Prophecy
Matthew 2:1-5 - Hundreds of years before Christ was born in Bethlehem several different men, whom we call “prophets” foretold many events concerning this “Messiah”. When baby Jesus was born, wise men from the east came looking for this baby Jesus saying “Where is He that is born king of the Jews?, for we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship Him” When Herod king of Judaea heard these things he was troubled. So he gathered all the chief priest and scribes together and demanded of them where this Christ would be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet.
25 Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled just in Matthew, the first book of the New Testament.
(Matthew 1:23-Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 2:5-Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:15-Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:18-Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew 2:23-“spoken b y the prophets”, Matthew 3:3-Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1, Matthew 4:14,15,16-Isaiah 9:1and2, Matthew 8:17-Isaiah 53:4, Matthew 11:10-Malachi 3:1, Matthew 12:17-Isaiah 42;1-4, Matthew 13:14-Isaih 6:9-10, Matthew 13:35-Psalm 78:2, Matthew 15:8-Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 21:5-Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 21:9-Psalm 118:25-26 , Matthew 21:13-Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11, Matthew 21:16-Psalm 8:2, matthew 21:42-Psalm 118:22, Matthew 22:44-Psalm 110:1, Matthew 26:31-Zechariah 13:7, Matthew 27:9-Zechariah 11:12-13, Matthew 27:34-Psalm 69:21, Matthew 27:35-Psalm 22:18, Matthew 27:43-Psalm 22:8, Matthew 27:46-Psalm 22:1)
Death
The last prophecy fulfilled in the New Testament was Jesus death on the cross(Matthew 27:46-Psalm 22:1) It was necessary for Jesus Christ to die for there was no man found that could satisfy the heart of God for ALL of mankind Would be born into this world tainted with sin. So at the foundations of the world ,when God had decided to create a race of people that would be known as the “human race” ,it was realized that this “creation” would use their “will” to disobey God their Creator. The result of this disobedience would be that mankind would be born separated from God and ALL HIS GOODNESS! This saddened the heart of God for He so badly desired to fellowship and have friendship with His creation. He wanted His creation to LIVE LIFE TO THE MAX!, but SIN would destroy temporarily this plan. So a decision was made that Jesus would become the “sacrifice”, or the “bridge”, or “the way” to gain friendship and fellowship again with their Creator. And in the fullness of time, or when the time was right Jesus was born and the last 3 years of His life He displayed to the world the truths about God and life, He displayed the power of the Father in the form of miracles, with the greatest of these to be NOT HIS DEATH, BUT HIS RESURRECTION! His death satisfies the heart of God, His resurrection satisfies the believing, sin sickened, repentive soul.
Resurrection
Romans 10:9-10”That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”
By Jesus Christ rising from the dead, He would prove to the world that HE IS GOD and it would also validate all that He had said and taught while He walked on the earth(33 years) was to TRUE! I am sure Buddah, Mohammed, Ghandi and many others were very good people even with a good cause, BUT ONLY ONE EVER CLAIMED TO HAVE THE ANSWERS TO LIFE AND THEN DEFEATED MANKINDS GREATEST ENEMY……DEATH. This Makes Him worthy to be called Lord and Saviour, and if ANYBODY will use their will to believe in Jesus Christ as THE WAY to get to God, and they will believe in their heart and confess with their mouth THE LORD JESUS(or all that he had done) that that person would be saved, or have friendship and fellowship with God not just now…BUT FOR ALL ETERNITY!
Repent
In Acts chapter 2 verse 38 Peter tells those who were not in fellowship/friendship with God that if they want to have God and His best for their lives that THEY MUST REPENT! The word REPENT means to change one’s mind, or one’s direction. So just “believing” in the Lord Jesus is more than a mental decision, but a decision that affects the way you live after you make it! In other words when you really believe in Jesus you REPENT, you choose to follow His teachings or instructions on how to live a life that pleases God so that you can have life both now and for eternity.
Remission
Luke 24:47 “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
The word REMISSION comes from the word REMIT which means to remove or take away. When you believe what the prophets said about Jesus and you choose to believe that He rose from the dead, that ALL YOUR SINS, or all that kept you from God and His friendship and fullness IS REMOVED OUT OF THE WAY, and now you can FREELY EXPERIENCE LIFE THE WAY THAT GOD MEANT FOR IT TO BE EXPERIENCED…..TO THE MAX!