God announced His Son’s coming to earth for more than 2,000 years before the birth of Christ through some 300 prophecies in the Old Testament.

Beginning in Genesis 3:15, God said a man, a descendant of Eve, would “bruise the serpent’s head,” so God and sinners could be reconciled. In Genesis 12:15, we learn Christ will come from the nation of Israel. Then, in Genesis 49, it’s foretold that He will come specifically from the tribe of Judah.

The prophet Isaiah tells us Christ will come from the family of David and that a virgin will give birth to Him (Isaiah chapters 11 and 7). “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Matthew 1 tells us of the message of the angel of the Lord who appeared in a dream saying that the child Mary was carrying was conceived by the Holy Spirit. “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23).

An eighth century B.C. prophet named Micah pinpoints the city of his birth, “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” (Micah 5:2).

Luke, a physician, tells us, “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child” (Luke 2:4-5).

Mathematically speaking, the odds of anyone fulfilling this amount of prophecy are staggering. Mathematicians put it this way: one person fulfilling eight prophecies: 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000; one person fulfilling 48 prophecies, 1 chance in 10 to the 157th power of  one person fulfilling 300-plus prophecies: Only Jesus!

“It is the magnificent detail of these prophecies that mark the Bible as the inspired Word of God. Only God could foreknow and accomplish all that was written about the Christ. This historical accuracy and reliability sets the Bible apart from any other book or record,” according to an article on the “Biblical Prophesies Fulfilled by Jesus” posted on www.cbn.com.

The prophet Zachariah foretold that Jesus would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (chapter 11, verse 15).  In Matthew 26:14-16, we read the fulfillment of this prophecy.  Isaiah 53 describes His suffering and death. Luke verifies his resurrection, “He showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them 40 days” before He ascended (Acts 1:3).  The prophecies foretelling Christ’s first coming are now history.

Bible scholars state there are more than eight times as many verses foretelling His second coming. Some 2,400 verses throughout the Bible reveal God’s prophesies announcing the return of Jesus Christ.”  Christ was born; Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ will come again!