:1-16


Out of all of the people of the earth, God chose Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Jesse, David, Solomon, Shealtiel, and Zerubbabel to be in some form in the lineage of Jesus. Through Solomon, Jesus has legal access to the throne and through Nathan, son of David and about whom there is no prophecy, comes the physical descent.


  1. What prophecies are there about Jesus' birth parents?

Genesis 3:15 – Virgin birth

Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 31:22; Psalm 22:9; Micah 5:3 – Virgin birth

Matthew 1:18-25

Luke 1:26-38 – Virgin birth

Isaiah 7:14 cmp Matthew 1:23 – Called Immanuel – “God with us”

Psalm 9:14; Isaiah 12:2 cmp Matthew 1:21, 25 – Named Yeshua (salvation) or Jesus (Greek form)


Only the state or identity of the mother of Jesus are defined in such a way that there will be no physical father for the child. The virgin shall conceive and bear a child. This is a great work of God.


  1. Where prophecies are there about Jesus' birth and growing up locations?

Micah 5:2 – Bethlehem Ephratah Matthew 2:1-8

Hosea 11:1 – Out of Egypt Matthew 2:15

Isaiah 9:1-3 – From Galilee Matthew 2:19-22 cmp John 7:52

Isaiah 11:1 – Nazareth (branch-netser) Matthew 2:23

Jeremiah 31:15 – Children destroyed Matthew 2:18


Out of all of the cities in Judea and beyond, several were identified in prophecies to receive a special gift from God that were fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.


  1. What prophecies are there about Jesus' birth time?

Daniel 9:25-26

Genesis 49:10


From the time that Cyrus decreed that Jerusalem should be rebuilt until the arrival of Jesus will be 7 + 62 weeks of years or 69 weeks of years or about 483 years. That is roughly the time when Jesus was born. Furthermore, the “sceptre shall depart from Judah” in the timeframe of Jesus' life. It is said that at the destruction of the temple in AD 70, that the sceptre departed from Judah. At that time the nation of Israel no longer had any form of self government. Self government for Israel did not take place again until 1947.


  1. What ramifications should these fulfilled prophecies have for us?

John 3:12 Isaiah 43:9-11


Fulfilled prophecies are there in order to encourage us to believe that when God says that something will take place, that it will in fact take place.