Sermon notes December 14th, 2025

 

Christmas Story Told Out of the Old Testament or Is the Bible Truth?

The first prediction of Jesus in the Bible is widely considered to be Genesis 3:15, often called the "first gospel" where God promises a "seed of the woman" (Jesus) will crush the serpent's (Satan's) head, though his heel will be bruised. This initial prophecy, given after the fall in the Garden of Eden, and sets the stage for a future savior born of a woman to overcome evil, later understood as Jesus

Genesis 3:15 New King James Version

15   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.”

Let’s look at this:

• Context: Spoken by God to the serpent after Adam and Eve's disobedience.
• The Promise: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel".
• Significance:  The "He" refers to Jesus, a singular descendant of the woman (Mary) who would ultimately defeat Satan, even though He would suffer (bruised heel)

 

• There is no doubt this is a prophecy of Jesus’ ultimate defeat of Satan. God announced that Satan would wound the Messiah (you shall bruise His heel), but the Messiah would crush Satan with a mortal wound (He shall bruise your head). It was as if God could not wait to announce His plan of salvation, to bring deliverance through the one known as the Seed of the woman.
• Before we dive in and answer the question of where in the Old Testament predicts Jesus’ birth, life and death, let’s take a moment to answer another question: How can you trust biblical prophecy? The answer is found in Scripture itself:

Deuteronomy 18:21-22 New King James Version 

21   And if you say in your heart, 'How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?'--

22   when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him

Christmas Story in the Old Testament

The "Christmas Story" in the Old Testament is not a narrative of the birth events themselves, but rather a collection of detailed prophecies and foreshadowing that anticipate the birth, life, and purpose of Jesus Christ. These were fulfilled precisely by the events recorded in the New Testament Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

• Born of a Virgin:  Prophecy 700 to 800 years

Isaiah 7:14

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 Fulfillment 

18   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.”

• Born in Bethlehem Prophecy 

Micah 5:2

2   “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me                                                                         The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” 

Fulfillment came some 700 to 735 years

Luke 2:1-7

1   And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 

2   This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 

3   So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

4   Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 

5   to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

6   So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 

7   And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 

• From the Lineage of David

2 Samuel 7:12-14

12   “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 

13   He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 

14   I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.

15   But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 

16   And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” 

17   According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

• Then the LORD revealed to Nathan an unconditional covenant which He would make with David. This covenant promised that David would have a son (Solomon) who would build the temple; that this son’s throne would be established forever; that when he would sin, God would correct him, but His mercy would not cease.

Jeremiah 23:5

5   “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper,                                                                                       And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

• Long before this, God promised that the Messiah would come from the line of David (2 Samuel 7:5-16). This is a confirmation of that prior prophecy. The Branch of righteousness would come from the line of David.

Matthew 1:17

17   So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

• In this overview of explaining the lineage of Jesus, Matthew clearly and strongly connects him to some of the greatest men in the history of the Old Testament. Matthew begins his account of the life of Jesus Christ with the record of the lineage of Jesus from the patriarch Abraham.

Luke 3:23-24

23   Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 

24   the son of Mat-that, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph,

• Being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph: According to ancient custom, genealogies were almost always traced through the father, not the mother. This was a problem in the unique situation of a virgin birth. A genealogy may not seem like much, but it exactly established Jesus’ credentials as a member of humanity.  A Bible translator to a distant tribe saved the genealogies for last because he thought them the least important part of the gospels. But when he finally finished them last of all, the tribesmen were astounded — they told the translator, “You mean to tell us that this Jesus was a real person, with real ancestors? We had no idea!”

 

• A Child Who is God

Isaiah 9:6

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.

• This glorious prophecy of the birth of Messiah reminds Israel that the victory-bringing Messiah would be a man. Theoretically, the Messiah could have been an angel. Or, the Messiah could have been God without humanity. But in reality, neither of those options would have qualified the Messiah to be our Savior and High Priest as Jesus is.    The Child had to be born.
• What amazing mystery! There is nothing weaker, more helpless, more dependent than a child. Theoretically, the Messiah could have come as a fully-grown man, created as an adult even as Adam was created. But for Jesus to fully identify with humanity, and to display in His life the servant nature that is in God, He made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 

Philippians 2:6-9 New King James Version

6   who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 

7   but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 

8   And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 

9   Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

• One must use great care in explaining the words, some translations say “He emptied Himself.” (made Himself of no reputation) The safest method is to let the succeeding expressions provide the explanation. He emptied Himself by taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. In other words, He emptied Himself by taking upon Himself something He never had before—humanity. He did not lay aside His deity, only His place in heaven, and that only temporarily.
• If He had been a mere man, this would not have been an act of emptying. We do not empty ourselves by being born into the world. But for God to become Man—that is the emptying of Himself. In fact, only God could do it.

 

• Taking the form of a bondservant. The Incarnation and life of the Savior may be summarized by those lovely words of John 13:4: “Jesus … laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.” The towel or apron is the badge of service. It was used by slaves. And it was used by the blessed Lord Jesus because He came “not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). But let us pause to remind ourselves of the train of thought in this passage. There were contentions among the saints at Philippi. Paul exhorts them to have the mind of Christ. The argument, in brief, is that if Christians are willing to take the lowly place, to serve others, and to give their lives in sacrifice, there will be no quarrels. People who are willing to die for others, do not generally quarrel with them.

Luke 1:35

35   And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

John 1:14

14   And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

• Called out of Egypt

Hosea 11:1

11:1  “When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.

• God remembered His tender love for Israel, when more than 500 years before the time of Hosea He brought them out of Egypt.

 

 

 

Matthew 2:13-15

13   Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

14   When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 

15   and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

• The command was urgent and came right when the wise men had departed. It would not have sounded completely strange to Joseph that they should find refuge in Egypt. There was a large Jewish community in Egypt. It wasn’t strange that the Holy Spirit would guide Joseph to take the family there.
• “Egypt was a natural place to which to flee. It was nearby, a well-ordered Roman province outside Herod’s jurisdiction; and, according to its population included about a million Jews.”

 

• The Slaughter of Children

Jeremiah 31:15 New King James Version

15   Thus says the Lord: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.”

Matthew 2:16-18 New King James Version

16   Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.                                                                                           17   Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

• Worshipped with Gifts

Psalm 72:10-11 New King James Version

10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles Will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba Will offer gifts.

11   Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him.

• Gentile kings will come to Jerusalem with tribute and with presents for the King of kings. Here comes the ruler of Spain, there are the heads of states from various island countries, and now you see the rulers of the sheikdoms of Southern Arabia. 

Matthew 2:9-11 New King James Version

9   When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 

10   When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 

11   And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

• What was Jesus’ star? Remains problematic for some. Scholars have suggested a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces.
• "Could it be that ’the star’ which the Magi saw and which led them to a specific house was the Shekinah glory of God? That same glory had led the children of Israel through the wilderness for 40 years as a pillar of fire and cloud. Perhaps this was what they saw in the East, and for want of a better term they called it a ’star.’
• The Magi’s statement that they intended to "worship" the new King does not necessarily mean that they regarded Him as divine. They may have meant that they wanted to do Him homage.

Christ always existed, but came into the world in the likeness of men, meaning “as a real Man.” The humanity of the Lord is as real as His deity. He is true God and true Man. But what a mystery this is! No created mind will ever be able to understand it.

• Often readers are tempted to skip over genealogies because they seem fairly boring and routine. But quite often important information about the identity of the final person in genealogy is contained in the list of names. In this case, 3 names are very important. The 1st name is Perez, who was the eldest son of Tamar by Judah. Tamar’s story, told in Genesis 38, bears many similarities to the Book of Ruth. Tamar, like Ruth, is a foreign woman looked on with suspicion. Tamar also risks her reputation and even her life to fight for the right to have a child and thus continue the line of her dead husband.

 

• The 2nd important name is Boaz, the central male character in the book. He, like Judah in Genesis 38:26, recognizes Ruth as a worthy woman (Ruth 2:11-12; 3:10-11). These names, Perez and Boaz, tie this genealogy to the earlier account of Tamar and Judah, another story of righteous persistence that led to the birth of a child and a continuation of Judah’s line.

 

• The 3rd and most important name in the genealogy is that of David, the future king. David is the king promised by God. The people come to believe not only in the importance of David himself, but also in the importance of David’s line leading ultimately to a messiah, an “anointed one.” The genealogy points back to the beginning of the book, to the time of Judges in which there was not a king to stem the rise of unbridled selfishness. It then points forward to the birth of the Messiah. A version of this same genealogy, which also mentions both Tamar and Ruth, is included in the broader genealogy that is found at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew (1:1-17). This genealogy is way more than a tag-on at the end of the book.  Genealogy is always about establishing family and connections.  So, this specific genealogy is breath-taking in its implications. Implied is that this child is go’el ("Go'el" (גּוֹאֵל) is a Hebrew word that primarily means redeemer, but also carries the meanings of kinsman-redeemer and avenger) to more than just Naomi.  This mixed-blood child becomes go’el for the community.  This child is called Obed (“servant”).  He becomes the father of Jesse who becomes the father of David.  The implications are thus clear. Without family redefined, there can be no promised future for the nation, no messianic promise for the world.  The salvation of the world depends upon this redefined notion of family that celebrates 

the inclusion of a foreign enemy, an immigrant widow as daughter-in-law, wife, and finally mother.