Jesus Kept the Promises of the Prophets
Month 4: The Teacher (Part 1) · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 5:17 & Luke 24:44
17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. — Matthew 5:17
44 Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” — Luke 24:44
Memory Verse
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”— Matthew 5:16 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 1 Chronicles 8-11
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 107 of 365 — Saul's fall and David becoming king over all Israel.)The Heart of It
When Jesus said He came "to fulfill" the Law and the Prophets, He meant something we can actually check. For hundreds and even thousands of years before He was born, God's prophets had written down promises about a coming Rescuer. He would be born in Bethlehem (). He would be born of a virgin (). He would enter Jerusalem on a donkey (). He would be pierced for our sins (). And He would rise from the dead (). After He rose, Jesus told His disciples in that "everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms." The whole Old Testament was pointing forward to Him, like signposts on a road.
This is one big reason we can believe Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be. No one can arrange where they're born, how they die, or who buries them. Yet Jesus matched prophecy after prophecy, written centuries before His birth. The Bible isn't a collection of lucky guesses. It's one Author's plan, unfolding across many writers and many centuries. When the promises and the fulfillment line up that perfectly, the most honest response isn't a shrug. It's worship. Jesus didn't sneak into history. God had been announcing Him the whole time.
Around the Table
A long, long time before Jesus was born, God's helpers wrote down clues about Him. And every single clue came true!
Let's do it: Play a quick "I spy" clue game, then say, "God's clues about Jesus all came true!"
Prophets foretold where Jesus would be born and how He would die. They wrote it down hundreds of years early.
Let's talk: Why would so many clues coming true help someone believe Jesus is real and special?
Dozens of specific prophecies all point to one Person. Things like His birthplace and His death were impossible for Jesus to arrange Himself.
Let's go deeper: If a friend doubted Jesus, how could fulfilled prophecy help you give them a reason for your hope?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's the longest you've ever waited for a promise to come true? God's people waited centuries for Jesus. And He kept every word.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "The Jesus story was just made up later": Remind them that the Old Testament was completed and copied long before Jesus was born. It was full of specific predictions about the Messiah, and even non-Christians had those scrolls. A person can't arrange to be born in a foretold town, or to die in a foretold way. Yet Jesus fulfilled prophecy after prophecy. That's not a legend stitched together afterward. It's a plan announced ahead of time, and then kept. Always give your answer "with gentleness and respect" (). Be kind and confident. You're not trying to win an argument. You're pointing a friend to truth.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Fulfilled prophecy is one of the oldest and sturdiest pillars of Christian apologetics. But its deepest value isn't winning debates. It's worship. Study how reads like an eyewitness account of the crucifixion, written 700 years early. Let it strengthen your confidence, so it spills over to your kids. Children absorb certainty, or doubt, from their parents long before they can put arguments into words. You don't need to be a scholar. You need to be convinced and unhurried. You can say with quiet assurance, "We can trust this Book. God told us Jesus was coming, and He came." That settled confidence is one of the greatest gifts you'll leave your family.
Draws on: Josh and Sean McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You. Long ago You promised a Rescuer, and You kept every word in Jesus. Help our family trust You. Help us trust Your Word. In Jesus' name, amen."
God kept every promise about Jesus. So I can trust every promise He still makes to me.