The Arrival of the King

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.

“birth” is the same word as genealogy in 1:1. 1:1 is His human legal genealogy and 1:18 is His divine genealogy or “genesis.”

Mary would have probably been between the ages of twelve and fourteen (sixteen at the oldest), Joseph perhaps between eighteen and twenty; their parents likely arranged their marriage, with Mary and Joseph’s consent. Premarital privacy between betrothed persons was permitted in Judea but apparently frowned upon in Galilee, so Mary and Joseph may well not have had any time alone together at this point.

There are a number of miraculous births mentioned in the OT but nothing like the virgin birth of Jesus.

The Greeks and many other cultures have fantastic, lustful, bazaar stories of gods (Usually Zeus) impregnating women resulting in offspring who were demigods with mystical powers.

But the account of the birth of Jesus is pure and is written in simple narrative that is very straightforward. His account is true history not bazaar fantasy.

Jesus 2 natures, human nature added to already existing divine nature. His conception is miraculous, that is it steps outside the natural, physical, scientific realm, but it was not fantastic in sense that it was a juicy story written to captivate and entertain the readers.

2. The Merciful Duty (19)

1. The Surprising Discovery

2. The Merciful Duty

Matthew 1:19 NASB95

19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

The penalty for adultery under Old Testament law was death by stoning, and this penalty applied to infidelity during betrothal as well

Deuteronomy 22:23–24 NASB95

23 “If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl, because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.

In New Testament times, Joseph would have merely been required to divorce Mary and expose her to shame; the death penalty was rarely if ever executed for this offense. (Betrothals were so binding that if a woman’s fiancé died, she was considered a widow; betrothals could otherwise be terminated only by divorce.) But a woman with a child, divorced for such infidelity, would be hard pressed ever to find another husband, leaving her without means of support if her parents died.

But because divorces could be effected by a simple document with two witnesses, Joseph could have divorced her without making her shame more widely known.

How would you have responded to Mary and Joseph’s situation if you had heard about it? What would you have said to you friends and what scenarios would you have made up in your mind? I wonder also how I would have treated Mary and Joseph if lived then and met them in the market.

We would be wise to condemn possible sin but be compassionate and gentle to the sinner. That was Joseph’s response. Though he must have been hurting at the supposed betrayal, he showed both righteousness and gentleness.

3. The Clarifying Dream (20-21)

1. The Surprising Discovery 2. The Merciful Duty

3. The Clarifying Dream

Matthew 1:20 NASB95

20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:21 NASB95

21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

“Son of David” – God reminds the humble carpenter of his kingly heritage. “Fear not, Joseph, rightful heir of David’s kingly throne, through whom the Messiah is to come.” Each of us needs this reminder also, “Fear not Christian, child of God; do not forget the dignity of your birth, your new birth.”

The name Jesus (Aramaic Yēshua˓, Greek Iēsous) means “God is salvation” in Hebrew or “Jehovah Saves” Parents often intended the names they gave children to have some meaning, but if God gave the name, it had special significance. He was to be a walking evangelistic sermon every time His mother called His name “come here Jehovah Saves!” Jewish readers in the first century would have understood this salvation to mean more than just personal forgiveness. They prayed for the day when God would deliver his people from the consequences of their sins—from subjugation beneath their enemies; many believed that this deliverance would occur when their people as a whole reformed and turned wholeheartedly to God. Jesus came to deliver his people from personal sin and thus to deliver them from judgment as well.

Like Joshua of the OT who, as a for-runner, led the people of Israel into the promised land, so the second Joshua would fulfill the promise to save Israel and lead them into the true promised land of forgiveness, and everlasting peace with God.

4. The Ancient Prediction

1. The Surprising Discovery 2. The Merciful Duty 3. The Informative Dream

4. The Ancient Prediction

Matthew 1:22 NASB95

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

Matthew 1:23 NASB95

23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”

The physical conception of Jesus was to be miraculous, but more spectacular than that was the divine, sinless nature of Jesus.

By the light of nature, we see God as a God above us; by the light of the law, we see him as a God against us; but by the light of the gospel, we see him as Immanuel, God with us, in our own nature, and (which is more) in our interest. -S. Lewis Johnson – significance of “translated”

5. The Obedient Dad

1. The Surprising Discovery 2. The Merciful Duty 3. The Informative Dream 4. The Ancient Prediction

5. The Obedient Dad

Matthew 1:24 NASB95

24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife,

Matthew 1:25 NASB95

25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

Extraordinary direction like this we are not now to expect; but God has still ways of making known his mind in doubtful cases, by hints of providence, debates of conscience, and advice of faithful friends; by each of these, applying the general rules of the written word, we should, therefore, in all the steps of our life, particularly the great turns of it, such as this of Joseph’s, take direction from God, and we shall find it safe and comfortable to do as he bids us. -Matthew Henry

Joseph, who lives with Mary but exercises self-control, thus provides a strong role model for sexual purity. Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Mt 1:18–25). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Note, That which is conceived of the Holy Ghost never proves abortive, but will certainly be brought forth in its season. What is of the will of the flesh, and of the will of man, often miscarries; but, if Christ be formed in the soul, God himself has begun the good work which he will perform; what is conceived in grace will no doubt be brought forth in glory.

Affirm this supernatural truth. It is not fiction for the fickle senses, but truth for troubled soul. God has reached down and interrupted the normal course of humanity’s hopeless lives with the birth of a child who is God in the flesh. He comes to our aid in person to save us

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