The Birth of the King
Christmas 2019 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 9 viewsJesus' miraculous conception and birth as recorded by Matthew.
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18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
last week we looked at Jesus’ human genealogy traced back through his adoptive father Joseph
recorded by Matthew in chapter 1:1-17
the conclusion:
Jesus is the only legitimate heir to the throne of David. (Mt 1:1-17)
Matthew devoted 17 verses to this
today we are going to look at Jesus’ divine genealogy
captured in just 1 verse!
captured in just 1 verse!
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
In his divine genealogy Matthew declares that Jesus was descended directly from God by a supernatural work of his Holy Spirit.
in his divine genealogy Matthew tells us that Jesus was descended directly from God by a miraculous work of his Holy Spirit
the fact that only one verse is dedicated to Jesus divine genealogy is a strong indicator this was not of human fabrication
anything fraudulent would have required all kinds of elaboration and detail to convince the victim!
anything that is true is self-evident
note what Matthew leaves out compared to Luke:
the visit of Gabriel to Mary to inform her of her being chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus
Mary’s visit to her aunt Elizabeth and her song of praise
the circumstances surrounding Joseph and Mary’s having to travel to Bethlehem where Jesus was born
the glorious announcement of the birth of Christ by the angels to the shepherds
Luke’s intent to give a complete account vs Matthew’s intent to highlight the coming of the prophesied son of David who would establish a never ending kingdom
- declaration that Jesus is the Christ, the one chosen by God and prophesied in the OT
- proof Jesus was both the son of David and the son of Abraham
essential in light of God’s covenants with them that the One chosen by God would come from them
- proof that this Son of Abraham and Son of David was also the Son of God
essential if he was to be the promised Saviour
when Christ was born the nations of the world had not idea of the history changing significance of what happened
the angels of heaven on the other hand broke forth in glorious praise and worship of the newborn king before the lowly shepherds
Jesus’ birth signalled deliverance from sin for humankind
“he will save his people from their sins” ()
Jesus descended from heaven in full awareness of his mission to be the Saviour of the world
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”
Jesus knew he was entering the world to be the one true sacrifice for sin
his birth and his body had been specifically prepared for this purpose
essential if he was to have a never ending rule and kingdom
he would die for the sins of the world and he willingly came to do so
this was the whole point of his birth, his taking on flesh, to die in the place of repentant, believing sinners
the importance of Christmas is not so much that Jesus came, but why he came
no one would be saved from their sins by his birth, or his sinless life, or his amazing miracles
a price had to be paid for our sins, someone had to die, and only a perfect man, God in the flesh, could accomplish this vital work
Jesus’ ultimate purpose in coming to the earth as a baby was to save people from their sins
his soft little hands were made so that nails would be driven through them
his baby feet unable to walk, would one day support his body as he staggered to his cross
his sweet infant’s head with sparkling eyes and hungry mouth would someday have a crown of thorns beaten down upon it
his tender body, wrapped in swaddling cloths would one day be torn open by whip and spear
Jesus was born to die
now don’t listen to this and think to yourself, “how depressing, this is robbing me of my joy”
Jesus’ death was not a senseless tragedy!
it represents the greatest victory ever accomplished in the history of the world!
9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
as we bask in the joy of Jesus’ birth let us not make the mistake of keeping him as a baby in the manger
remember that his birth was simply the first step in God’s glorious plan of salvation
keep in mind that it is the triumph of Jesus’ sacrificial death which gives meaning to his supernatural birth
Jesus’ Divine Genealogy
Jesus’ Divine Genealogy
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
“now”
a signal to the reader that Matthew is transitioning from the royal and racial genealogy in vv.1-17
compare v.1 - “the genealogy of Jesus Christ” to v.18 “now the birth of Jesus Christ”
“birth”
from the same Gk root as “genealogy”
Matthew is giving another account of Jesus’ ancestry
Matthew traces Jesus’ ancestry through 2 persons: Joseph and God.
put another way, Jesus’ ancestors include Abraham, David, Joseph and, most importantly, God
verses 18 & following a continuation of the genealogy of Jesus, explaining the origin of the the Messiah’s birth
answers the question, “of whom was the son of David and the son of Abraham was born?”
how did this long expected One arrive on the scene?
birth from the same Gk root as genealogy so we know that Matthew is giving another account of Jesus’ ancestry
Jesus’ ancestry is traced through 3 persons: Joseph, Mary and the HS
put another way, Jesus’ ancestors include Adam, Abraham, David, Joseph and, most importantly, God
carries on from the genealogy in vv.1-17
note the introduction in v.1 - “the genealogy of Jesus Christ”
verses 18 & following explain how the Saviour, the Messiah, the son of David and the son of Abraham was born
how did this long expected One arrive on the scene?
“the birth”
like every other child Jesus was born, but in a singularly special way
every child born into the world is a totally new creature
being eternal God, Jesus existed before Mary and Joseph and all of their earthly ancestors
if Jesus was conceived and born as any other baby, he could not have been God
for the Son of God to become flesh and enter the world it had to be in such a way that the curse of sin was not passed on to him
19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
“his mother Mary”
we already know that his adoptive father was one Joseph who was in the royal line of David
although Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus, as the husband of Mary he became Jesus’ adoptive father when he took Mary to be his wife
Jesus was born through an earthly mother without the cooperation of an earthly father
as such Jesus was entitled to all the same rights and privileges of a biological son
traces Jesus biological connection to David through Mary’s lineage
note the challenge of which appears at first glance to say that Joseph’s father was Heli, a contradiction of what Matthew says
“being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph” is either a parenthesis with Jesus being the “son of” or “grandson of” Heli
“Mary had been betrothed to Joseph”
Mary had been pledged to Joseph and as such was considered legally married.
Jewish tradition indicates that marriage typically happened for a male between 18 & 24 yrs and for a female between 12.5 and 15 yrs
betrothal occurred a year or more before the actual marriage
betrothal occurred a year or more before the actual marriage
marriage arranged by the families of the bride and groom
contract made and sealed with payment by the groom’s family to the bride’s father
helped cover marriage expenses
also a form of insurance in case the groom became dissatisfied with his wife and divorced her
once the contract was made the couple was legally bound to each other they were considered husband and wife even though the marriage ceremony and consummation had not yet taken place
contract could only be broken with a formal divorce (v.19)
“before they came together she was found to be with child”
During their betrothal period the requirement was that both Mary and Joseph would keep themselves sexually pure.
Mary would have remained in the home of her parents where she would have been watched over and kept for her marriage day
“she was found to be with child”
during that betrothal period, before she had been married, Mary’s pregnancy became obvious
it is likely, given the stigma of and penalty attached to pregnancy out of wedlock, that Mary secluded herself as her aunt Elizabeth had done () so that her condition was not widely known
after the contract had been made but before the marriage had taken place Mary was discovered to be pregnant
after the contract had been made but before the marriage had taken place Mary was discovered to be pregnant
a potential life and death situation! (; Dt 22:22)
sexual purity highly regarded in both Testaments
sexual purity highly regarded in both Testaments
God’s holy and good plan for sex: complete sexual abstinence outside of marriage and sexual fidelity within
though promised to each other they were not yet fully married
Mary remained in the home of her parents and had not yet been physically given into the hands of Joseph
the importance of Mary’s sexual purity:
though promised to each other they were not yet fully married
had Jesus been conceived as all other people have he could not have been divine and could not have been the Saviour
his own claims about himself would have been lies
his resurrection would have been a hoax
all humankind would remain lost in their sin and damed to hell
that Joseph took Mary as his wife though she was pregnant is also a strong indicator that appearance of the angel was true
no self-respecting man would marry a pregnant, sexually immoral woman
Joseph would have given some kind of valuable token or dowry to Mary’s parents in the presence of witnesses as an assurance that he would in fact marry her, the condition being that they both would keep themselves for each other
example of Jacob working 7 years for Rachel - the bride price
the sign that she was pregnant became obvious to Joseph
it is likely, given the stigma of and penalty attached to pregnancy out of wedlock, that Mary secluded herself as her aunt Elizabeth had done () so that her condition was not widely known
“she was found to be with child from the HS”
this was the explanation Mary gave to Joseph
not surprisingly, Joseph was not convinced!
Jesus’ Genealogies Threatened
Jesus’ Genealogies Threatened
19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
“a just man”
3 possibilities:
an upright man, a man of character, one obedient to the commands of God
kind or compassionate
good
Joseph’s choices:
either bring charges against her in a public court or divorce her quietly in the presence of 2 or 3 witnesses
1. bring charges against her in a public court
although the punishment Deuteronomy for adultery was death by stoning it is likely this was no longer practiced at that time
public shame seems like nothing in comparison to the death penalty but in that culture it was like a living death
a stigma never forgotten
2. or end their betrothal privately in the presences of 2 witnesses, in order to spare Mary and her family the public shame and embarrassment
The answer as to what motivated Joseph, justice or compassion, is given in the phrase, “and unwilling to put her to shame”.
if justice and the commands of God were Joseph’s motivation, he would have exposed Mary and left her and her family to suffer the consequences
that he was unwilling to put her to shame shows that Joseph was a man of kindness and compassion
Joseph was a godly young man (late teens or early twenties)
as a just man Joseph knew it was improper to marry an adulteress as the mother of his future children
just as Mary had been specifically chosen by the Lord because of her godly character, so also was Joseph!
note v.20 where he is addressed as the son of David!
going ahead with the betrothal and marriage would have implied his own violation of purity
either bring charges against her in a public court or divorce her quietly in the presence of 2 or 3 witnesses
although the punishment Deuteronomy for adultery was death by stoning it is likely that was no longer practiced at that time
public shame seems like nothing in comparison but in that culture it was brutal
being a kind and compassionate man he did not want to put Mary and her family through the ordeal of a public trial and so chose a private divorce
in his mind if he married her everyone would have concluded he was the father
if he divorced her publicly she might have been put to death
and so Matthew tells us, Joseph “resolved to divorce her quietly”
Joseph “resolved to divorce her quietly”
Joseph was a godly young man (late teens or early twenties)
he made up his mind to end their relationship without making it a public event
just as Mary had been specifically chosen by the Lord so also was Joseph!
note v.20 where he is addressed as the son of David!
there is no indication that Joseph was angry, resentful or bitter
though he had been shamed his concern was not for his honour but for Mary’s and her family
though many men would have disgraced her publicly he resolved to end the marriage secretly
rather than make her condition public and bring great shame upon her and her family he purposed not to exact revenge
without Joseph, Jesus’ connection to the royal line would have been lost
without Joseph, Mary would have been considered an adulterer and her baby, illegitimate
without Joseph Jesus’ life and ministry would have ended before he was even born!
Mt 1:
Jesus’ Divine Genealogy Affirmed by the Holy Spirit
Jesus’ Divine Genealogy Affirmed by the Holy Spirit
20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
“behold”
Matthew’s cue to his readers that something extraordinary was about to be revealed
it was as if he were saying, “pay attention!” or “take note of this!”
“an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream”
this “messenger” was sent by God to speak directly to Joseph about his decision to divorce Mary quietly
This appearance of the angel of the Lord to Joseph was the first of 4! (, , )
although some might have doubted the first appearance, the subsequent 3 appearance gave Joseph certain assurance that Mary’s pregnancy was indeed brought about by the Holy Spirit and not some sinful act
compare appearances to Mary and Joseph to Samson’s mother and father!
“Joseph, son of David”
as outlined in the genealogy Matthew presented in vv. 2-17
it was God’s will that Jesus become a legitimate descendant of King David
therefore God impressed on Joseph that he had been specifically chosen just as much as Mary had
As the “son of David”, Joseph was to become Jesus’ legal father and so entitle him to the throne of David.
contrast with Luke’s which also seems to provide Joseph’s genealogy
traces Jesus biological connection to David through Mary’s lineage
note the challenge of which appears at first glance to say that Joseph’s father was Heli, a direct contradiction of what Matthew says in 1:16
some have used this as proof the bible cannot be trusted
those who are committed to the inerrancy of scripture based on the testimony of scripture seek to resolve the apparent contradiction
“being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph” is a parenthesis with focus on Jesus being the “son of” or “grandson of” Heli
Joseph’s obedience also served to protect Mary and Jesus from shameful accusations
Luke’s genealogy is one that adheres to the law and therefore has no mention of females
Matthew’s genealogy focuses on theological themes and thus was not bound by Luke’s constraints
and so the angel’s message to Joseph was “do not fear to take Mary as your wife”
“do not fear to take Mary as your wife”
Joseph was very doubtful about continuing his relationship with Mary
as a godly young man he could not turn a blind eye to Mary’s immoral behaviour
how could he marry her without sharing in the evil of her crime?
his dilemma:
if he ended the marriage there would be great shame and possibly death for Mary
if he continued there would be great shame for him and Mary and their families
in that state of fearful weighing of his options the angel came with reassuring words
compare the messages given to Joseph vs. Mary
Joseph:
Joseph, son of David
do not fear
that which is conceived is of the HS
the baby will be a boy
“for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit”
his name to be Jesus for he will save
Mary:
O favoured one
the Lord is with you
the reason Mary had given to Joseph for her pregnancy was confirmed by the angel of the Lord
do not be afraid
you have found favour with God
you will conceive and bear a son
his name to be Jesus for he will be great, will be called the Son of the Most High, he will reign over the house of Jacob, his kingdom will have no end
he will be called holy, the Son of God
“she shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus”
he will save his people from their sins
from the Hebrew Joshua - God is Saviour
“he shall save his people from their sins”
those to whom Christ is sent are lost
they are under the wrath and condemnation of God
being sinners they are under the just and holy sentence of eternal death and separation from God
being slaves of sin and destitute of true righteousness they were devoted to destruction
the salvation Jesus was to brought was both spiritual and physical
spiritually, he brought the forgiveness of sins
by being our sin bearer
physically, he restored Israel to a right relationship with God
The salvation Jesus brought is more than just the forgiveness of sins, it is the removal of the enmity between God and humankind.
reconciliation is in view, or peace with God
the wrath and sentence of death which hung over the heads of sinners was removed for those who are saved
“he will save his people”
this is the doctrine of election and predestination
before time and creation the Father purposed whom he would save and promised them to his Son
at that point they became “his people”
how do you know whether you are one of “his people”?
by repenting of your sins and believing on Jesus as your Saviour and your Master
how do we know the appearance of the angel to Jospeh was real?
that Joseph took Mary as his wife though she was pregnant is also a strong indicator that appearance of the angel was true
no godly man would marry a pregnant, sexually immoral woman
Joseph would have given some kind of valuable token or dowry to Mary’s parents in the presence of witnesses as an assurance that he would in fact marry her, the condition being that they both would keep themselves for each other
example of Jacob working 7 years for Rachel - the bride price
Jesus’ Divine Genealogy Affirmed by Scripture
Jesus’ Divine Genealogy Affirmed by Scripture
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
Mt 1:22
Matthew highlights the connection between the angel’s words to Joseph and Isaiah’s prophecy 750 years before.
a quotation of when God told King Ahaz that he would deliver his people from the power of their enemies by destroying Israel and Syria by the hand of the Assyrians
to counter Ahaz’ unbelief God gave a sign that he would surely keep and protect his people, even in the face of what seemed impossible odds
God was saying that he would personally be with them to help and protect them
fulfillment of prophecy another proof Jesus was who he claimed to be
over 300 prophecies fulfilled by Jesus
made over thousands of years by people who didn’t know each other and didn’t know what each other said
so also the Lord Jesus was a flashing neon sign to Israel that God was still with them
we see this in what Simeon said to Mary when she brought Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised
34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed
35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Lk 2:34-
for the most part Jesus was rejected as God’s sign
as God’s sign Jesus would serve as a kind of lightning rod
by their rejection of Jesus they would show themselves to be children of the devil
by their submission to Jesus they would show themselves to be children of God
Jesus’ Divine Mission Affirmed
Jesus’ Divine Mission Affirmed
24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,
25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
“he took his wife”
to take or lead someone apart from general association for a particular purpose
Joseph took the next step after betrothal and was married to Mary
to take aside v. — to take or lead someone apart from general association for a particular purpose.
“knew her not”
Joseph did not consummate the marriage until after Mary had given birth to the Lord Jesus
“he called his name Jesus”
naming at that time had much more significance than it does today
a belief that the name said something true about the child and its mission in life
Joseph and Mary’s child was named Jesus because he was God’s appointed Saviour of his people.
when Christ was born the nations of the world had no idea of the history changing significance of what happened
the angels of heaven on the other hand broke forth in glorious praise and worship of the newborn king before the lowly shepherds
Jesus’ miraculous birth signalled deliverance from sin and death for any and all who would repent and believe in him. ()
“he will save his people from their sins” ()
Jesus descended from heaven in full awareness of his mission to be the Saviour of the world
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”
Jesus knew he was entering the world to be the one true sacrifice for sin
his birth had been planned from before creation
his body had been specifically prepared for this purpose
he would die for the sins of the world and he willingly took on flesh in order to do so
this was the whole point of his birth, his taking on flesh, to die in the place of sinners
the importance of Christmas is not so much that Jesus came, but why he came
no one is saved from their sins by his birth, or his sinless life, or his amazing miracles
a price had to be paid for our sins
someone had to die and only a perfect man, God in the flesh, could accomplish this vital work
and only a perfect man, God in the flesh, could accomplish this vital work
Jesus’ ultimate purpose in coming to the earth as a baby was to save his people from their sins
his soft little hands were made so that nails would be driven through them
his baby feet unable to walk, would one day support his body as he staggered to his cross
his sweet infant’s head with sparkling eyes and hungry mouth would someday have a crown of thorns beaten down upon it
his tender body, wrapped in swaddling cloths would one day be torn open by whip and spear
Jesus was born to die
now don’t listen to this and think to yourself, “how depressing, this is robbing me of my joy”
Jesus’ death was not a senseless tragedy!
Jesus’ death and resurrection was the greatest victory ever accomplished in the history of the world! (, 14-15)
9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
as we bask in the joy of Jesus’ birth let us not make the mistake of keeping him as a baby in the manger
remember that his birth was simply the first step in God’s glorious plan of salvation
It is the triumph of Jesus’ sacrificial death which gives meaning to his supernatural birth!