Matthew 1:18-25

A Miracle Birth

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. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 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. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 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.” Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25

1. (Matthew 1:18) In This verse we read that six months after Mary’s (cousin or aunt) Elizabeth conceived John (Luke 1:5-25) that she was visited by an angel and told that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and she will conceive a Child (Luke 1:26-38). And that Child, “will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.”

1. Child will be called;

1. Jesus ------------------ Savior

2. Immanuel ------------ God with us

3. Christ ----------------- Anointed

2. Miraculous Births Announced in Scriptures;

1. Isaac (Abraham & Sarah) Genesis 15:4; Genesis 17:19 and 21; Genesis 18:10

2. Samson (Manoa & Zalalponith) Judges 13:3-5

3. Samuel (Elkanah 2 wives Peninnah and Hannah) Eli High priest 1 Samuel 1:1-28

4. John the Baptist (Elizabeth & Zacharias) Luke 1:5-25

5. Jesus (Mary & Joseph) Matthew 1:18-25;Luke 1:26-38

3. Jewish tradition for engagements;

1. The parents, or a confidential friend, of the bridegroom chose the bride Genesis 24; Genesis 21:17-21; Genesis 38:6

2. They were considered to be married to a degree Deuteronomy 20:7

3. Under Jewish tradition it was the Bridegroom who was the center of attention. Unlike the modern western tradition that makes a big fuss over the bride. Thus we have the reason for Christ constantly referring to Himself as the bridegroom. It is us who are the lucky ones, not Him.

4. All communication between the couple was carried on through the friend of the bridegroom and the Bridesmaid. John 3:29

4. The allusion is to a custom among the Jews, who, at their marriages, used to have as companions that attended each, they were usually very trusted friends. There were two of these, one for the bride, and another for the bridegroom. All communication between bride and groom went through these confidants.

5. Joseph’s rights under the Mosaic Law

1. Joseph could have accused her of not being virgin. He then could take her to the elders of the city and if they judged her guilty her punishment was, as with all adultery, death by stoning. Deuteronomy 22:13-24

2. If the bridegroom did not want to go through with the marriage, he could divorce her ("put her away") by a bill of divorcement Deuteronomy 24:1

3. He could still marry her

2. (Matthew 1:19-21) In these verses we read that Joseph was a just man and so upon learning his bride was with child, he decided to quietly divorce her. However, that night when he pondered and meditated on his decision (I am sure he probably prayed for guidance from God) and so an angel of the Lord visits him. The angel informs Joseph, that Mary has conceived from the Holy Spirit and that the Child shall, “save His people from their sins”.

1. Notice the different way Joseph handled the situation compared to the way we learned last week how Judah handled the pregnancy of Tamar his daughter-in-law. Unlike Judah who proclaimed in haste that Tamar should be brought forward and burned for her sin of harlotry.

 Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, "Your  daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also  with child by harlotry." Then Judah said, "Bring her out and let her be burned!"

Genesis 38:24

2. How different was the spirit that Joseph displayed, from that of Judah? 

3. We see from the two different reactions that regardless of how bad a situation looks or how we may think we may know what to do it is always best to slow down and ask for guidance from our Father in heaven. We do not make rash judgements as Judah did, rather we should be like Joseph and look for our Father to lead us.

1. An Angel of the LORDS message was as follows

 

"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. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."

4. The A Message from God

1. Holy Spirit of God has chosen Her to Glorify Him

2. She shall have a son

3. His name will be Jesus

1. Greek word for Jesus is Joshua, Jeshua, or Jehoshua

2. Jesus means

1. “Salvation of Jehovah"

2. Savior or Deliverer

3. Jesus is His name while Christ is His Title

4. He will Redeem His people from sin 

1. A ransom for his kinsman from bondage to the foreigner Leviticus 25:47-49

2. Man sold himself to Satan's bondage; In time Jesus would pay the ransom with his precious blood 1 Peter 1:18-19

3. (Matthew 3:22-23) Joseph is told that Jesus will fulfill the promises made by God through the prophets

 

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.”

1. Prophecies about the coming Messiah, Jesus The Christ

1. The woman and her seed Genesis 3:15

2. To be born of a virgin and His name will be Emanuel “God with us” Isaiah 7:14

3. The Christ to be born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2

4. Malachi 4:5 (A Forerunner of His Birth) John the Baptist (John 1:23) “I am the voice crying in the wilderness”.

5. Names he was prophesied to be called

1. Jesus; 546 times this name is alluded to for the Messiah is used in the OT

2. Christ; means Anointed or Messiah throughout OT

3. Lord; 174 times this name is alluded to for our Savior

4. Emmanuel; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 8:8

5. King; throughout the OT He is referred to as God's anointed King

6. Governor; Psalm 22:28; Jeremiah 30:21; Zechariah 9:7

7. Son; The most frequent use for the Second Person of the Trinity

8. A Nazarene or a Nazarite; Isaiah 53:2-3, 

1. At the time of Christ the people of Nazareth had a bad reputation, thus Nathanael’s statement to Philip (“Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”).

Philip *found Nathanael and *said to him, “We have  found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip *said to him, “Come and see.”

John 1:54-46

9. Wonderful; Isaiah 9:6

10. Counselor; Isaiah 9:6

11. Mighty God; Isaiah 9:6

12. Everlasting Father; Isaiah 9:6

13. Father of Peace; Isaiah 9:6

4. (Matthew 1:24-25) 

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, but kept her as a virgin until after she gave birth to a Son. And he called His name Jesus

1. In the closing verses we learn that Joseph obeyed the Lord and took Mary as his wife, 

1. However, he did not know her intimately until after she gave birth. 

1. Matthew 1:25 dispels the notion of some that Mary was a virgin until her death.

2. It says “but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son”. 

3. It does not say she stayed a virgin.