Christmas Meditations: Prophecies of Christ's birth

On Monday, I read several chapters from Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears's book Vintage Jesus. (By the way, I'll give a review of this book when I finish it. I have a few things to say about it . . . ) These chapters focused on the Messianic prophecies and the virgin birth and were especially appropriate for reading this week. I like the detail and organization of chapter three, "How did people know Jesus was coming?" They give the date of the prophecy and a short summary, the promise, and then the fulfillment. Here are a few passages that relate to Christ's birth:

1) 4000 B.C.: Adam and Eve receive the prophecy that the prophecy that the Messiah (Jesus) would be born of a woman.

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" (Gen. 3:15).

FULFILLMENT: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law" (Gal. 4:4).

2) 2000 B.C.: Abraham receives teh promise that the Messiah (Jesus) would descend from Abraham, through his son Isaac (not Ishmael), Isaac's son Jacob (not Esau), and Jacob's son Judah (not any of the other eleven brothers).

PROMISE: "In you [Abraham] all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen. 12:3); "God said, 'No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him'" (Gen. 17:19); " see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel (Num. 24:17); "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples" (Gen. 49:10).

FULFILLMENT: "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and the father of Judah and his brothers (Matt. 1:1-2)

3) 700 B.C.: Isaiah prophesies that Jesus' mother would be a virgin who conceived by a miracle and that Jesus would be God who became a man.

PROMISE: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isa. 7:14).

FULFILLMENT: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.' All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 'Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us)" (Matt. 1:18-19).

4) 700 B.C.: Micah prophesies that Jesus would be born in the town of Bethlehem.

PROMISE: "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days" (Mic. 5:2).

FULFILLMENT: "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn" (Luke 2:1-7).

5) 700 B.C.: Isaiah prophesies that Jesus would live his life without committing any sins.

PROMISE: "And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth" (Isa. 53:9).

FULFILLMENT: "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth" (I Pet. 2:21-22).

6) 700 B.C.: Hosea prophesies that Jesus' family would flee as refugees to Egypt to save his young life.

PROMISE: "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son" (Hos. 11:1).

FULFILLMENT: "Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son'" (Matt. 2:13-15).

7) 400 B.C.: Malachi prophesies that Jesus would enter the temple. This is important because the temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 and no longer exists; subsequently, the prophecy could not have been fulfilled anytime after A.D. 70.

PROMISE: "'Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts" (Mal. 3:1).

FULFILLMENT: "Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law" (Luke 2:25-27).

The rest of the Messianic prophecies discussed in this chapter relate to Christ's life, death, and resurrection, so I'll maybe mention those later.

As I was researching the Messianic prophecies, I found this website with a chart giving the prophecy, Old Testament scripture, and the New Testament fulfillment. He also gives a list of the 300 Messianic prophecies.

I've also heard before the odds that one person could fulfill all of the prophecies of Christ's birth and found the statistics here. 

1.	Jesus would be a descendant of David.	104 (1 in 10,000)
2.	Jesus would be born in Bethlehem.	105 (1 in 100,000)
3.	Jesus would be a miracle worker.	105 (1 in 100,000)
4.	Jesus would present Himself as King riding on a donkey.	106 (1 in 1,000,000)
5.	Jesus would be betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver.	106 (1 in 1,000,000)
6.	Jesus would be crucified.	106 (1 in 1,000,000)
7.	Jesus would first present Himself as King 173,880 days from the decree of Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem.	106 (1 in 1,000,000)
	Total Probability (without God)	1038 (1 in a 100 billion, billion, billion, billion)

Christmas Meditations: Advent

I originally intended to post something about Christmas everyday this week, but then the week took off and I didn't start composing until today. I have several topics in mind, so we'll see what I get to.

This month I have been reading Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas, which is a collection of readings for Advent edited by Nancy Guthrie. While I realize the liturgical readings are from the Bible, I’ve never read any Advent readings before and have been wondering why Baptists don’t follow the Advent services and readings. I guess it’s because we don’t follow the liturgical calendar (except for a strange one which I don’t really want to vent about now) or don’t want to identify with anything remotely Catholic.


I’ve only just begun researching this, so does anyone have any ideas?


I, for one, have been blessed to read this book and meditate a little on Christ’s incarnation, death, and second coming. I wish I had found the recommended Scripture readings earlier in the season, but I’m going to follow the readings until Christmas (hopefully, I’ll have time to do a little back-tracking to catch up!). In a year that is so busy and focused on activities, I’m thankful for this book and these passages which focus my heart, mind, and attention on what is truly important.

Books I read in August 2009

We started in-service on August 3rd and school on August 17th, so I didn't get to read much during August. This very short list of two children's books looks terrible next to what I read this summer! Oh, well. I've already been able to read more now that we've hit September and I'm starting to get into the school routine.

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

It has been so long since I first read this book (over 15 years, at least!) that I forgot a lot of the story line. I loved reading this delightful story of the

creation of Narnia with it's beautiful allegory of the Creation of the world. C.S. Lewis is simply wonderful. I went on a big Lewis kick when I was in college and read most of his non-fiction works, but I also really enjoy

reading his fiction works and sense another Lewis phase coming on! I bought a cheap, horribly beat up copy of the complete works in one book for $2 this summer, but I'd really like a nice set of The Chronicles of Narnia, if anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas. :-)

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

This book was as wonderful as I remembered it. I can't believe it took me so long to read it again; I'm planning on reading the entire Narnia series in the next couple of months. So many quotable lines and such a special telling of the Redemption story. I actually cried when Aslan died--but even more wonderful is his coming to life again!

Books I read in July 2009

Christian Living:

Essential Virtues by Jim Berg This book is about II Peter 1:5-9. It was required reading for Harvest staff this summer because our theme this year is "Making a Difference: To make a difference, you've got to be different."

It's hard for me to express my thoughts about this book. There were things that I appreciated about it and I did learn a lot; however, I also have some reservations about some of the things Dr. Berg emphasized. I was a little disappointed because I was looking forward to reading this book, since II Peter 1 is one of my favorite passages of the Bible.

It seems that men really like this book; Pastor and other males that have talked about it say positive things about it. However, women generally don't seem to really like it. Maybe it's the writing style? or the message appeals more to men?

If anyone actually reads this post and wants to discuss the book more, please email or message me.

Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan I was greatly challenged by this book. I highly recommend it! The first chapters speak of God's character and love for us and remind us of the brevity of life. The last few chapters talk about our love for God and how we can practically demonstrate love to God and others. Chapter 4, "Profile of the Lukewarm Christian," and Chapter 5, "Serving Leftovers to a Holy God," were especially convicting. The book is worth buying just for those chapters. I actually got this book on christianaudio.com when it was the free book of the month. It's not free anymore, but it's only $5.49. Right now the book is $8.49 at CBD. I bought a paper copy too, because I want to be able to loan the book out. I've already reread sections of it.

Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman by Beth Moore I really enjoyed delving into the book of Esther. Beth Moore always presents good historical info and helps you imagine life in the king's court. I especially benefited from the extended look at Haman's character. I have much more in common with him than I'd like to admit. Generally, I focus on Queen Esther when I read this book (as I'm sure most do!), but I realized how much I seek attention and praise like Haman did. It was also neat to see how God's promises to preserve His people were worked out in the end of the book.

For Professional Development:

Curriculum Development: A Guide to Practice by Jon Wiles I read this book for the Curriculum Development class I took this summer. Not exactly a thrilling read.

Fun: King of Torts by John Grisham For the flight back to Guam, I packed some pretty serious books--Essential Virtues and Curriculum Development--so when my flight was delayed in Hawaii, I bought two John Grisham novels and finished this one before I got to Guam. Both of these books are pretty typical Grisham fare but both of them ended badly. I was rather disappointed in the endings, actually, because I still believe good should triumph over evil in literature. Even if good doesn't always triumph over evil on earth, one day the Righteous Judge will make all things right.

The Appeal by John Grisham

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer Well, I finally finished the Twilight series. While the last book was better than the others, I have the same reservations about the series that I have expressed already. Actually, while I telling the story line to my roommate, I thought--and kept saying to her--"This is so bizarre. I can't believe I read this whole series." The story seems somewhat believable as you're reading it, but completely pointless when you're explaining it to someone else.

I read the series because many of my students have read it and asked me about it. However, I wouldn't recommend that you spend your time on this series.

Books I read in June 2009

Well, now that we're half way through August, I figured I'd better at least briefly mention the books I read in June and July. I was on vacation during those months, so I was able to read significantly more than normal. I haven't read nearly as much since starting in-service at the beginning of August. Christian Living: Safely Home by Randy Alcorn This is a novel, but I put it under Christian Living because it definitely wasn't "fun" to read. I profited greatly from reading this fictionalized account of the underground church in China. I highly recommend this book! Let Me be a Woman by Elizabeth Elliot Written as letters or essays to her daughter during her engagement to Walter, this book had an intimate feel to it. I'll probably reread this book someday if I ever get married because a lot of the book applies to married women. There were a couple of gems of chapters for single women. A Chance to Die by Elizabeth Elliot Incredible book! When my roommate finishes reading it, I'm going to read it again. This book has provided much food for thought over the last few weeks and spurred me on to read as much by and about Amy Carmichael as possible. I've mentioned before that I read her collection of devotional thoughts, Whispers of His Power, every morning and this week Pastor gave me a collection of her poems, Toward Jerusalem, to read.

Professional Development Grammar Girl by Mignon Fogarty

This book provides quick answers to some of the most common and most difficult grammar questions you'll face. Mignon Fogarty writes with a light-hearted style that is fun and easy to understand and remember. I also read the Grammar Girl's newsletter and listen to her podcast.

Fun: My Life and Hard Times by James Thurber Short, funny book. These chapters could be easily cut for humorous interp speeches. I love the story "The Night the Bed Fell" and "The Day the Dam Broke." Thurber is such a great author. Redwall by Brian Jacques I wish I had read this book about 15 years ago; I think I would have read the whole series! I probably won't now, but I really enjoyed this book. The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman I cannot recommend this book. At first, I thought, "Why was there so much controversy about this series?" And then I got within a few pages of the end and was greatly dismayed by the blasphemy!

I'd write more, but I really want to get this posted. There is no way in the world I'd ever give this book to a child to read. Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card I really enjoyed this book. So far, I've liked everything I've read in the Ender series.

I reread: A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23

Summer Reading

I always come up with a huge list of books to read, but then I go to the library and just pick up whatever looks good. Here's what I'm planning on reading in the next few weeks. For the flight, I'm packing: 1. The MacArthur Study Bible and a notebook 2. Essential Virtues by Jim Berg 3. Let Me Be a Woman by Elizabeth Elliot 4. A novel, to be chosen randomly from my bookshelf before I walk out the door. I'm open to suggestions. For Bible study, edification, or professional development: 1. The God of Comfort by Hannah Whitehall Smith 2. Mountain Breezes by Amy Carmichael 3. A Chance to Die by Elizabeth Elliot 4. Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman by Beth Moore 5. Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty 6. The Ode Less Traveled by Stephen Fry 7. Glencoe Literature: British Literature For fun: 1. Plague Maker by Tim Downs 2. Redwall by Brian Jacques 3. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer 4. Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan 5. Reread The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis So what are you reading this summer? Any recommendations?

Books I Read in May 2009

May isn't quite over yet, so I might be able to read more before the end of the month; I'm going to be flying to Vermont tomorrow, so I wouldn't be surprised if I can read a book or two during the 22 hours of flights and 7 hours of layovers. Oddly enough, I'll do all of that reading in one day. I leave Guam on Friday morning, fly to Thursday night in Honolulu, fly all night and Friday morning to Newark and then arrive in VT around 6pm on Friday. This extra long day makes up for the one I'll lose on the return flight to Guam. Christian Living: Whispers of His Power by Amy Carmichael I won a gift certificate for a free book (for my Peppermint Chocolate Cake in the baking contest for the Mother/Daughter fellowship) and Mrs. Herron recommended this daily devotional by Amy Carmichael. As Mrs. Herron said, this book is "food for the soul." I've only read a few entries so far, but the Scriptures and illustrations and explanations are excellent. I'm looking forward to learning and growing more this year as I read from this book every morning. A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller On Sunday morning, Pastor preached an excellent sermon on Psalm 23 and referenced this book a couple of times. (The sermon should be available here in a few days.) After the service I immediately went to the bookstore and bought a copy. Keller was a scientist, a shepherd, and later a pastor. His insights into the nature of sheep and the character of God are extraordinary. I was reminded of the diligent care of the Good Shepherd. God is such a wise, caring, and tender Provider. If by Amy Carmichael I read this little book a couple of weeks ago. How convicting! The phrase "I know nothing of Calvary love" has been echoing in my mind, especially when I find myself doing something unloving. I plan to reread this book soon and spend some more time meditating on the truths of the poem and the short essays in the 3rd section. I would be doing that now, but I gave away my copy and the bookstore is out! Believing God by Beth Moore I finished this study this week. Later, I'll write more about what I learned. I & II Peter Bible Study by John MacArthur My Sunday school class has been studying I&II Peter this semester, and I just finished this book. I also plan on writing more about this study later. Fiction: Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer This is the third book in the Twilight series. Parts of the story were interesting, but like I've written before, there are some long, slow sections. I kind of lost interest in the series. I read this book at the beginning of May and haven't bothered to get the fourth one yet. I'm sure I'll read Breaking Dawn this summer and then I'll summarize my opinions of the series. This post was designed to make you come back later and read more. :-) I didn't do this on purpose, but I have things to say about several of these books that would work better in separate posts. From the ridiculous to the sublime . . . The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, White) by Ted Dekker WOW! An incredible series! What a beautiful allegory of redemption. I couldn't possibly summarize the plot and do these books justice, but you need to read these books. All three books are sold in one copy, which is a good thing because the books don't really end; you have to read all three together. I read all three books in about a week and a half--and during the last week of school, nonetheless! You won't be able to put these books down.

Books I Read in April 2009

You may notice that I read only one "Christian Living" book in April. That's due to a variety of reasons: 1. I took a long time to read Living the Cross Centered Life; 2. I worked more on my Bible studies rather than read other books; and the worst reason, 3. I had a harder time getting up as early in the morning, since we're approaching the end of the semester. Living the Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing by CJ Mahaney This is another book that I will probably reread every year--and I'm really not big on rereading books when there are so many new ones available. These books by CJ Mahaney are short enough to reread every year, and they're so helpful and so packed with Scripture and Biblical principles that I don't mind, and actually invite, the repetition. Mahaney quotes many hymns and other authors who have written about the cross, and includes many recommendations for books about the cross, which I plan to buy and read. I started reading this book the week before Easter and found the chapters describing Christ's death on the cross powerful, sobering, humbling, and awe-inspiring. I was overwhelmed with God's love and grace and mercy. I also benefited greatly from the chapters "Breaking the Rule of Legalism: How the Cross Rescues You from the Performance Trap" and "Unloading Condemnation." I discovered a couple of new authors/series this month. I really enjoy Tim Downs's Bug Man Series about forensic entomologist Dr. Nick Polchak. I found this series completely randomly because the library was out of Ted Dekker novels (which Mr. Bob and others had been encouraging me to read) and these books were directly below where Dekker's should have been. The first book I read was out of order because I didn't realize I was choosing from a series, but I started reading them in order. You don't really need to read the books in order, but some things about Nick's character are more understandable if you see how he develops. The books are amazingly clean (refreshing for a modern novel!) but if you're squeamish about descriptions of bugs and/or dead bodies, don't read these books because those form the whole premise of the novels. First the Dead by Tim Downs This is the third novel in the Bug Man series and is set in New Orleans before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina. I learned a lot about the events as well as a lot about forensic entomology. Tightly written. Fast-moving. Fascinating plot. Historically accurate. Shoo Fly Pie by Tim Downs This is the first novel Downs wrote and the first in the Bug Man series. I enjoyed this interview with Tim Downs about writing his novels. Chop Shop by Tim Downs This is the second novel in the series. Nick appears in a cameo role in Plague Maker, the next Downs book on my list to read. I'm looking forward to more novels by Tim Downs. And this month, I finally started the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. So many of my students have read the books and talk about them all the time, that I thought I should read them. I'll comment on the series more when I'm done with it, but the books aren't as bad as I thought they'd be from some of the reviews I'd read and comments I'd heard. But they also aren't as good as my students and many reviews made them sound. The quality of writing isn't that great; I am heartily sick of phrases like "his stone cold lips" and "his velvet voice" (what does that mean?). Bella is a boring character. And while I can read the books quickly (Twilight took me about 4 hours on a Saturday morning) and I was intrigued by some parts of the general plot (I'd never read any books with vampires and werewolves), some parts dragged and about half of each book could have been cut and I'd have been happier with the editing (who wants to read about each day of high school?). I'm certainly not completely taken with the books, and much to my students' dismay, I will not allow them for book reports. Much better fantasy literature is available. C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy and The Chronicles of Narnia, J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, Orson Scott Card's Ender Wiggin series, and Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series . . . to name a few.

Books I Read in March 2009

Humility: True Greatness by CJ Mahaney I learned so much from this book and I am continuing to apply the truths I learned. This is the kind of book you should read every year or so because no matter how much you weaken pride and cultivate humility, you'll still find pride in your heart: "The real issue here is not if pride exists in your heart; it's where pride exists and how pride is being expressed in your life" (29). Mahaney directs our attention to Christ, who is the example of true greatness and true humility and then suggests many practical ways we can practice humility every day (and even while we sleep!). Here's his list of suggestions, which are developed in the chapters of the book:

Always: 1. Reflect on the wonder of the cross of Christ. As each day begins: 2. Begin your day by acknowledging your dependence upon God and your need for God. 3. Begin your day expressing gratefulness to God. 4. Practice the spiritual disciplines--prayer, study of God's Word, worship. Do this consistently each day and at the day's outset, if possible. 5. Seize your commute time to memorize and meditate on Scripture. 6. Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. As each day ends: 7. At the end of the day, transfer the glory to God. 8. Before going to sleep, receive this gift of sleep from God and acknowledge His purpose for sleep. For special focus: 9. Study the attributes of God. 10. Study the doctrines of grace. 11. Study the doctrine of sin. 12. Play golf as much as possible. 13. Laugh often, and laugh often at yourself. Throughout your days and weeks: 14. Identify evidences of grace in others. 15. Encourage and serve others each and every day. 16. Invite and pursue correction. 17. Respond humbly to trials.

Stop Dating the Church: Fall in Love with the Family of God by Joshua Harris Now, I'm not struggling with church attendance or commitment to the local church (I love my church!), but the title of this book has intrigued me for several years. I finally bought it during the fabulous February sale at Sovereign Grace (hence the greater number of Sovereign Grace books you'll see on my reading list in the next few months. Mark your calendars and order from them next February!). This book helped me understand Christ's love for the local church and how important the church is. I especially like the chapter "Rescuing Sunday." Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan I've been reading through this new series as each book comes out. The fifth, and final, book has been published and as soon as it comes out in paperback, I'll read it and put it on my classroom shelf. I like how these books teach mythology in an interesting, adventure-filled story. My students love this series! I learn a lot too! For example, I didn't realize before that Daedalus built the Labyrinth (I'm sorry Dr. Silvester; that story slipped by me in Classical and Medieval Literature. Truth be told, a lot of things slipped by me in that class. It was my worst grade in my major classes . . . I teach mythology in my senior World Literature class now, because I don't want my students to be as lost and overwhelmed as I was when I heard all the stories for the first time.) I read a couple more books from The Mitford Series by Jan Karon during spring break: