A few years ago, I was surprised by an email that showed up in my inbox, yet I trusted it since it came through the company that tested my DNA. The email started out with an introduction from someone I didn’t know saying that he had been working on his family tree for years, but was very surprised to receive information that our DNA indicated that we shared grandparents! He ended by asking, “But, who are you?”

I explained that I had received information from my adoption agency concerning my birth mother and that I had met an aunt and 2 sisters. Then he told me that he was a link to my birth father. I only knew the year of my father’s birth, but knowing that, he told me which of his six uncles was my birth father. He sent me pictures and some information about that family. I’ve chosen not to make contact since he is no longer living and he and his wife may never have known that I existed. By the way, if you know me, have met me or noticed my photo, it might surprise you to know that I come from a long line of blond, blue-eyed folks.

While I was unknown, there is one whose birth, life, death and resurrection was foretold around 300 times in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New. For starters, you can look up Isaiah 7:14, which was fulfilled in Luke 1:35 or Hosea 11:1, which was fulfilled in Matthew 2:14-15 as well as Micah 5:21, which was fulfilled in Matthew 2:4-6.

Is the fact that so many prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus a big deal? Rather than introducing gigantic numbers that only mathematicians might love and better grasp, let’s consider a striking visual picture developed by Dr. Peter Stoner who, in the 1980s, used the science of probability to study the accuracy of the Bible. In studying Messianic prophecies he and 600 students asked the question, “What are the chances that 8 of those 300 prophecies could be fulfilled by only one person?”

The answer goes like this: pretend you are gathering enough silver coins to cover the state of Texas two feet deep and before stirring and spreading them out you put a mark on one of those coins. Then put a blindfolded man with a parachute in a plane and fly him over the state till he decides to jump. As he lands, still blindfolded, he is to select one coin from any spot he chooses. The chances that he finds that one marked coin, would be the same as the chances of 8 of the 300 prophecies being fulfilled by one person. Yet, our Jesus fulfilled ALL of them.

That is our great God whose birth we celebrate. He came as a baby, but what an amazing God/man He was. At Christmas, let’s not just enjoy warm fuzzes over the sweet baby but let’s remember that He is the beginning and end of everything. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV). At the end of time our God also says, “It is done, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my people,” (Revelation 21:6-7 NIV). Knowing all this, let’s be victorious as we give our lives to Him and celebrate Christmas like never before!!