Called before Birth
Study Scripture: Matthew 1:18 – 25
Background Scripture: Matthew 1:18 – 25
Lesson 2 December 12, 2020
Key Verse
Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:20-21
INTRODUCTION
God’s first promise of redemption for the human race came very early in the history of man. Many consider the promise of Genesis 3:16 that the seed of the woman would crush the ‘serpent’s head as the first indication of God’s plan of salvation made necessary because of the great sin of eating the “forbidden apple” in Eden. Subsequent prophetic Scriptures down through the ages illuminated and enlarged that promise. What became increasingly clear was that the plan of redemption hinged on a single individual with the interesting twist that the person would be both human and divine. These prophecies have led to much discussion among rabbis and scholars as to how the divine and human could coexist in the same person.
Old Testament references to the Messiah being virgin born were somewhat veiled, appearing in some places like Isaiah 7:14 or maybe Jeremiah 31:22. Some have thought that the evidence that the Messiah would be God was somewhat veiled in the Old and New Testament but it is clear that Jesus did not think that way and expected His disciples to understand the Scriptural revelations about Messiah. It must be pointed out however that in the New Testament the full mystery of godliness (1 Tim. 3:16; Matt.16:13-17), God being manifest in the flesh, was unfolded, so there would be no lingering doubts concerning the truths about Messiah.
It is most important that we note several particular emphases on how God’s actions are determined.
First, note the choices of seemingly “ordinary” people to accomplish the will of God. But note they are spectacularly unique people. But they have to make decisions.
Second, righteousness is an important theme. Righteousness is defined as including mercy and compassion.
Third, righteous persons who follow the instructions of the ‘Law” can have their understanding of what God wants expanded by direct instruction.
Fourth, family connections are often important. But righteous living counts for much.
Fifth, names are important. In this case the name of “Jesus” though apparently a ‘simple’ name is most significant and full of important information that one can easily miss.
How the promises of God unfolds are very interestingly.
The Scriptures clearly show that the ‘promised one’, the Messiah, flowed through the patriarchs of the nation Israel, to the tribe of Judah and finally to the family of David. In line with this was the recognition that He would be both David’s son and David’s Lord. The “enigma” would remain to Jesus’ lifetime for many, given their “hardness of heart”. In our Text however Matthew will describe a “unique birth” that finally reveals the God-man; Emmanuel, God with us!
The narrative of the birth of this promised child who would be Savior is quite short in Matthew and is done formally; for it appears that the Apostle Matthew writes to show that this child is royalty, the King who was promised in fulfillment of many ancient prophecies.
Luke generally takes the perspective of women in his birth story and Mary’s pregnancy and her trip from Galilee to Bethlehem “with child” is prominent. He very likely got most of his information from Mary so it is logical he would see things through her eyes. Luke therefore would give his genealogy after the birth.
In contrast Matthew begins by giving Jesus’ genealogy, showing that He is royalty, the son of Abraham, the son of David and is the Promised One. Necessarily, being a king, one has to have a genealogy that confirms their place in the royal line.
Note therefore that this is a birth that was planned by God the Father. Jesus was therefore called to ministry before His birth as a human being.
Surprisingly, Matthew’s genealogy of Christ includes four women. More often than not Jewish genealogies recorded only the males. Even more surprising three of the four women mentioned are Gentiles and certainly not the chaste, pious women we might expect. Some see this as reflective of God’s mercy on all people, Jew and Gentile.
Matthew makes the point that Jesus Christ is the Son of Abraham and the Son of David, thereby encompassing the specific covenants to Gentiles and Jews. This is the One
– …in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. I will establish his kingdom.… and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever… thy throne shall be established for ever.
Messiah had to be a Jew in the royal line of David, the founder of the royal dynasty of Israel
(Isa. 9:6-7) and He had to be a son of Abraham the father of the nation of Israel. God promised Abraham and his descendents that He would give them a seed, a land, and blessing. (See Genesis 12:1-3, 7:15 et al). God vowed that Abraham would not only be blessed but he would be a source of blessing to the whole world. God also made a covenant with David guaranteeing that his descendents would rule over the kingdom of Israel forever.
Matthew provides a critically important genealogy of Jesus Christ. As we know, the name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, or Yehoshua, which means “Yahweh is salvation”, or “Yahweh saves” from the shortened form of the name Yeshua.
The name Christ is a rough equivalent of the Hebrew “Messiah” or “Anointed One”. The Christian church believed Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ of the Old Testament and Matthew introduces Him accordingly. Matthew provides undeniable proof that Jesus is the promised King and Savior.
It is however very important that we note that the name Jesus is the name of a human person who was born in Bethlehem and so He was known as Jesus of Nazareth who later lived in Capernaum and carried on His ministry. The name tells us that He was human, and had a human nature as well as the divine nature indicated that the name Emmanuel that He was also given. Because of His human nature He felt weary and thirsty at the well of Samaria. But even in that situation one writer points out:
“He was also conscious of the fact that he was the eternal and only begotten Son of God, the second person of the Trinity. And this is evident from the words that he spoke to the Samaritan woman on for he says to her, “Whosoever drinketh of the water which I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water I shall give him shall be a well of water springing up into eternal life”.
Interestingly there are some differences between the genealogy recorded by Matthew and that recorded by Luke. The Scholars’ explanation of this seeming discrepancy are many and varied. Suffice to say the two writers had different emphases and wrote to different audiences. However, the end result as with the other gospels is a more complete picture of Jesus.
One writer gives us this information about the genealogies which teach us about Hebrew customs and practice as follows: “Clearly the three groups of 14 generations Matthew recorded do not represent a complete genealogy from Abraham to Jesus (cf. v.8). “All the generations (NASB) then must mean all the generations that Matthew listed. The Greek text literally says “all the generations from Abraham to David….to Christ”.
Matthew’s summary statement does not constitute an error in the Bible. Jewish writers frequently arranged genealogies so their readers could remember them easily. Perhaps Matthew chose his arrangement because the numerical equipment of the Hebrew consonants in David’s name total of 14. Matthew did not need to present an unbroken genealogy to establish Jesus’ right to the Davidic throne.
Before leaving this genealogy, note that each of the three sections ends with a significant person or event connected with the Davidic dynasty.
“In David the family (of Abraham) rose to royal power……At the captivity it lost it again. In Christ it regained power.
Moreover, in each period covered by each section, God gave Israel an important covenant: the Abrahamic (Genesis 15), the Davidic (2 Samuel 7), and the New (Jeremiah 31). All came to fruition in the person and work of Jesus Christ.”
The latter section of Chapter 1 records Jesus’ divine genealogy and shows that He is the Son of God. Thus we have the unique God-man; God in human flesh.
Note, the question of who was Jesus’ father, was to later become a bone of contention with the Pharisees and also a source of slander. In Matthew 22:42, Jesus asked the Pharisees a question that has been voiced in every generation since then. “What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He?”
That’s the question which needs to be asked in every age and to every person.
The account of Jesus’ birth is very concise in Matthew but unlike Luke whose focus is on Mary, Matthew’s focus is on Joseph who is presented as a righteous man. His compassionate reaction to the discovery that his betrothed wife was pregnant is attributed to him being a righteous man. Joseph chose the path of mercy, rather than the path of vengeance, a recourse available to him under the law.
It is most important that you know that Joseph was an ordinary man, not rich, not powerful, not anyone special, i.e. he worked an ordinary job as a carpenter. So he was another person just like you and me. But note that he is described as a man with incredibly godly character who though he felt and mulled over his anger, shame, and disappointment, took the high road when dealing with Mary and what he thought was her unfaithfulness.
Remember therefore that you might be what people consider to be an ordinary person, but if you are a godly person and willing to listen to the voice of God you will show that you are indeed a righteous person who belongs to God. So there should be no excuses when you face difficult choices.
The news of the supernatural conception of Jesus is officially conveyed to Joseph by an angel and his reaction is one of total acceptance under what was must have been very trying circumstances. The angel informed Joseph that the Son to be born would “…save His people from their sins”. In his brief
discourse with Joseph, the angel revealed Jesus’ divinity, humanity and life’s work. These facts are critically important and at the very core of redemption and Christianity. At the very outset Matthew would have his readers then and down through the centuries be cognizant of these facts.
Note, the whole essence of Christianity is predicated on the fact that Jesus is God in human flesh. The Virgin Birth (everyone including Jesus came down the birth canal of mother) or so more accurately the Virgin Conception is an essential doctrine, for if Jesus had a human father, then the Bible is untrustworthy. His virgin birth, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection and His Second Coming are a package of deity and these truths cannot be isolated from each other as they are inseparably interrelated. And so we must face the question that Jesus posed to the Pharisees again: Whose Son is He? He is the son of David in humanity and the Son of God in deity.
Matthew presented Jesus’ human origin in verses 1 through 17 and in the rest of Chapter so one we see Jesus’ deity. Let us follow along and discover how this unique birth will satisfy a major criteria for one to be the Messiah; that person must be God as well as man.
THE TEXT
Verses 1-17. Matthew opens his book with a formal introduction of the genealogy of Jesus and names Him as Son of David and Son of Abraham. Note David and Abraham are the two men with whom God made the most significant covenants concerning Messiah.
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you. Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, in order that you might be a prime example of divine blessing. I will bless those who bless you, but the one who treats you lightly I must curse, and all the families of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using your name” (Genesis 12:1-3).
The Lord declares to you that he himself will build a house for you. When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. He [Solomon] will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. I will become his father and he will become my son… (2 Samuel 7:11b-14).
The Abrahamic Covenant promised the then childless Abram a son through whom He would bless ‘Abraham’ and all the nations. The promised “seed,” the blessing to all nations is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Davidic Covenant promised David that his dynasty will be eternal and this covenant is fulfilled in Messiah’s eternal reign.
One writer notes that the term ‘the book of the genealogy’ is literally the book of the genesis of Jesus Christ and suggests this is an allusion to Genesis 2:4 and John 1:1.
Genealogies were particularly important to the Jews. Israel’s kings had to be Jews and no foreigner could be king (Deuteronomy 17:15). The choice was later narrowed to the descendants of David
(2 Samuel 7:14). When the Jews returned from the Babylonian captivity, it was important for the returning exiles to show proof of their Jewish roots that could be traced through the genealogical records and only those whose names were in the genealogical records could serve as priest, (Ezra 2:62).
Some might ask why Matthew goes into this genealogy repeating name after name and using the same phrases in every case. As noted, genealogies were of particular importance in Israel; land was allotted geographically and by tribe; tribal pedigree could impact worship privilege and other cultural activities. We should also note that genealogies are a record of faith.
God staked His reputation or His name on the fulfillment of particular promises in a particularly way. He elected Abraham and His family as the ‘family of promise’, (Genesis 12:1-30. The promise subsequently went through Abraham’s son Isaac, (Genesis 17:15-21; 22:16-18) and through Isaac’s son Jacob and his twelve sons, (Genesis 28:1-4, 10-15). Then particularly we are told that one of the twelve sons, namely Judah, would be the one through whom ‘the promise’, Messiah would be born
(Genesis 49:8-10).
The line continued though David the King of the tribe of Judah and one day in the future all would be consummated in the eternal Son of David, (2 Samuel 7:8-16). Understand then that Messiah could come from only one line. The world was waiting for Messiah, Savior and He could be born only from these ancestors, coming at the right time and born in the designated place.
An interesting point highlighted in verse seventeen is that Matthew’s genealogy is divided into three sections, each consisting of fourteen names. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations (Matthew 1:17).
Clearly Matthew’s genealogical structure is by design and in order to achieve this arrangement, he had to omit some of the names. This does not create a problem because the Greek term rendered “the son of” refers to one’s descendants, who could be sons, grandsons, great-grandsons, etc.
Not surprising there is much speculation regarding his rational for the structure of the genealogy. One writer notes in part: “Matthew’s genealogy does not always follow the normal pattern one might expect. For example, the genealogical line flows from Isaac to Jacob, and then to Judah (Matthew 1:2). Normally, the genealogical line would pass on to the next generation through the oldest son. We know that Esau was the first-born son of Isaac, and not Jacob. Nevertheless, the genealogical line was carried on through Jacob. The way that this happened is not a pretty story, but it fulfills the promise of God:
Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. But the children struggled inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” So she asked the Lord and the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from within you. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger” (Genesis 25:21-23).
…Matthew’s genealogy testifies to the doctrine of divine election. Even though Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob (and he gave him the double portion of the first-born through adopting his two sons – (Genesis 48), it was Judah through whom the messianic line would pass. Judah was not the first-born; Reuben was, followed by Simeon. Reuben lost his place when he sought to possess the concubine of his father (Genesis 29:3-4). Simeon and Levi violently killed the people of Shechem (Genesis 34), and thus the line would not be through Simeon (Genesis 49:5-7). As Paul points out in Romans nine, the genealogical line of promise is evidence of divine election.
Verse 18. The prior verses (1-17) show the human side of Jesus with some emphasis on the fact He is the descendant of both Abraham and David. The link to these great men of the past is significant in that they were the ones with whom God made His great covenants which found ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. The humanity of Jesus now demonstrated, Matthew turned his attention to Jesus’ divine origin and informs us as to how the young Mary, a virgin, was impregnated; not by Joseph her ‘espoused’ husband but by the work of the Holy Spirit.
We know very little about Joseph. He is described by a term that can be translated ‘carpenter’ or ‘mason’ and maybe he did both. He was undoubtedly a poor, hardworking man and is later identified as a righteous man. He was a godly man and like Mary, was a true Old Testament saint.
(See Luke 1:5-6; 2:25).
It is most important to note here that the genealogy in Matthew is of the family line of Joseph. Clearly Joseph had inherited the right to the throne of David and Jesus as his legal heir would inherit that right to the throne. But note that Mary also had descended from David though that line was not the line that could give Jesus the right to sit on the throne of David.
Joseph and Mary were probably young. Most Bible scholars believe that they were in their teen years since marriages in that day were commonly initiated when a girl was in her early teens. These two were likely older teenagers when they were espoused or betrothed because of the maturity they displayed in their trying and unusual circumstances.
One writer provides the following on the cultural practice of betrothal among the Jews of that day. The Old Testament and the rabbinical writings distinguish two stages in Hebrew marriage. One was called the Kiddushin, the other, the Huppah.
The Kiddushin
This first stage was the betrothal period, mentioned in Deuteronomy 20:7. If after two families or individuals had drawn up a binding contract that promised marriage, and during the betrothal period the contract was violated, then an official divorce would take place. Such a practice means that a betrothed couple was constituted as legally married, even though there were no physical relationships. This period, normally twelve months in duration, served as a period of protection for the would-be husband and wife so each partner’s fidelity could be established. If the girl became pregnant through being unfaithful, it would become manifest in that period. It was also a time in which any potential problems could be worked out, even though social contact between the couple was relatively limited.
So, the betrothal was primarily a promise or contract that was made. Now at the end of the betrothal period was…
The Huppah
When the first stage was completed, the second stage took place, which was the actual wedding. The weddings back then lasted for approximately seven days. When a daughter was given away in marriage, the father expected payment in exchange, called the mohar. It compensated the father for the expense of the wedding and other considerations…
So the betrothal period then, was the period prior to the actual wedding when the marriage was finally consummated physically. It was a period of testing and probation to insure the bride’s virginity and the fidelity of both partners. The use of the words husband and wife with reference to Joseph and Mary (1:19-20) merely indicates the validity of their betrothal, not that their marriage had actually been consummated.
Joseph is introduced here and is the principal human character in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth, unlike Luke’s gospel where Mary is prominent. God however is the main actor in this episode as it is to His action that Joseph reacts and His direction that leads the story.
Now the birth of Jesus was on this wise…a very direct introduction, this is how it happened!
The apostle makes it clear that Mary’s pregnancy happened after she was betrothed (espoused) to Joseph and before the marriage was consummated or before they had sexual intercourse. It was in this period that Joseph discovered or was informed about Mary’s pregnancy by the Holy Spirit.
…child of the Holy Ghost…is all Matthew gives by way of explanation of Mary’s unique pregnancy. Luke’s explanation to Mary was The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, Luke 1:35. The language is similar to the Genesis creation account: Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters, Genesis 1:2.
Note that the fact Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit carries enormous consequences for Christians and Christianity itself. If Jesus was simply the illegitimate child of Mary’s infidelity or if He was the child of Joseph’s natural sexual activity with Mary, then He could not be God. Further, if Jesus is not God, then He could not have offered the atoning sacrifice for sins at Calvary, there would be no salvation and all mankind would be damned to Hell. So Matthew clearly records that God took on humanity (incarnation) by a virgin, in which conception was done by the Holy Spirit.
Verse 19. We may safelyassume that Joseph knew Mary very well and was aware of her sterling character, fidelity and her honesty which would only have added to his perplexity over her pregnancy. She must have informed Joseph of her encounter with the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:26-37) and that she was not guilty of adultery.
The point is made that Joseph was a just man; meaning he was righteous, observing the law,
(Luke 1:6; 2:25). His reaction to the situation is also seen as flowing from the fact he was a just man. It was well within his right to expose Mary publicly but he decided to spare her the shame and possibly worse by going through a secret divorce. The private divorce would allow for time and perhaps the truth of her story could be confirmed. His decision to divorce her privately preserved his righteousness (i.e. his conformity to the Law) and allowed him to demonstrate compassion.
Joseph was more than likely aware of the teachings of Deuteronomy 22 on sexual immorality, which must have added to the turmoil in his mind, given he loved Mary. If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a husband, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he humbled his neighbor’s wife; so you shall put away the evil from among you.
It is to be noted that the Deuteronomy passage makes an exception for stoning a woman if the act takes place in the countryside where there is no one to hear her protesting. But then it was stated that the man was to be stoned. Under this law clearly Mary was subject to death by stoning.
In that day there were several options open to Joseph under the circumstances. Had he been living in the time of Moses, the law would have required one thing…death. In Joseph’s time the Jews were very lax in observing certain laws and often adopted less stringent measures than that detailed in the Law. But we should also note that by the time Jesus was born the Romans were in charge of the nation and would not allow Jews to impose the death penalty. (John 18:31). But still the penalties for illicit pregnancy were serious and the man was expected to divorce the woman and retain the bride price which was often a substantial sum. He could have made her a public example by charging her with adultery openly in a public court. She would be brought to trial, shamed and convicted in front of all, so that her reputation would be ruined.
The other option was for the two parties to get together before two or three witnesses and write out a private bill of divorcement, such as is indicated in Deuteronomy 24. In this case, there would be no judicial procedure, no public knowledge and no scandal. In fact, in that day you did not even need to write down the cause for the divorce in the statement, so that the spouse could go away without anybody ever really knowing what had happened. Such was the laxity towards God’s commandments in the times of Joseph.
Note that once betrothed, that relationship could only be severed by an official divorce.
Verse 20. Despite Mary’s chaste and virtuous life, the story was still incredible and Joseph could not help but wonder. Joseph was said to be righteous not gullible. While the Scriptures record several instances of divine intervention to enable pregnancy, there is no record of conception without the involvement of a father. He was clearly faced with a very difficult, wrenching decision. It was while Joseph contemplated the very unusual circumstances of Mary’s pregnancy, his options and the confusing situation that he had to confront, that an angel appeared to him in a dream.
But note that Joseph was a man of compassion and in doing so he modeled Christ-like compassion in the face of sin, demonstrating a godly a balance between the law of the Torah and the Law of Love.
Note this was not a dream like one might have in the way of imagination but rather it was a dream used to communicate God’s revelation in the realm of reality. This method of communication is not uncommon in Matthew gospel, (See 2:12, 13, 19; 27:19). One writer notes in part concerning dreams:
Dreams given to Israel in the Bible usually have verbal revelation at the center; dreams that concern the nations often are symbolic and require an interpreter, usually a Hebrew (like Joseph or Daniel). The dreams at the birth of Jesus are clearly revelation. In other words, these dreams are not ordinary dreams capable of various interpretations. They bring a clear word from God. And the people knew about such things because the Old Testament had a good number of them in the revelation of God’s program.
The angel confirmed the fact of Joseph’s royal lineage in his salutation and sought to allay his fears by informing him of God’s intervention in Mary’s pregnancy. There was going to be a miraculous birth that would not involve a human father, for the conception was the work of the Holy Spirit. Truly the child would be the seed of the woman. The essence of the message is the same as that given to Mary (Luke 1:35).
Note this comment: “The virgin birth is technically the virgin conception. Mary was not just a virgin when she bore Jesus, but she was one when she conceived Him. The idea that Mary remained a virgin for the rest of her life, the Roman Catholic doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary, has no support in the Scripture. Nothing in Scripture suggests that Mary bore Jesus’ half-brothers and sisters supernaturally. This doctrine has gained credence because it contributes to the veneration of Mary.”
Joseph was assured he had nothing to fear in taking Mary as his wife, for what was conceived in her was of the Holy Spirit.
Verse 21. The angel added some detail to his assurance for Joseph. Note that Joseph is not told that he would have a son. The Bible is very careful about never naming Joseph as the father of Jesus. For example, Matthew 2:l3 “…Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt….”
Matthew 2:20 “…Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel’
The mention of Mary as the only parent removes Joseph from being identified as Jesus’ actual father. Jesus was always correctly associated with His mother and never with Joseph as His father.
The question is often asked; what’s in a name? For the Jews names could carry great significance. Note the change of names and the spiritual import in the change. Jacob to Israel, Abram to Abraham, Simon to Peter (Petros).
The angel of the Lord made it clear that God was exercising His sovereign right to name the child, for after all, the child was His Son. So when Joseph named the child in due time as instructed he was simply carrying out the will of God. One write elaborates on this idea as follows:
The names of our Lord depict His character and His work. Jesus comes from the Hebrew word Joshua, which means “Jehovah is salvation” or Jehovah saves. As the angel informed Joseph, the child that would be born to Mary would be named “Jesus,” “because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus is God’s salvation, the One by whom God would accomplish salvation for lost sinners. He alone was qualified to accomplish salvation because He was both God and man. He was without sin, and thus the perfect “Lamb of God,” without blemish. His death on the cross of Calvary was not for His sins, but for ours. Every time we celebrate communion, we worship Jesus as our Savior, as the One who saved us from our sins.
Note that this idea of what Jesus would do, namely, provide salvation from sins, is the central theme; for in the biblical view, sin is the basic and in most cases, the immediate cause of all other calamities. So right away we are pointed to the fundamental role of Jesus, the reason for His coming and the nature of His reign as King Messiah and heir to David’s throne. Thus, Jesus’ name succinctly describes the very reason for His coming. Still, we cannot ignore the fact that the prophets presented Messiah as the One that would ‘remove sin from Jacob’.
The phrase from their sins was necessary because in the Old Testament the verb “to save” is most often used for physical deliverance eg. saved from enemies, from disease, from oppression, from death. It is also used in the sense of salvation from sin, but this would not likely be the first thought. Jesus disciples for one often thought more in the sense of a national deliverance from Rome than in a spiritual salvation from sin. The word from God makes it clear from the outset that the salvation Jesus will bring will be a salvation from sin. “The single most fundamental character trait ascribed to Jesus is the power to save.” Once sin is dealt with, then the results of the sin can be taken care of as well (and there will be deliverance from the problems that sin has caused).
Verses 22-23. Matthew in various places uses the term ‘all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying…’ to preface his Old Testament references and this truth about Jesus was both explicitly and implicitly stated in the Old Testament. (Jer.23:5; Isa.4:2; Isa.9:6).
Matthew wrote primarily to Jews and throughout his gospel cited the prophets pronouncements about Messiah and made the undeniable link to Jesus; the only person who fully fulfilled all the prophecies relating to Messiah. Here he cites Isaiah (7:14) in a stupendous prophecy which puzzled the prophets themselves but which clearly would find fulfillment in Jesus the God-man.
Critics and doubters of the virgin birth point to the word virgin (almah) used by Isaiah and note that it can mean young woman and not necessarily a virgin. Matthew in his commentary uses the word virgin (parthenos), which means a young woman of marriageable age that has never had sex. For many this settles the issue.
The context of Isaiah’s prophecy had King Ahaz of Judah terrified that Judah might be destroyed by a Syria and Israel confederacy. God however spoke through Isaiah to assure the king that nothing would happen to the kingly line and gave this sign to prove His words: … a virgin shall be with child and that child will be Immanuel (Isa. 7:14). The kingly line would survive but there was trouble ahead. Ahaz however would have to believe the word of God to be survive the impending turmoil. In our day, we too have the sure word of God for assurance in the times of crisis but it is no less imperative that we believe the word of God. Thus, Matthew describes the person and work of our Lord by means of two of the names He was given: (1) Jesus (Joshua = Yahweh saves); and (2) Emmanuel (God with us).
Matthew is saying, Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophecy given by Isaiah to Ahaz, to show that God would keep His promise that the throne of David would never be broken. Jesus will reign forever on the throne of David. He is in every sense Immanuel, which, means God with us. In the incarnation, God came to earth in human flesh, to dwell among men. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth,
(John 1:14). One writer gives us some useful information:
“In Hebrew,El is a short form of Elohim, a name for God. Immanu-El means “God with us”, a meaning which Matthew spells out for non-Hebrew readers. Emmanuel is not a second name by which friends and neighbours would know Jesus. Jesus is his name, and Emmanuel describes his role. Most of us begins his gospel with the promise that Jesus is God- with- us, and went and the gospel with the promise that Jesus will be with us “always, to the end of the age”. Matthew 28:20.
Verses 24-25. Given Joseph’s state of mind when he went to sleep, he must have awakened refreshed, comforted and happy after the revelation concerning Mary’s pregnancy. He did as the angel commanded and took Mary as his wife. He was a righteous man.
On the evidence of Joseph’s righteousness, as a man who would not have violated God’s standard, there should be no question that Joseph was not the father (1:20, 24) of Jesus. God looks with great concern on purity and virginity is highly valued by God.
Still, the marriage was not immediately consummated in the complete sense, because there had to be a waiting period. Joseph and Mary abstained from having sexual relations until after that baby was born. The literal Greek of this verse can be rendered: “And he was not in the habit of knowing her until she had brought forth her first-born son”. The implication is that once she had brought forth her firstborn son, he was in the habit of ‘knowing’ her in a normal human relationship which produced other children, (Matt. 12:47; 13:55-56; John. 7:3).
It is felt that Joseph died before Jesus’ ministry began and sometime after he was twelve years old, for there is no reference to him after that time. But note that his role is crucial, for he would have to teach Jesus when He was growing up. We know from the Text that Joseph had a tender heart, that he was a righteous man who cared deeply about God and finally that he was an obedient man. We see these same qualities in Jesus. God’s choice for Joseph to be the human father of His divine Son was a perfect choice.
As we read the Text, we should note that the man God chose to be the father of His own Son has presented a great example for us. His example should be life-changing and a challenge for us.
CONCLUSION
This singular birth was of God, explained by God, in fulfillment of a prophecy by God. God planned it, God carried it out and God made sure the main participants understood it (as much as they were capable of understanding). The whole event was supernatural.
Jesus was therefore called for this event before His human birth.
People today are still denying the unique birth and that Jesus Christ is God. They are willing to let Jesus be of royal seed as a son of David, but they are a lot less enthusiastic for Him to be deity–God in human flesh. It’s alright for Him to be the son of David, but not the Son of God.
On the contrary, the Text provides the facts to be believed and they should play out to the glory of God in our lives. The Old Testament prophecy, the angelic revelations, the account of the event and the other witnesses and explanations all declare that the birth of Jesus was completely supernatural, because He is not a mere mortal. As Matthew unfolds his book it is clear that no one could do the works of Christ if merely mortal. His supernatural birth to begin His tenure on earth in human flesh and His resurrection after His death vindicate and authenticate Jesus as God Almighty.
The supernatural birth of Jesus is the only way to account for the life that He lived. This unique and supernatural birth points us to what the name Jesus means, and we should be aware by now that it means “The Saviour”.
This unique birth brought to earth the only One that could bring about the forgiveness of our sins.
Our ‘new birth’ is also the work of the Holy Spirit and we too can live lives that glorify God because Immanuel is still with us in the Holy Spirit.
We can learn much about how we should be living by considering what Matthew tells us about Joseph.
First, Joseph was said to be a man with a tender heart. He first must have felt that Mary, the woman that he loved and had planned to marry had rejected him and preferred someone else. It would be understandable if he had wanted to punish her in some way for humiliating him. But instead, he wanted her to go on with her life without humiliating her. Instead of being angry, this tender-hearted man wanted to be a blessing to her.
Then we are told that Joseph was a righteous man. He cared about God and behaved in the way that reflected God, he acted with mercy and compassion. He must have been a man of prayer.
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Let us consider that He who came to save men from their sins promises to dwell with us and in us. How does this happen? How can one experience God’s salvation and God’s presence? This is only in Christ. We must confess our sins and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. We must trust in Him as our righteousness. It is then that He will save us and dwell with us and in us.
Is He your Saviour? Does He dwell with you and in you? That is what He came to do. I pray that you will come to know Him as your Saviour and constant companion.
God with us. This means God’s companionship is with us for companionship is at the center of His identity. It means God knows us, walks with us, and never forsakes us no matter how desperate or circumstances. Since Jesus is your companion it means that there is no place you can go that he will not go with you. As a matter of fact, even in your sin He goes with you. So when things are extreme, you are very fearful, remember that He goes with you.
You might be a quiet individual like Joseph. You might be very different from every who talks a lot and always has something to say. She clearly thinks a lot and keep things in our mind and when she hears Elizabeth’s prophetic greeting she broke out in praise to God. At one point when Jesus was carrying out His ministry she seemed to have thought that He had become deranged according to Mark 3. But she was obviously a very caring mother, a powerful personality and a very expressive person.
But Joseph speaks to men. There is no recorded statement by Joseph anywhere in the New Testament. So men do not always have to be powerful and expressive. But Joseph had a crucial role to play in Jesus for He had to learn to be a man from somebody like Joseph when He was growing up. One writer advises about what Jesus had to learn:
“He would have learned to pray from his father. He would have learned to care about important things and how difficult things, and would have been given a skill to earn a living from his father. This man in the back of the manger scene is the man the Lord chose to be the human father of the Son who would save the world. I think he deserves to at least be out in front of the bale of hay!
So we have learned several things about Joseph. He obviously would have learned from her about her pregnancy maybe without being informed of its meaning. The angel had to give that information about the meaning of this pregnancy. And so Joseph before that angelic meeting would probably not be able to come to any other interpretation except that his wife preferred someone else to him and that she had rejected him and had a lover.
But righteous Joseph was tenderhearted, loved righteousness and was waiting to obey. There is probably no other story in Scripture with more unique beauty and significance.
So all we can do now is to commend Joseph to men. We also commend Joseph to women for they sometimes do not understand the stress and pain that men go through when they face choices that are difficult. But we recommend that both men and women consider that Joseph was God’s choice of father for His own Son . This should bring us all to a life changing position in life as we face in the challenging dramas of life.
Both Mary and Joseph are our ancestors by faith. Like them we might think that God is absent but the time will come when we know that God is with us.
What’s in a name? This is a serious question. There is only one name that is important for the One with that name will saves people from their sins. We belong to God and we should remember that and we should always be ready to be with God’s people in Agape Love.