The Gospel of Matthew describes thirteen separate instances when Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled. Matthew presents these fulfilled prophecies as proof Jesus is the promised Messiah. At the birth of Jesus several specific and important prophecies about the Messiah were fulfilled.

The first promise of the Messiah in the Bible is found in Genesis 3:15. God told the Devil that the woman’s seed would defeat sin and Satan. The choice to refer to the Deliverer as the seed of the woman is an odd one, unless the phrase “her seed” has a particular significance. The prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 reveals the significance of that unique description. “The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” The seed of the woman is a child born without an earthly father. The birth of Jesus of virginal Mary fulfills these two promises. (Matthew 1:22)

A later promise of the Messiah is found in Genesis 49:10, “ The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes, and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” This is a promise that the Messiah would be a great ruler who would bring unending peace to Israel. The Messiah had to be a descendant of Judah. The genealogies of Jesus recorded in Matthew and Luke show Him to be descended from Judah by birth (Mary’s side of the family) and by adoption (Joseph’s side of the family).

Another, related prophecy, is that the Messiah would be a descendant of David’s with a legitimate claim to the throne of Israel. (2 Samuel 7:12-13) As the adopted son of Joseph Jesus is the legal descendant of Kings David and Solomon. Jesus is of the tribe of Judah and the family of David exactly as Scripture foretold.

The Old Testament foretold the birth place of the Messiah. “Bethlehem Ephrathah . . out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel.” (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6) Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem is a fulfillment of that prophecy. Jesus’ flight to Egypt fulfilled the words of Hosea, “out of Egypt I have called my Son.” (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15) The murder of all children in Bethlehem under two years old fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah. “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” (Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:18) The timing of Jesus’ birth fulfills the promise given to Daniel that the Messiah would be cut off 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:25-26)

The fulfillment of these prophecies at the birth of Jesus are strong evidence He is the promised Messiah and the Son of God. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23) They support the Christian’s claim that Jesus is the eternal God and the Savior of the world. As a result, He deserves all worship and obedience. He should be believed, received and entirely relied upon to forgive sinners and save them from condemnation.