Christmas, A Witness

 

Christmas, A Witness! 

 MATT. 1:21-23; PS. 19:7-11; 33:11; JN. 12:44-50; 2Tim. 3:15-17

 SUBJECT: PROPHECY/BIBLE CREDIBILITY               

THEME: The Inspired Word of God is Completely Reliable and Trustworthy Throughout. We Will Set Forth the Bible’s Credentials by Examining One Aspect of the Christmas Story and Ancient Bible Predictions. By Analyzing These Irrefutable Proofs, We Support the Bible’s Claim to Be God’s Word and Recommend its Truth as the Final Authority for Our Generation. 

RELEVANCY: Clearly Scripture declares that its Word’s are God’s Words and that God promised to Preserve His Words forever in complete purity.     

INTRODUCTION:     

1) The Bible is On Trial, and We Need a Strong Defense.

    A.  Imagine You Are in a Court of Law and the Bible Is on Trial.

        1.  The Accusation is that the Bible is not true and therefore unreliable for salvation, instruction and guidance. 

        2.  You are counsel for the defense.  What witnesses can you call to give testimony to the truthfulness and accuracy of the Bible?  Who can prove that the Scriptures are free of errors and mistakes—thus an authoritative infallible Bible? But who could we call on?  Who could give a testimony that would be completely believed and received by us all?

        3.  We will look at the witnesses of Christmas itself today.  Certainly, we are celebrating a literal historical event about a life that transformed and shaped the course of subsequent history.  

        4.  Jesus Christ was God born into this world to die for our sins is the significance of his life.  The important thing to note here is that all of this was wonderfully predicted in the Bible.

    B.  It Is True That the Lord’s “Pure Words” are “Purified Seven Times.” (Ps. 12:6-7) 

For the English-speaking world, the Bible is accurate, and perfectly preserved for us and for every generation in the KJV.  This much is clearly taught, and we believe it with our whole heart. 

        But how can we convince others that the Bible is 100% Reliable, Credible, Trustworthy, and the Final Answer?  What supporting arguments would be completely plausible evidence? 

2) The Dominate Attitude of Our Age Demands Evidence.

Is it any wonder then that people question the authority of the Bible? As an Evangelist I can say, “The Bible is the absolute authority for English-speaking people. It is inerrant, effective, and absolutely authoritative. It is the final word on how we should all live.”

   A.  People Still Want to Know For themselves. 

   B.  People Still Say, “Show Me.” 

We will answer the skeptics’ questions from Bible Prophesy as it relates to the Life of Christ and His Birth.

MESSAGE:

I.               Consider Fulfilled Prophecies.

Fulfilled prophecy is a witness to the Bible’s trustworthiness.

Matthew 1:22-23, Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, [23] Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

   * Note The Clear Statement of Inspiration for the Scriptures and The Prophets. The Bible’s Words and Message Came from God through men.

   * Note the Clear Statement of Bible Prophecy Fulfilled through the Birth of Christ. A Specific 700-year-old prediction about the birth of Christ fulfilled in detail.    

Perhaps the strongest objective argument for the validity of Scripture comes from fulfilled Bible prophecy.  The fulfilled predictions of the Bible lend powerful support to its being the Word of God.

The Bible is the only book in the world that has specific prophecies clearly fulfilled hundreds of years after they were given. Two-thirds of the Bible is made up of prophecies. Prophecy is history written in advance. Many of these prophecies have been fulfilled, and all fulfilled prophecy has been literally fulfilled -- fulfilled to the very letter. In the Bible we have prophecies relating to places, to events and to persons.  The most helpful approach to this subject of the prophecies of the Bible would be to study the prophecies of the Old Testament which relate to the Person of Christ and see them literally fulfilled in His birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension. The prophecies that validated the deity of The Lord Jesus are exactly the same as those that validate the Bible as the word of God.

For example, over thirty prophecies relating to His arrest, trial, and crucifixion were all literally fulfilled within twenty-four hours when He died. What is the explanation of the power of this book to predict the future? The explanation is this: The Bible is a credible book. (Based on M. Anders)

A.  THE BIRTH OF CHRIST WAS A FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY.

Jesus fulfilled many Old Testament prophecies, some of them more obvious than others. For our purposes, we will focus on the more obvious ones. So that you can see them most clearly, I’ll state the Old Testament prophecy briefly, and then its fulfillment in the New Testament. Let the record speak for itself.

   1. Prophecy: The Messiah Would Be Born of a Virgin.

       A.  The Prediction: Isaiah 7:14, Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (This prophecy was given (7) seven centuries before it was fulfilled.)  (Also Gen. 3:15).       

       B.  The Fulfillment: the Lord Jesus was born of Mary the young virgin. 

Matthew 1:18, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 1:21-23, And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. [22] Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, [23] Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  

Matthew 1:25, And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.

   2. Prophecy: The Messiah Would Be Born into the Family of King David.

        A.  The Prediction: Jeremiah 23:5, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

Isaiah 9:7, Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. 

        B.  The Fulfillment:  In the genealogies in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus is listed as being in the lineage of David.

Matthew 1:1, The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Matthew 1:17, So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

Luke 1:32, He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: (Also see Luke 3:23, 31)

   3. Prophecy: The Messiah Would Be Born in the City of Bethlehem.

        A.  The Prediction: Micah 5:2, But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

        B.  The Fulfillment: Jesus was born in Bethlehem. 

Luke 2:4, And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

Luke 2:11, For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

These prophecies have to do with the birth of Jesus, the Messiah.

B.  THE DEATH OF CHRIST WAS A FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY.

Other remarkable prophecies concern His death, some of them in the Old Testament, and some of them in the Gospels.

   1. Prophecy: The Messiah Would Be Tortured and Crucified.

        A.  The Prediction: 

Isaiah 53:5, But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

 Zech. 12:10, And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

          B.  The Fulfillment: Jesus was beaten and then crucified.

Matthew 27:26, Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. 

John 19:34, But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

   2. Prophecy:  Jesus Would Rise from the Dead.

          A.  The Prediction: Psalm 16:10, For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (Also Ps. 49:15)

          B.  The Fulfillment: Jesus rose from the dead.  

Matthew 28:5-6, And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. [6] He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Mark 16:6, And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. (Acts 2:27, 30-31)

We could continue with many more prophecies and fulfillments. I have selected only a few of the major ones to give an idea of Jesus' remarkable life as it fulfilled one after another of the prophecies that told of the Messiah, in some cases, thousands of years before He was born.

II. Consider Fulfilled Prophecy as Convincing.

The Fulfillment of These Prophecies Is Not Mere Chance nor Coincidence.   

A.  FULFILLED PROPHECY PROVES THE BIBLE IS GOD’S PURE WORD.

   1.  Consider The Highly Reliable Standard for Determining God’s Predictions.

Jeremiah 28:9, The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him.

Ezekiel 33:33, And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.

The Bible itself makes it clear that fulfilled prophecy attests to the supernatural origin of the words of its prophets (Jeremiah 28:9).  When the details of a Divine Prophesy are fully consummated it lends credence to the Bible as being of Divine origin.  Only God can accurately predict the future hundreds and thousands of years into the future.

   2.  Conclude that Prophesy Does Verify that the Bible Came from God.

Jeremiah 28:9, The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him.

Deut. 18:20-22, But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. [21] And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? [22] When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Fulfilled prophecy proved God’s Word is the pure Word of God.

B.  FULFILLED PROPHECY IS NOT A MATTER OF CHANCE.

    1.  The Birth and Life of Jesus Christ Was No Mere Chance.

Consider Josh MacDowell’s Arguments to Helps Us Realize that Prophesy Was Literally and Divinely Fulfilled.

Again, in “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” (167), we see that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled just eight of the major prophecies that Jesus fulfilled are 1 in 10 to the 17th power. That is, one in 100,000,000,000,000,000.

ILLUSTRATION: In order to help us comprehend these staggering odds, suppose we take this many silver dollars (10 to the 17th power) and lay them on the face of Texas. Now, as you know, Texas is a big state. If you could flip Texas west using El Paso as a hinge, Houston would land in the Pacific Ocean. If you could flip Texas east, using Houston as a hinge, El Paso would land in the Atlantic. If you could flip Texas north using the top of the panhandle as a hinge, the lowest part of Texas would land just short of the Canadian border. Texas is a big state. This many silver dollars (10 to the 17th power) would cover the entire state two feet deep in coins.

Now imagine that one of those silver dollars was painted red. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel anywhere in the state he wants to, and pick up one silver dollar. Keep in mind that traveling at seventy miles per hour, he could not drive across Texas in a day. His chances of getting the marked silver dollar are approximately the same as a person fulfilling eight major prophecies of the Messiah by chance. (Based on M. Anders)

    2.  The Birth and Life of Jesus Christ Was No Mere Accident.

God was acting in pure mercy and grace when He sent His Son into the World, there was no other way for man to be saved from the consequences of his sinful heart. This was no accident, but God executing a precision plan to rescue eternal souls from eternal suffering in Hell.

       A.  The Birth of Christ Reflect a Divine Design and Determination.

             1.  Christ Came to Save Sinner, Especially Israel a Privileged Nation.

Matthew 1:21, And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. 

John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Acts 3:26, Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. (See also Acts 4:12; Acts 5:31; Acts 13:23, 13:38-39)

              2.  Christ Came to Save Sinners, Because Israel’s Guilt Proved the World’s Guilt.

Romans 3:19, Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Romans 3:9, What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

              3.  Christ Came to Save Sinner, By Dying in Our Stead, That We Could Be Saved Through Faith.

Romans 3:23-26, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; [24] Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: [25] Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; [26] To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

        B. The Odds of These Prophecies Being Accidentally Fulfilled Are Virtually Zero. 

              1.  Now, Consider That Jesus Fulfilled Forty-eight Prophecies.

The odds that any one man fulfilled all forty-eight by chance are 10 to the 157th power. There is no practical way even to illustrate that number.

ILLUSTRATION:  Let's just say that there is about as good a chance of a tornado going through a junk yard and assembling a perfect automobile. When we look at the fulfilled prophecies in the life of Christ, the Bible becomes a very convincing book, and Jesus becomes a very convincing Messiah, God the Son. (Based on M. Anders)

              2.  Of Course, These Prophecies Deal Only with the Lord Jesus Christ.

But many more prophecies in the Bible were fulfilled.

              3.  These Are Not Fortune-cookie Prophecies.

We all have read things like “an attractive person will soon come into your life,” or “things will soon begin looking up for you.” No, these are specific and verifiable. The Bible itself makes it clear that fulfilled prophecy attests to the supernatural origin of the word of its prophets (Jeremiah 28:9). If a prophet ever spoke anything that did not come true, he was not a true prophet (Deuteronomy 18:20–22) and was to be stoned. (Based on M. Anders)

    3.  But Look at the Record of the Psychics in the Tabloid Papers.  No one is able, on any level of credibility, to prophesy things that come true. Yet the Bible is full of such prophecies. They create a set of odds so remarkable that, if the prophecies are believed, they validate the Bible as the word of God. Only if you do not want to accept that conclusion do you dismiss them.

III.        Consider Fulfilled Prophecy as Authoritative.

Fulfilled prophecy is a witness to the Bible’s authority.

Since what the Bible says about Christmas is true, then all its other claims, and prophecies are just as authoritative and trustworthy.

A.  ACCEPT CHRISTMAS AS A WITNESS TO BIBLE AUTHORITY.

Matthew 1:22, Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

     1.  Christ’s Birth Was History Given In Advance.

Since the Bible is given to mankind by inspiration of God then it is not merely the writings of men, but they find their source in Jehovah. The reliability of the scriptures rest in the Power, Sovereignty, and Wisdom of an All-Mighty God, and not human strength or frailty! Christmas is much more than a holiday, it historically marks the fact that God had mercy on sinners and sent a Savior to die for our sins. The scriptures do not only record the historical fulfillment of these facts, but they also literally predicted the history before it happen. 

      2.  We Must Truly Be Sinners in Need of a Savior.

 2 Tim. 3:15, And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

2 Tim. 3:16, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

      3.  The Meaning of Christmas is a Final Reality.

A Final Reality describes the fact that the universe and reality exist in a certain form and are not subject to popular opinion. In other words, final reality is what is real and true.

ILLUSTRATION: The facts that Jesus Christ was born, lived, died, and rose again from the dead is a final reality. Whether or not people choose to accept this does not alter the reality that it happened. That is final reality.  Scripture inform us of this truth.  The fact that we are sinners destine for Hell does not have to be a final reality, receive the gift of Christmas—Jesus Christ the Savior.

B.  ACCEPT THE BIBLE AS YOUR FINAL AUTHORITY.

The Bible Is the Final Authority in Our Lives!

   1.  The Bible Is to Be the Final Authority in the Believer’s Life.

Numbers 23:19-20, God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? [20] Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

This by application means that ultimately, we should choose to believe and obey what the Bible says, not the opinions of men. The reason for this belief in the Bible as the final authority is not that we choose to be religious legalists whose minds are shut from other opinions or that we are frightened of creative thinking.

         A.  We Believe That the Bible Is the Word of God and Divinely Inspired.

         B. Therefore, We Choose to Believe it above the Opinions, Philosophies, and Writings of Men, Which Constantly Change.

ILLUSTRATION: If you have ever studied Psychology which most college students are at least introduced to the subject. Then you can recall that each theorist differed fundamentally from the other in His teachings.  Whether Rogerian Methodology or Freudian Principles they contradicted each other. I am not surprised nor amazed to find that every major psychological theorist contradicted or markedly disagree with his predecessors. Since psychology is being taught as a science, it is hard to understand why its proponents disagreed so vastly with one another. The reason they did is that their theories were based on their subjective belief systems. In contrast, the Bible is based on what God has to say and not on the opinions of men.

    2.  God’s Word is a Final Reality!

Psalm 119:89-91, For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. [90] Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. [91] They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.

The word “settled” means “to bring to rest; to establish or secure permanently.” God’s Law is eternal and unchanging it is fixed and established forever. In our ever-changing world nothing is established or secured permanently. But God’s Word is forever “settled” or established and secured permanently in Heaven!

        A.  This Means Our Bible is True Throughout!

Here we see that the Bible, God’s Word, is final reality. In other words, it is true—not just in religious or spiritual matters. It is true in every area of life because God created all of life and the universe. He understands how it functions.  Psalm 119:160, Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. (Ps. 19:7-11)

        B.  It is Important to Understand That Christianity Is Truth and Not a Religion!

God’s Word is not just true because you and I choose to believe in it. It is true, because on an objective scientific basis it simply is “true.” When we understand this reality, it should give us confidence in our daily living and relating to our society.  It should give us confidence as we preach, teach, read, study, and witness with it. It should give us confidence as we build our homes, and other relationships by it.  It should reassure us that we are indeed saved and secure in Jesus Christ as our Savior and that we don’t need Confucius, Mohammad, Buddha nor any other religious philosophy.

CONCLUSION:

Prophecy is evidence that proves that the Bible is the word of God.  The weight of all such proofs taken together enables a person to believe that the Bible is the word of God. It takes a mind prejudiced in favor of the anti-supernatural not to agree that the evidence for the Bible's being the word of God is strong indeed.