Like the New Testament, the Jewish Scriptures say nothing about “Christmas.” But they do say a lot about the Messiah — the “Anointed One” or the “Coming One” or the “Expected One.”
From the beginning — in fact “In the beginning” — it is clear that God has a comprehensive and complete plan for his creation and his creatures. Immediately after that incident with the serpent and the fruit God refers to the woman’s offspring — some one who will come, at some point in the future.
Here’s a look at some of the other hints, inkles, descriptions and prophecies in the Old Testament. (There is no pattern, but you might think about it as a collection of snapshots about Christ.)
The Word
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all
generations.
PSALM 33:11
Declare what is to be, present it,
let them take counsel together.
Who foretold this long ago,
who declared it from the distant past?
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no God apart from me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none but me.
Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
ISAIAH 45:21-22
And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.
GENESIS 3:15
Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received form the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
ISAIAH 40:1-2
He chose David his servant
and took him from the sheep pens;
from tending the sheep he brought him
to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,
of Israel his inheritance.
PSALM 78:70-71
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
The Lord Our Righteousness.”
JEREMIAH 23:5-6
In love a throne will be established;
in faithfulness a man will sit on it—
one from the house of David—
one who in judging seeks justice
and speeds the cause of righteousness. ISAIAH 16:5
A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
ISAIAH 40:3-5
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
MALACHI 3:1
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.
ISAIAH 9:2
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
ISAIAH 9:6-7
I will proclaim the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.”
PSALM 2:7
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.
MICAH 5:2
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.
ISAIAH 42:16
He says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
This is what the Lord says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you and rise up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
ISAIAH 49:6-7
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
ISAIAH 60:1-3
The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.
PSALM 2:2
You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
ISAIAH 40:9
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”
ISAIAH 52:7
The Lord has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
PSALM 98:2-3
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
EZEKIEL 36:25-27
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness
known through all generations.
I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
PSALM 89:1-2
Praying that your Christmas is blessed, and your journey is joyful – and healthy!
Memory Verse
Take your pick — they’re all great.
Next Lesson
The tradition of the elders — Mark 7
