One of the most facinating characteristics of the Bible, is that it tells of the future events. The Bible talks about the rise and fall of various kingdoms, but most of the prophecies (foretelling of future events) talk about Jesus. They put forth the details of where He would be born, when He would be born, the miracles He would do, His death for the sins of the people.

God demonstrates that He wrote the scriptures by writing history in advance.
"From the very beginning, I told what would happen long before it took place. I kept my word" Isaiah 46:10

Imagine you were waiting to meet your friend who you haven't met since college. You are told that he is arriving on Gate 14 of Dallas Airport, 3:30pm flight from Atlanta, on Tuesday, November 18th, 2003. He mentions that he would be wearing a blue suit and black hat. He tells you that He will be carrying to pieces of red luggage and to help you find him wear a pair of yellow sun glasses.

You know first of all the people you are searching for is restricted to only the people at Gate 14. You won't look for your friend at any of the other 29 gates present at the airport. You know the day on which he is arriving so you wont need to be at the airport on any of the other 364 days. It also restricts you to the hour in that day you need to wait for him. You are waiting for your friend and their is about 200 people who get off the plane, there is only one person who fits the exact description, apart from that he meets you and greets you. You recollect his familiar voice.

You might be asking what this has to do with understanding future events? It has an important correlation with Bible prophecy. Similar to the above analogy, a complete description of Jesus coming, His ministy, He death, His resurrection was all laid out hundreds of years before He was born.

In the above analogy we had specifics to the time, place, description of our friend so we were able to quickly narrow down on where our friend would be so that we could recieve him. It answered the basic questions of When? Where? and How? of his visit.

Going back to the coming of Jesus, let us see what description were given hundred's of years before His birth

Where will He be born?

In the book of Micah we read the following :
But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou art little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Micah 5:2

In the New Testament we read that when King Herod, who was ruling at that time asked where would the Messiah be born, that the religious leaders at that time told him that the scriptures tell us that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

When will He be born?

There is a prophecy in the book of Daniel that tells us from the going to the command to build the walls of Jeruselem to the coming of the Messiah would be 69*7 = 483 years. This prophecy was a mathematical prophecy, we know the date the command was given to build the walls of Jeruselem and we know the number of days from which the Messiah would come. Putting both of these together we can arrive at the date on which the Messiah would as king.

From Daniel 9:24-27 we read that there would be 69 weeks of years from the command given to build the temple to the coming of the Messiah. so we have 69 week of years = 173, 880 days.
The Decree of Artaxerxes given Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jeruselum in 444BC (March 5th)
The Jewish year had 360 days our year has 365.24 days.
From 444BC to 33 AD we have 376 solar years. Converting this to days we would have 376 * 365.24 days = 173,855 days (a difference of 25 days)
Add 25 days to March 5th, 33 AD is March 30th, 33 AD. The day on which Jesus road into Jeruselum, proclaiming Himself to be the Messiah.

We read the fullfillment of this in Matthew 21, verses 8,9 Mat 21:8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way. Mat 21:9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

How would he be born?

He would be born of a virgin.
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign;Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
The word Immanuel means God with us. And this was fullfilled when God became a man and walked among as Jesus.

Of who descendent would he be born?

By telling you whose descendent the Messiah we be born to, you can restrict your search to only those people. He was to be the descendent of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. He would have to be the descendent of David. When we look through the family tree of Jesus, we can see He was the descendent of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. (Matthew chapter 1, verse 1-16)

What kind of death would he die?
The kind of death He was to suffer was written in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22.

The book of Psalms in chapter 22 describes in detail the sufferings and shame the Christ went through on the cross
The following article Is Jesus the Promised Jewish Messiah

This is overview of few of the prophecies concerning Jesus, there are over 300 prophecies that were fulfilled. Some more of the prophecies are listed here: Addition Prophecy fulfillment