For Unto You...A Son Is Given

2018-12-02 
Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

Key Verse: Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Over the next few weeks we will obviously be talking about the greatest gift ever given to mankind, the gift of Jesus. The very idea that God could love us all so much that He sent His Son just for us, to allow us to be redeemed through His sacrifice, is a gift we never could have even imagined. Yet, God from the beginning of time, had a plan. Today, I’d like to spend some time not in the New Testament, but in the Old Testament seeing God’s plan being foretold. Within the pages of the Old Testament, around 300 prophecies are given about Jesus that He, and He alone, fulfilled.

1. The Coming Enemy of Satan

Genesis 3:15a And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed;

• “He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel”
• The rest of this verse refers to Christ’s death on the cross but His ultimate victory over Satan
• This is a clear picture of God’s redemptive plan revealed immediately following the introduction of sin into His creation

Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.

2. The Coming Blessing

Genesis 22:18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

– Abraham promised by God that all would be blessed through his seed

– Jesus was the fulfillment of this promise

3. The Coming Ruler

Numbers 24:17a I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,

– The prophecy of Balaam telling of the coming Messiah

– Jesus is that Star, that Scepter

– vs 24:17b “And batter the brow of Moab,And destroy all the sons of tumult.”

– Jesus came to rule over all

4. The Coming Presence

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel

Matthew 1:18-23 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

– God with us is the ultimate promise of His presence in our lives

5. The Coming Hope

Isaiah 11:1-5 (NLT) Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. 4 He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. 5 He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.

• We may have trouble in our world now, but Jesus is our hope
• He came to deliver, to protect, to judge and to forgive

The story of Christmas is one in which God provided a way for all of mankind to be redeemed, going all the way back to the Garden of Eden. His gift is the gift of love, the promise of forgiveness, the hope of restoration, and the future of Heaven. The only question that remains is this…will you believe?