Christmas Prophecy (Part 1)

In this engaging and enlightening episode of The Heartbeat of Faith Podcast, Dr. Andrew Farley embarks on a journey through biblical prophecies and their profound significance, especially during the Christmas season. The host sets the stage with an overarching message: Christmas was not a backup plan; it was the realization of God's promised rescue and redemption. Dr. Farley's warm and knowledgeable tone invites listeners to explore the intricate web of prophecies that foretold the birth of Jesus.

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Throughout the episode, Dr. Farley weaves a tapestry of specific prophecies, providing compelling examples such as the prophecy from Genesis, Galatians, and Micah. These prophecies are depicted as precise and specific, a stark contrast to general and easily fulfilled predictions. The host's articulate explanations and scriptural references help listeners grasp the depth of these prophecies and how they were uniquely fulfilled through divine providence. The episode also introduces the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary, adding a beautiful and poignant dimension to the story.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Let us pray. Jesus, looking at them, said with men,
it is impossible, but not with God, For all things
are possible with God. Mark Chapter ten, verse twenty seven.
Dear Lord, you make the seemingly impossible possible. You display

(00:23):
your power and majesty by fulfilling your promises. I choose
to put my faith in you today, O Lord, so
I can walk confidently. Christmas is supposed to be a
season of joy, but it sometimes makes me anxious. There
are people to please, finances to consider, and family issues

(00:43):
that re emerge. I ask you to remind me of
the peace of your presence in me and hope of
your love for me. In Jesus name, I pray Amen,
Thank you for praying with me today. Now discover the
profound intricacies of scripture through pray dot COM's podcast The

(01:05):
Heartbeat of Faith with doctor Andrew Farley.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
The fulfilled prophecies that we see through Jesus remind us
that he wasn't God's backup plan. No, Christmas is the
realization of God's promised rescue and redemption. This was always
the plan, and before the angels sang over the shepherds

(01:37):
that glorious night. Scripture had been singing a hopeful prophecy
about the promised Son of God.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold,
the Virgin will conceive and bear a son, and shall
call his name Immanuel Isaiah seven fourteen.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Hi, I'm doctor Andrew Farley. Welcome to the Heartbeat of
Faith podcast. It's the Christmas season and many of us
have already begun planning for family gatherings and even listening
to Christmas music. There's an eager anticipation of Christmas that
fills us with joy. The Bible teaches us that God's

(02:25):
people had a similar anticipation leading up to the birth
of Jesus. From the very beginning, they eagerly awaited the
promised Messiah. Dozens of prophecies in the Old Testament point
forward to Christ's coming, creating expectant hope. The first is

(02:46):
in Genesis. After Adam and Eve had sinned.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
God looked to the serpent and said, because of this,
you are cursed to crawl and eat dust for the
rest of your days. One day I will make things right,
and a son of Eve will come, and you will
bruise his heel, but he will crush your head. This
would be the foreshadowing of Jesus coming to put an

(03:16):
end to evil on the cross.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
The prophecy in Genesis was fulfilled on Christmas morning. A
promised son was born of a woman, and he came
to conquer the serpent and crush him on the cross.
We see this fulfilled in Jesus and celebrated in the
New Testament letters. Hebrews two fourteen says, since the children

(03:43):
have flesh and blood, Jesus also shared in their humanity,
so that by his death he might break the power
of him who holds the power of death, that is
the devil. Likewise, Romans sixteen twenty says, the God of
Peace will soon crush Satan under your foot. Lastly, the

(04:09):
apostle Paul might have been thinking of the fulfillment of
this prophecy when he wrote Galatians.

Speaker 3 (04:17):
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent
out his son, born to a woman, born under the law,
that he might redeem those who were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption as children Galatians. For for.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
The prophet Micah prophesied that the Shepherd of Israel would
come from Bethlehem, the hometown of David Mary and Joseph
were from Nazareth, but by the providence of God, there
was a mandatory census that forced them to return to Bethlehem.

(04:54):
If it weren't for the forced census, Jesus would not
have been born in Bethel.

Speaker 3 (05:03):
It was late and the night sky was painted with
bright stars. Joseph looked up at the vastness of the universe.
He felt small sitting under the galaxies and thought about
the great plans of God. Then he looked down to
see Mary lying on her side under the blankets. Joseph
stroked her hair and covered her shoulders with the covers.

(05:24):
They were on their way to Bethlehem for the censes.
Joseph had wed Mary despite his doubts. It hurt at
first when he saw that she was with child, but
the Lord was faithful and visited him in a dream.
He told him of how Mary became pregnant. Joseph went
from overwhelming heartbreak to overwhelming gratitude. Why did the Lord

(05:46):
choose me, he thought to himself. He was honored and
felt the intense responsibility of caring for the Son of
God and his mother. He sat up all night, determined
to protect her and the unborn child. In just a
day's time, they would be in Bethlehem, the birthplace of David.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
Of course, false or fake prophecy tends to be very
general and therefore easy to fulfill. So false prophets trick
the masses. But the predictions concerning the Messiah were so
specific that only divine providence could satisfy them. For example,

(06:30):
Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be called Immanuel, and
that he would be born of a virgin.

Speaker 3 (06:40):
Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold,
the Virgin will conceive and bear a son, and shall
call his name Immanuel Isaiah seven point fourteen.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
The prophecy of Isaiah seemed almost impossible, but his anything impossible.

Speaker 3 (07:01):
With God, Gabriel bent down closely to her. You will
conceive a son. His name will be Jesus. He will
be the promised son of David, the Messiah, the son
of the Living God, the King to bring peace upon
all the nations. Mary's eyes began to water as the

(07:22):
Angel spoke, his kingdom will reign forever at his name.
Every knee shall bow, and every broken heart made whole.
Mary wiped her eyes and looked up at the angel,
How could this be? I am a virgin and I
am not yet married to Joseph. Gabriel gave a warm
grin to the girl. The same holy spirit that hovered

(07:45):
over the waters of the earth will come upon you.
The power of the most High God will be with you.
The baby will be born holy and will be the
son of God himself. Gabriel stood to his feet and
began to exit. He turned to Mary and said, much
has been set in motion, oh favorite one. Even your

(08:05):
cousin Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age. You
may go and see her for yourself. The word of
God will never fail. And with those words, the Angel disappeared.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
All these fulfilled prophecies remind us of the magnitude of
the gift we've been given this season. As we celebrate
under the shimmer of starlit skies and the warm glow
of family gatherings, Let's remember that the greatest gift didn't
come wrapped in paper, but swaddled in a manger, Jesus,

(08:43):
God's promise made flesh. Through him, We've received treasures far
beyond the perishable, the once for all forgiveness that wipes
our slate clean. Liberating us from the chains of the law.
In Jesus we find total acceptance in the family of God,

(09:06):
an unconditional love that knows no bounds, and a new
identity rooted not in our deeds but in His grace.
And perhaps the most profound gift of all, our union
with Christ, a bond unbreakable, an inheritance eternal. As we

(09:29):
celebrate his arrival, let's embrace these gifts with joyous hearts.
For in him we find the true essence of Christmas,
the enduring echo of heavenly grace that whispers hope into
our world. Blessed are we forever united in His love.

(09:51):
May the grace of Jesus be the gift that continually
gives you peace and joy. Thank you for listening to
today's episode of the Heartbeat of Faith podcast. If you
enjoyed today's episode or learn something new about the Bible,
share it with a friend or family member. Don't forget

(10:14):
to download thepray dot Com app, and for more encouragement
in God's grace, visit Andrewfarley dot org. That's Andrew Farley
dot org.