Prophecies of the Messiah / JESUS Bingo

          Prophecies of the Messiah / JESUS Bingo

   When I think of God as being outside of time, I think of the simplistic illustration of a train. If you are watching a train go by, you are watching car by car. If you were in a helicopter above the train you would see the whole train at the same time - the end and the beginning all at once. The person on the ground, us, are bound to time while the person in the helicopter, God, is outside of time. If God is outside of time, and He is, it stands to reason that if He were to give us a book about Him that it too would be outside of time. If that book, the Bible, were outside of time it would have history and future interwoven seamlessly and all of it would be true. There would be no wrong predictions of the future otherwise it could not be trusted. This is exactly what we see in the Bible and nowhere is it illustrated better than in what experts say the 333 messianic prophecies. I am going to give approximately 40 of these and group them into 5 categories and then give you a game that you can play with your kids on Christmas morning.

     But first of all we have to discuss the objection, "How do you know that these weren't just penned after the fact?" When I was in Residency, we would have so many admissions and rapid births of babies that I would more often than not do the charting after the fact. Part of the admission history and physical would be giving an estimated fetal weight. Well, since the baby had already been delivered, I knew it's weight so my estimated fetal weight was pretty accurate to say the least. One day my instructor called me in to give a periodic assessment and said, "I was looking at your charting and wanted to commend you on how well you predict the baby's weight." I said "thank you". I think you get the point, how do we know these weren't written after the fact. First of all, the Septuagint was a recording of the Old testament written in Greek by 134BC so we have the testimony sealed well before Jesus came on the scene. We also have writings such as the dead sea scrolls which have been recently discovered and have been dated 100-300 BC. These were not recorded after the fact! Also, to avoid confusion, I will try not to include prophecies that a phony could fulfill himself.

    I. Geneology

       The first area of prophecy fulfillment is in the lineage of the Messiah. First of all, all family records were destroyed in 70AD when Herod's / Zerrubabel's/ the second temple was destroyed. Therefore to prove one's lineage after 70AD would be impossible. Don't you know that the detractors of Jesus would have quickly gone to the temple to look up His lineage. What would they have found? What is recorded in Matthew 1. Then they might have said, well, let's check out his mom's lineage. What would they have found? What we see in Luke 3. Therefore He could not have been discredited on the basis of His family tree.

      A. Line of Abraham - Gen. 12:3
      B. Line of Isaac - Gen. 26:4
      C. Line of Jacob - Gen. 28:14
      D. Line of Judah - Gen. 49:10
      E. Line of Jesse - Isa. 11:1
      F. Line of David - 1 Chron. 28:4-7

    II.  Details of His birth

     A. Where ? Bethlehem - Micah 5:1-2
     B. To who? A virgin - Isa. 7:14
                        Seed of a woman  Gen 3:15
     C. What would happen?
          1. A star - Num. 24:17
          2. A massacre of children in birthplace - Jer. 31:15
          3. Wisemen - Ps. 72:10
                                Isa. 60:3
          4. Flee to Egypt - Hos. 11:1
      D. When would it happen?
          1. 69 week prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 puts triumphal entry at 4/6/32
          2. A temple would be standing - Mal. 3:1, Ps.118:26, Hag. 2:7-9
               (would have had to be 959-586BC or 516BC - 70AD)

     III. Details of His ministry

       A. Elijah (John the Baptist) precedes - Mal. 4:5
       B. Like Moses - Deut. 18:15-19
           leader, prophet, died on a hill, miracle worker, law giver, healer, mediator, Jew, priest, teacher, deliverer, human, lives threatened as infants by evil kings, came out of Egypt, doubted by siblings, etc.
       C. Ministers in Gallilee - Isa. 9:1,2
       D. Spoke in parables - Ps. 78:2
       E. Perform many miracles - Isa. 35:5,6
                                                  Isa. 29:18
       F. Zeal for God's house - Ps. 69:9
       G. Preaches Good News - Isa. 61:1
       H. Rejected and despised - Isa. 53:3
       I. Gentiles will receive Him - Isa. 42:6
       J. Will enter Jerusalem on a baby donkey - Zech. 9:9
       K. Will bear people's sins and justify them - Isa. 53:11,12

     IV. Details of His Death

        A. Betrayed by a friend - Ps. 41:9
        B. Price of betrayal - Zech. 11:12,13
             Money thrown on the floor of temple
             Used to buy a potter's field
         C. Wouldn't open His mouth to defend Himself -  Isa. 53:7
         D. Beaten and spit on - Isa. 50:6
         E. Numbered with transgressors (2 thieves) - Isa. 53:12
         F. Pierced - Zech. 12:10
         G. Hands and feet pierced - Ps. 22:16
         H. Crucified - Ps. 22:14-17
                                Deut. 21:23
               In order to fulfill this prophecy a lot had to happen. First of all the Romans needed to be in power as this was their unique method of execution. Second, the penalty for blasphemy among the Jews was stoning. Jesus couldn't be stoned and fulfill prophecy so the Jews needed to lose their right to execute anyone which they did in 11AD. That's why they had to get Pilate to sentence Him and have the Romans execute Him, thus He was crucified to fulfill scripture.
          I. Bones wouldn't be broken - Ps. 34:20
          J. Clothing would be divided - Ps. 22:18
          K. Given vinegar and gall to drink  Ps. 69:21
          L. Buried with the rich - Isa. 53:9
          M. In the prime of life - Ps. 89:45

     V. Details of His resurrection

        A. Wouldn't decay - Isa. 16:10
        B. Come back to life - Isa. 53:12
        C. Ascend - Ps. 68:18
        D. Sit at the right hand of God - Ps. 110:1

    So here are all the verses I used; (47)

       Psalm 110:1                      Psalm 68:18                  Psalm 69:21

       Isa. 53:12                          Isa. 16:10                       Isa. 53:9

                      Psalm 34:20                  

      Deut. 21:23                        Isa. 53:11                      

       Zech. 12:10                      Zech. 11:12,13               Psalm 41:9

      Isa. 50:6                              Ps. 22:14-18                 Isa. 53:7

       Zech. 9:9                           Isa. 42:6                        Isa. 53:3

       Isa. 61:1                            Psalm 69:9                     Isa. 29:18

       Isa. 35:5,6                         Psalm 78:2                     Isa. 9:1,2

       Deut. 18:15-19                 Mal. 4:5                          Ps. 118:26

       Hag. 2:7-9                        Dan. 9:24-27                  Hosea 11:1

       Isa. 60:3                           Psalm 72:10                    Jer. 31:15

       Num. 24:17                     Gen. 3:15                         Isa. 7:14

       Micah 5:1,2                     1 Chron. 28:4-7               Isa. 11:1

       Gen. 49:10                       Gen. 28:14                        Gen. 26:4

       Gen. 12:3                         Psalm 89:45

     The game we play as a family on Christmas morning is called Jesus Bingo. Print all the above verses and cut them apart and place them in a Christmas hat. Make up 10 cards that look something like this (below) putting the above verses (24) on each card in different order and using other verses of the 47. Make lines and columns (I have a hard time doing that in this format)


       J             E            S           U            S

    Deut. 18:15-19        Gen. 12:3         Psalm 72:10    Gen.28:14       Micah:5:1,2


    1Chron28:4-7          Gen. 3:15        Dan.9:24-27     Hag.2:7-9       Hosea 11:1

  
     Num. 24:17              Gen.49:10      Free space       Isa. 7:14          Psalm 118:26


     Isa. 9:1,2                 Isa. 53:12          Psalm 69:9      Psalm 68:18    Isa. 35:5,6


      Psalm 110:1          Psalm 69:21       Isa. 16:10        Isa. 53:9         Zech. 12:10


    Pass out pennies for the kids to cover the spaces when the verse is picked. Also have a Bible drill as you pick the verses.Discuss how the verses prophecy Jesus as they are read. There are 2 winners; one for the Bible drill winner and one for the first to have 5 in a row and say "Jesus" (or something else if that feels like you are violating the 4th commandment)