Christ’s Earthly Beginnings Foretold

Foretold Series - Part 3

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in thedays of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,  2 saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it roseand have come to worship him."  3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;  4and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:  6 "'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"  7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.  8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."  9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.  10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.  12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.  13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."  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."  16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.  17Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:  18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more."  19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,  20 saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."  21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.”

- Matthew 2:1-21

Christ’s Official Roles Foretold

Foretold Series - Part 2

“I will raise up for them a prophet like you [Moses] from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”

- Deuteronomy 18:18

“The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."

- Psalm 110:4

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon1 his shoulder, and his name shall be called2 Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”

- Isaiah 9:6-7

Christ’s Lineage Foretold

Foretold Series - Part 1


“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,  3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,1  4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon,  5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,  6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,  7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,1  8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah,  9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,  10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,1 and Amos the father of Josiah,  11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at thetime of the deportation to Babylon.  12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,1 and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,  13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor,  14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud,  15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob,  16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.  17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations."

- Matthew 1:1-17

The Final Day of Judgement and Blessing

Joel Series - Part 11

“Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD.  12 Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.  13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great.  14 Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.  15 The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.  16 The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.  17 "So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it.  18 "And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD and water the Valley of Shittim.  19 "Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.  20 But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations.  21 I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged, for the LORD dwells in Zion."

- Joel 3:11-21

I Will Pour Out My Spirit on All People

Joel Series Part 10

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.  29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.  30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.  31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.  32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.”

- Joel 2:28-32

I Will Restore the Years the Locusts Have Eaten Up - Part II

Joel Series Part 9

“Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people.  19 The LORD answered and said to his people, "Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.  20 "I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his vanguard into the eastern sea, and his rear guard into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things.  21 "Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things!  22 Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield.  23 "Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before.  24 "The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.  25 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.  26 "You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.  27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.”

- Joel 2:18-27

I Will Restore the Years the Locusts Have Eaten Up

Joel Series Part 8

“Then the LORD became jealous for his land and had pity on his people.  19 The LORD answered and said to his people, "Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.  20 "I will remove the northerner far from you, and drive him into a parched and desolate land, his vanguard into the eastern sea, and his rear guard into the western sea; the stench and foul smell of him will rise, for he has done great things.  21 "Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done great things!  22 Fear not, you beasts of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and vine give their full yield.  23 "Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before.  24 "The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.  25 I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.  26 "You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.  27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.”

- Joel 2:18-27

The God Who Relents

Joel Series Part 7

12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
    “return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13     and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    and he relents over disaster.
14 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
    and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
    for the Lord your God?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
16     gather the people.
Consecrate the congregation;
    assemble the elders;
gather the children,
    even nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
    and the bride her chamber.

17 Between the vestibule and the altar
    let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
    and make not your heritage a reproach,
    a byword among the nations.[a]
Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?’”