Sermon Tone Analysis
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I) *Matthew 1:18-25 Jesus’ Divine Heritage*
A) File: matthew 1 jesus’ divine heritage.doc
B) Audio: Jesus’ Divine Heritage
C) Series: Matthew
D) Preached: September 23, 2007
II) *Introduction: Matthew:* (Levi) Matthew 9:9
A) Jesus (Joshua) – Yahweh is Salvation
B) Christ – Anointed One
C) Son of David
D) Son of Abraham
III) *The Problem of the Virgin Birth*
A) Not a problem for Biblical Christianity or Judaism:
1) Old Testament miraculous births:
(a) Isaac born to Abraham and Sarah
(b) Samson born to Manoah’s barren wife
(c) Samuel born to barren Hannah
(d) and New Testament: JTB born to barren Elizabeth
2) God who spoke everything into existence
(a) man from dust and breath of life (Gen.
1:7).
(b) a powerful God who interacts with creation.
B) Not a problem for believers in the Bible – a healthy belief endorsed by prophecy.
C) But a problem for:
1) Those who do not believe
2) Those who do not want to believe
D) Recent denial of all miracles
1) Including Virgin Birth and Jesus’ claims to deity.
2) Scientific age – must be a ‘natural’ explanation.
3) Accusation of invention by the early church
E) Some that hold this view will say there were other similar accounts before Jesus:
IV) *The Parallels of the Virgin Birth*
A) Similar stories before Christ:
1) Romans: Zeus father Dionysus without contact
2) Babylonians: Tammuz conceived by a sunbeam
3) Samarian king, Tukulti II: wrote that gods created him in the womb of his mother
4) Sennacherib: goddess of procreation superintended his conception
5) Even Alexander the Great: A legend that Zeus impregnated his mother, Olympias, by a snake.
B) Because these stories existed before Christ: Critics will argue that the early disciples invented the story based on these pagan myths – but no gain for disciples to die for this truth!
C) Arguing that the virgin birth of Christ is invalid because similar stories exist is an invalid argument.
1) But, most likely, it is evidence that our minds can conceive of such an idea – maybe even have such an idea implanted in our minds to which our consciences’ can bear witness.
2) It may point to a supernatural plot to discredit the truth.
(a) Explanation: Satan understood the prophecies – corruption before flood, Abraham’s trouble, line of David, to create confusion with these other tales.
3) Possibility – God allowed these stories to increase our receptivity to the idea.
D) Since no credibility to any of these parallels, let’s look at the biblical account:
V) *The Presentation of the Virgin Birth.*
Does the Bible really say?
A) Matthew and Luke – crystal clear.
1) *Verse 16* – a break in the pattern ‘begat’ to “Joseph the husband of Mary, to whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.”
Begat not= gave birth to – can be used of a man.
same in Old Testament.
(a) First clue: Matthew had a clear pattern and broke it.
(b) Is he not the line of David?
Joseph is legal father – inheritance goes to Jesus – name of family, David, Judah, also.
(c) Jews would recognize this – Jesus was of the house of David legally because of Joseph.
(d) Luke covers the other base: Presents Mary as a descendant of David.
More for Greeks.
2) *Verse 18* – “before they came together” and again in *verse 25,* “[he] knew her not until she had given birth to…Jesus.”
3) *Verse 23* – The word translated ‘virgin.’
It could only refer to a woman that had not had sexual relations.
True of all 14 occurrences in the New Testament.
All 14 translated as ‘virgin’ in the KJV.
(a) Used in Isaiah 7:14 in LXX to translate a Hebrew word that also means /virgin/.
70 scholars agreed.
(b) Luke uses the same word of Mary twice.
(c) So if she is clearly a virgin – whose Son is He?
4) *Verses 18, 20 – *The child was of the Holy Spirit.
(a) Though he was to be named “Jesus” he was to be known as “Immanuel which means, God with us.”
(b) He was conceived of God and was, in fact, God in the flesh!
B) *Conclusion*: Matthew went through great trouble to show that Jesus was not begotten of man but was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born to a woman.
1) No other interpretation – Jesus was not Joseph’s child.
2) Jesus Christ is clearly presented as having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin.
VI) *The Prophecies of the Virgin Birth*
A) *Verse 23*: *Isa.
7:14*.
Context: King Ahaz fearing destruction of Jerusalem by Assyria and Isaiah brings word from God that the line of David will not be cut off by Syria and Israel.
1) Context – all of Isa.
7-9 the same discourse.
2) The sign would be that a virgin will give birth to one whom people shall call “Immanuel.”
3) Same context, same person, *Isa.
9:6-7*.
(a) This coming Messiah must be divine: rules from the throne of David forever.
called “Mighty God”
(i) God has never allowed anyone else to be called God
B) Other prophecies – *Psalm 2:7-9*.
(Acts 13:33; Heb.
1:5, 5:5) Never fulfilled in David.
1) Messiah clearly presented as one whose reign is eternal, who has God’s authority to judge, who has God’s power to conquer, who has God’s personal endorsement as ‘begotten son’!
C) The prophecies paint a picture of a coming prince, a Messiah, who would bring the authority and power of God to dwell with us on earth.
But for what reason?
\\ VII) *The Purpose of the Virgin Birth*
A) *Verse 21*: Jesus’ name~/mission: to “save his people from their sins.”
Drowning people are generally not saved by other drowning people!
1) Atoning sacrifice: spotless lamb.
(a) even David – Ps 51:5 – conceived in iniquity
(b) Romans 5: Sin came through one man – Adam – and death through sin.
Through Adam’s one sin – death spread to all men.
(i) But Eve ate first.
But Adam had the law!
The Bible is clear – the trespass came through the man and is therefore passed on through the man.
(ii) This is why God sent Jesus in fulfillment of Gen. 3:15 as the seed of a woman.
An idea that did not make sense.
2) He was going to offer rebirth:
(a) He allows mankind to change spiritual heritage:
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