Advent – Week 2 Prophecy

Week 2’s preparation focuses us to remember the prophecy spoken of Messiah fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. While the theme is Faith for this week, it is important to prepare our hearts which is why Preparation is our theme. One of the greatest ways to prepare our Hearts is to remember the magnitude of Messiahship we find in Jesus. The magnitude of improbability for all of the old testament prophecies to be fulfilled in just one person–the man Christ Jesus.

In the book Science Speaks, Peter Stoner and Robert Newman discussed this statistical improbability of one man, whether accidentally or deliberately, fulfilling just eight of the prophecies Jesus fulfilled. The chance of this happening for just 8 prophecies being fulfilled is 1 in 10 to the 17th power (1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000) They present scenario that illustrates the magnitude of such odds:

“Suppose that we take 10 to the 17th power of silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote using their own wisdom. The mathematical improbability of 300, or 47, or even just eight fulfilled prophesies of Jesus stands as evidence to his messiahship.”

Prepare your Heart, Believe, Receive that! That’s True–An Increase of Your Faith as Jesus fulfilled over 300!

Far Too Many for this post, but let’s highlight a few:

1. Born of a Woman (Genesis 3:15, Matthew 1:20, Galatians 4:4)

2. Born in Bethlehem ( Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4-6)

3. Born of a Virgin (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:22-23, Luke 1:26-31)

4. Priest after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4 Hebrews 5:5-6)

5. Messiah would be crucified with criminals. (Isaiah 53:12, Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27-28)

6. Messiah would resurrect from the dead. (Psalm 16:10, Psalm 49:15, Matthew 28:2-7, Acts 2:22-32)

7. Messiah would return a second time. (Daniel 7:13-14, Revelation 19)

Throughout the entire ministry of Jesus, He knew He was fulfilling Scripture. “Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

~Luke 24:25–27, NLT

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” (John 5:39, NLT)

Jesus has given us Hope and has prepared the way so that through Faith we can have right standing before GOD.

Have you prepared your Heart for the Messiah who was, and is, and is to come? If not now, when?