Is there someone in your life who is trustworthy? You know they will do their best to keep their word? When they promise, they mean to keep that promise. Their word seals the deal.
Yet even the best-intentioned humans fail. They can’t keep their promise because they get sick, or even die before making good on their promise. Or circumstances beyond their control preclude fulfilling their promise.
But there is one Person who never fails to make good on his promises. God makes promises and keeps them. His promises are trustworthy. I love reading the Old Testament promises and then seeing them fulfilled in the life of Jesus, the Messiah. There are hundreds of Old Testament references to the Messiah, but let’s look at just a few concerning his birth. It’s faith-building to see how meticulously God brought his detailed promises to completion.
The One sent from God would be fully human and yet fully God. His conception demonstrated this. Unlike other babies, he didn’t have a human father. The Holy Spirit enabled a virgin to conceive. This once-in-history supernatural occurrence was foretold by the prophet Isaiah seven hundred years before a virgin peasant girl named Mary birthed the Messiah.
Isaiah 7:14. “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”
Matthew, a companion of Jesus most likely interviewed Mary before he penned this explanation of Jesus’ birth:
“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”
When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.” Matthew 1:18-25
The prophet, Micah, who wrote prophetic words seven hundred years before Jesus was born had something to reveal about the long awaited Messiah. Micah predicted the birthplace.
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
whose origins are in the distant past,
will come from you on my behalf.”
Seven centuries later, those who knew the writings of the earlier prophets were keenly aware of the specific town where Messiah would be born. Here is the account of how the teachers remembered this prophecy so many years later.
“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” Matthew 2:1-6
The priests and teachers knew the Messiah’s birthplace information Micah had given. They also knew what Samuel had written about David and applied it to David’s son, the coming Messiah.
“And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’” 2 Samuel 5:2
David himself wrote in various places about the Messiah.
David’s Psalm 70 appears to be prophetic looking forward to the time his greater son would
come.
Psalm 70:10, 15, 17
“The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba
will bring him gifts.
Long live the king!
May the gold of Sheba be given to him.
May the king’s name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun shines.
May all nations be blessed through him
and bring him praise.”
Matthew records the fulfillment of this prophecy.
“wise men from eastern lands arrived. . .
After this interview [with King Herod] the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:9-11
Seeing how God kept his promises about the Messiah, encourages me that the rest of his promises will also be kept. If God was trustworthy then, surely he is now and will be till the end of time and into the vast expanse of eternity.
What are some of his promises?
I don’t have to do life alone – “I am with you always even to the end of the age.” “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
I have help each step of the way – ““My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” “we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
I’m forgiven and get a fresh start over and over – “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us.” “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”
I don’t have to worry about my destination after death – “Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.”
This season when you see the manger scene let it remind you that God keeps his word.
‘With you’ verses: Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5
‘Help’ verses: 2 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 4:16
‘Forgiven’ verses: Lamentations 3:22-23; 1 John 1:9; Psalm 103:12
‘After death’ verse: 2 Corinthians 5:8
Need stories to read to grandchildren? Stable Stories Part 1, Stable Stories Part 2, Stable Stories Part 3
Inspiration from Mary Mary’s Example
The best gift of all, promises kept, the the wonders of the Keeper.
Amazed and so grateful .
Amen, dear Anita!