Last updated on August 18th, 2026 at 05:31 pm
Prophecies
The Old Testament books of the Bible contain many prophecies that speak of the coming Messiah or savior of the world. Originally the Old Testament books were written for the Hebrew or Jewish people. They claimed that a Messiah would be born who would ultimately come into the world and save the Jewish people from their enemies while establishing a new era of greatness for the Jewish people.
At the time of Jesus’ birth, Judea was under the control of Rome and many people expected the Messiah to return to liberate them from their tyranny. There are some key Old Testament prophecies such Genesis and Isaiah. In Genesis, God says that the serpent will bruise the heel of a child and that the child would crush his head. The prophet Isaiah states “for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” These are primary examples of the many Old Testament prophecies that foreshadowed the coming of Christ.
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Why the Genealogies Matter
Matthew 1:1–17 and Luke 3:23–38 both connect Jesus with David, but they arrange the family line differently. Matthew begins with Abraham and moves forward through David’s son Solomon to Joseph, whom it identifies as Mary’s husband; Mary is named as Jesus’ mother. Luke begins with Jesus and moves backward, introduces him as the son “as was supposed” of Joseph, follows David’s son Nathan, and continues to Adam.
The Gospels do not call either list “Mary’s genealogy.” Matthew names Jacob as Joseph’s father, while Luke places Heli immediately after Joseph in its repeated “son of” sequence. Christians have traditionally explained the difference in several ways, including legal or royal descent, a family relationship connected with levirate marriage, and the view that Luke preserves Mary’s ancestry while naming Joseph. These are interpretations; the biblical text does not identify one explanation as the answer.
Matthew’s line includes Jeconiah. Jeremiah 22:30 says that none of Jeconiah’s descendants would prosper while sitting on David’s throne and ruling in Judah. Some Christians understand Jesus’ virgin birth and Joseph’s legal and social fatherhood as part of the answer to this difficulty, but Matthew and Jeremiah do not state that explanation directly. Matthew presents Joseph as Mary’s husband and as the man who names Jesus; it does not describe a formal adoption.
The genealogies also make theological claims. Matthew introduces Jesus as the Messiah, the son of David and the son of Abraham. Luke extends the line to Adam, placing Jesus within the story of all humanity. Romans 5:12–19 later contrasts sin and death through Adam with grace, justification, and life through Jesus Christ.
Use the Bible Genealogy Explorer to compare Matthew and Luke side by side. For the principal Christian interpretations, read Why Are There Two Genealogies of Jesus in the Bible?
The Virgin Birth An angel appears to a virgin woman named Mary who was engaged to married to a man named Joseph. The angel tells Mary that she was going to have a son that was to be born from the Holy Spirit. Her son would be the chosen Messiah of the world. Mary has a hard time accepting this message and she eventually finds out that cousin Elizabeth has a son named John who was also born under supernatural circumstances. After her visit with Elizabeth, she is convinced about what the angel is saying and returns home. Joseph was going to cancel his engagement to her, but an angel appeared to him and told him to follow through the wedding. Joseph listened to the angel and Christ became his legal son.
Herod and the Magi
King Herod was in charge of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ birth. He had close ties to Rome and as long as he paid tribute to the empire they allowed him to govern as he pleased. Rome had also sent a governor to Judea at the time to ensure that the people would constantly be reminded of their presence.
During the reign of King Herod, there were Magi who came from the east after seeing the Star of David appear in the sky over Jerusalem. These men were ancient astronomers who knew of the ancient Jewish prophecies of the coming Messiah. After seeing the star, they gathered gifts and traveled to Jerusalem.
When they arrived they visited King Herod before finding Jesus. They told Herod that the Messiah would be born and that he was going to be a king. Herod pretended to like their good news, but he really wanted to know where the child was located so he could kill it. The Wise Men said that they would return, but they were warned by an angel not to go back to the palace of Herod. After they found Christ in Bethlehem they presented Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus with the gifts.
The Slaughtering of the Innocents
Herod was outraged that the Wise Men had left the country without telling him where the child was located. So he decided to kill all of the male children that were 2 years old and younger. Many historians claim that there was not any historical record to validate this act, but no one can prove with clarity that this act did not happen. Joseph was warned by an angel to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt and hide out there until King Herod had passed away.
After the king had died, Joseph and his family returned how to Jerusalem. These facts about Jesus’ birth are very fascinating and the early days of Christ’s life is an epic tale full of drama and adventure. Jesus’ impact on the world is so significant because each generation that is born into the world has to decide if he is the savior of all people or just a madman who made some pretty far-fetched claims during his lifetime.
Biblical References:
- Genesis 3:15 God foretells the prophecy about Christ and how he is going to defeat the serpent (the Devil).
- Isaiah 9:6 Isaiah prophesies about the birth of Jesus and his ministry in the world.
- Matthew 1:1–17 — Matthew moves from Abraham through Solomon and the royal line to Joseph, Mary’s husband, and identifies Mary as Jesus’ mother.
- Luke 3:23–38 — Luke moves from Jesus through Joseph, “as was supposed,” then through Nathan to David, Abraham, and Adam.
- Jeremiah 22:24–30 — The judgment concerning Jeconiah and descendants ruling in Judah.
- Romans 5:12–19 — Paul contrasts Adam’s trespass with Christ’s act of righteousness.
- Luke 1: 39 – 45 Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth and her supernatural birth of Jesus is confirmed.
- Matthew 1: 18 – 25 The Virgin Birth
- Matthew 2: 1 – 12 The Magi and Jesus Christ
- Matthew 2: 13 – 23 Joseph takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt after being warned by an angel to go there in order to avoid the slaughter of children enacted by King Herod.
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