Prophesies Concerning Jesus (continued 1)

Jesus Christ would come from King David’s lineage.

The Old Testament makes reference to Jesus Christ coming from the line of King David. A few are as follows Samuel was written about 900bc:-

2 Samuel chapter 7 verses 12-14, When your (king David) days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.  I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.

Psalms 89 verses 3-4, You (God) have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant:  ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.”

Isaiah chapter 9 verses 6-7, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Isaiah chapter 11 verses 1-5, There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.  And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.  And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear,  but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.  Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

We now turn to the New Testament and Matthew records the genealogy of Jesus Christ.  Matthew was written about 60ad some 800 years after Isaiah.

Matthew chapter 1 verse 1, The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

The book of Luke written around 60-64ad says:-

Luke chapter 2 verses 4-7 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Again in the book of John we read about Jesus being from David’s line:-

John chapter 7 verse 42  Has the Scripture not said that Christ comes from the seed of David and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

Jesus Himself claimed to be a descendant of king David.  The apostle John records it in the book of Revelation written about 95ad:-

Revelation chapter 22 verse 16  “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

There can be little doubt that Jesus Christ descended from the line of King David.  You can read two genealogies one in Matthew chapter 1 and one in Luke chapter 3.  Both genealogies trace Jesus ancestry back to sons of King David:  In Matthew through Solomon and in Luke through Nathan.  It is believed that the genealogy in Matthew traces back Joseph’s line and that of Luke, Mary’s line.  They both come from the line of David in Israel family lines are traced back through the mother rather than the father.  So, the fact that Joseph wasn’t Jesus’ birth father doesn’t negate His lineage to King David.  Matthew’s version also states that Mary was the mother of Jesus and that Joseph was her husband.  It doesn’t affirm Joseph as Jesus’ father.  Heli in Luke chapter 3 verse 23 is believed to be Mary’s father.

All Bible quotes taken from the ESV