This Savior was born in a barn and his first crib was a food trough. How humble a place for the God of the universe to come to earth and begin the work of saving all mankind! This shows the very heart of the character of God.

Several prophetic connections occur in this passage. These are amazing fulfillments of God’s promises.

The genealogy of Jesus that is recorded here shows that Jesus has a direct connection to Abraham and that he is in the lineage of David. This shows that the promises to Abraham and to David are fulfilled in Jesus.

John’s gospel starts by going all the way back to the beginning of the Bible. Remember the creation account of Genesis 1? John uses the exact same language to start his gospel: “In the beginning…”

Here in Zechariah 9 and 10, the promised Messiah will be a shepherd for the flock. He will observe that God’s people “wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd”.

Micah tells of a ruler who will come from the tiny Israelite town of Bethlehem. God’s people will be abandoned until this ruler is born, which refers to the period of 400 years between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament.

The words “Comfort, comfort my people” are like a drink of cool water. The prophetic vision is that the people’s sin will be paid for and that God will receive all the glory.

Isaiah tells us that the Messiah will shoot up from the stump of Jesse. He will be like a tender plant sprouting from the seemingly dead stump of the tree of David’s family line.

At this moment when the people of Jerusalem are in grave danger at the hands of the Assyrians, Isaiah foresees God’s ultimate deliverance of his people.

Isaiah trusts in God’s promises and his family stands as proof that God will be faithful. This takes on greater fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ.

It is clear that God has a plan still to redeem his people. Even though they continue to rebel, he will not let his promises fail.