Messiah in the Manger: Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecies
Let’s play a game for a second. I want you to guess what’s going to happen next in your life. What do you think will happen? If you keep guessing, maybe you’d get it right once, maybe even twice. But what if I asked you to predict every major detail of your great great grandchild’s life—where they’d be born, the city, their family’s makeup, the major events they’d go through, and how they would die? And not just one or two details, but hundreds. How many would you get right? One? Two? None?
Now imagine those predictions being made 700 hundred plus years before they were even born. That’s exactly what happened with Jesus. As we continue our series Reason for the Season, we’re going to see that Jesus wasn’t born by chance. There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that predict everything about His life, down to the place He’d be born, the manner of His birth, and the purpose of His coming.[1]
The probability of one person fulfilling just 8 of these prophecies is 1 in 10^17—that’s 1 followed by 17 zeros. To help us visualize, imagine taking the entire state of Texas, which is our largest state, and covering it in silver dollars two feet deep. Then, mark one coin, blindfold a person, and ask them to find that coin. That’s the same probability of Jesus fulfilling just 8 prophecies, let alone over 300.[2] This incredible reality shows that Jesus’ life wasn’t coincidence or chance. It was meticulously planned by God.
Today, we’re looking at how Jesus, the “Messiah in the Manger,” fulfilled these prophecies exactly. This was God showing us, from the beginning, that He had a plan to save us. I love how Peter explains this.
1 Peter 1:8-12 – 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
The Messiah was to be born of a virgin.
If you were trying to predict something unlikely, you might guess the time of day or the weather—Even though being a weatherman is the only job you can be wrong at all the time yet still keep your job. But predicting a virgin birth? That’s not just unlikely. That’s literally impossible. Yet, that’s exactly what the prophet Isaiah foretold about the Messiah over 700 years before Jesus was born. Isaiah 7:14 says, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Imagine making that kind of prediction—one that defies natural laws and is literally impossible. That’s kind of like saying, “Behold, the circle shall be a square, and the bachelor shall be married.” A circle cannot be a square, and a married bachelor is a contradiction. It’s literally impossible. Also, a virgin conceiving is literally impossible by the very nature of what a virgin is.
Let’s think about why this prophecy is so significant. The virgin birth isn’t just a miracle for the sake of being miraculous, though miraculous it is. It’s essential to who Jesus is. If Jesus had been born through a normal process, like every other human, He would have been just that, like any other human, with a sin nature passed down from Adam. But the virgin birth allows for Jesus to be both truly God and truly man.[3] It reveals that God was stepping into human history in a supernatural way. He wasn’t just sending another prophet or another teacher. He was sending Himself, as a human.
Some people might look at this and say, “Well, that’s a nice story, but it sounds impossible.” But that’s exactly the point. It is impossible, unless God Himself is involved. The virgin birth is a challenge to us. Do we really believe that God is able to step into our world and do the impossible? Not just then, but now as well.
Some critics will say this prophecy doesn’t really point to a virgin birth, but that it could mean a young girl. But from the very beginning, Christians believed in the virgin birth. This wasn’t some idea that popped up centuries later. It was foundational to Christianity. In the 2nd century, the Apostle’s Creed, our earliest Christian creed, boldly declares that Jesus was “conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.” Think about that! This was central to their faith, not just a side note.
Ignatius of Antioch, who lived from 30–107 and was a student of the Apostle John, wrote about the virgin birth, saying,
“And God the Word was truly born of the Virgin, having clothed Himself with a body of like passions with our own. He who forms all men in the womb, was Himself really in the womb, and made for Himself a body of the seed of the Virgin, but without any intercourse of man.”[4]
These early believers held to the virgin birth so tightly because they knew it fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy and proved Jesus was no ordinary man. He was the God-man. Ignatius, even here calls Jesus “God the Word,” affirming the deity of Christ.
So why does this matter for us today? First, it matters because Jesus was not like us. He was without sin. He doesn’t have a nature like ours, inherited from Adam.[5] And He hung in our place on the cross. That’s how He was the spotless sacrifice. He was born to die.
Secondly, the virgin birth whispers to our doubting hearts that God’s power is limitless and His purposes unstoppable. In a world where impossibility feels final, this miracle reminds us that God isn’t restrained by what we see or understand. When you feel trapped by life’s difficulties, let the virgin birth call you to lift your eyes. Believe in the God who brings life where none is possible and redemption where all seems lost. The virgin birth is God’s declaration that impossibility bows to His will and grace.
The Messiah was to come from the line of David.
Who’s ever done Ancestry.com? If you ever trace your family tree, you might find a few surprises—a long-lost relative, some interesting history, or that you’re part Swedish. God promised that the Messiah would come from the line of David, and it’s no accident that Jesus’ family tree fits this description perfectly. It’s further evidence that God had a plan in place long before Christmas ever happened.
In 2 Samuel 7:12-13, God tells David, “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… and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” God promised David that his line would continue and that the ultimate King—the Messiah—would come from his descendants. This prophecy wasn’t vague. It was a direct promise, and it’s one that Jesus fulfilled.
Now, why does this matter? Matthew opens his Gospel with a genealogy, and while it might seem like a long list of names, it’s a critical piece of evidence. That genealogy shows that Jesus came from the line of David. Matthew isn’t just giving us historical trivia. He’s proving that Jesus is the rightful heir to the promises God made to David. Matthew’s genealogy is more than a family tree. It’s a legal and theological statement that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s covenant with David. It’s legal, because an heir to the throne was passed through the male, and Matthew’s shows us exactly that through his adoptive father, Joseph.
I know you liked seeing the archeology last week. Archaeologists found an ancient inscription called the Tel Dan Stele, discovered in 1993 in Northern Israel, which mentions the “House of David.” This is solid evidence that David’s lineage wasn’t just a biblical story, but it was a recognized royal dynasty in the region. When the Gospels connect Jesus to David, they’re tying Him to a promise that was real, historical, and undeniable. God was saying, I haven’t forgotten My covenant, and I’m fulfilling it in Jesus.
And it’s not just Matthew. Luke also records Jesus’ genealogy, showing His descent from David through another branch of the family, who many think is through Mary.[6] By giving us these records, the Gospel writers are demonstrating that Jesus meets the criteria that were established centuries earlier. He’s not just a random figure claiming to be the Messiah. He’s the one who was promised.
God wove salvation through a lineage of broken people to show us that His grace triumphs over sin and failure. David’s line wasn’t perfect. It was stained with sin, frailty, and scandal. But God’s promise to David wasn’t contingent on human faithfulness. It rested on God’s faithfulness. When you feel too broken, too flawed, or too far gone, remember this: God redeems the messy stories we’d rather forget. Your past doesn’t cancel God’s promises. His grace works through every broken piece of your story. The Messiah’s lineage shows us that no failure is final when it’s placed in the hands of a faithful God.
The Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.
If you were going to choose the birthplace for the Savior of the world, you’d probably pick somewhere impressive—Rome, Jerusalem, or maybe even Athens. But God? God chose Bethlehem, a small, insignificant town. In Micah 5:2, the prophet writes, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” Micah wrote this about 700 years before Jesus was born. And why Bethlehem? God was showcasing that He works through the unexpected.
Bethlehem wasn’t on anyone’s radar. It wasn’t a place of influence or power. But that’s precisely where God said the Messiah would come from. And it’s exactly where Jesus was born. God orchestrated events on a global scale, through a decree by Caesar Augustus requiring everyone to return to their hometowns (Luke 2:1-5)—to make sure that Joseph and Mary ended up in Bethlehem at the exact moment Jesus would be born. This trip probably took them around a week and was 70 miles. Jesus being born in Bethlehem wasn’t coincidence. It was sovereign planning. God wanted to demonstrate that He’s in control of the details, even the smallest ones.
Archaeological evidence confirms Bethlehem’s existence as a real, functioning town during Jesus’ time. There is a bulla (a clay seal impression) bearing the name of Bethlehem that dates to the 7th or 8th century BC. It is an administrative bulla that was used to seal a tax shipment from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. This is the earliest reference to the town of Bethlehem outside of the Bible. Nearby, Herod the Great—yes, the same Herod who tried to kill Jesus—was building massive cities and fortresses. Herod’s fortress at Herodium was visible from Bethlehem, and symbolized his power. He even had the mountain it was built on built out more so that it would be the largest.
Yet, in the shadow of Herod’s grandeur, God brought the true King into the world in a humble stable. Do you see the contrast? While Herod was trying to make a name for himself, God was fulfilling His sovereign plan in a small, unassuming town, in humility.
Bethlehem might not have been significant to anyone else, but it was part of God’s plan, and that’s what made it important. God’s choice of Bethlehem was a way of showing us that He is faithful to His word and that every detail of the Messiah’s arrival was precisely orchestrated.
Archaeological history also is preserved for us through The Church of the Nativity. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is a key piece of evidence supporting the biblical account of Jesus’ birth. Built in 326 AD by Emperor Constantine, the church stands over what has believed to be the traditional site of Jesus’ birth. Historical writings, such as those from Justin Martyr in the 2nd century, describe early Christian veneration of this cave, identifying it as the birthplace of Jesus.[7] The church’s continuous use and the alignment of its location with biblical accounts in Luke 2 provide a tangible connection to the historical reality of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. This enduring tradition, supported by archaeology, adds weight to the credibility of the Gospel narrative that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
Bethlehem was small, humble, and easily overlooked. Yet, God chose it as the birthplace of the King. This is how God works—He takes what is weak and makes it strong, what is low and lifts it high. If you feel unseen or insignificant, Bethlehem’s story whispers this truth: God sees you. You are not forgotten. He delights in using the unexpected places of your life to showcase His glory.
The Messiah was to come out of Egypt.
When Herod sought to destroy Jesus, Joseph and Mary fled with Him to Egypt. This fulfilled Hosea 11:1, which says, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” At first glance, this prophecy appears to be a reflection on Israel’s history, the nation being called out of Egypt during the Exodus. The beauty of prophecy, however, lies in its layered fulfillment. What Hosea described was not just history, but it was also a foreshadowing of Christ.
In the shadow of Herod the Great’s extravagant palace at Herodium was Bethlehem. You could actually see the massive palace from Bethlehem. This was a beautifully stark contrast. Herod’s opulence symbolized earthly power, yet he was terrified of a child born in Bethlehem, just a few miles away. Archaeologists have unearthed Herod’s palace and the grandeur it embodied, which makes Jesus’ humble birth in Bethlehem even more striking. Here was the King of kings, born in a manger, fleeing a tyrant who lived in unimaginable luxury.
The New Testament helps us interpret the deeper significance of Hosea’s words. In Matthew 2:14-15, we see that God’s calling of Israel out of Egypt was ultimately a shadow of Christ’s journey.
14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Jesus, here, represents the true and faithful Son, succeeding where Israel failed. This shows us how prophecy isn’t always linear or obvious at the time of its writing. The prophets didn’t always know the full implications of their words (1 Peter 1:10-12). They were inspired by the Spirit of God, speaking truths that would only fully unfold in the New Testament.
This fulfillment challenges us to trust in God’s sovereignty. Even Herod’s evil schemes were used to highlight God’s faithfulness and the identity of Jesus as the Messiah. When Joseph fled to Egypt with Mary and Jesus, it seemed like chaos. Yet, God was weaving His plan through every moment. The same God who called His Son out of Egypt is calling you to trust Him in your detours. The pain, the uncertainty, the waiting—it’s not wasted. God is doing something you can’t yet see. Redemption often comes through the very places we’d rather avoid. Hold fast to this: the God who brought Israel and Jesus out of Egypt is still working today.
The Messiah’s birth was orchestrated by God’s sovereign plan.
When we look at the birth of Jesus, we can’t miss the intricate details that point to God’s hand at work. From the location to the lineage, to the very timing of the events, everything was part of a plan that God had set into motion long before that night in Bethlehem. The birth of Jesus wasn’t a last-minute idea or a reaction to the events unfolding in the world. It was the result of God’s sovereign plan, laid out and orchestrated perfectly, down to the smallest detail.
Think about the timing of Jesus’ birth. Galatians 4:4 says, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.” What does it mean that it happened in the “fullness of time”? It means that God had prepared everything—politically, culturally, and spiritually—for the arrival of His Son. The Roman Empire had established roads and a common language, making it possible for the Gospel to spread like never before. The Jewish people were anticipating the Messiah, searching the scriptures, and longing for deliverance. God set the stage for the most significant event in history, ensuring that Jesus was born at the perfect time for His gospel to reach the world.
But it wasn’t just the timing. God also moved through the details that we might take for granted. Luke 2:1-3 tells us about Caesar Augustus’ decree that all the world should be registered, requiring Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem. Now, let’s pause there—Caesar Augustus had no idea he was fulfilling prophecy. He was just running the empire. But God used even the decree of a Roman emperor to accomplish His purposes. By issuing that decree, Augustus unknowingly set the stage for the fulfillment of Micah 5:2, which foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
Isn’t that incredible? God’s sovereign plan was at work through the actions of emperors and common people alike. Caesar Augustus was in power, thinking he was in control of the world, but God was using him to carry out His sovereign plan. God’s sovereignty extends over nations and kings, and it reaches into the smallest details of our lives. This should give us confidence that God’s plans can’t be stopped. If He can move through the decisions of a Roman emperor to fulfill His promise in Bethlehem, then He is working in my life today, even if I can’t see it.
Sometimes, we might look at the circumstances in our lives and wonder if God is really in control. We might see chaos, pain, or confusion and think that God has lost His grip. But the story of Jesus’ birth tells us that even when things seem chaotic, God is working. Even when we don’t see the full picture, He is putting everything in place according to His perfect plan.
The Christmas story declares that God is never late, never uncertain, never reactive. Every detail—from a census to a stable—was woven into His eternal plan. If He could orchestrate the birth of His Son with such precision, He can surely be trusted with your life. When chaos threatens your peace and uncertainty clouds your heart, look to the baby in the manger. You can rest, knowing God holds your life with the same care.
So, as we think about the story of Christmas, let it be a reminder that God is in control, no matter what. The birth of Jesus is proof that God keeps His promises, and He works through all things to bring about His perfect plan. That’s why Christmas is worth celebrating, not just as a historical event, but as a living reminder that God is still working, still fulfilling His promises, and still sovereign over all things. And that includes your very life. You can trust Him.
[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/prophecies-of-Jesus.html
[2] https://bible.org/illustration/probability-prophecies-fulfilled
[3] https://www.gotquestions.org/hypostatic-union.html; https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/theological-primer-hypostatic-union
[4] The Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians Chapter X
[5] https://carm.org/about-jesus/why-wasnt-jesus-born-with-original-sin
[6] https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/jesus-genealogies-in-matthew-and-luke
[7] https://biblearchaeologyreport.com/2021/12/10/o-little-town-of-bethlehem-2; https://carm.org/about-jesus/where-was-jesus-born; https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/birth/was-jesus-born-in-a-house
