Promises, Promises

A promise is only as good as the faithfulness of the one making the promise. A promise that doesn't come to pass isn't much of a promise.



God, in His great faithfulness, made promise after promise (many of them hundreds of years before) to the world about the One who was coming. Everyone of those promises came true.



PROMISE: He would be born of a virgin and called Immanuel.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel. ~Isaiah 7:14



TRUTH: This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit....All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." ~Matthew 1:18, 22-23





PROMISE: He would come as a baby boy, but would also be God.

For unto us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6



TRUTH: The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ~Mark 1:1



In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ~John 1:1, 14



PROMISE: A forerunner would announce His coming.

A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God." ~Isaiah 40:3



TRUTH: In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.'" ~Matthew 3:1-3



PROMISE: He would be born in Bethlehem.

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." ~Micah 5:2



TRUTH: So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. ~Luke 2:4-7a



PROMISE: The Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah.

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until He comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is His. ~Genesis 49:10



TRUTH: A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. ~Matthew 1:1-2



PROMISE: The Messiah would be a descendant of King David.

The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath that He will not revoke: "One of your own descendants I will place on your throne--" ~Psalm 132:11



"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness." ~Jeremiah 23:5-6



TRUTH: "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end." ~Luke 1:32-33



PROMISE: The Messiah will be the Son of God.

"I have installed My King on Zion, My holy hill."...He said to me, "You are My son; today I have become Your Father." ~Psalm 2:6, 7b



TRUTH: And a voice came from heaven: "You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased." ~Mark 1:11



"The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David..." ~Luke 1:32b



PROMISE: Kings will bow before and bestow gifts on the Messiah.

The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to Him; the kings of Sheba and seba will present Him gifts. All kings will down to Him and all nations will serve Him. ~Psalm 72:10-11



TRUTH: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."...On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. They they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. ~Matthew 2:1-2; 11



PROMISE: Evil would try to stop good.

This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more." ~Jeremiah 31:15



TRUTH: When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and treat mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." ~Matthew 2:16-18



PROMISE: He would be called out of Egypt.

"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My Son." ~Hosea 11:1



TRUTH: When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the Child and His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill Him." So he got up, took the Child and His mother during the night and left for Egypt where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called My Son." ~Matthew 2:13-15



APPLICATION: God keeps His promises. He is the Only One Faithful and True. We need to live our lives in light of His promises.



Father God, we praise You because You are Faithful and True. Thank You for the promise and fulfillment of Jesus. May we live our lives in the light of Truth.



In Jesus' Name,

Amen