The well-known prophecy, Micah 5:2, is famous for pinpointing the city in which the Savior-Ruler-Messiah was to be born. The last three lines of this prophecy connect the divine mission of the Incarnation with other divine missions in past redemptive history.

 The incarnation did not mark the beginning of Christ's work on earth for His people, it merely climaxed it. It was the supreme going forth for God which culminated in a new and full expression of God and His purposes in a supremely tangible way. This going forth resulted in a complete remedy for sin, a new covenant, new age, and a new people. There is a sense in which Christ has always been the 'Sent One' representing God and performing His tasks.