Prophecies and Fulfillments of Christ
Todd Morgan
Lineage
- And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
- 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.
We’ll see clearly that only God could set things up so perfectly from Old Testament to New Testament. We’ve got to let the word of God be powerful – we’ve got to take it personally and be thankful for the blessings and miracles that God has for us. It’s awsome. Nothing happens behind God’s back; whatever happens, God can handle it.
Location
- 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.
- Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
- Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
- When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
- And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
- And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
- And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
You see in verse three that there was instantly a moment of conflict. You would think that this would be a time of rejoicing, but whenever God’s word goes forth, there will be challenge and persecution. We see that today: from the moment we get saved, we’re on the battlefield.
Virgin birth
- Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
- Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
- For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
So you see the prophecy of Jesus: his name shall be called Emmanuel.
- 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.
So we see again a prophecy being fulfilled from the Old Testament to the New Testament. We know that “Emmanuel” means God manifest with us.
- And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
- To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
- And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
- And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
- And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
- And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
- 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:
- And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
- Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
- And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
So we see the virgin birth here. Again, this was all ordained and established by God from the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, God was referred to as “I AM”, and here we see tht he is known as Jesus.
Life of ministry
- I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
- And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
So the power and authority of the word of God in Deuteronomy was speaking of the coming of Jesus Christ. He said, “If you believe not that I am he, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24) This is how important it is to know who Jesus is. We can study many examples in the New Testament of how he handled situations and responded to them. He didn’t baby his disciples; he spoke the word of God to them. There were those who chose to follow, and those who left. He didn’t beg anybody to follow him. So God teaches us today to minister.
- For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
- But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
The religious people of the day had a hard time with Jesus because he didn’t fit into their religious mold. We see the same thing today. Jesus didn’t have anywhere to lay his head; he didn’t have a comfortable life. Do you think you’ll have a comfortable life? We hear people complain about how rough life is, but we know all things work together for good. The world may not be fair, but God is fair. There’s a reward waiting for us, and it’s all about whether we walked in Jesus’ footsteps.
A priest after the order of Melchizedek
- The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
There are other scriptures about Melchizedek. Abraham gave to him a tenth of all he had.
- So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
- As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
There again, we see a prophecy being fulfilled. It says that Christ glorified not himself. He didn’t want to give any glory to the flesh. That’s an example for us to follow. We want to build a testimony, not a reputation. We’ve got to make sure we have the right motives for what we’re doing. Jesus knew whether people had the right motives; he could see right through them. But we also have to know the scriptures, because we’re going to be tested and tried. If you have a rusty sword, you’ll have a hard time fighting. I remember one time when I was teaching a Bible study and this guy was fighting it. So I wrapped up the study. Then he said, “It looks like I need to be baptized.” So it looked like he was fighting, but really he was just trying to get a grip. You’ve got to be able to discern the difference.
Jesus would heal people of diseases and sickness
- Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
- Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
- Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Again, this was all ordained and established by God.
- When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
- That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
We can read about the many times when Jesus performed miracles, and we can also read about the times when he didn’t do miracles, because of peoples’ unbelief. He knew that his purpose was to glorify God, and make sure that people didn’t forget.
You look at the history of the children of Israel, and it’s like a rollercoaster, up and down, in and out of God’s favor. These things are written for our benefit, so that we don’t suffer the same things that they suffered.
Belief is huge. True belief will cause action. Even the devil believes, and trembles. A lot of people say they believe, but they don’t even tremble. It’s easy to look around and think not a whole lot is going on, but there’s a lot going on. Sometimes the work of God is like an underwater current, rushing through while the surface is calm. God is looking to show himself powerful and mighty in our life, but it’s up to us to be a yielded vessel of that power.
Jesus would teach in parables
- And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
- Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
So the whole thing about salvation really comes down to the heart. Some people are so wrapped up in the world that they’re not even looking for the Lord. We could be the pharaoh of our own walk with God. We don’t want to end up in that scenario where we don’t have eyes to see and ears to hear.
- He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
- For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
- Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
- And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
- For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Jesus was constantly telling people to believe and obey, but some people love darkness rather than light. They’d rather live in the flesh and be carnally-minded. If we love our life, we’ll gain it, but if we seek to gain our life, we’ll lose it. It’s like the rich young ruler, who had pretty-much tallied up all his checkboxes to get to heaven, and Jesus told him “You’ve got to sell all that you have.” And really, it’s easy. Jesus says, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Surrendering is easy – it’s all a choice.
Jesus would be tender and compassionate
- Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
- He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
- A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
- He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
I like in verse three were it says “a bruised reed shall he not break.” We’ve all been bruised from time to time, but we’ve only got one shot at heaven. I think a lot of times, people don’t accept the forgiveness of God. They’ve fallen down, and God is willing to forgive them, but they don’t think they’re worthy of that forgiveness. We need to understand as Paul did, that where we are weak, God is strong. God continually wants to restore people, and we can be a part of that restoration, by being that encouragment when they are a “bruised reed.”
- But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
- And charged them that they should not make him known:
- That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
- Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
- He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
- A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
You look at the many times when Jesus was very compassionate with people, and the Pharisees were constantly trying to accuse him and to accuse other people before him. They brought the woman caught in adultery, and he said “Let him that is without sin among you cast the first stone,” and they all left. We all have our own problems; we don’t have room for fault-finding. But Jesus was patient with them, and I thank God for that mercy.
His triumphal entry
- Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Now, let’s look at the fulfillment:
- And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
- And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
Death of rejection
- He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Every time I read through the gospels, when it describes what Jesus went through, I see the love of God upon our lives. It’s difficult to read and reflect on, because it’s painful. Have you seen “The Passion of the Christ”? But we see the plan, and understand what it was all for. So we’ve got to deny ourselves, and pick up our cross.
- Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
So if you’re having it rough, you’re up for some blessings. Satan knows when the blessings are around the corner, and he fights you. Or maybe the victory has just come, and he tries to steal your joy.
- He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
A lot of times, people didn’t recognize who Jesus was, and they struggled. Even Phillip said, “Shew us the father.” Jesus said, “If you have a hard time believing in me, then believe for the work’s sake.” We haven’t seen God; we only know the miracles of Jesus by reading about them. But we know that the Bible is flawless. And that’s something not to be tampered with. I saw a version that changed “Jesus the same yesterday, today, and forever” into “Jesus the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.” Obviously, there is a tremendous difference in impact.
How He would die
- I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
- My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
- For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
- I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
- They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
Now the fulfillment:
- And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
- They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
- And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
- And sitting down they watched him there;
- And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
- Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
- And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
- And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
So we see that they crucified him and cast lots for his garments, just as it was prophesied. When Peter rebuked him for saying he would die, Jesus said,
- And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
The Bible says you should arm your mind with the same mind as Jesus, not dwelling on the pain of life, but understanding why we have to go through it. That’s the test of our faith, living day by day. We have to go through something to get to something. That’s the test that divides the men from the boys: it comes down to dedication in living for God. When we realize that it’s going to be worth it all, when we get to heaven we’ll look back and say “It wasn’t so tough.”
Resurrection
- For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Now the fulfillment:
- And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
- From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
So he prepared the apostles for what would happen.
- And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
- But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
- And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
- Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
- And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
- And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
- And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
- And he took it, and did eat before them.
- And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
- Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
That’s powerful: “Then opened he their understanding.” Only God can do that. Only God can give the understanding of his whole plan of salvation. That’s why we’ve got to study the scriptures, and be reminded lest we forget.
- And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
- And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
- And ye are witnesses of these things.
Again, God is in full control. His plan is perfect, and nothing is too hard for God. We’ve got to do things God’s way, and examine ourselves to make sure we’re bearing spiritual fruit. We’ve got to do what we do because we both love and fear God. We love God and want to please him, not out of obligation, but we also fear God and the consequences of displeasing him. We’ve got to rehearse these things in fellowship. Fellowship is breaking of bread, not just talking about football scores. You should study the plan of salvation on a weekly basis, because you never know when you’re going to be called upon to share with someone. We’ve got to know the plan of salvation and be excited about it. Just think, out of all the people in the world, God has allowed us to be saved. We’ve got to do all we can to be counted worthy.