Merry Christmas! On this Sunday before we celebrate our Lord’s birth, I thought about doing a special Christmas message rather than continuing our study of the Gospel of Matthew. But the more I studied today’s text, the more I came to see that what Matthew presents to us in these verses is the very spirit of Christmas.
This time of year, people speak glibly about the “Christmas spirit,” rarely meaning any more by this than familial jolliness, sentimental merriment, or perhaps human kindness, social charity, or some nebulous “peace on earth.” At this time of year, the world celebrates with indulgence and a carnival mentality rather than humbly worshiping God for His incarnation in Christ. Paul so profoundly expressed the true spirit of Christmas in Philippians 2 as He describes the theology of the incarnation of the Son of God:
5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phl. 2:5-11).
The real spirit of Christmas is the spirit of Jesus Christ—the Son of God, who being in His very essence equal with God, left the glory of heaven, became a man, took on the nature of an obedient bondslave, and humbled Himself to die on the cross for our sins. J.I. Packer wrote that the unfathomable truth of Christmas is that,
… the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises. Needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. And there was no illusion or deception in this; the babyhood of the Son of God was a reality. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the incarnation.[1]
When the apostle Paul urged the Corinthian church to give generously, he expressed the spirit of Christmas, writing, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9). For the Son of God to become poor meant laying aside His glory, accepting hardship, rejection, malice, misunderstanding, suffering, and a death so terrible that His mind nearly broke under the prospect of it.[2] This is the spirit of Christmas. It’s also the spirit that we are called to exhibit. As the Holy Spirit says through Paul, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phl. 2:5).
With those thoughts in mind, let’s turn to Matthew 17:22-27. In these brief, few verses we see Jesus Christ demonstrate the spirit of love, humility, and self-sacrifice—the spirit of Christmas.
Merry Christmas! On most Sundays, I preach verse-by-verse through books of the Bible. In our study of the Gospel of Matthew, we are halfway through chapter 10. In last week’s lesson as Jesus sent His disciples out to preach the gospel of the Kingdom, He told them three times “Do not fear”.
We live in a very fearful world. Our minds are often filled with worries and fears. We fear national instability and the potential for war. We fear the very real possibility of economic collapse. We fear what kind of world our children are inheriting. We are concerned for their future. People are even caught in the grip of their fears during the Christmas season—a time that should be joyous, happy, and Christ-centered.
Such fears are nothing new in the history of mankind. Fear has been a part of human existence since the fall of man in Genesis 3. At the time of the birth of Christ fear abounded among the Jews. Luke gives us the setting in Luke 2:1, “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.” Their Roman oppressors were conducting a census in order to raise already high taxes. Matthew tells us it was also “in the days of Herod the king” (Matt. 2:1) a murderous, paranoid despot. There was much political upheaval, and the possibility of a bloody war was very real.[1]
And into these fearful times, both Matthew and Luke, in their birth narratives, record angels bringing the same comforting words, “Do not be afraid” (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:13, 30; 2:10). Four times we have “Do not be afraid”— to Zechariah, to Joseph, to Mary, and to the shepherds. The old King James Version puts it this way: “Fear not!”
Today, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, we want to remember that the message of that Christmas resounded with: “Fear Not.” So I would like us to think about that phrase “Fear not!” for the next few minutes as we consider the Christmas Story.
What was the source of their fear? Certainly, having an angel show up out of nowhere was itself terrifying. Throughout the Bible, angels are represented more commonly as mighty warriors than mild princesses, which I’m sure caused some amount of fear. But I think their words, “Fear Not!” were meant to do more than just alleviate the fear of their presence. Their encouragement, instead, has everything to do with the promise and power of God’s presence with and for them. It has everything to do with the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Fear Not, God Has Heard Your Prayer (Luke 1:13)
In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel visited Zechariah as he was serving as a priest in the temple in Jerusalem. In Luke 1:13, the angel said, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard.” The angel then explained that God was not only going to answer Zechariah’s personal prayer for a son but also the prayers of all the people. Zechariah and his barren wife Elizabeth had endured a lifetime of shame and difficulty but the people of Israel had endured centuries of sin, suffering, and shame. Now, the angel said, “Fear Not!” God has heard your prayers and is preparing to bring you salvation.
Fear Not, God Gives You Grace (Luke 1:30)
Later in Luke 1, Gabriel also appeared to Mary, saying, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). He went on to explain how Mary, a virgin, would give birth to “the Son of the Highest” (Luke 1:32), the “Holy One” (Luke 1:35), who is “the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). This Son would fulfill God’s promises to His people and would build a kingdom that wouldn’t end (Luke 1:33). God would bring His Son into the world through Mary, demonstrating His grace to her and His mercy to those who fear Him (Luke 1:50).
Fear Not, God Is With You (Matthew 1:20)
In Matthew 1:20, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Joseph was struggling with what was the right thing to do about Mary’s unexpected pregnancy. The angel assured Joseph that things were not as they appeared. God is with them in fulfillment of the prophecy to bring a Savior from sin.
Fear Not, God Sends a Savior (Luke 2:10)
Then, in Luke 2:10, in the fields outside Bethlehem, an angel appeared to shepherds in the darkness of night and said, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” The good news was that “there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). And then the angel provided instructions on how to find Him (Luke 2:12). After a chorus of angels praised God, the shepherds headed to Bethlehem to find the baby just as the angel said, and they “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20).
All four times when the angels tell them, “Fear Not!”, the reason given to not be afraid is the coming of the Messiah, the King, the Lord who will save His people. Let’s look a little more closely at the announcement to the shepherds in Luke 2.
Luke writes, “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.” (Luke 2:8). On the hills outside of Bethlehem, shepherds are living out in the fields doing what shepherds do, keeping watch over their flock. Luke then writes, “And Behold …”, suddenly, unexpectedly, out of nowhere, “an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them …” The “glory of the Lord” refers to the majesty and splendor accompanying God’s presence. The nation of Israel had experienced the glory of the LORD when He manifested Himself to them at Sinai (cf. Ex 16:7; 24:16-17; 40:34-38). The glory of the LORD filled the temple at its dedication (1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chr. 7:1-3). The prophets promised the glory of the LORD would be revealed in the Messiah (Isaiah 35:2; 40:5; 60:1; Hab. 2:14). The glory of God expresses all that He is in His Being and in His nature, character, power, and acts. The Lord’s glory shone all around these lowly shepherds.
How did they react to this astonishing event? Luke says, “and they were greatly afraid” (Luke 2:9). Imagine how frightening the shepherd’s experience would have been. They had been sitting in the dark night, perhaps with only the light of a flickering fire, when suddenly the sky lit up like noontime! Add to that the sudden appearance of the angel. It was enough to scare anyone![2]
As we said last week when we studied Matthew 10, to fear the Lord is a good thing. Proverbs says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…” (Pro 9:10) and “The fear of the LORD leads to life….” (Pro. 19:23). In this case their fear of the Lord prepared them to hear the word of the Lord.
The Good News of Great Joy (Luke 2:10-11)
Luke 2:10 says, “Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”” The angel tells them to stop being afraid because “I bring you good tidings of great joy.” He used the word that means “to proclaim the good news”—literally, “I evangelize to you great joy!” In the New Testament, this word most often refers to proclaiming the good news of the coming Kingdom of God and salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This good news replaces their “great fear” with “great joy”. Is this not what the “Good News” brings to our hearts? Before we receive the gospel we have great fear of death and judgment, but then someone proclaims the gospel to us, we receive it, and our great fear is turned into great joy. Oh yes, we still have (or should have) a holy fear of the Lord, but it is no longer the fear of eternal punishment or banishment! Now, as believers, it is a fear, that we might displease, our loving Heavenly Father Who has called us His children.
J.C. Ryle wrote about the good news:
We need not wonder at these words. The spiritual darkness which had covered the earth for four thousand years, was about to be rolled away. The way to pardon and peace with God, was about to be thrown open to all mankind. The head of Satan, was about to be crushed. Liberty was about to be proclaimed to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind. The mighty truth was about to be proclaimed — that God could be just, and yet, for Christ’s sake, justify the ungodly. Salvation was no longer to be seen through types and figures — but openly, and face to face. The knowledge of God was no longer to be confined to the Jews — but to be offered to the whole Gentile world. The days of heathenism were numbered. The first stone of God’s kingdom was about to be set up. If this was not “good tidings” — then there never were tidings that deserved the name.[3]
This good news of great joy “will be to all people” (Luke 2:10). The word “people” is laos, which refers first to the whole nation of Israel (Luke 1:68; 7:16; 19:47; 21:23; 22:66; 23:5, 14). But the promise of salvation is not for them only. Praising God after seeing the baby Jesus in the temple, Simeon said, “30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:30-32).
In Luke 2:11, the angel then announced the content of this joyous good news, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
The good news the angel announces to them is the birth of a child. He is human. He was born. He did not descend from the sky. In fact, the angel gives them a sign to look for in Luke 2:12 “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Jesus was conceived miraculously in Mary’s womb, was born, grew, and developed just like any human child. This is the wonder of the incarnation. As a man, the representative of the human race, He could bear the sins of men.
The timing of this gospel event is “this day” or “today”. That word occurs eleven times in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:11; 4:21; 5:26; 12:28; 13:32-33; 19:5, 9; 22:34, 61; 23:43) and nine times in Acts. It signifies the dawning of the era of messianic salvation and the fulfillment of the plan of God.[4]
The place of the birth is “in the city of David”. The city of David is Bethlehem, as Luke has just shown in Luke 2:4. The king’s name and his ancient home recall all the Messianic promises made to David.[5] The promise of a son of David who would reign on his throne forever in righteousness is fulfilled in the birth of this child this day. Micah prophesied, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” (Micah 5:2).
The angel then announces three titles belonging to this child. First…
He is the Savior.
A Savior, not a Judge; One who would deliver His people, not destroy them.[6] Jesus’ very name is essentially a synonym for Savior because Jesus means “the Lord saves”, as the angel said to Joseph in Matthew 1:21, “… you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” In Luke 1:47, Mary herself declared “And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Mary called God her Savior and now the angels give God’s title of Savior to this Baby. In Luke 1:68-69, Zechariah prophesied, “68Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people,69And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of His servant David.” The LORD God speaks in Isaiah 45:21 saying, “And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me.” The Bible is clear: God is the only Savior; Jesus is our Savior; therefore, Jesus is God. In Titus 2:13 Paul calls Him “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
The second title the angel announces is…
He is the Christ.
Christ is the translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah”. Both Christ and Messiah mean the “anointed one”. It means that God the Father sent and anointed Jesus for His mission of salvation. In the Old Testament, priests, prophets, and kings were anointed and all these offices were fulfilled in Christ Jesus (King = Rev 17:14, Rev 19:16, Lk 1:32-33, Priest = Heb 3:1, 1 Ti 2:5, Prophet = Heb 1:1-2). Jesus was anointed as Prophet to preach the gospel, as Priest to offer sacrifice for sins, and as King to reign. He alone is able to reconcile sinful people to God through His life, His sacrificial death, and His resurrection.
He is Savior; He is Christ; and the third title the angel announces is…
He is Lord.
The Greek word is kurios meaning one who is sovereign and possesses absolute authority, absolute ownership, and uncontested power. In the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures, kurios is almost 7000 times to designate the personal, sacred name for God “YaHWeH”. Luke has already used kurios eighteen times in Luke 1 and 2 to refer to God. Just a few verses later, in Luke 2:22-24 when Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem kurios is used four more times to refer to God. The baby in the manger of Bethlehem is none other than the Lord God in human flesh! “Lord” is not merely a title, but it calls for us to willingly, reverently, and obediently bow down to Jesus Christ as Lord. It is the confession of our salvation “Jesus is Lord” (Rom. 10:9; Phi. 2:11) and the way we live as Christians.
As God in human flesh, Jesus Christ is unique in all the world. He alone qualifies to be the Savior of the world and Lord over all.
Jesus did not come as a nice man offering a new philosophy about life. He did not come as a great moral teacher, giving some interesting tips and helpful insights on how to live a happy life. He came as the Savior! The only people who need a Savior are those in great peril. Even though you may not be aware of it, without Jesus as your Savior, you are lost, under God’s judgment! If you die without Him as your Savior, you are eternally lost!
That is a fearful thought. But fear’s hold has been broken in those of us who believe the angel’s words: “Fear not … for a Savior is born to you — Christ the Lord!” Nothing could remove our fear and bring more joy!
Hebrews 2:14-15 says,
14Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,15and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Heb. 2:14-15)
God brings salvation to Adam’s fallen race by taking human flesh on Himself, yet without sin. Then, as our sinless substitute, He bore our sin on the cross to satisfy the righteous justice of God, so that God may be both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26). Through His death and resurrection Jesus conquered the devil, destroyed death, and set us free from bondage to sin and fear.
The only way to be released from the fear of death and the bondage of sin is to receive Jesus Christ, believe in Him, and confess He is Lord. Salvation is God’s gift to you. Fear Not! Receive God’s gracious gift today—there is born to you, today, a Savior, Christ the Lord.
You may recognize that the title for today’s sermon comes from Charles Wesley’s theologically rich Christmas hymn, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. The first stanza of the hymn recalls the angelic messengers and their message on the night of Christ’s birth:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King:
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”[1]
Then the song calls for our response to the angels and their message of Christ’s birth—a response to join them in joyful praise:
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
In the second stanza, Wesley wants us to consider whose birth is being announced and praised. He alludes to Christ’s glorious preexistence, His fulfillment of prophecy, His virgin birth, and His profound incarnation:
Christ, by highest heav’n adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’ incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
This is the truth that Matthew 1:18-25 makes clear—Christ is the offspring of the Virgin’s womb; He is the incarnate Deity; He is Jesus, our Immanuel.
As we have seen, the Gospel of Matthew was written to Jews and to us to explain the Kingdom of Heaven and to present Christ, the King. Matthew began his Gospel by demonstrating the royal human heritage of Jesus Christ in His genealogy (Matt. 1:1-17). As the “Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1), Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the covenant promises that God made to Abraham and David. Jesus has the legal and royal qualifications as the King of the Jews.
Matthew now presents the divine origin of Jesus Christ in His virgin birth. Matthew 1:18 begins, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows.” The word “birth” in that verse is “genesis,” meaning origin or source. It is the same word that is translated “genealogy” in Matthew 1:1. In other words, Matthew is now giving us the genealogy of Jesus from the divine side.[2]
Matthew and Luke both tell the story of the virgin birth of Jesus. If you compare the accounts, you will notice that Luke focuses attention on Mary, while Matthew places the spotlight on Joseph. Because of this, when we studied this passage a few months ago in our exposition of Matthew, we outlined it from Joseph’s perspective: 1) Joseph’s Dilemma (Matt. 1:18-19); 2) Joseph’s Dream (Matt. 1:20-23); 3) Joseph’s Decision (Matt. 1:24-25).[3]
But today, being Christmas day, as we think especially on the meaning of the virgin birth of Jesus, I want to focus on what this text reveals about Jesus Christ Himself. Matthew presents the narrative of Jesus’ virgin birth revealing Him to be both human and divine, the Savior of sinners, and God with us.[4]
The virgin birth shows us that:
1. Jesus is human and divine (Matt. 1:18-20).
Matthew 1:18 describes how Jesus Christ was born: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew assumes that his readers know something about the Jewish betrothal system. In that culture, parents usually arranged marriages and secured them with a formal contract. The betrothal was so binding that it could not be broken except by divorce. The couple would be referred to as husband and wife, although they did not usually live together or consummate the marriage until a waiting period that could last a year. One of the purposes of this waiting period was to demonstrate the purity of the bride-to-be.
In Matthew’s account, Joseph and Mary are betrothed in this way. But during this waiting period, Mary is discovered to be pregnant. Matthew clearly states as a fact the virgin conception of Jesus, “she was found with child of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:18). The Gospel of Luke reveals that Mary already knew the child was “of the Holy Spirit” because the angel Gabriel had come to Nazareth to announce to her, “you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.” (Luke 1:31-32). When Mary questioned the angel saying, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:34), the angel had told her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35).
Yet, Joseph doesn’t appear to know any of this. So, when Joseph discovered that “she was found with child,” Matthew 1:19 tells us, “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.” Legally, Joseph could have publicly accused Mary of infidelity and pressed for her execution according to the Old Testament law (Deut. 22:23-24). But Matthew tells us that Joseph was a “just” or “righteous” man who did not want publicly disgrace Mary. So, instead, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. Joseph’s discovery of Mary’s pregnancy, his moral dilemma about what to do with her, and his decision to show mercy, all indicate that he was a compassionate husband to Mary even though he was not the father of her child.
At this point, God intervenes. Matthew 1:20 says, “20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.’” We often describe the virgin birth of Jesus as miraculous, and surely it was a marvelous act of God. But His birth is not the real miracle of the story of Christmas. The Bible records that Jesus was born in very much the same way as any of us were born. The true, supernatural miracle occurred nine months before the birth. The real miracle was the virgin conception. The Holy Spirit acted in the womb of Mary in such a way as to bring about a supernatural conception.
Why is the virgin conception and birth important? Because it is the means that God used to ensure both the full humanity and full deity of Jesus Christ. The Scriptures repeatedly affirm the full deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. John writes in his Gospel, “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … 14 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 1:1,14). The writer of Hebrews describes Jesus as “… being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Heb. 1:3). He then applies Psalm 45 to Jesus, “But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom,” (Heb. 1:8). Jesus Himself told the Jews, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). When Thomas saw the risen Lord Jesus, he cried out, “My Lord and my God,” (John 20:28). Jesus didn’t correct him for blasphemy, but rather He accepted and commended such worship, (John 20:29). Jesus did what only God can do: opened the eyes of the blind, calmed the storm on the sea, multiplied the loaves and fishes to feed 5000, forgave sin, and rose from the dead.
The virgin birth declares that Jesus is the Son of God. He is full deity. And it also declares His full humanity. He is undiminished deity and perfect humanity united in one person forever. Jesus had to have at least one human parent or He would not have shared our humanity. But through the agency of the Holy Spirit in the virgin birth, Jesus was able to be born as fully human and yet as sinless. Remember how the angel had told Mary that because the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her, “therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).
The virgin birth is necessary to affirm the sinless humanity of Jesus Christ. And the sinless humanity of Jesus Christ is necessary for Him to be our Savior. Hebrews 2 says, “14Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,15and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb. 2:14-15). Jesus had to be fully human and completely sinless to die on the cross for our redemption.
The virgin birth reveals that Jesus is both human and divine. Secondly, the virgin birth shows that,
2. Jesus is the Savior of sinners (Matt. 1:21).
In Matthew 1:21 the angel said to Joseph, “21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”” “Jesus” is the very same name that Mary was also told by the angel to give to her child months before (Luke 1:31). In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, it’s the name Yeshua—or as we would say in English, “Joshua”. In the Greek language of the New Testament, it’s the name Iesous—or as we know it in English, “Jesus”. It’s a name that means “Yahweh is salvation” or “the Lord Saves”. It is the name of the promised Messiah—the Savior; “for” as the angel said, “He will save His people from their sins.”
It was always understood from the Old Testament scriptures that Yahweh Himself was Salvation—the only true Savior. Isaiah declares, “2Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ” (Isa. 12:2). And again, “21Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. 22Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” (Isa 45:21-22).
But here is the amazing thing that the angel declared to Joseph: not only would “Yahweh,” the Lord, bring salvation, but this promised son of Mary would Himself save His people from their sins. That’s why He was given that name, “Yahweh Saves.” If Yahweh is the only Savior, and Jesus is the Savior, then Jesus is Yahweh who saves sinners. He is God in human flesh, and the reason He is born is to be the One who saves His people from their sins.
The virgin birth reveals that Jesus is fully God and fully man, the sinless Savior of sinners. Finally, the virgin birth reveals that,
3. Jesus is God-with-us (Matt. 1:22-23).
Matthew draws our attention to an Old Testament prophecy to show us that the virgin birth of Jesus was God’s plan all along.
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold,the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matt. 1:22-23).
Matthew is quoting from Isaiah 7:14, a prophecy that was made more than seven hundred years earlier. The original prophecy was made to King Ahaz of Judah about God’s deliverance. King Ahaz was in a desperate situation. Two northern kingdoms, Israel and Syria, were forming an alliance with the powerful and dreaded nation of Assyria. They were plotting to make war against Jerusalem. The threat of this coming war was causing King Ahaz, and all of Judah, to tremble in fear “as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind” (Isaiah 7:1-2).
That’s when the Lord God steps in to assure His people that He has not abandoned them. He sent the prophet Isaiah to Ahaz to tell him not to be afraid of these two kings. He assures him that their plot against God’s people would not stand. God makes the promise that, within sixty-five years, the hostile northern kingdom would be broken and would cease to exist (Isaiah 7:8).
And to assure Ahaz of the truth of this promise, God—through Isaiah—invited the king to ask for a sign (Isaiah 7:11). Sadly, King Ahaz—in a display of false humility—refused the offer God made (Isaiah 7:12). And so, God Himself established a sign for the king. God says:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse evil and choose the good. Before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings (Isaiah 7:14-16).
Think about the mother that this promised one—Immanuel—would be born to. The Hebrew word that Isaiah uses to describe her (almâh) describes a young girl who was about to become married.[5] And as we read on in the Book of Isaiah, we find that Isaiah actually went on to take a young woman—a prophetess—as a wife; and that she, through him, bore a son (Isaiah 8:3). So, God’s promise about this young woman was most likely made while she was still a “virgin”.
And then, think about the child that this young woman would give birth to. In Isaiah 8:3, we find that her son was given a real tongue-twister of a name: “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz” which means, “Quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil”. This little boy with a long name—about to be born to one who was a virgin—was a living “sign” given by God to King Ahaz to assure him that the threatening northern enemies would indeed have their position of power taken from them in a very short amount of time. In fact, as the Lord says, they would forsake their lands before the child was old enough to know the difference between right and wrong (Isaiah 7:16).
The title, “Immanuel,” meant that God was with the nation of Judah to deliver them from destruction at the hand of their enemies. But as we read on in Isaiah’s prophecy, we make an even more remarkable discovery. Not only was there an immediate significance to that name; but there was also a future significance—one that extended far beyond the concerns of King Ahaz, and far beyond the little baby that was born to the virgin bride-to-be of Isaiah. The name “Immanuel” is applied through Isaiah to another Child—a promised Ruler of His people. All the land of Judah, for example, is referred to as “Your land, O Immanuel” (Isaiah 8:8); and they were told that the foreign nations that threaten them will not stand, “For God is with us” (Isaiah 8:10). “Here am I,” Isaiah says, “and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion” (Isaiah 8:18).
Isaiah then prophesies about the far-reaching significance of “Immanuel” in the ninth chapter of Isaiah. There, we discover the true identity of the future promised Child of the virgin:
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this (Isaiah 9:6-7).
Do you see it? The child born in Isaiah’s day was a real child, but he was also a “sign”—a “type”, if you will—of Another Child who was yet to be born. And Matthew, inspired by the Holy Spirit, writes that this prophecy finds fulfillment in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. He is truly Immanuel, “God with us.” He is the Word become flesh, the Son of God who dwelt among us and we beheld His glory (John 1:14). He is the One who is called “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Jesus Christ will rule over His people upon the throne of David forever. Revelation 21:3 describes His eternal reign in the new heaven and new earth, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.”
So, Jesus was given two names at His birth: Immanuel and Jesus. And these two names perfectly describe the person and work of Christ. Who is the person of Christ? He is Immanuel, God with us, fully God and fully man. And what is the work of Christ? He is Jesus who will die on the cross to save His people from their sins. In Christ alone we see “God and sinners reconciled.”
Charles Wesley reminds us of the significance of “Jesus, our Immanuel,” in his third stanza,
Hail, the heaven born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Have you called Jesus your Savior? Have you ever turned to Him and trusted Him alone to save you from your sins? Have you thanked Him for dying on the cross for you? Have you humbled yourself before the King of Kings? He is the only Savior and He is with us even now by His Holy Spirit. Cry out to Him to save you without delay!
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[1] Charles Wesley, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Baptist Hymnal, 2008. Copied from https://hymnary.org/hymn/BH2008/192, also below with second and third verses.
In our regular exposition of the Gospel of Matthew, we have just finished Matthew 5 and we are ready to move forward to Matthew 6. But because Christmas Day is next Sunday, I thought we should take a break from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to remember what scripture says about our Savior’s birth. Yet, I could not tear myself away from the Gospel of Matthew. So, I want us to back up to Matthew 1 and see the story of our Lord’s birth again from the beginning.
I’ve titled this sermon, “The Hopes and Fears of All the Years”. Of course, that phrase comes from a popular Christmas Carol that was written over 150 years ago. In 1865, the year the American Civil War ended and President Lincoln was assassinated, themes of peace and quiet would probably have been welcome to Americans. Families of the north and south were decimated by the carnage of the most brutal war America ever knew. Half the country lay in ruins. Battle-weary veterans from both sides had laid down their arms and trudged home. Many were still mourning the deaths of their fathers, brothers, and sons.
In that year, Pastor Phillips Brooks took a trip to Israel and was in Bethlehem for Christmas. He rode on horseback through the fields around the ancient village and attended the Church of the Nativity on Christmas Eve. These memories eventually inspired him to write the Christmas hymn, O Little Town of Bethlehem. In contrast to some other Christmas hymns that emphasize the glory of God as seen in the grand chorus of angels, Brooks’ hymn focuses on the obscurity, quietness, and mystery of Christ’s birth and how little the larger world paid attention.[1] The first verse reads,
O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
Every generation experiences hopes and fears that are common to mankind and those that are unique to their time. As we think about Christmas this year, I want us to reflect on “the hopes and fears of all the years” that were met in Bethlehem on the night of the Savior’s birth. That phrase nicely sums up the opening two chapters in the Gospel of Matthew. And it relates to our own hopes and fears as well.
As we saw last May when we began our study of Matthew, the opening two chapters include Jesus’ genealogy (Matt. 1:1-17), the virgin birth of Jesus (Matt. 1:18-25), the visit of the magi (Matt. 2:1-12), the flight to Egypt (Matt. 2:13-15), the massacre of the innocents (Matt. 2:16-18), and the return to Nazareth (Matt. 2:19-23). All of this, Matthew shows, is in fulfillment of prophecy from the Old Testament scriptures. All of this makes the point that Jesus is the Christ, the promised King. In these birth narratives, we have miracles, wonder, and worship. Yet they also involve conflict, suffering, and death. Bethlehem was brimming with both hope and fear. As Phillips Brooks wrote, “The hopes and fears of all the years, Are met in thee tonight.”
Although we briefly covered the opening verses of Matthew seven months ago, I want us to look more closely at Jesus’ genealogy this morning as we think about Jesus meeting the hopes and fears of all the years.
Matthew writes with a distinct purpose. He lays out his thesis statement in the first sentence, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” (Matt. 1:1). “Book” is the word biblos from which we get our word “bible.” It meant something written on paper, thus a scroll or book. The word “genealogy” is the word genesis meaning origin or source. The Greek version of Genesis uses this exact same phrase to translate the tolodoth headings in Genesis 2:4, “This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created” and Genesis 5:1, “This is the book of the genealogy of Adam.” Matthew also refers to Jesus by the title, “Christ” (Matt. 1:1, 16, 17). Christ is the translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, both meaning “anointed one.” So, Matthew, in his first words, connects Jesus Christ to the first book of the Old Testament. Just as Genesis told the beginnings of the heavens and the earth and the generations of the first man, Adam, even so, Matthew is writing about the new beginning for the heavens and the earth through the second Adam, Jesus Christ.[2]
Matthew then declares that Jesus Christ is the Son of David to emphasize His royalty because the kingly line comes from David. The genealogy which follows (Matt. 1:2-17) clearly turns on “David the king,” a phrase he repeats for emphasis in Matthew 1:6. Matthew designed his opening genealogy to document Jesus’ credentials as Israel’s Messiah and King, and the rest of the Gospel fills out this theme.
In this opening genealogy, Matthew wants us to see that Jesus is the promised Messiah-King:
To prove to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah, it was essential to prove it first by His genealogy. Pedigree was everything to the Jews. The Old Testament is full of genealogies. Tribal identification was essential for dividing the land of Canaan in the conquest in the book of Joshua. The priesthood was determined by being a descendant of Levi. And the kings were to come from the tribe of Judah through David.
According to Luke, Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem while she was “great with child” (Luke 2:5 KJV) to register to be taxed in their ancestral home, the city of David “because he was of the house and lineage of David” (Luke 2:4). The Jews loved their lineage. These records were kept in the temple in Jerusalem and until the records were destroyed in 70 A.D., every Jew could tell you their lineage and which tribe they came from.
To prove that Jesus is the Messiah, the promised King of the Jews, Matthew first shows Jesus to be “the Son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1). Abraham was the great patriarch of the Old Testament from whom the whole Jewish family came. He was originally called “Abram”; and he was a childless man, who lived in a heathen land, in far-off Ur of the Chaldeans. But God called him to come by faith to the land of Canaan. Genesis 12:1-3 tells us,
Now the LORD had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:1-3).
God made several remarkable promises to Abram. He was promised that he would inherit the land that God was showing him. He also promised that, even though he was then childless, God would make of him a great nation. And He promised that through that great nation from Abram, God would bless all the earth.
I believe that this promise of blessing reflected another promise, the promise God first made back in the Garden of Eden after our first parents sinned. God said to the serpent; “. . . I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15). All mankind had suffered in Adam’s fall because of the work of the devil but God promised that the Seed of the woman would arise to crush the head of the serpent and reverse the terrible curse sin had brought on mankind. God promised Abraham in Genesis 22:18: “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Genesis 22:18). God promised Abraham that he would have a son, a descendant, through whom all nations would be blessed.
Now in one sense, that son was Isaac. Matthew 1:2 reminds us, “Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.” Isaac was the promised son, a miracle child. His mother was barren, and both his parents were in their nineties when he was born. And yet Paul in the New Testament shows us that this promise was ultimately fulfilled in Christ. We read in Galatians 3:16: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.” As we saw when we studied Genesis, “the miraculous birth of Isaac in the Old Testament foreshadows the miraculous birth of Jesus in the New Testament. And so, Matthew’s genealogy both begins and ends with the miraculous birth of a child in fulfillment of God’s promises.”[4]
The first fourteen generations in Matthew’s genealogy take us from Abraham to “David the King” (Matt. 1:6). David was the greatest king in the history of Israel. God had removed the first king of Israel from power – Saul – and had replaced him with David, “a man after His own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14). And God made this promise to King David;
“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-16).
Israel longed after the fulfillment of this promise for centuries; longing for the coming of the promised King in the lineage of David. And Matthew makes clear to us that Jesus is not only the Son of Abraham but is also the Son of David. The New Testament declares Him to be “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David” (Revelation 5:5). This genealogy shows us that our King’s coming to this earth was in fulfillment of prophetic history.
2. In Accord with Divine Sovereignty
The genealogies in scripture are important, if for no other reason than because they prove to us that God works providentially through something over which no one but Him has control–that is, the people from whom other people are born.[5] None of us can choose our ancestors—God has already determined that by His sovereign providence.
Notice in Matthew 1:17, the author indicates the structure of his genealogy: “So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.” He purposefully structures his genealogy in three sections of fourteen names. Matthew was deliberately selective in his genealogy. He is more interested in highlighting certain characters and showing a pattern than in providing a precise family tree.
These three sections represent three eras in the history of the nation of Israel. The time from Abraham to David was a time of rising power as God’s people multiplied and came to the Promised Land and the kingdom was established. The time from David to the exile was a time of declining power as the nation of Israel was divided and rebelled against God and was eventually dispersed in the exile. The time from the exile to Christ was a time of rebuilding as a remnant returned to the land and the sacrifices at the temple were reinstated and the people waited for the coming Messiah.
The number fourteen was very significant in Judaism. Hebrew letters were assigned numerical values, and every good Jew would know that fourteen was the numerical value of King David’s name. (D = 4, V[W] = 6, D = 4). Fourteen is also double the number seven which is the number of completeness in Scripture. So, three groups of fourteen equal six groups of seven, which would mean Jesus was born at the beginning of the seventh seven, a fitting and climactic place for the Messiah’s birth.
Ray Fowler concludes, “In other words, for Matthew, three times fourteen equals God’s sovereignty. Matthew is showing that God was sovereign over all the persons and events leading up to Jesus’ birth, and that Jesus is the climax of Israel’s history. It all leads to Jesus.”[6]
Another place where we see the sovereignty of God in this genealogy is in the person of Jeconiah. You find him in Matthew 1:11-12. Jeconiah, also called Jehoiachin or Coniah, was the grandson of good king Josiah. He was carried off to exile in Babylon. In Jeremiah 22 the Lord says this about Jeconiah through the prophet “”As I live,” says the LORD, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on My right hand, yet I would pluck you off; … Thus says the LORD: ‘Write this man down as childless, A man who shall not prosper in his days; For none of his descendants shall prosper, Sitting on the throne of David, And ruling anymore in Judah.’ “” (Jer. 22:24, 30). Do you see the problem? None of Jeconiah’s offspring will ever sit on the throne of David. That was the curse on Jeconiah.
So, if Jesus is a descendant of Jeconiah, He could never sit on the throne of David. He would be under the curse. But notice Matthew 1:16, “And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.” Matthew introduces the virgin birth of Jesus here and will develop it in more detail starting in Matthew 1:18. But notice that all the way through this genealogy Matthew has used the same formula, “the father begot the son, who begot the next son” and so on through all the names. But here the formula changes. Joseph did not beget Jesus. He was born of Mary. Joseph is not Jesus’ biological father, he is Jesus’ adopted father, his legal father. So, through Joseph Jesus inherits the legal right to the throne of David and avoids the curse of Jeconiah.
How God solved this great problem is a marvel! If you look at Matthew’s genealogy, you see that Joseph was born from David in the lineage of David’s son Solomon (Matt. 1:7). But the Gospel of Luke has a genealogy that is traced down to Joseph from the lineage of Joseph’s father-in-law Heli (Luke 3:23). Matthew, in other words, is giving us the legal or royal genealogy of our Savior through Joseph, and Luke is giving us the biological genealogy of Jesus through Mary. Mary was born from David in the line of another of David’s sons, Solomon’s brother Nathan (Luke 3:31). Both were sons of David but Solomon’s lineage was under a curse through Jeconiah, and Nathan’s was not. Isn’t it stunning how God guarded every detail and solved this problem with the virgin birth?
The reason for the genealogy is to present the fact that Jesus Christ is the One who has the right to reign. Jesus is the Messiah-King in accord with divine sovereignty.
Finally, we see that Jesus is the Messiah-King:
3. In Union with Fallen Humanity
As you examine this genealogy, you can’t escape the fact that the people in Jesus’ historic lineage were a part of fallen humanity. There are many names that are all too familiar to us, because of the Bible’s story of their sin.
Just look at some of these names. You’ll find a reminder of the shameful story of Judah, the son of Jacob who begot Perez and Zerah through incest with his daughter-in-law Tamar (Matt. 1:3). You’ll find Rahab who was a harlot (Matt. 1:5). You’ll find that David begot his son Solomon through his adulterous affair with “her who had been the wife of Uriah” (Matt. 1:6). You’ll find Solomon, whose heart was drawn away from God into idolatry by his many foreign wives (Matt. 1:7). You’ll find Rehoboam, whose pride and arrogance caused the nation of Israel to be split in two (Matt. 1:7). You’ll find Uzziah, who died in shame as a leper because he dared to enter the temple of God and offer an unlawful offering (Matt. 1:9). You read of Ahaz who fell into gross idolatry (Matt. 1:9). You read of the murderous Manasseh, who so filled the land of Israel with bloodshed that God cast him out of the land (Matt. 1:10). You read of Jeconiah, whose rebelliousness led to the people of Israel being carried off in captivity to Babylon (Matt. 1:11).[7]
The Bible teaches us that, because of the sin of our first parents, we are all born into the human family in a condition of sin. And because of our sinfulness, we can never earn God’s favor by obedience to God’s commandments. But as the apostle Paul tells us, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son . . .” And do you know how God sent His Son? “. . . In the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin . . .” (Rom. 8:3). Praise God that we have a Savior/King who was born into this world in union with fallen humanity – so that He could die on the cross for us as one of us.
Understand this–No human being is beyond the reach of Christ’s saving arm or sympathetic heart. Our sins may have been as many and as vile as any who are named in this chapter, but they shall never be remembered against us by God if we trust Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He wants you to know that Jesus is the King. He wants you to know that Jesus is the Messiah. He wants you to know how you should respond to this King.[8] Turn from your sin, believe in Jesus Christ the King who died for your sins upon the cross and was raised to give you eternal life.
We have a Savior who entered a royal line of humanity at a time when the throne had been lost. Love came down to the lowest of lows in order to save us from sin, death, and hell. The hopes and fears of all the years, including our own, are met in Christ.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold,the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Last time we began our study of the Gospel of Matthew. We saw that the purpose of the Gospel of Matthew is to present Jesus Christ as the prophesied Messiah, the King of Israel.
The Gospel of Matthew was written to Jews to explain the kingdom and to present the king. Throughout the centuries, the Old Testament prophesied a coming king for the nation Israel, the Son of David. Matthew wants to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is the focal point of those prophecies and that they all find their realization and fulfillment with Him. Throughout Matthew’s Gospel, he cites at least 28 specific Old Testament prophecies that are fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Matthew highlights seven fulfilled prophecies just in the first four chapters. The first one, from Isaiah 7:14, comes in our text today.
Matthew demonstrated in his genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17) that Jesus Christ is the “Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1) and thus the fulfillment of the covenants God made with each. Jesus is in the Davidic line and is legally qualified to be the king of the nation of Israel. Matthew now presents the virgin birth of Jesus Christ to show that Christ is not the Son of David and the Son of Abraham, but that He is also the Son of God. Matthew 1:18 begins, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows.” The word “birth” in that verse is “genesis,” the same as the word “genealogy” in Matthew 1:1. It means the origin or source. In other words, Matthew is now giving us the genealogy of Jesus from the divine side.[1] What was hinted at last week in the genealogy (Matt. 1:16) becomes clear here. Jesus has no human father. Mary is a virgin and Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. As the Holy Spirit conceived, virgin-born Jesus—as the child who is Immanuel, He is the unique Messiah-King who will save His people from their sins.
Matthew and Luke both tell the story of the virgin birth of Jesus. If you compare the accounts, you will notice that Matthew focuses attention on Joseph, while Luke places the spotlight on Mary. Matthew may do this because although he is clear that Joseph is not the biological father of Jesus, he was the legal father, and thus Jesus was the “Son of David,” heir of the kingdom, through him. So, our outline today follows Joseph’s role in Jesus’ birth.[2]
1. Joseph’s Dilemma (Matt. 1:18-19)
Matthew begins in verse 18 to describe how Jesus Christ was born: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” Today, we would probably say they had been engaged, although our word engaged is not strong enough to describe the relationship and responsibilities of a Jewish couple during their betrothal. For Jews anticipating marriage, the parents of the bride and groom usually first made an arrangement for the marriage. Then the betrothal bound the bride and groom in a marriage agreement—they were legally husband and wife, although they did not usually live together or consummate the marriage until about a year later at the marriage ceremony. The betrothal was so binding that it could not be broken except by divorce. One of the purposes of this waiting period was to demonstrate the purity of the bride-to-be.
Joseph and Mary are betrothed in this way. But during this waiting period, Mary is discovered to be pregnant. Matthew simply states the fact of the virgin conception of Jesus, “she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” In all of human history there had never been a virgin birth. When people saw an unwed mother, there was only one conclusion. Except in this case. There was another origin, the Holy Spirit of God. That may raise many questions in our minds, but the answer is rather simple even though we don’t understand all the details. The Holy Spirit acted in the womb of Mary in such a way as to bring about a supernatural conception.
Luke reveals that Mary already knew the child was “of the Holy Spirit” because the angel Gabriel had come to Nazareth to announce to her, “you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.” (Luke 1:31-32). When Mary questioned the angel saying, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:34). The angel had told her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35).
So far, Joseph doesn’t appear to know any of this. Imagine Joseph discovering “she was found with child” knowing that the child was not his. We don’t know how much Mary had told Joseph. Luke tells us that she had immediately left Nazareth to visit her cousin Elizabeth in Judah (Luke 1:39) and stayed there about three months (Luke 1:56) before returning home.
Now that it is clear that Mary is pregnant, Joseph faces a dilemma. He has come into an agreement of marriage with Mary. Now during the waiting time, she becomes pregnant. Who is the father? What should Joseph do? As far as he knew Mary had been unfaithful to him. The Old Testament counted such unfaithfulness in betrothal as adultery, and punishable by death. Deuteronomy 22 gives the law: “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…” (Deut. 22:23-24).
So Joseph was faced with a dilemma, and with the limited information he had at hand, he made his initial decision: “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.” (Matt. 1:19). Matthew makes a point of emphasizing the fact that Joseph was a “just” or “righteous” man (Matt. 1:19). We are not told very much about Joseph in the Bible, but this is a good testimony of his character. Joseph was “righteous” in the Old Testament sense of the word, he was a godly man who believed the Lord and followed God’s law. His initial decision shows that he not only cared about justice, but mercy. Joseph did not want to press charges against Mary in a public court hearing. He didn’t want her to suffer any harm. So, instead, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But this is where God intervenes.
2. Joseph’s Dream (Matt. 1:20-23)
Matthew 1:20-21 says, “20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.””
You can almost feel Joseph’s apprehension as “he thought about these things.” He probably experienced sleepless nights over this difficulty, and during one of these nights, “an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.”
Notice the angel addresses Joseph as “Joseph, son of David.” This is key. Joseph is a son of David—directly descended from David and in the royal line of kings as we saw in the genealogy last week. By God’s design, Joseph was the earthly father of the Son of God.
The angel has two commands for Joseph. First, he is not to be afraid to take Mary to be his wife. The angel tells Joseph what we already know from earlier in the passage. Mary is still a virgin. But God has worked a miracle in her life. What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
This is a miracle birth even beyond the miracle birth of Isaac or any of the other miracle births in the Old Testament. Mary conceived Jesus without the assistance of a human father. Joseph is a son of David, and God had told David that God himself would build a house for him, a descendant who would reign on his throne forever. God brought Jesus into the world without the help of a human father. It was all of God to show that salvation is all of God. God brought it about through the Holy Spirit, and so it was a holy conception in every way.
The second command for Joseph is “you shall call His name Jesus” (Matt. 1:21). Jesus was a popular boy’s name at the time. Jesus comes from the Hebrew word Joshua, which means “Jehovah is salvation” or “the Lord saves.” But Jesus Christ would infuse this name with new meaning. Joseph is to “call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” And so, Jesus’ name has great significance. It is a prophecy of what he will do. It looks forward to the cross when Jesus would die for our sins.
The doctrine of the virgin birth is a foundational doctrine. If Jesus Christ is not the virgin-born Son of God, then there is no salvation in Him because he is simply a man. It does not matter how great a man He is nor how tremendous his accomplishments were. The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). If Christ was the greatest man who ever lived but nothing more, He could only pay the penalty for His own sin when He died on that cross. But the virgin birth is God’s statement that He was more than a man; He was also God. When He died on that cross, He died as the sinless Son of God bearing the sins of the world. God gives salvation now as a free gift of His grace based on the finished work of atonement through the blood of Christ on the cross. Therefore, it is extremely important that we understand the significance of the virgin birth. By it, God became a man so that God Himself could become man’s Savior by dying for His people to save them from their sins.
The Old Testament spoke of the time when God would himself would come and save his people from sin. We read in Psalm 130:7-8: “7 O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. 8 And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities.” From the time of the conception of Jesus Christ, His life is connected with providing salvation from sin. “His people” has prime reference to the nation of Israel. But we saw in our last study that Jesus Christ provides salvation for all men. Matthew will close his Gospel with the exhortation to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. Jesus is a Savior for all who believe in him.
Then Matthew draws our attention to an Old Testament prophecy to show us that the virgin birth of Jesus was God’s plan all along.
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold,the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Matthew is quoting from Isaiah 7:14, a prophecy that was made more than seven hundred years earlier. The original prophecy was made to King Ahaz of Judah about deliverance in his time. King Ahaz was in a desperate situation. Two northern kingdoms, Israel and Syria, were forming an alliance with the powerful and dreaded nation of Assyria. They were plotting to make war against Jerusalem. The threat of this coming war was causing the Ahaz, and all his people, to tremble in fear “as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind” (Isaiah 7:1-2).
That’s when the Lord God steps in to assure His people that He has not abandoned them. He sent the prophet Isaiah to Ahaz to tell him not to be afraid of these two kings. He assures him that their plot against God’s people would not stand. God makes the promise that, within sixty-five years, the hostile northern kingdom would be broken and would cease to exist (Isaiah 7:8).
And to assure Ahaz of the truth of this promise, God—through Isaiah—invited the king to ask for a sign (Isaiah 7:11). Sadly, King Ahaz—in a display of false humility—refused the offer God made (Isaiah 7:12). And so, God Himself establishes a sign to the king. God says:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse evil and choose the good. Before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings (Isaiah 7:14-16).
Think about the mother that this promised one—Immanuel—would be born to. The Hebrew word that Isaiah uses to describe her (almâh) is the one that someone would use to describe a young girl who was about to become married.[3] And as we read on in the Book of Isaiah, we find that Isaiah actually went on to take a young woman—a prophetess—as a wife; and that she, through him, bore a son (Isaiah 8:3). So, God’s promise about this young woman was most likely made while she was still a “virgin”.
And then, think about the child that this young woman would give birth to. In Isaiah 8:3, we find that her son was given a real tongue-twister of a name: “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz” which means, “Quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil”.
This little boy with a long name—about to be born to one who was a virgin—was a living “sign”; given by God to King Ahaz. It was given to assure him that these threatening enemies in the north would indeed have their position of power taken from them in a very short amount of time. In fact, as the Lord says, they would forsake their lands before little Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz was old enough to know the difference between right and wrong (Isaiah 7:16).
Now; that’s the story of the promise of a coming child in the days of Isaiah; and the immediate, historic significance of his symbolic name “Immanuel.” God was with the nation of Judah to deliver them from destruction at the . hand of their enemies. But as we read on in Isaiah’s prophecy, we make an even more remarkable discovery. Not only was there an immediate historic significance to that name; but there was also a significance for the future—one that extended far beyond the concerns of King Ahaz, and far beyond the little baby that was born to the virgin bride-to-be of Isaiah. The name “Immanuel” is applied through Isaiah to another Child—a promised Ruler of His people. All of the land of Judah, for example, is referred to as “Your land, O Immanuel” (Isaiah 8:8); and they were told that the foreign nations that threaten them will not stand, “For God is with us” (Isaiah 8:10).
The far-reaching significance of this is best shown to us in the next chapter of Isaiah. There, in the context of this future promised Child, we discover His true identity. In the passage we often read at Christmas time, Isaiah 9:6-7 we read these words of hope for Judah–and for the world:
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this (Isaiah 9:6-7).
Do you see it? The child that God promised to Isaiah through his bride-to-be was a real child. But he was also a “sign”—a “type”, if you will—of Another who was yet to be born. “Here am I,” Isaiah says, “and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion” (Isaiah 8:18). Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, nicknamed “God with us”, was but a symbolic picture of Another “Immanuel” who would come later; One who would be referred to as “Mighty God” and would rule over His people upon the throne of David forever.
And Matthew, inspired by the Holy Spirit, writes that this prophecy finds fulfillment in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. He is truly “God with us.” He is the word become flesh, the Son of God who dwelt among us and we beheld his glory (John 1:14).
So, Jesus was given two names at his birth: Immanuel and Jesus. And these two names perfectly describe the person and work of Christ. Who is the person of Christ? He is Immanuel, God with us, fully God and fully man. And what is the work of Christ? He is Jesus who will die on the cross to save his people from their sins.
3. Joseph’s Decision (Matt. 1:24-25)
So Joseph had a dilemma – what should he do about Mary? He had a dream where God gave him two commands – to take Mary home as his wife and to name the boy Jesus. Now he had a decision to make. And it was not an easy decision. If Joseph took Mary home as his wife, he was opening himself up to a lifetime of suspicions and ridicule.
So what did he do?
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. (Matthew 1:24-25)
It was the moment of decision, and Joseph chose to obey God. Joseph never speaks in the New Testament, but again and again we see him respond in obedience to God’s commands. This simple, direct, immediate obedience is a hallmark of Joseph’s character.
Joseph took Mary home as his wife. They were officially married now, which means they could now have sexual relations, but Matthew tells us that Joseph had no union with her until she gave birth to Jesus. Some people teach that Joseph and Mary never had sexual relations, but we read in Matthew 13 that Jesus had brothers and sisters. Matthew only says that they abstained until Jesus was born.
And after Jesus was born, Joseph obeyed the second command. He gave Him the name Jesus. By naming Him, Joseph became the legal father of Jesus, thus passing on to Him the legal right of kings through his Davidic bloodline. Joseph was a son of David, and from now on Jesus would be known as the Son of David–all because Joseph obeyed the angel and took Mary home as his wife. Joseph was a righteous man, a man of faith, who believed and obeyed God’s word.
The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is a tremendously encouraging truth. It describes God breaking into the human race, becoming a man so that He could secure our redemption. What a testimony to the love and grace of God that He would love us enough to become a man! In order to provide salvation, He has died the unthinkable death on the cross for our sins. If we believe in Him, we have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Jesus—Savior, Immanuel—God with us, the one who was infinitely rich became poor, assumed our human nature, entered our sin-polluted world without ever being tainted by it, took our guilt, bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, died for sinners, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us, sent His Spirit to dwell in our hearts, right now makes intercession for us, and will some day come to take us to be with Him. This is our King. Do you know Him?
The tragedy in all of this is that there are still people who think they are going to get to heaven by being religious. They think that if they do their best, God will accept them. There are still people who think that if they get baptized they will go to heaven. Others think they will go to heaven by joining the church. What a tragedy! The message of the birth of Christ is God’s testimony to the fact that Jesus is the Savior. No one is saved by believing in the church, by believing in the preacher or by believing in baptism. You are saved by believing that you are a sinner for whom Jesus Christ died. He took your sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. As the Son of God, He became a man so that He might save His people from their sins.
Yesterday we celebrated Christmas. I hope that this holiday was more than just a merry time of exchanging presents, filling our bellies with good food, and enjoying family. Christmas is for worship. Christmas is for worship because it is a marvelous work of God in our world. In fact, it is God graciously breaking into our world to become one with us in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. So, the proper response is worship, to magnify God by rejoicing in Christ our Savior and Lord.
When the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:26) told the young virgin Mary that she was going to have a child who would be the Son of God and who would reign over the house of Jacob forever (Luke 1:31-33), she said, “How can this be?” Gabriel answered her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her so that the child’s conception would be divine (Luke 1:35). And then he gave Mary the added confirmation that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37) by telling her that her kinswoman Elizabeth who was old and barren was also pregnant (Luke 1:38).
So next in Luke’s account we read (Luke 1:39-45):
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
The angel had told Zechariah in Luke 1:15 that his son John would be filled with the Spirit even from his mother’s womb. That is, the Spirit of God would exercise a unique control on this man from the time he is in his mother’s womb until he completes his ministry as a grown man. Now Luke records evidence of this: Mary approaches Elizabeth, carrying the Son of God in her womb, and baby John in the womb of Elizabeth gives her a great kick. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaims that her child is leaping for joy. The Holy Spirit has helped him before he can even speak to bear witness to the Lord.
That’s all the confirmation Mary needs. She sees clearly a most remarkable thing about God: He is about to change the course of all human history. The promised Messiah is coming into the world. God will save His people. And how does God initiate it? By visiting two obscure, humble women—one old and barren, one young and a virgin. And Mary is so moved by this vision of God, the lover of the lowly, that she breaks out in song—a song that has come to be known as the Magnificat.[1] (This title comes from the Latin translation of Mary’s first word in Luke 1:46, “magnifies”).
Mary and Elizabeth are wonderful examples of people of worship God. The worship of both of these women is such that they are models for all true disciples of our Lord. Let’s take some lessons about worship today from the example of these godly women.
1. Worship begins with faith
Elizabeth said to Mary (Luke 1:45), “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Elizabeth recognized the faith of Mary to believe the promise God gave to her that she would give birth to the Messiah, the Son of God. And Elizabeth also expressed her own faith that God would fulfill what He had promised. Rather than the doubt that her husband Zacharias had displayed when Gabriel told him that Elizabeth would have a son in her old age, she has believed.
You cannot truly worship God apart from saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. To come to church and sings the songs, pray the prayers, hear the sermon, partake in the Lord’s supper without personal faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior is empty ritualism. It is worse than useless, it is hopeless. The scripture says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Heb. 11:6).
2. Worship is from an attitude of humility
Luke highlights the lowliness and joyful humility of Elizabeth and Mary. Elizabeth says (Luke 1:43): ” But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” And Mary says (Luke 1:48): ” For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant.” The only people whose soul can truly magnify the Lord are people like Elizabeth and Mary—people who acknowledge their lowly estate and are overwhelmed by the condescension of the magnificent God.
Both Elizabeth and Mary have a big view of God and a small view of themselves. True godly humility does not come from thinking less of ourselves, it comes from thinking more of God. Mary’s first word of praise was “magnifies.” It means to make great or declare to be great. Worship is declaring the greatness of God, praising Him for His magnificence. As Calvin explains in the Institutes (1.1.2),
It is certain that man never achieves a clear knowledge of himself unless he has first looked upon God’s face, and then descends from contemplating him to scrutinize himself. For we always seem to ourselves righteous and upright and wise and holy—this pride is innate in all of us—unless by clear proofs we stand convinced of our own unrighteousness, foulness, folly, and impurity. Moreover, we are not thus convinced if we look merely to ourselves and not also to the Lord, who is the sole standard by which this judgment must be measured.
The more we see how great God is, the more we will sense our own sinfulness, which will lead us to magnify all the more His abundant mercy toward us in Christ. By the way, an attitude of humility will also bring an attitude of joy. Mary rejoices; her praise is filled with joy in the Lord.
3. Worship is grounded in scripture
One of the things that strikes me I hear the words of Mary’s praise is how filled with Scripture they are. Listen to them:
46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. 54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
In her praise you can recognize allusions to Psalm 103, Psalm 22, Psalm 147, Psalm 98, Psalm 107, and Job 12. She alludes to the promises of God to Abraham in Genesis. She references God’s servant Israel, not just Jacob of Genesis, but the suffering servant who represented Israel in Isaiah. This song of Mary is chocked full of scripture. Most clearly we hear echoes of the song of Hannah from 1 Samuel 2 that we read earlier in our worship service.
Did you hear the parallel expressions and ideas? For example:
Hannah says, “My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD” (1 Sam. 2:1); Mary says, “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47). Hannah prays, “No one is holy like the LORD” (1 Sam 2:2); and Mary says, “And holy is His name” (Luke 1:49). Hannah says, “The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength” (1 Sam. 2:4); Mary declares, “He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly” (Luke 1:52). Hannah says, “Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger” (1 Sam. 2:5); and Mary sings, “He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty” (Luke 1:53).
The parallels are obvious, but they are not word for word. Neither Mary nor Luke is quoting the Old Testament. Instead, Mary appears to be so steeped in Scripture that when she breaks out in praise, the words that come naturally to her lips are the words of Scripture. Being a young woman, she probably loved the stories of the Old Testament women of faith like Sarah, Deborah, Hannah, Ruth, and Abigail.[2]
J.C. Ryle says about her: “She gives expression with her lips to what has been treasured in her heart; and what has been treasured in her heart is God’s word, the Holy Scripture.”[3] When you pray and when you praise, are your words saturated with the word of God? One of the best ways to pray is to pray through God’s word. One of the best ways to praise is to fill your praise with God’s word. Read God’s word, study it, memorize it, meditate on it and then your worship will be filled with God’s word.
4. Worship celebrates who God is
Mary’s hymn is brimming with information about who God is, the attributes of God. But it is not cold, academic information. Mary is extolling God as she considers what He has done in choosing her to be the mother of the Savior. She calls Him “God my Savior” (Luke 1:47), which implies that Mary knew she was a sinner; none but sinners need a Savior.[4] Mary explicitly shows God’s power when she says “For He who is mighty has done great things for me” (Luke 1:49) and “He has shown strength with His arm” (Luke 1:51). Mary praises the Lord saying “And holy is His name” (Luke 1:49). God’s name refers to His person, the sum of His attributes. To be holy means to be set apart.
But the attribute of God that comes out most clearly in Mary’s praise is God’s mercy. She says, “And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation” (Luke 1:50) and “He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy” (Luke 1:54). God’s mercy and His grace are close in meaning, both emphasizing His undeserved favor. But mercy has the connotation of God’s compassion due to our miserable condition.
5. Worship proclaims the gospel
Did you notice that this song is all about the gospel? This song has nothing in it about what we do. This song of praise has nothing in it about what we do to save ourselves. This song is all about what God has done for the salvation of His people. We have a word for: gospel.
Mary is singing about the gospel here. She’s excited about the gospel; she is seeing the gospel unfold before her very eyes, and her response is to praise God for it and to believe in it. And in doing that she reminds us that the Christian life is based on the gospel, the good news of what God has done in His grace to save us from our sin. And she reminds us that if we’re going to live the Christian life, we need to know the gospel and believe the gospel, and then live out the gospel.[5]
D. L. Moody said, “Christ sends none away empty but those who are full of themselves.”[6] In the book of Revelation, the Lord Jesus writes to the church at Laodicea, a church that professed to belong to Christ. Things seemed to be going fairly well in that church, from their perspective. They said, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing” (Rev. 3:17). God’s saw them as they really were: “you … do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17). The Lord told them to repent. He said to that church, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20).
The offer still stands. If you will repent of your sin and cry out to Jesus Christ to save you, God will graciously pour out His mercy on you. Then you will be able to sing Mary’s song, “My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”
The Advent season and Christmas celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ—the unfathomable truth that the eternal Son of God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). This truth is at the very heart of the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul wrote that Christ Jesus, “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” (Phil. 2:6-7). God the Son, who was with the Father in glory before the world was created (John 1:1-2; 17:5), laid aside His divine glory and dignity, not ceasing to be divine but to taking on human flesh in the form of a bondservant, in order to be obedient unto death for our salvation. What a mystery of grace![1] Paul writes, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” (1 Tim. 3:16).
J. I. Packer in his book, Knowing God, calls the doctrine of the incarnation the greatest mystery of the gospel. He writes:
The real difficulty, the supreme mystery with which the gospel confronts us, . . . lies not in the Good Friday message of atonement, nor in the Easter message of resurrection, but in the Christmas message of Incarnation. The really staggering Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God made man—that the second person of the Godhead became the “second man” (1 Cor 15:47), determining human destiny, the second representative head of the race, and that he took humanity without loss of deity, so that Jesus of Nazareth was as truly and fully divine as he was human.[2]
If we really consider the astounding truth of the incarnation, how could we let another Christmas go by without being awestruck by what God has done? How could we be content to casually make merry and exchange gifts and cards as if it’s just another holiday? How could we not fail to fall down before our God in humble worship?
Today I want us to look at the greatest birth announcement ever, the passage in Luke 1 known as the annunciation, that is, where the angel Gabriel comes to announce to the Virgin Mary this marvelous truth of the incarnation. Although this may be a familiar passage, as we read it today listen with awe and wonder, with a humble heart of worship to the word of God (Luke 1:26-38):
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
As his prologue to his Gospel shows, Luke had carefully researched and written an orderly account of the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to a man named Theophilus so “that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed” (Luke 1:4). Luke takes his reader back to the very beginning, describing more fully than any other gospel writer the events of the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. In Luke 1:5-25 he narrated the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zacharias. The angel Gabriel appeared to this old priest while he was serving in the temple, telling him that his barren wife Elizabeth would give birth to a son in their old age. This child would “be great in the sight of the Lord” (Luke 1:15), would “be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:15), and would “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).
Just as Gabriel said, Elizabeth conceived (Luke 1:24). The “sixth month” in Luke 1:26 refers to Elizabeth’s pregnancy, as the angel tells Mary in Luke 1:36, “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.” God dispatched this same mighty angel Gabriel to announce the birth of the Messiah to Mary. In this birth announcement I want us to focus on some wonderful truths about our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the purpose of the Gospel, to show us Jesus Christ so that we will believe on Him for salvation and worship Him as Lord. The first thing we learn about Jesus is:
1. His humility
Notice where the birth announcement takes place: in “a city of Galilee named Nazareth” (Luke 1:26). Galilee was a territory overrun by Gentiles and where the Roman governor had erected numerous pagan temples. Galilee was, therefore, despised by the more sophisticated Jews in Judea. Jerusalem was traditionally the city of the king. The temple of God was there and all the important and influential religious men. But it was to Galilee that God sent the angel Gabriel.
Nazareth was a tiny insignificant town. It is not even mentioned in the Old Testament or any other ancient Jewish writings or histories. It was on a hillside at the foot of which ran the highway from Tyre and Sidon to Jerusalem, carrying Greek travelers and merchants, many of whom would have lodged in Nazareth. With such a transient population, Nazareth became a corrupt town, a despised town. The contempt with which Nazareth was viewed was expressed by Nathanael when he asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).
In Nazareth, Gabriel comes not to a temple or even a synagogue where people gather for worship—he comes to the privacy of Mary’s home. The person to whom the angel Gabriel declared the incarnation of the Son of God was “a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph… The virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:27) – not to the high priest, or to the governor of the land. Mary was a very common name for Jewish girls (there are at least six different Marys in the New Testament). Her name goes back to Miriam, the sister of Moses (Exo. 15).
Betrothal was a binding marriage contract usually made by the families of the bride and groom. Mary legally belonged to Joseph, but the wedding often would not take place until a year after the betrothal, at which time she would go to live with him. In that day the average age of betrothal for young women was 12 or 13. Chances are, Mary was a very young woman, maybe barely a teenager. Kent Hughes comments, Mary was “a nobody from a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.”[3] Mary herself described her low position in her song, “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant… (Luke 1:46-48). Jesus’ birth announcement was marked by lowliness and meekness.
What we find in the gospel is that “The incarnation, salvation, resurrection, and Christmas are not for the proud or self-sufficient.”[4] Mary exemplifies those whom Jesus saves and through whom He works.
2. His grace
Luke 1:28 says, “And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you.” Mary was the recipient of God’s gracious favor. The words translated “Rejoice” and “favored” are both related to the word usually translated “grace.” Gabriel extends a double portion of God’s grace to Mary. God showing favor to Mary in an extraordinary way. The additional greeting, “the Lord is with you,” was often extended to an individual who was called to some great task that necessitated the Lord’s empowerment (Moses, Exo. 3:12; Joshua, Josh. 1:9; Gideon, Judges 6:12).
She is highly favored for the Lord was with her – i.e. she lived in the presence of God. Such is the high privilege and divine intimacy of the virgin Mary. One commentator said, “Mary was chosen by God to be the mother of our Lord. Eve was the mother of all living; Mary was the mother of the Messiah. Eve gave birth to a murderer; Mary would give birth to the Redeemer. Hidden in the recesses of despised Nazareth, this beautiful young woman was set apart by God for this very purpose.”[5] Martin Luther in his little Christmas book said, “No woman has ever lived on earth to whom God has shown such grace.”[6]
Mary was troubled at seeing the angel and “considered what manner of greeting this was” (Luke 1:29). The Greek word that was used to describe her ‘consideration’ is an interesting one. It’s the word dialogizomai – and perhaps you recognize our English word “dialogue” in that word. She was, you might say, having an internal “dialogue” about what the angel told her. She was thinking deeply about it.
Gabriel reassures her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). Again, “favor” is the word for grace. Mary found grace with God. Contrary to what the Roman Catholic Church teaches, Mary is not a dispenser of grace, but a recipient of it. If grace is deserved, it’s not grace, it’s merit. By definition, grace is God’s undeserved favor. In her song later in Luke 1 Mary refers to God as her Savior (Luke 1:47). What does He save from? Sin, as Matthew records the angel saying to Joseph, “He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Only sinners need a Savior. Mary needed God’s grace and salvation just like all sinners do.[7]
Mary was certainly a godly young woman. She was a woman of faith. Whe believed what God revealed to her. She submitted herself humbly to His will. She found grace with God (Luke 1:30). Therefore she was highly favored (Luke 1:28). God has always had his chosen servants, often the least likely in the most obscure places. And in the town of Nazareth, God comes to this simple, humble woman who evidently was walking in communion with God.[8]
What does this show us about Jesus? He is the expression of God’s grace. Paul writes, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7).
3. His Greatness
Gabriel then announces his news to Mary: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33).
There are several ties to Old Testament prophesies in this announcement. First is Isaiah 7:14 which Matthew quotes as being fulfilled in Jesus (Matt. 1:23), “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” The exact same Greek word for “virgin” in the Septuagint in Isaiah 7:14 is used of Mary in Luke 1. It really means virgin, one who has not been with a man. Mary herself speaks of her virginity in Luke 1:34, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” The words for “womb” and “son” are also the same. Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us.”
The second tie to this verse is also in Isaiah. Isaiah 9:6-7 says,
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isa. 9:6-7)
Here Isaiah prophesies that the Messiah would be born a child (referring to His humanity), but would also be a Son that would be given (referring to His deity). He would be the King who would reign on the throne of David forever.
A third tie to the Old Testament is God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7: 12-16,
12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Sam. 7:12-16).
Jesus is said to have David as His father in Luke 1:32, and 2 Samuel 7:12 says that the coming king will be of the offspring of David. Jesus is called Son of the Most High in Luke 1:32, and in 2 Samuel 7:14 God says of this Davidic king, “ I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.” Luke 1:33 says that Jesus’ kingdom will have no end, and 2 Samuel 7:13 and 16 say that the throne of the Messiah’s kingdom will endure forever. Gabriel is presenting Jesus as the one who will ultimately fulfill this prophecy to David.
Jesus is great because He is the God, the Son of God, the Son of the Most High. This is a title first used of God in Genesis 14, He is called El Elyon, God Most High, God the Supreme One, God who is above all. That name for God sweeps through the Old Testament and is used repeatedly to define God as the Supreme Being. No one is higher than God. Psalm 47:2 says, ” For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.” And this little baby is the Son of that sovereign Most High God. Now what is such a title intended to say? Nothing less than the obvious: Jesus bears the same essence as God. … Hebrews 1:3 says of Jesus, “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact reproduction of God’s nature. As the Son of God Jesus has the very same divine nature as God.
In Luke 1:34 Mary then asked not about if, but how these things would take place. Her question was not in unbelief like Zacharias, but believing God, she wanted to understand how. Then in Luke 1:35 answers Mary’s extraordinary faith with an extraordinary answer about the virgin birth, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
The Holy Spirit, who is the Most High God, the third person of the Trinity, will surround Mary with His glorious presence, just as the Lord surrounded the Israelites of old with his glorious presence (Exodus 40:34-35; Numbers 9:18, 10:34). This is the mystery of the virgin birth and of the incarnation. The Bible does not explain it, it proclaims it. That God overshadowed Mary with His Spirit and conceived Jesus in her womb is truly a miracle. If you can’t conceive how a virgin can conceive, then what about this? Christians believe that Mary gave birth to the sinless eternal Son of God. Now which is harder to believe, that God came in the flesh in Jesus and He was without sin? Or that He came in the flesh miraculously?
Because the son will be conceived by the Holy Spirit, he will be called “holy”—set apart for God and completely pure and sinless as God Himself. The virgin birth is necessary to affirm the sinless humanity of Jesus Christ.
4. His power
Gabriel then gives Mary what she did not ask for, assurance of this truth. In Luke 1:36-37 he says to her, “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”
It’s as if the angel says: “Do you wonder how this can be, Mary? Do you need help processing all of this, Mary? Well, your relative, Elizabeth – you remember, the one who has been barren all these years, the one who is now past her child-bearing age? Something miraculous has also happened to her, Mary. She has conceived a son and is already 6 months pregnant, despite her old age and life-long barrenness.”
Isn’t this an incredible act of God’s gracious favor toward Mary, that He would give visible, tangible evidence of His supernatural power? The God who can cause a barren old woman to conceive can surely cause a young virgin to also conceive – “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). More literally it reads, “for no word from God will fail.” God’s word cannot fail. He keeps His promises. He fulfills His word, always. This reminds us of what the angel of the LORD said to Abraham when he was told his old barren wife Sarah would bear a son, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Gen. 18:14).
We need to be convinced of the sovereign, life-giving power of God to do what is far beyond anything we can ask or think. We need to remember that the truth of Messiah’s birth should conceive in us an appreciation for the sovereignty of God, for with God nothing is impossible. The One who created the world from nothing caused a virgin to conceive by the Holy Spirit. Nothing is too hard for God.[9]
What does this show us about Jesus? He is the holy one, the Son of God Most High. He is sovereign and powerful over all. No word of His can fail. Nothing is too hard for Him. J. C. Ryle wrote:
There is no sin too black and too wicked to be pardoned — the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin. There is no heart too hard and wicked to be changed — the heart of stone can be made into a heart of flesh. There is no work too hard for a believer to do — we can do all things through Christ strengthening us. There is no trial too hard to be borne — the grace of God is sufficient for us. There is no promise too great to be fulfilled — Christ’s words never pass away — and what He has promised, He is able to perform. There is no difficulty too great for a believer to overcome — if God is for us, then who can be against us? The mountain shall become a plain. … Faith never rests so calmly and peacefully as when it lays its head on the pillow of God’s omnipotence. .[10]
This is our God. This is Jesus Christ our Savior, the King who will reign forever and ever. Do you know Him? Have you believed on Him to save you from sin by His death and give you eternal life through His resurrection? Don’t go through another empty, world, merry Christmas without knowing Jesus Christ, the Son of God made flesh, the Savior of the World, the King of Kings. Trust Him today.
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ “
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
In Matthew 2 we read the familiar story of the “wise men,” or Magi, who come to worship the Christ child. Matthew’s account is the only source we have of this event and it leaves us with several unanswered questions: Who were the magi? How many were there? Where in the east did they come from? How did they know to look for the “King of the Jews”? What was the “star” that they saw? How long after Jesus’ birth did they arrive?
Because of the mystery and the unanswered questions, great legends have grown up about them. Our traditional understanding of the Magi has been shaped almost entirely by Christmas carols and cards which are more based on imagination than revelation. What we can certainly see from Matthew 2 is that they made worshiping Jesus their number one priority. Worship is a key word in this text. It’s found in Matthew 2:2, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him”; Matthew 2:8, “… when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also”; and Matthew 2:11, “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.” The magi came to Judea for the sole purpose of worship. Worship was why they left their homeland. Worship was why they brought their treasure. Worship was why they journeyed. Worship was at the heart of everything we see them do in this passage. They had their hearts set on coming before the Lord Jesus Christ to worship Him.
The word “worship” is προσκυνέω (proskynéō) meaning literally to kiss toward (like a dog licking his master’s hand). It expresses profound reverence and homage often by kneeling or prostrating oneself. Worship is the outward expression of respect and homage that comes from an inward submission and reverence of the heart. MacArthur give a simple definition of worship of God: “Worship is all that we are, reacting rightly to all that He is” (The Ultimate Priority [Moody Press], p. 147).
Remember the context of Matthew 2. In the first chapter of his Gospel, Matthew established the fact that Jesus Christ is of the kingly line of David and that He inherits the promise God made to Abraham. He also established the uniqueness of His virgin birth, and His divine nature as Emmanuel, “God with us.” Jesus Christ is the God-King—the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel. In his second chapter, Matthew is going to focus attention on some special events following the birth of Christ. That will conclude all that Matthew has to say about the early life of Jesus Christ. Chapter 3 presents Him as an adult and begins a consideration of His public ministry.
Three kinds of responses to Christ are demonstrated in this chapter. The Jews’ response is one of apathy and indifference. Herod’s response is one of hostility and hatred. The response of the magi is one of worship and adoration. It is on their response we want to focus today.
Frist we find that they,
1. Worship Jesus because He is the King. (Matthew 2:1-6)
Matthew 2:1 says, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.” Matthew sets the timing for their visit “after Jesus was born in Bethlehem.” Luke gives us the story of Jesus’ birth and the circumstances of the census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. But Matthew confirms the location of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. He also sets the stage by saying this happened “in the days of Herod the king.” This is Herod the Great, who ruled from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C. Herod was not Jewish. He was Idumaean–an Edomite, a descendant of Esau and not Jacob. He had tried to ingratiate himself to the Jews by marrying into the Jewish Hasmonean family that had reigned for a hundred years, and by building the temple in Jerusalem. Any study of Herod will immediately show that the man was a ruthless and paranoid tyrant. He would easily kill his own sons, or one of his wives, or the high priest, if he thought any of these were in any way conspiring against him. And so the thought of a king being born was an immediate threat. Especially if it was the promised Messiah, the king of the Jews.
Who were the wise men? Where in the east did they come from? The word “magi” was used by the Babylonians, Medes, Persians, and others, of the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, and interpreters of dreams. We find these kind of wise men in the courts of Babylon and Persia in the book of Daniel. The question of the Magi indicates clearly whom this story is really about: “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” It’s about a newborn child destined to be King of the Jews. The magi have come seeking the King of the Jews because they say, “For we have seen His star in the East.” Again we are left wondering what the “star” was. They had observed something unusual in the heavens. God arranged this astronomical oddity in order to signal these magi to a very significant birth–the birth of a child who was born as the king of the Jews.
The purpose of their visit is clear “and have come to worship Him.” Worship should not be something that “just happens” to us; it should be something we set our hearts on. It should be something we seek. It should be something that motivates us.
Matthew 2:4 makes it clear what the magi meant by “King of the Jews.” It says, “And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.” The King of the Jews that they were looking for was the “Christ,” the promised Messiah, the long-awaited God-anointed Ruler, who would establish the kingdom of God and reign forever on the throne of David.
Their coming caused quite the stir in Jerusalem (Matt. 2:3), “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” So the chief priests and scribes bring the answer to the magi’s question by focusing on an Old Testament prophecy from the book of Micah: “So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ “”
This answered the question of where: Bethlehem of Judah. It was the ancient hometown of Jesse, King David father. The Lord says from there will come the “Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.” If they had read the whole verse in Micah 5:2 they would have seen that the Messiah is not just an ordinary human ruler but is one, “Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” Christ did not just come into being in the womb of His mother Mary. As John writes in his Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He is the eternal, divine Son of God.
The magi believed the scriptures. This is why they have come to worship Jesus. Because He is the promised King of the Jews, the Anointed One who is the eternal God who will not only rule over and shepherd His people Israel, but will be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. As Micah 5:4 says,
And He shall stand and feed His flock
In the strength of the LORD,
In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God;
And they shall abide,
For now He shall be great
To the ends of the earth
They come to worship Jesus because He is the divine King. Second, the wise men,
2. Worship Jesus no matter what others do (Matt. 2:7-8)
Here we come to the strange part of the story. Matthew writes (Matt. 2:7-8),
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
Herod is scheming. He has no intention of worshiping Jesus in Bethlehem. He secretly summons the wise men in order to learn when they saw the star (Matt. 2:7). Apparently, they informed him when the star appeared in the sky since he later calculates the timing to be around two years earlier (Matt. 2:16). Matthew 2:16-18 tell how Herod murders the male babies in Bethlehem in his angry attempt to kill Jesus. Herod hates and fears Christ. There are still many who respond to Christ this way.
What is really puzzling is that the religious leaders appear to have no desire to see the Christ child. It’s less than seven miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Yet even though all Jerusalem is troubled by the arrival of the wise men, they are appallingly apathetic to Christ. I can only conclude that they did not believe the wise men. Perhaps they just thought they were foreign religious nuts. Worse that that, they did not believe the scriptures.
This is the contrast Matthew wants us to see. Gentile wise men made great sacrifices to travel a long distance in order to worship a king they knew little about. But, those with the greatest knowledge of the Old Testament, were unwilling to travel beyond their backyard in order to learn if this child was indeed the Messiah. Neither the hypocrisy of Herod or the apathy of Jerusalem kept the magi from worshiping Jesus.
The wise men worship Jesus because He is the King; they worship no matter what others do; and they,
3. Worship Jesus with joy, reverence, and giving (Matt. 2:9-12)
Matthew 2:9-10 says, “When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.“
Their worship was joyful. Now this is a quadruple way of saying they rejoiced. It would have been much to say they rejoiced. More to say they rejoiced with joy. More to say they rejoiced with great joy. And even more to say they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. They had an exuberant excitement at meeting the Christ child. There is nothing wrong with emotional worship, as long as the Spirit of God is driving that worship. After all, the Bible calls upon us to “shout” unto Him in praise, Psa. 47:1; 98:4; to “clap” our hands, Psa. 47:1; to “lift” our hands to Him in praise, Psa. 63:4; 134:2; to “rejoice”, Psa. 126:2; to give Him unashamed, visible, vocal worship!
Their worship was reverent. Matthew 2:11 says, “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.”
They came; they saw; they fell down; they worshiped. Think about how amazing this is. The wise men “come into the house” the home in which Joseph, Mary and her baby were staying. It was evidently was a humble dwelling. Certainly there were no trappings of royalty as they had seen in the court of Herod. There was no great fanfare of nobles paying homage or servants waiting on the family. The faith of these men was amazing! They left the trappings of Herod’s royalty, and upon coming to the humble home of this baby, they fell down and worshipped Him. Falling to the ground is what you do to say to someone great: you are high and I am low. You have great dignity and I am lowly by comparison. They were unshaken in their conviction that He was the Christ, King of the Jews.
Their worship was giving. Matthew 2:11 says, “And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” They worshiped Jesus by joyfully ascribing authority and dignity to Christ with sacrificial gifts. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were costly gifts. The latter two are aromatic resins. Frankincense was used in making incense and perfume (see Ex 30:34–35). Myrrh was used as an ingredient in anointing oil (30:23–25), as a perfume (Ps 45:8), and in burial preparations (Jn 19:39).
Much ink has been spilled over the meaning of these gifts. Did they have any symbolic significance? One commentator writes,
The significance of these gifts is beautiful. Gold speaks of Deity, as a study of the Tabernacle makes plain. Frankincense gives forth its perfume only as it is brought into contact with fire. Myrrh speaks of suffering, and is associated with the death and burial of our Lord. Thus these wise men, by the gifts they presented to Him, expressed first, their faith in His essential and eternal Deity; second, their appreciation of the fragrance of His sinless life which should ascend, as a sweet perfume, to His Father; and third, their estimation of the virtue and value of His vicarious sufferings, by which the redemption of humanity should be accomplished.
It is difficult to imagine the wise men understood all the symbolic implications that the commentators draw out. Nevertheless, the point is that this Child-King was worthy to receive the wealth of the nations. He is worthy of sacrificial, lavish worship. They came with appropriate gifts that revealed their desire to honor Him as king.
Our worship should be accompanied by its own sacrificial gifts (time, talents, treasure). We do not worship in order to earn God’s favor, but because we have been shown grace we are willing to offer Christ everything we have. Our worship should be extravagant because Christ is worthy of all we have and more.
After the magi gave their gifts, “they departed for their own country” (Matt. 2:12). They didn’t set up a shrine and charge admission. They didn’t write a book about their trip. They quietly returned home and went on with their lives. But surely, they were different men now, men who by faith had seen the King and worshiped Him. That’s what the Lord would have us do at Christmas: to respond to Christ’s coming by worshiping Jesus as our King. And, having found Him and worshiped Him, to return to our homes, our world, as different people, people who live under the sovereignty of the King.
There are three types of people in this story. There are those like Herod who hear of Jesus and are hostile toward Him. They want to eliminate Him from their lives because He threatens their running the show. Then there are those like the Jewish priests and scribes who know about Christ. They can even quote Bible references about Him. But they’re indifferent to Him. They don’t go out of their way to seek Him.
The third group were the wise men; those who worship Jesus as King. Maybe you’re not in the third group, but you’d like to be. What should you do? William Law, an 18th century devotional writer, writes how to respond:
“When the first spark of a desire after God arrives in [your] soul, cherish it with all [your] care, give all [your] heart unto it…. Follow it as gladly as the wise men of the East followed the star from heaven that appeared to them. It will do for [you] as the star did for them: it will lead [you] to the birth of Jesus, not in a stable at Bethlehem of Judea, but to the birth of Jesus in [your] own soul.”
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
William Chatterton Dix wrote the lyrics to the traditional English Christmas carol “What Child Is This.” William was 29 years old in 1865 when he suffered from a near-fatal bout of sickness. He was bed-ridden and afflicted with severe depression for months until he called out to God and “met Him in a new and real way.” He became an avid reader of the Bible and that inspired him to start writing hymns. That same year he wrote the lyrics of “What Child Is This” and set it to the tune of the old folk song, “Greensleeves.”
The carol begins by asking the question “What Child Is This?” Then it resounds with the answer in the chorus: This, this is Christ the King! Scripture clearly reveals this truth. Thus, we sing the question not because we are unaware of the answer, but in order to express awe and wonder. It’s like when the disciples found themselves on the Sea of Galilee in a great windstorm, with waves breaking into the boat, and Jesus calmed the storm, “So the men marveled, saying, ‘Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’” (Matt. 8:27). They knew that scripture teaches only God Himself can calm the seas (Psalm 65:7; 89:9; 107:29)—this man Jesus, somehow, must be God. But it was too incredible just to say. What wonder, that God Himself had become man and was in the boat with them! In awe they ask, “Who can this be?”
We sing “What Child Is This?” for the same reason. We know who He is, but it is almost too wonderful to be true. God Himself has become man in this child and has come to save us from our sins. The eternal Word has become flesh and dwells among us (John 1:14). It is clear and certain. At Christmas we pause to wonder, to marvel, to sing in awe, “What child is this?” The Gospels clearly answer this question and call us to believe in and worship this child, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Please turn with me this morning to the first chapter of Matthew’s Gospel—found on the very first page of the New Testament. The opening words of Matthew make it clear who this child is, (Matthew 1:1), “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” The expression, “The book of the genealogy” in the Greek text reads, somewhat literally, “the book of the genesis of Jesus Christ.” It is nearly identical to the toledot headings that we have seen in our study of Genesis. Matthew’s words intentionally to point us to the Genealogy of Adam through Seth found Genesis 5, “This is the book of the genealogy of Adam…” (Gen. 5:1). Matthew phrases it this way for the same purpose that John introduces his Gospel with words that echo Genesis 1:1 (John 1:1), “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John links our Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of his Gospel to Genesis 1 to show that Christ is the Word who created the heavens and the earth. Matthew links his Gospel to the genealogies of Genesis to show that Jesus Christ is the promised seed who was promised and prophesied throughout the Old Testament.
Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus begins with Abraham; flows through David; and ends with Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus. Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham who would bless the nations (Gen. 22:18). He is the Son of David who would rule on his throne forever (2 Sam. 7:12). Then in the birth narrative, Matthew reveals further who this unique child is.
In Matthew 1:18, we read, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows …” (Matthew 1:18a).
Here is the Christmas story inspired by the Holy Spirit from the pen of Matthew. It reminds us very simply and yet very profoundly of scripture’s answer to the question, “What child is this?” It is my plan this morning is to simply share the story—and, I hope, share it simply. And as we enjoy it together, may God the Holy Spirit renew our hearts with a sense of the wonder of our Savior’s birth; and a sense of gratitude for the love He has shown us in saving us from our sins.
Now; the story begins with,
1. An Awkward Situation (Matt. 1:18-19)
Matthew 1:18, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew presents the Christmas story here from the perspective of Joseph. We don’t know a lot about this man Joseph. Matthew has already given us his genealogy as a descendent of David through the line of the kings of Judah. We know from Luke that Joseph and Mary were from Nazareth, a small town in the area of Galilee. Matthew tells us (Matt. 2:23) that after the birth of Jesus, they eventually returned to live in Nazareth.
Matthew also informs us that he was betrothed to a young woman named Mary. A ‘betrothal’ back in those days was a very serious thing. It was more than just an engagement. Parents usually arranged marriages and secured them with a formal contract. After this, the couple would be referred to as husband and wife, although they did not live together or consummate the marriage until after a yearlong waiting period, during which the purity of the bride was to be demonstrated. And yet, Joseph discovered—before he and Mary had come together in marriage—that she was pregnant. What a blow this must have been to him! You can tell from what the Bible says about him that he loved Mary. No doubt he was deeply wounded to think that the young woman he loved would do such a thing.
But there was a part of the story that Joseph didn’t know. And to fully appreciate the whole story, we need to look backward a few months in time; back to the event that is told to us in the Gospel of Luke. Luke 1 tells us how this young woman Mary was in Nazareth God sent the angel Gabriel to her (Luke 1:26). He told her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” (Luke 1:28).
This was a very significant greeting. The secret hope of every devout Jewish girl who grew up in the land of Israel, and especially of those who were of the lineage of King David, was that she might be the one chosen by God to give birth to the Messiah—the promised seed of the woman who would bruise the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15); the seed of Abraham who would bless all the nations (Gen. 22:18); and the seed of David who would reign forever (2 Sam. 7:12). The angel Gabriel now comes to Mary of Nazareth, telling her that it is indeed she who is this ‘most blessed’ among women!
Gabriel went on to say to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).
In shock at this news Mary asked “How can this be”—since she had no relations with a man (Luke 1:34). Then Gabriel told her perhaps the greatest and holiest mystery in all of God’s universe (Luke 1:35), “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” This is the truth of the virgin birth: God the Holy Spirit caused Mary to become pregnant without the use of a man; and that the Child she bore in her womb was the Son of God in human flesh. No natural union of a human husband and wife ever could bring God into this world. Jesus had to have one human parent or He would not have shared our humanity. But through the superintendence of the Holy Spirit in the virgin birth, Jesus was able to be born as fully human and yet the sinless “Holy One” who is the “Son of God.”
Gabriel then told Mary that her relative Elizabeth was also miraculously pregnant in her old age, and was already six months along in bearing the child who would be known as John the Baptist (Luke 1:36). “For with God,” Gabriel said, “nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37).
Mary believed what the angel told her and said (Luke 1:38), “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And with that, the angel departed from her; and Mary herself went away to see her relative Elizabeth who confirmed the message of the angel (Luke 1:41-45). Mary stayed with her three months before returning home to Nazareth (Luke 1:56) just in time for her pregnancy to begin showing. Matthew 1:18 takes us forward to that time when, “she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”
Now we return to Joseph. His bride-to-be had been away for a few months’ time; and now Mary had returned to Nazareth with a child growing in her womb. Did Mary tell him about the angel’s message when she returned to Nazareth? If so, it seems that Joseph had a hard time believing it. In Matthew 1:19, we’re told, “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.”
We learn several things about Joseph from that verse. First, that he was “a just man”. The word “just” can also be translated “righteous”; and this would be telling us that Joseph was not guilty of any wrongdoing or any impropriety with Mary. The child was not his. Second, it informs us that Joseph was a faithful man. He believed in and faithfully followed God’s commandments. He knew that, if Mary bore a child from another man, then she could not be his wife (Deut. 22:13-29). He had to end the engagement and put her away from himself. Thirdly, this also indicates that Joseph was a merciful and kind man. He did not want to add to her sorrow or shame or suffering. And so, he intended to put an end to their relationship in a private way—so as not to further humiliate her.
So Joseph is left with a tough choice in an awkward situation. But God is still in control and shows His grace to Joseph in:
2. An Angelic Visitation (Matt. 1:20-21)
We read in Matthew 1:20,
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
Joseph was still mulling over his options when an angel comes to him in a dream. Was it Gabriel—the very same angel who brought this remarkable news to Mary? Possibly. Notice first what the angel called Joseph. Said to him, “Joseph, son of David.” From Matthew 1:1-17 we know that Joseph had royal blood flowing through his veins as a descendant of King David and an heir to the royal promises that God had given to David almost a thousand years before. God had promised David (2 Sam. 7:12-14a),
“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.”
Joseph had inherited that promise; and the unborn child of the woman Joseph married would also inherit that promise.
Second, notice that the angel told Joseph “do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife” (Matt. 1:20). This was an assurance that Joseph would not be guilty of any wrongdoing in taking her as his wife. He would not violate the commandments of God in doing so. She had not committed sin in her pregnancy and he would be justified in marrying her.
It may be that Joseph—like Mary—wondered how such a thing could be. And so, finally, notice that the angel explains what had occurred to Mary, “for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”
And then the angel told Joseph even more (Matt. 1:21): “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
The angel gave Joseph the responsibility of naming the Child. This is not insignificant! This indicates to us that, along with taking Mary to himself as wife, he would also fully take the Child she bore to himself as his own. For when a man officially gave a child a name, it was an act that indicated his full acceptance of that child as his own. All of the promises from God that Joseph had inherited—all of the rights of royalty through the lineage of King David—would then be passed on to the Child in Mary’s womb.
But Joseph didn’t choose the name of the child, his Father did. The name was given to Joseph by God through the angel. It was the very same name that Gabriel told Mary to name Him months before (Luke 1:31). In Hebrew, it’s the name Yeshua—or as we would say in English, “Joshua”. In the Greek language, it’s the name Iesous—or as we know it in English, “Jesus”. The name means “Yahweh Saves” or “the Lord is salvation”. The angel explains the meaning: “for He will save His people from their sins.”
That name is saying that the Lord, Yahweh, would save His people. But it is also saying more: that this promised Child Himself would save His people from their sins. That’s why He was given that name—“Yahweh Saves”. This child is Yahweh Himself who saves from sin. This Child is God in human flesh, and that He would be the One who saves His people from their sins.
How would this child save from sin? The only way that Jesus could save us from our sins was to live the sinless life which God demands and then to offer Himself as the perfect substitute to pay the penalty that we deserved. He saves us through His death and resurrection. 1 Peter 3:18 states this truth clearly, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.” The second verse of Dix’s carol, “What Child Is This?” says,
Nails, spear shall pierce him through,
the cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word-made-flesh,
the babe, the son of Mary!
This is the message of Christmas. Jesus came to save by His death and resurrection. Jesus said (John 10:9), “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” But Jesus only saves those who come to Him by faith. He said to the Jews of His day (John 8:24), “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” Either we trust in Jesus who died for our sins or we ourselves will die in our sins.
So an awkward situation led to an angelic visitation which finally told of,
3. A Christmas Incarnation (Matt. 1:22-25)
Matthew confirms the truth of Christ’s incarnation in the next verses (Matt. 1:22-23),
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Matthew proves the incarnation of Jesus Christ by showing that it is the fulfillment of scripture. Our Savior’s conception in the womb of Mary was the fulfillment of a promise from God. Matthew quotes from the prophet Isaiah—who wrote 750 years before Jesus was born in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” The word “virgin” can simply mean a young woman; and this specific prophecy had immediate application to a woman living in Isaiah’s time. But here, in the Gospel of Matthew, we are made to know that this prophecy had a greater meaning. Its ultimate fulfillment was found in the fact that th virgin Mary—without the aid of a man—bore Jesus in her womb by the Holy Spirit. Just a short time after this prophecy, in Isaiah 9:6-7, the prophet tells us more about the promised child:
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this (Isaiah 9:6-7).
This is the meaning of the name Immanuel; He is God with us. That is literally who Jesus is. He is God come to earth to be with us. He is the eternal Son of God clothed in human flesh—conceived in the womb of Mary—born into the human family to be God with us. Because He is “Immanuel,” “God with us,” He is able to truly be “Jesus” for us, “Yahweh Saves”. He is God our Savior.
Joseph must have known that this was more than just a dream. He acted, it seems, without delay. Matthew 1:24 tells us, “Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife.” God, in His mercy, did not leave either Mary or her holy Child without an earthly protector and provider. What a great responsibility Joseph had! But what a great honor! And in the last verse, we’re told this final word about Joseph; that he took Mary as his wife, “and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.”
He kept his wife a virgin until the time that the Child was born; so that the testimony would be preserved that our Savior truly was born of a virgin, and that He truly had been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and that He truly was the Son of God.
The final verse of Dix’s carol says,
So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh;
come, peasant, king, to own him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
let loving hearts enthrone him.
Raise, raise the song on high;
the virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
the babe, the son of Mary!
Whether you are a peasant or a king, the manger is for all sinners because the cross is for all sinners. What love! What grace! It calls for worship, to declare in awe and wonder, “What child is this?”
