98 of 365 - Prophesy

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
 
You have probably heard this passage before…likely around Christmas time. It is one of the most often cited prophesies about Jesus. In this one single verse, the prophet Isaiah provides a glimpse into so many characteristics of Jesus who would be born roughly 750 years after this was written.
 
Israel was in a state of destruction and turmoil. Isaiah (a prophet in the Southern Kingdom) was offering hope of what was to come. Some good news for a weary people.
 
Gospel actually means Good News. There are four Gospel books in the New Testament that tell of Jesus’s birth, life, death, and resurrection – the Good News of our salvation by grace through faith in the work of Jesus. Isaiah is sometimes referred to as the 5th Gospel because it contains so many descriptions of Jesus as our Savior.
 
We are going to break this one verse apart and dig into each description and how it could only be fulfilled by Jesus. This prophecy from God through the lips of Isaiah is one of God’s many clues to His people – to us – about who Jesus is.
 
Speaking of prophecies, did you know that there are over 300 descriptions/prophecies in the Old Testament about the Messiah that were fulfilled by Jesus?
 
Challenge: Lee Strobel, a journalist and former atheist, set out to disprove Christianity, but in the process, he became a believer. He wrote a best-selling book called A Case for Christ. Take a few minutes (just under 6 minutes) to watch a video where Lee Strobel talks about some of the messianic prophecies being fulfilled through Jesus’ life & death.