Scripture to Read: Matthew 1:22-23
There are over four hundred prophecies that Jesus perfectly fulfilled. The prophecies quoted in Matthew 1:23 come straight out of Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6–7, and Isaiah 8:10. The evidence of Jesuss’ Lordship is unquestionable—still, many question wheth- er Jesus is the One True Messiah. In “Science Speaks” (Moody Press, 1963), Peter Stoner determined that the probability of one man fulfilling only eight of the four hundred-plus prophe- cies in the Old Testament about the Messiah would be 1 in 10 to the 17th power. Let’s get a picture of what that number looks like. If we took that many silver dollars and laid them all over the state of Texas, they would cover the state two feet deep. Let’s say we mark just one of those silver dollars, stir the whole mass of silver dollars thoroughly, then blindfold a person and tell them they can travel all over Texas to find that one marked silver dollar. Eventually, they must pick up one silver dollar and it must be the one we marked. The odds of them picking up the silver dollar we marked on their first try would be the same odds of anyone fulfilling only eight of the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. Jesus is undoubtedly the Messiah, and salvation can only be found through a relationship with Him. The proph- ecies in Isaiah quoted in Matthew 1, along with all of the other prophecies that Christ fulfilled, overwhelmingly prove that Je- sus is God the Son. We must worship, follow, obey, and passion- ately pursue our intimacy with Him as our Messiah every day.
Challenge & Application
• What did God confirm for you today about Jesus being the One True Messiah?
• Knowing Christ is the One True Messiah, how are you walk- ing in obedience to Him?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!