There is such wonder in piecing together the connections between the Old Testament prophecies and the birth of Jesus. Advent prophecies are powerful indicators of the miraculous birth of Jesus. Over 300 prophecies, written hundreds of years before they ever happened, came to pass. God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 and said, “I will bless those who bless you, and he who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” The promise is to Abraham and his seed. Note “his seed” here is singular. Isaac goes on to be Abraham’s promised biological seed, his long awaited child. But this prophecy is not about Iaac, for not all nations on the earth have been blessed through Isaac. This is a prophecy about Jesus. Jesus comes from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to the nation of Israel from which Jesus was born. Through the gospel of Jesus Christ, all of the nations have heard or will hear about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. They have heard or will hear about the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. They have heard or will hear about a kingdom not of this world that will reign forever and ever. Those who put their faith in Jesus by confessing with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in their hearts God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9) become the beneficiaries of this Abrahamic covenant. This prophetic promise from Genesis 12 releases blessing over God’s people to the thousandth generation. Revelation 7 paints the picture of “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” All this from one seed, Jesus! Sit back for a moment and imagine that glorious day. We have been grafted into a story of eternal hope and glory. As we experience afflictions in this world and as our outer selves continue to waste away, remember that there is an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Put your faith in Jesus today. It will forever change the trajectory of your life!
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