Jesus’ delivery story has captivated billions of folks for greater than two millennia, as the Bible particulars a loving God’s resolution to ship His Son to die for the sins of humanity — and dwell once more.
From the manger to the cross, the journey has formed and molded each aspect of human historical past. One of the most compelling realities surrounding the nativity narrative is Jesus’s delivery was foretold lengthy earlier than the manger, with the Old Testament together with vital prophecies pointing towards Christ.
In reality, this promised Messiah is talked about all through the Scriptures, with particular particulars — together with His delivery in Bethlehem — famous a whole bunch of years earlier than angels visited Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph.
CBN News explores this actuality in a brand new, four-part vacation podcast, “Jesus and the Prophecies of Christmas,” a present diving deep into the unimaginable prophecies at the coronary heart of the manger story. Each episode facilities on a unique piece of the prophetic puzzle surrounding Jesus’ delivery.
The first episode of “Jesus and the Prophecies of Christmas” — that includes for King & Country’s Joel Smallbone, Greg Laurie, Jeff Kinley, Ray Comfort, Jesse Bradley, and Shane Idleman — explores the function and energy of biblical prophecy, Jesus’ presence all through the Old Testament, and why the child in the manger was a achievement of God’s guarantees to humankind.
Listen to this highly effective first episode:
Smallbone opens the present by proclaiming he’s captivated by the actuality of “God coming to earth in the most vulnerable state, as a baby.”
“God, in all of His majesty and magnificence, is like, ‘I’m going to come into this tiny being, living and breathing being, and I’m going to do this because I have such great love for these creatures that are made in My image that I want to … offer hope, and healing, and redemption to this … sort of species that has kind of gone awry,’” he mentioned. “And I just think it’s got all of the layers of an incredible story, and … I believe it just so happens to be a true story, which makes it even more … magnificent.”
Kinley, a prophesy professional, notes the Christmas story is informed yearly “with great emotion” — and with good purpose. For him, the most compelling half, although, is the Creator’s resolution to point out such sacrificial love for His creation.
“Here is the Creator of the world coming to be a creation, if you will,” he mentioned. “He’s the God-man, 100% God, 100% man, and yet He submitted Himself to creation.”
Kinley continued, “He was born into a world that He Himself created. He was laid upon straw, presumably, that was made by Him. All the things that He made, He submitted Himself to it.”
This concept that Jesus proffered Himself to creation is fascinating — and one of the most exceptional points of the nativity story are the items of proof backing this declare.
“If someone wants credible evidence the Bible is God’s Word all he has to do is take some time to study the prophecies, because only God knows the future,” apologist Ray Comfort notes in “Jesus and the Prophecies of Christmas.” “We [don’t] know tomorrow’s forecast; we haven’t got a clue. They just take a stab. But God’s Word predicts the future before it came into being, and it establishes [His] divine fingerprint all over Scripture. So prophecy is wonderful.”
Ultimately, Kinley, Comfort, and different theologians and pastors imagine biblical prophecy — outlined as a prediction of what’s to return — is tried, true, and verified.
It’s the glimmers of Jesus’ delivery in the Old Testament — written a whole bunch of years earlier than the nativity narrative — they imagine supply some of the most compelling proof of Scripture’s authenticity.
Listen to episode one of “Jesus and the Prophecies” of Christmas — and tune in tomorrow, Dec. 14 (subscribe right here) for the subsequent installment — an episode set to discover key figures in the nativity story and how they reacted to the prophecies given by God and angels.
