Fulfilled： The Prophecies of Christmas
December 22, 2025 · Hope Is Here
Scripture referenced
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
-
Isaiah 7:14 Central prophecy of the virgin conceiving and bearing a son called Immanuel, read aloud by a congregation member and discussed at length
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Keep this verse
Micah 5:2
Prophecy that a ruler of Israel would come from Bethlehem, read by Brian as the second fulfilled messianic prophecy
2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Matthew 1:18-19
Fulfillment of the virgin birth prophecy, read aloud by a congregation member
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
19 Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, intended to put her away secretly.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Luke 2:1-7
Account of Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem for the census and Jesus being born there, read aloud by a congregation member
1 Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.
2 This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;
5 to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.
6 While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth.
7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Genesis 1
The Holy Spirit hovering over the chaos waters compared to the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.
3 God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
4 God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. There was evening and there was morning, the first day.
6 God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”
7 God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
8 God called the expanse “sky”. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.
9 God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.
10 God called the dry land “earth”, and the gathering together of the waters he called “seas”. God saw that it was good.
11 God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds in it, on the earth”; and it was so.
12 The earth yielded grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day.
14 God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years;
15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth”; and it was so.
16 God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars.
17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth,
18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.
19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
20 God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.”
21 God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good.
22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
24 God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind”; and it was so.
25 God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good.
26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
29 God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.
30 To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;” and it was so.
31 God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Isaiah 9
Referenced from the previous week's sermon about a child being born with the government on his shoulders
1 But there shall be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time he has made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in the land of the shadow of death, on them the light has shined.
3 You have multiplied the nation. You have increased their joy. They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the plunder.
4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian.
5 For all the armor of the armed man in the noisy battle, and the garments rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.
8 The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it falls on Israel.
9 All the people will know, including Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who say in pride and in arrogance of heart,
10 “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with cut stone. The sycamore fig trees have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.”
11 Therefore Yahweh will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin, and will stir up his enemies,
12 The Syrians in front, and the Philistines behind; and they will devour Israel with open mouth. For all this, his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
13 Yet the people have not turned to him who struck them, neither have they sought Yahweh of Armies.
14 Therefore Yahweh will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed, in one day.
15 The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.
16 For those who lead this people lead them astray; and those who are led by them are destroyed.
17 Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is profane and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
18 For wickedness burns like a fire. It devours the briers and thorns; yes, it kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.
19 Through Yahweh of Armies’ wrath, the land is burned up; and the people are the fuel for the fire. No one spares his brother.
20 One will devour on the right hand, and be hungry; and he will eat on the left hand, and they will not be satisfied. Everyone will eat the flesh of his own arm:
21 Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Judges 6
Gideon's fleece used as an illustration of asking God for a sign
1 The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight: and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2 The hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of Midian the children of Israel made themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves, and the strongholds.
3 So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them.
4 They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep, ox, or donkey.
5 For they came up with their livestock and their tents. They came in as locusts for multitude. Both they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land to destroy it.
6 Israel was brought very low because of Midian; and the children of Israel cried to Yahweh.
7 When the children of Israel cried to Yahweh because of Midian,
8 Yahweh sent a prophet to the children of Israel; and he said to them, “Yahweh says, the God of Israel, ‘I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage.
9 I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land.
10 I said to you, “I am Yahweh your God. You shall not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But you have not listened to my voice.’”
11 Yahweh’s angel came, and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 Yahweh’s angel appeared to him, and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
13 Gideon said to him, “Oh, my lord, if Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, ‘Didn’t Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?’ But now Yahweh has cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.”
14 Yahweh looked at him, and said, “Go in this your might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian. Haven’t I sent you?”
15 He said to him, “O Lord, how shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
16 Yahweh said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
17 He said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me.
18 Please don’t go away, until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you.” He said, “I will wait until you come back.”
19 Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes of an ephah of meal. He put the meat in a basket and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out to him under the oak, and presented it.
20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” He did so.
21 Then Yahweh’s angel stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up out of the rock, and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. Then Yahweh’s angel departed out of his sight.
22 Gideon saw that he was Yahweh’s angel; and Gideon said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Because I have seen Yahweh’s angel face to face!”
23 Yahweh said to him, “Peace be to you! Don’t be afraid. You shall not die.”
24 Then Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh, and called it “Yahweh is Peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 That same night, Yahweh said to him, “Take your father’s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it.
26 Then build an altar to Yahweh your God on the top of this stronghold, in an orderly way, and take the second bull, and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.”
27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Yahweh had spoken to him. Because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city, he could not do it by day, but he did it by night.
28 When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bull was offered on the altar that was built.
29 They said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” When they inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”
30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.”
31 Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has broken down his altar!”
32 Therefore on that day he named him Jerub-Baal, saying, “Let Baal contend against him, because he has broken down his altar.”
33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east assembled themselves together; and they passed over, and encamped in the valley of Jezreel.
34 But Yahweh’s Spirit came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together to follow him.
35 He sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; and they also were gathered together to follow him. He sent messengers to Asher, and to Zebulun, and to Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken,
37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then shall I know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.”
38 It was so; for he rose up early on the next day, and pressed the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39 Gideon said to God, “Don’t…
World English Bible · Read it in another translation
Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This was the third and final week of the Hope Is Here series. Brian looked at two Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, the virgin birth from Isaiah 7:14 and the birthplace of Bethlehem from Micah 5:2, and traced how each one was fulfilled in the New Testament accounts of Jesus' arrival. The aim was to pull familiar Christmas details out of autopilot and let them land with fresh weight.
What was said
Brian opened by recapping the first two weeks. Week one explored how Jesus likely fulfilled the Feast of Sukkot, connecting to themes of provision and rest. Week two worked through Isaiah 9 and the idea that the government would rest on the shoulders of a baby, landing on the point that Jesus was born with the intrinsic qualities of God and had to develop as a human in order to express them fully, not that he had to earn or grow into his divinity.
The first prophecy examined this week was Isaiah 7:14, the sign that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son called Immanuel. Brian noted that God had told the people to ask for a sign, then essentially said their imagination was too small and gave them this one instead. The congregation pointed out something Brian leaned into: a virgin conceiving is impossible, but unlike a pillar of fire or a baby floating down from the sky, it cannot be verified from the outside. God built a generous margin of faith into the sign on purpose.
Brian addressed the name Immanuel directly, clarifying that it functions as a title rather than a proper name on a birth certificate, the same way Christ is a title and not a surname. He also addressed the Catholic teaching that Mary remained a perpetual virgin, setting it against Luke's account, which calls Jesus Mary's firstborn son, and the broader New Testament witness that Jesus had brothers, James among them.
The second prophecy came from Micah 5:2. Bethlehem was a small, overlooked village, and Brian drew a Wyoming analogy to get at the vibe: if Nazareth is Rock Springs, Bethlehem is something like Worland or Moran. He quoted Charles Spurgeon on the meaning of the name, Bethlehem meaning house of bread, Ephrathah meaning fruitfulness, and connected both to Jesus as the bread of life whose arrival makes barren hearts fruitful. He walked through the Luke 2 account of how the census under Augustus brought Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy through the mechanics of Roman imperial administration.
Brian then put all four prophecies together on screen: born on Sukkot, born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, and arriving as a baby. He had run the combined probability through an AI tool, and the output was staggering. The estimated odds of one person fulfilling all four ranged from one in 50 billion on the conservative end to one in 500 trillion. He offered a few comparisons to give the number some shape: rolling two sixes twenty times in a row, being struck by lightning four times, or finding a single red-marked silver dollar buried two feet deep across the entire state of Wyoming with one guess.
Brian closed by turning the math into a pastoral word. If those are the odds God overcame just to get Jesus here, then whatever statistically impossible circumstance someone in the room or on the livestream is facing is not beyond him. The series title was the point: hope is here, not as a sentiment but as the logical conclusion of what the prophecies prove.
Touch points
Things you could actually do this week.
- Bring a friend, coworker, or neighbor to the Christmas Eve service on the town square this Wednesday at 5pm.
- Take one of the printed invitations from your chair and hand it to someone specific you have been praying for.
- Sign up to greet at the Christmas Eve service, since many people who hear the gospel that night are just walking by the square and a greeter is what draws them in.
- Fill out the back of the connect card with a prayer request so the Tribe team can partner with you in it.
- Sit with one of the four prophecies Brian walked through and let yourself think about the odds, then bring whatever impossible circumstance you are facing to God in prayer this week.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Brian pointed out that the virgin birth leaves a generous margin of faith required, saying God is still giving us free will to believe or not. Where else in the Christmas story do you see God doing that, and what does it stir up in you?
- Several people in the room noticed that Emmanuel was a title, not a name on a birth certificate. What difference does it make to you personally that Emmanuel, meaning God with us, is a title rather than just a name?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Resumen en español
El mensaje resumido, en español.
Brian cerró una serie de tres semanas sobre la esperanza que llega con el Mesías. Esta semana habló de dos profecías del Antiguo Testamento que Jesús cumplió: que nacería de una virgen y que nacería en el pequeño pueblo de Belén. El punto central fue que estas profecías, escritas cientos de años antes del nacimiento de Jesús, son tan fáciles de dar por sentadas en Navidad que ya casi no nos sorprenden. Brian quiso recuperar esa sorpresa, imaginando cómo sonarían estas palabras para alguien que nunca ha escuchado el evangelio.
Para mostrar lo extraordinario del cumplimiento de solo cuatro profecías, Brian compartió un cálculo de probabilidades: las posibilidades de que una sola persona las cumpla van de una en cincuenta mil millones hasta una en quinientos billones. El mensaje fue directo: si Dios pudo hacer algo estadísticamente imposible con el nacimiento de Jesús, también puede actuar en cualquier circunstancia que parezca sin salida. La serie completa se llamó "La esperanza está aquí," y ese fue el cierre: la llegada de Jesús no es solo historia antigua, sino una promesa activa para hoy.
La congregación también fue animada a invitar a amigos y conocidos al servicio de Nochebuena en la plaza del pueblo, el miércoles a las cinco de la tarde, como una oportunidad sencilla y sin presión para que otros escuchen el mensaje de Navidad.
---
Pasajes bíblicos usados:
- Isaías 7:14
- Miqueas 5:2
- Mateo 1:18-19
- Lucas 2:1-7
Read the full transcript 7,483 words
Share this message
Every word on these came out of the message. Download one and post it anywhere.
