Christ's First Coming—Prophesied in Detail!

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Christ's First Coming—Prophesied in Detail!
When Jesus Christ fulfilled all the Bible prophecies regarding His life, death and resurrection, that proved absolutely that He was the promised Messiah, Son of God and "Savior of the world" (1 John 4:14).

The Bible foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus Christ two thousand years in advance in the true story of Abraham and his son Isaac:
Abraham loved his son Isaac as much as any parent could love a child. Abraham and his wife Sarah had longed for a child, but Sarah was "barren"—unable to conceive. However, God promised them that they would have descendants, and after a 25-year-long wait, when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90, they had a son together whom they named Isaac. This miraculous birth was a type of the future miraculous birth of Jesus Christ.
Then when their pride-and-joy was an older teenager or young adult, God shocked Abraham with a command to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering at the top of Mt. Moriah (at the present-day Jerusalem). God was testing Abraham's faith and obedience and giving us a picture of what He would go through in giving His Son for us. As grief-stricken as Abraham was, he agreed to carry out God's command because he believed that God would resurrect Isaac in order to fulfill His promises regarding descendants.
The journey lasted three days, so in Abraham's mind, his son was as good as dead for three days. Isaac could have resisted but apparently did not. At the last second, God stopped Abraham from slaying Isaac. Abraham's faith had been proven. As a substitute for Isaac, God provided a ram.
The willingness of Abraham and Isaac to carry out God's command illustrates the willingness of God the Father and His Son to make the ultimate sacrifice because of their love for all the world. The substitution of the ram was a type of Jesus suffering the death penalty in our place. And the sparing of Isaac was a type of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. See Genesis 22 and Hebrews 11:17-19. This poignant story gives us a deeper appreciation and sympathy for the sacrifice by the Father and Son for all of us.

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The Essential Purposes for Christ's First Coming

The heavenly Father and the Son, also called the Word, are both God (John 1:1). They planned "before the foundation of the world" that the Word would one day temporarily give up His glory and power in heaven, be born as a human being and set a perfect example for mankind of how to live a godly life (1 Peter 1:20; John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 John 2:4-6).
Jesus Christ revealed God's amazing plan for enabling mankind to receive eternal life as children in the Kingdom of God (Romans 8:14-17). Jesus, as God in the flesh, then allowed Himself to be killed in order to pay the penalty of sin for all (John 3:16; Romans 5:6-10).
His resurrection and return to His former glory in heaven were the final proofs that He was God and had become mankind's Mediator, Lord and Savior (1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 5:30-31; 2 Peter 1:11). In fact, the entire Bible points directly and indirectly to the past, present and future work of Jesus Christ.
Let's now take note of several important prophecies and their fulfillments.
Was the Messiah to be a descendant of King David?

Isaiah 11:1
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
Jeremiah 23:5
"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."
Matthew 1:1
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham…

Note that Jesse, mentioned in Isaiah 11:1, was the father of Israel's greatest king, David. During Jesus' ministry, some people quickly became convinced that He was the promised "son of David." Then during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem several days before He was crucified, "the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: 'Hosanna to the Son of David!'" (Matthew 21:9).
Was the Messiah to come from Bethlehem?

Micah 5:2
"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."
Matthew 2:1
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem…

There were two Bethlehems, one in the region of Ephrathah in Judea and the other to the north, in the region of the biblical tribe of Zebulun. But Micah's prophecy is clear. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea as Micah foretold.
Would the Messiah be born of a virgin mother?

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.
Luke 1:26-35
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
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."

An angel appeared first to Mary to tell her that she would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit. The angel appeared later to Joseph to explain to him that Mary's conception was a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy (Matthew 1:20-23).
Did the biblical sacrifices point prophetically to Jesus' sacrifice?

Hebrews 9:11-12
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
Hebrews 10:11-12
And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God…

The book of Hebrews explains how the animal sacrifices and temple rituals required of ancient Israel were a physical type of the perfect sacrifice of Christ. They pointed to the future "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The sacrifice of the lamb for Passover dramatically pointed to "Christ, our Passover [who] was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). As a fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus died on the very day of Passover. The lamb's blood on the doorposts of the Israelites' houses symbolized the shed blood of Christ who died so we can be forgiven and saved (Romans 5:9).
Would the Messiah be crucified?

Psalm 22:16
For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet.
Luke 23:33
And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
John 20:25, 27
The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."…
Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

Crucifixion is the only form of execution likely to cause a piercing of hands and feet. Yet amazingly, this prophecy was stated about 800 years before the Romans started using crucifixion for condemned criminals!
Would any of the Messiah's bones be broken?

Psalm 34:20
He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken.
John 19:32-33, 36
But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs...
For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken."

In spite of all the brutal and cruel torment that Jesus received, God made sure that none of His bones were broken in order to fulfill this prophecy!
Would the Messiah be betrayed by a trusted friend for 30 pieces of silver?

Psalm 41:9
Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
Zechariah 11:12
Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

When Jesus indicated it was Judas Iscariot who would betray Him, He said this was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Psalm 41:9 (John 13:18, 26). And Judas was indeed paid 30 pieces of silver for his traitorous act (Matthew 26:14-15).
In fact, no fewer than 29 prophecies were fulfilled in the 24-hour period leading up to Jesus' death. In a sermon by the apostle Peter, he said, "But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled" (Acts 3:18).
For more proof that Jesus Christ was God as well as human, that He lived a perfect life and then died to pay the penalty of sins for you and all mankind, please read our free booklet Jesus Christ: The Real Story.

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Consider that with all the prophecies of His own suffering and death, Jesus knew in detail what He would have to go through. No wonder He prayed, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42). Luke 22:44 explains that "His sweat became like great drops of blood" through the mental agony He experienced. Yet He was willing to do all this to pay for our sins so we can be forgiven!
Read Acts 2:36-38 and consider the response God wants from us for that great sacrifice. Take some time today to talk with God about Christ's sacrifice and the response He wants from you.
Next Lesson: Jesus Christ—The Greatest Prophet
Questions about this lesson? Feedback about this lesson?
Related Resources:
Jesus Christ: The Real Story
Jesus Christ's Life and Death in Prophecy
Was Jesus Christ the Messiah?
Jesus' Amazing Fulfillment of Prophecy
The Bible Prophesied the Exact Year the Messiah Would Appear

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

College Professor Discusses Differences in Christianity

article by Kristin Yarbrough

Jesus said that He didn't come to bring peace to the earth, but division. And that has definitely happened.

Vertical Thought recently interviewed Ronald Wroblewski, who has been an instructor at Spoon River College in Canton, Illinois, for the past 12 years. He teaches such courses as World Religions, Introduction to Philosophy, Ethics, and Logic and Critical Thinking.
Mr. Wroblewski earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a master's degree in health care administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois. He received a bachelor's degree in theology and a master's degree in religious studies from Ambassador College in Pasadena, California.
Mr. Wroblewski attends the Canton, Illinois, congregation of the United Church of God and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. from Bernelli University.
Vertical Thought: At the beginning of your World Religions course, you mention that there are thousands of different Christian churches. If they all trace their beliefs to the Bible, are they really all that different?
Ron Wroblewski: Yes. There are major differences in governance, how rituals are carried out and many other things. It also seems there is a different church for each variation of doctrine that has occurred during the centuries.
There are major differences between Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches, of course. Then you have the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists and the Church of God groups. And then there are Pentecostal churches, which are very different from traditional mainline churches like Lutherans and Methodists.
Jesus said that He didn't come to bring peace to the earth, but division. And that has definitely happened.
VT: When did all the differences first start to appear, and why did these Christians—whose name indicates that they are followers of Christ—deviate from what He and His disciples taught?
RW: As we know, differences were referred to in the letters of the New Testament. By the middle of the second century, several major doctrinal divisions were developing. For example, debate began on what happens after death. The controversy over whether human beings have an immortal soul versus whether they are waiting to be resurrected is still with Christianity today.
My personal feelings are that since the early Church expected Christ to return quickly, hope of that was fading after two generations and people began to look for other explanations of what happens after death. When the hope of the early Church didn't come to pass, many people gave up on it.
VT: Where did the alternative ideas originate?
RW: It looks like the Gnostics were the first to attempt to combine portions of Christianity with Greek philosophy. They rejected the resurrection of the body and replaced it with Plato's doctrine of the immortality of the soul. They believed the spirit is everything, the body nothing, and fell into moral licentiousness. Much of their time was spent learning the "correct" magic passwords that would enable the delivered soul to pass back to its heavenly home.
In the second century, [the Catholic theologian] Origen taught that souls might be eternal—preexisting birth and surviving death through reincarnation. He was very sympathetic to the Platonic doctrine of the soul as being akin to God but obliged to live in a material world that is not its true home.
Another church father, Augustine, also attempted to combine Plato's ideas about the immortality of the soul with Christian teachings. Many of these doctrinal divisions came to a head in the fourth century when the Roman emperor Constantine forced them to be settled by the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325.
VT: How did the Roman emperor get involved in Christianity? Didn't the Romans persecute Christians?
RW: At first, many Christians were killed for refusing to worship the emperor. Later, Constantine saw Christianity as something that could bring unity to his far-flung empire. But to do so, the disputes that divided Christianity had to be resolved. He called for a meeting of all bishops at Nicaea [in what is now northwestern Turkey] in A.D. 325 to discuss these issues.
After heated debate at the Council of Nicaea, Constantine made several declarations, one of which established Sunday as the official day of worship. It is noteworthy that Constantine's stated motive for introducing this custom was respect for the sun. He was not aware of any mutual exclusiveness between Christianity and his faith in the sun. The transition from solar monotheism (the most popular form of contemporary paganism) to Christianity was not difficult.
Constantine also decreed that Christians would observe Easter, and it would be forbidden to keep Passover. In fact, he stated that Christians were to stay away from anything that was "Jewish."
VT: Is that why other observances listed in the Bible, like Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost, disappeared from modern Christianity?
RW: Yes. The Romans turned to persecuting all things Jewish, and Christians often had to decide whether to hold what appeared to be Jewish beliefs and likely suffer persecution or to worship on different dates and avoid that persecution.
Easter definitely replaced Passover. Wiccans claim Christians stole Easter from them. One text I use in class, Phyllis Curott's Book of Shadows , explains that the name Easter comes from the name of the German fertility goddess Eostre. Eggs and rabbits—commonly associated with the holiday—are symbols of fertility.
The Catholic Church timed Easter to coincide with the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, another remnant of the old (pagan) religion just below the surface of the new.
VT: Did this happen with other modern Christian holidays?
RW: Other holidays were adopted to add numbers to the church without requiring people to give up their cherished practices. There are letters between bishops that discuss ways to convert pagans. The answer was to attempt to eliminate the worst of the practices and put the others under the umbrella of Christianity. They simply changed the name of who was being worshipped. Christmas, originally the birthday of the sun god, became the day to worship the Son of God.
VT: So did the controversy stop after the Council of Nicaea?
RW: No. The [Catholic] church split in A.D. 1054 into the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East. Some of the issues that led to this split included the pope's authority, the use of statues in worship versus the use of icons and whether priests would be allowed to marry.
A second major split—known as the Protestant Reformation—happened in the 16th century. There had been growing dissatisfaction with some of the church's teachings and in 1517 Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses to stimulate discussion on several of these issues, such as the belief in purgatory, the sale of indulgences [buying one's or another's way out of purgatory] and confession to priests. Ultimately, this led to the start of the Lutheran Church.
King Henry VIII of England also broke away from the Catholic Church to establish the Anglican Church. Still other issues led to further splits within the Christian community. Some of those include transubstantiation (whether the bread and wine become Christ's actual body and blood or whether they are just symbols) and whether works (good deeds) were necessary for salvation. Others debate what happens to people when they die, at what age one must be baptized and whether immersion in water is necessary for baptism or whether sprinkling is sufficient.
VT: Which doctrinal shift do you think changed Christianity most?
RW: The Council of Nicaea was definitely a major shifting point, with the settling of the controversial questions. The Protestant Reformation was another major turning point. But the Protestants, while eliminating several of the serious abuses of the Catholic Church, didn't go far enough in restoring the original faith of the first-century Church. VT
Editor's note: If you'd like to learn more about the original Christianity taught by Jesus and practiced by the first-century Church, request our free booklet The Church Jesus Built .

From http://el-paso.ucg.org/  or call 1-888-886-8632.

Where did Valentine's Day come from? Is it wrong for a Christian to celebrate it?

Like many of the world's major holidays, St. Valentine's Day is an annual observance with its roots entrenched firmly in pagan beliefs and customs. What would God think about Valentine's Day?

Answer:

Source: Photos.com

The ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, an annual three-day ritual believed to ward off evil spirits and increase fertility, was held on February 13 to 15.
Lupercalia (also known as Februatio, which is where we get the name for our month of February) was popular among many of the new converts to the quick-rising Catholic Church, and as Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays notes, "Everywhere that [mainstream] Christians came into power they immediately adapted the holidays and customs of the people to their own creed” (Robert J. Myers and the editors of Hallmark Cards, 1972, pp. 50-51).
Such was their course of action with this festival of Lupercalia. While Pope Gelasius officially condemned the pagan Roman festival and banned its observance at the end of the fifth century, many of its accompanying practices quickly appeared in a newly established holiday added by him to the official church list of feast days in A.D. 496—St. Valentine's Day.
Soon, people were no longer looking to obtain fertility by being beaten with strips of animal skin called februa. Instead, they turned their focus to St. Valentine, the patron saint of "engaged couples and anyone wishing to marry" (Celebrations, pp. 48-49), whose actual identity is even murkier than what connection he bore to romance.
What amounted to a renamed, refurbished Lupercalia then picked up steam, gradually adapting itself into the Valentine's Day we know today, which included the added elements of Valentine cards and Cupid, the Roman god of erotic love.
Friendship and sending cards are wonderful things, and God is not opposed to romance at the right time in the right way. But does the pagan religious history of Valentine's Day taint the modern practices? What does God have to say about observing pagan traditions, renamed or not?
"When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess…do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods... Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:29-32 [29] When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
[30] Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
[31] Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
[32] What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

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Though the practices of Lupercalia have been repackaged and dressed up in the form of Valentine's Day, these verses indicate they remain just as detestable as they have always been in our Creator's eyes. Instead of pagan days and practices, our focus should be on the Holy Days God has given us in the Bible, which point us toward His amazing and incomparable plan for all of humanity.
For more information, please read the free Bible study guide  "Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe? "