Rejoicing In the Savior’s Birth – Matthew 1:18-25
Rejoicing In the Savior’s Birth – Matthew 1:18-25
By Pastor Lee Hemen
December 16, 2007 AM
Each of the four Gospels begins differently in looking at the birth of Jesus. Matthew begins with Jesus’ family tree. Mark begins with a brief introduction followed by an account of John the Baptist’s ministry. Luke begins with the details of the Christmas story, focusing on Gabriel’s appearance to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, and to Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus. John’s Gospel starts with a more theological introduction about the Word becoming flesh (John 1:14). Both Matthew and Luke included genealogies of Jesus, but Luke did not include a genealogy until after the record of Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:23-38). While each is different view of Jesus’ birth, they all give us a fuller picture of the actual event.
People in our day and age look at the birth of Jesus differently also, but for different reasons than the gospel writers. Some think it is just a nice story that is related, kind of like the story of Santa and his elves at the North Pole. Others, see it as a myth or there are those who never think about it at all. Still others see the story of the birth of Jesus as one of the most significant events in human history: The Savior of mankind coming to earth to free people from their sins. For those who do it is a time of remembering who Jesus is and rejoicing in the Savior’s birth.
READ: Matthew 1:18-25
As human beings we always want things to go the way we desire them to. But life does not always go the way we desire, does it? In fact, within the story of the birth of Jesus we discover…
I. A Disturbing Situation! (Matthew 1:18-19)
1. God ways are not our ways! Matthew had already mentioned “Joseph the husband of Mary” in (v. 16), but now we learn that Mary had been engaged to Joseph. So Matthew took his readers back in time. Joseph and Mary had not had sexual relations, but Joseph had learned that his fiancée was pregnant. Betrothal was a formal Jewish agreement initiated by a father seeking a wife for his son and accepted by another father who desired the marriage of his daughter. Betrothal was as legally binding as marriage itself for the Jews. Fidelity was required during the betrothal period as it was in marriage, because during this period the couple were regarded as husband and wife. This is why sexual relations and living together under one roof were not permitted until after the marriage ceremony. Therefore, Joseph could be referred to as Mary’s husband, but Matthew emphasized Mary’s pregnancy occurred before she and Joseph had sexual relations or before they came together. This would be shocking for the family because unfaithfulness during the betrothal period constituted adultery. Betrothal could be broken only by legal divorce. Yet, we discover that Joseph was a godly man. He did not want to disgrace Mary publicly. He wanted to help Mary avoid public humiliation. According to Jewish law, a husband who discovered his bride was not a virgin on their wedding night could bring an accusation against her (Deut. 22:13-21). If the bride were not a virgin, she could be stoned to death! So, because he cared deeply for Mary in spite of what appeared to be unfaithfulness on her part, Joseph decided to quietly divorce Mary, in the sense of an out-of-court settlement. But God had other plans for Mary, for her baby, and for Joseph. God used a disturbing situation as part of His ultimate plan for all mankind!
EXAMPLE: God can take a situation that seems hopeless and make it into a wonderful thing. We never know what God can do with a life that is totally devoted to Him no matter what the circumstance. Dennis J. De Haan wrote in the devotional Our Daily Bread: “Grant Murphy of Seattle was the active type, a man who ran at full throttle. Idling and coasting were not in his nature. "One might even call him hyperactive," recalled a dear friend.
Then multiple sclerosis began to slow Grant down. First he needed crutches to get around. Then he was limited to sitting in a chair. Finally he was confined to a bed.
Near the end, he was hardly strong enough to talk. His friend recalls, however, that "he expressed only joy and thankfulness with a constant anticipation of being in the Lord's presence." Not long before he died, Grant whispered Romans 15:13 to a friend. He repeated the words "in believing," then added, "I can't do anything now."
It's when we can't do anything that God does everything. And herein lies a profound paradox of the Christian's experience. Faith is simultaneously an exercise of our will and the impartation of divine strength. And from that marvelous mixture spring joy and peace and an abundance of hope.
Are you in a totally helpless situation? Strength gone? All options exhausted? If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, God will strengthen you to keep on believing. As you trust Him, He'll give you not only joy and peace, but also hope when all hope is gone.” Mary and Joseph were both caught in a disturbing situation that God could use. Are you?
Just when life sends us a bunch of lemons, it takes more than a lot of sugar to make lemonade. It takes some kind of direction for our lives. Within the story of the birth of Jesus we discover…
II. A Divine Direction (Matthew 1:20-23)
1. Following God means being willing to trust Him with the outcome! Before Joseph could follow through on his decision to divorce Mary, an angel appeared to him. God was in control of the situation and in fact the angel explained that Mary’s pregnancy was the result of the action of the Holy Spirit, not her unfaithfulness. This had to be a divine appointment for Joseph! Why? He had to understand why God would work in this way in both Joseph’s and Mary’s lives. Although the virgin conception of Jesus is a clear teaching of Scripture, it remains an ultimate divine mystery. We do not understand fully how it could happen, but we can accept God’s miraculous work. The angel announced that Mary’s Child should be named Jesus (Greek). This name means “the Lord saves” (literally, Yahweh saves) and is the same as the Hebrew name Joshua. Jesus’ name communicates His entire mission in life. He came to save us from our sins. Jesus’ conception and birth would fulfill Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah, the Anointed One to come. Matthew quoted Isaiah 7:14. The Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to understand Isaiah’s prophecy as messianic—about the birth of Jesus. Matthew recognized that Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled supremely and completely in Jesus. Isaiah’s prophecy included a reference to the Messiah as Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” Jesus’ mission involved demonstrating God’s special presence in human history. Jesus became human in every way like us but was without sin (Heb. 4:15). He is both fully God and fully man. God gave Joseph divine direction during a difficult time about his relationship to Mary and her unborn Son!
EXAMPLE: David H. Roper writes that “The gorse bush is a shrub that was imported from Europe and now grows wild in the Pacific Northwest. It has dense, dark green shoots, and in springtime it provides a dazzling display of fragrant, vibrant yellow flowers. But it's best known by hikers and fishermen for its vicious spines.
Remarkably, the flowers grow right out of the thorns.
Missionary and artist Lilias Trotter wrote, ‘The whole year round the thorn has been hardening and sharpening. Spring comes—the thorn does not drop off, it does not soften. There it is as uncompromising as ever, but half-way up appear two brown fuzzy balls, mere specks at first, that break at last—straight out of last year's thorn—into a blaze of golden glory.’”
So it is with our lives in Christ. “Just when our situation seems hopeless and hardest to bear, tiny signs of life appear that will soon burst into bloom. Take the toughest issue, the most difficult place. There, God in His grace can cause His beauty to be seen in you.” Just as God gave Joseph and Mary direction during a difficult time of their lives, so He can with you as well. The thorns of life may be tough now, but the blossoms of spring will appear. God wants to give you divine direction as well. Are you willing?
While every birth is special, especially to the parents. Some rank a little bit better than others in that the outcome produces something so grand as to almost be inexplicable. Within the story of the birth of Jesus we discover…
III. A Blessed Birth! (Matthew 1:24-25)
1. Jesus was and is more than a little baby born in a manger! Joseph obediently did exactly as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He did not divorce Mary; instead he took his wife home and loved her. We can only imagine what some of the local people must have thought about this couple, but they evidently did not care. They knew God had other plans for them and their baby. Matthew stated that Mary and Joseph did not have sexual relations until Jesus was born. The Gospel writers sometimes mention other members of the family. Mark 6:3, for example, refers to four brothers and some sisters. Mark 3:31 records that Mary and Jesus’ brothers came to see Him. We also know that his brothers James and Jude wrote two of the books of our Bible. Joseph followed the Lord’s guidance in marrying Mary, she gave birth to Jesus, the Savior of the world. It is interesting to note that Matthew did not report any resistance on Joseph’s part to the role that God had chosen for him. He too was content evidently to be God’s servant in this part of his life. At this Christmas season we should be open to God’s guidance in our lives. Christmas is such a busy season for most of us that we may not be sensitive to God’s message to us through a Sunday School lesson, through a musical program at church, through a drama, or through a chat with a friend. God probably will not send you or me a message via an angel or a dream, but He does give us direction for our lives in many other ways. What hinders you today in following what God has planned? Mary and Joseph were willing to follow God’s plan for their lives. In the blessed birth of Jesus we find eternal significance for our lives. Have you?
EXAMPLE: There seems to be a lot of “Secret Saints” for the Lord. Those who hide their faith and never allow it to be seen by others around them. This is different from those who could actually be persecuted for their faith. They have to consider the outcome of their outward actions. Should our service for the Lord always be out in the open for all to see? Or should it sometimes be kept secret to assure its success? This may seem like an irrelevant question to believers who enjoy religious freedom. But it's the kind of dilemma more and more people are facing as opposition to Christianity grows in our world today. Yet we find in the lives of those who were willing to openly follow their faith wherever and however it lead them, were always ultimately blessed because of doing so. Mary and Joseph could have suffered greatly for their decision to follow God instead of their fear of persecution. Jesus was and is more than a little baby born in a manger. He grew to be the Savior of the world. Within the story of the birth of Jesus we discover a blessed birth because of the willingness of a couple to follow their faith wherever it lead. Are you willing to?
Conclusion:
A disturbing situation, a divine direction, and a blessed birth.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
December 16, 2007 AM
Each of the four Gospels begins differently in looking at the birth of Jesus. Matthew begins with Jesus’ family tree. Mark begins with a brief introduction followed by an account of John the Baptist’s ministry. Luke begins with the details of the Christmas story, focusing on Gabriel’s appearance to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, and to Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus. John’s Gospel starts with a more theological introduction about the Word becoming flesh (John 1:14). Both Matthew and Luke included genealogies of Jesus, but Luke did not include a genealogy until after the record of Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:23-38). While each is different view of Jesus’ birth, they all give us a fuller picture of the actual event.
People in our day and age look at the birth of Jesus differently also, but for different reasons than the gospel writers. Some think it is just a nice story that is related, kind of like the story of Santa and his elves at the North Pole. Others, see it as a myth or there are those who never think about it at all. Still others see the story of the birth of Jesus as one of the most significant events in human history: The Savior of mankind coming to earth to free people from their sins. For those who do it is a time of remembering who Jesus is and rejoicing in the Savior’s birth.
READ: Matthew 1:18-25
As human beings we always want things to go the way we desire them to. But life does not always go the way we desire, does it? In fact, within the story of the birth of Jesus we discover…
I. A Disturbing Situation! (Matthew 1:18-19)
1. God ways are not our ways! Matthew had already mentioned “Joseph the husband of Mary” in (v. 16), but now we learn that Mary had been engaged to Joseph. So Matthew took his readers back in time. Joseph and Mary had not had sexual relations, but Joseph had learned that his fiancée was pregnant. Betrothal was a formal Jewish agreement initiated by a father seeking a wife for his son and accepted by another father who desired the marriage of his daughter. Betrothal was as legally binding as marriage itself for the Jews. Fidelity was required during the betrothal period as it was in marriage, because during this period the couple were regarded as husband and wife. This is why sexual relations and living together under one roof were not permitted until after the marriage ceremony. Therefore, Joseph could be referred to as Mary’s husband, but Matthew emphasized Mary’s pregnancy occurred before she and Joseph had sexual relations or before they came together. This would be shocking for the family because unfaithfulness during the betrothal period constituted adultery. Betrothal could be broken only by legal divorce. Yet, we discover that Joseph was a godly man. He did not want to disgrace Mary publicly. He wanted to help Mary avoid public humiliation. According to Jewish law, a husband who discovered his bride was not a virgin on their wedding night could bring an accusation against her (Deut. 22:13-21). If the bride were not a virgin, she could be stoned to death! So, because he cared deeply for Mary in spite of what appeared to be unfaithfulness on her part, Joseph decided to quietly divorce Mary, in the sense of an out-of-court settlement. But God had other plans for Mary, for her baby, and for Joseph. God used a disturbing situation as part of His ultimate plan for all mankind!
EXAMPLE: God can take a situation that seems hopeless and make it into a wonderful thing. We never know what God can do with a life that is totally devoted to Him no matter what the circumstance. Dennis J. De Haan wrote in the devotional Our Daily Bread: “Grant Murphy of Seattle was the active type, a man who ran at full throttle. Idling and coasting were not in his nature. "One might even call him hyperactive," recalled a dear friend.
Then multiple sclerosis began to slow Grant down. First he needed crutches to get around. Then he was limited to sitting in a chair. Finally he was confined to a bed.
Near the end, he was hardly strong enough to talk. His friend recalls, however, that "he expressed only joy and thankfulness with a constant anticipation of being in the Lord's presence." Not long before he died, Grant whispered Romans 15:13 to a friend. He repeated the words "in believing," then added, "I can't do anything now."
It's when we can't do anything that God does everything. And herein lies a profound paradox of the Christian's experience. Faith is simultaneously an exercise of our will and the impartation of divine strength. And from that marvelous mixture spring joy and peace and an abundance of hope.
Are you in a totally helpless situation? Strength gone? All options exhausted? If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, God will strengthen you to keep on believing. As you trust Him, He'll give you not only joy and peace, but also hope when all hope is gone.” Mary and Joseph were both caught in a disturbing situation that God could use. Are you?
Just when life sends us a bunch of lemons, it takes more than a lot of sugar to make lemonade. It takes some kind of direction for our lives. Within the story of the birth of Jesus we discover…
II. A Divine Direction (Matthew 1:20-23)
1. Following God means being willing to trust Him with the outcome! Before Joseph could follow through on his decision to divorce Mary, an angel appeared to him. God was in control of the situation and in fact the angel explained that Mary’s pregnancy was the result of the action of the Holy Spirit, not her unfaithfulness. This had to be a divine appointment for Joseph! Why? He had to understand why God would work in this way in both Joseph’s and Mary’s lives. Although the virgin conception of Jesus is a clear teaching of Scripture, it remains an ultimate divine mystery. We do not understand fully how it could happen, but we can accept God’s miraculous work. The angel announced that Mary’s Child should be named Jesus (Greek). This name means “the Lord saves” (literally, Yahweh saves) and is the same as the Hebrew name Joshua. Jesus’ name communicates His entire mission in life. He came to save us from our sins. Jesus’ conception and birth would fulfill Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah, the Anointed One to come. Matthew quoted Isaiah 7:14. The Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to understand Isaiah’s prophecy as messianic—about the birth of Jesus. Matthew recognized that Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled supremely and completely in Jesus. Isaiah’s prophecy included a reference to the Messiah as Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” Jesus’ mission involved demonstrating God’s special presence in human history. Jesus became human in every way like us but was without sin (Heb. 4:15). He is both fully God and fully man. God gave Joseph divine direction during a difficult time about his relationship to Mary and her unborn Son!
EXAMPLE: David H. Roper writes that “The gorse bush is a shrub that was imported from Europe and now grows wild in the Pacific Northwest. It has dense, dark green shoots, and in springtime it provides a dazzling display of fragrant, vibrant yellow flowers. But it's best known by hikers and fishermen for its vicious spines.
Remarkably, the flowers grow right out of the thorns.
Missionary and artist Lilias Trotter wrote, ‘The whole year round the thorn has been hardening and sharpening. Spring comes—the thorn does not drop off, it does not soften. There it is as uncompromising as ever, but half-way up appear two brown fuzzy balls, mere specks at first, that break at last—straight out of last year's thorn—into a blaze of golden glory.’”
So it is with our lives in Christ. “Just when our situation seems hopeless and hardest to bear, tiny signs of life appear that will soon burst into bloom. Take the toughest issue, the most difficult place. There, God in His grace can cause His beauty to be seen in you.” Just as God gave Joseph and Mary direction during a difficult time of their lives, so He can with you as well. The thorns of life may be tough now, but the blossoms of spring will appear. God wants to give you divine direction as well. Are you willing?
While every birth is special, especially to the parents. Some rank a little bit better than others in that the outcome produces something so grand as to almost be inexplicable. Within the story of the birth of Jesus we discover…
III. A Blessed Birth! (Matthew 1:24-25)
1. Jesus was and is more than a little baby born in a manger! Joseph obediently did exactly as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He did not divorce Mary; instead he took his wife home and loved her. We can only imagine what some of the local people must have thought about this couple, but they evidently did not care. They knew God had other plans for them and their baby. Matthew stated that Mary and Joseph did not have sexual relations until Jesus was born. The Gospel writers sometimes mention other members of the family. Mark 6:3, for example, refers to four brothers and some sisters. Mark 3:31 records that Mary and Jesus’ brothers came to see Him. We also know that his brothers James and Jude wrote two of the books of our Bible. Joseph followed the Lord’s guidance in marrying Mary, she gave birth to Jesus, the Savior of the world. It is interesting to note that Matthew did not report any resistance on Joseph’s part to the role that God had chosen for him. He too was content evidently to be God’s servant in this part of his life. At this Christmas season we should be open to God’s guidance in our lives. Christmas is such a busy season for most of us that we may not be sensitive to God’s message to us through a Sunday School lesson, through a musical program at church, through a drama, or through a chat with a friend. God probably will not send you or me a message via an angel or a dream, but He does give us direction for our lives in many other ways. What hinders you today in following what God has planned? Mary and Joseph were willing to follow God’s plan for their lives. In the blessed birth of Jesus we find eternal significance for our lives. Have you?
EXAMPLE: There seems to be a lot of “Secret Saints” for the Lord. Those who hide their faith and never allow it to be seen by others around them. This is different from those who could actually be persecuted for their faith. They have to consider the outcome of their outward actions. Should our service for the Lord always be out in the open for all to see? Or should it sometimes be kept secret to assure its success? This may seem like an irrelevant question to believers who enjoy religious freedom. But it's the kind of dilemma more and more people are facing as opposition to Christianity grows in our world today. Yet we find in the lives of those who were willing to openly follow their faith wherever and however it lead them, were always ultimately blessed because of doing so. Mary and Joseph could have suffered greatly for their decision to follow God instead of their fear of persecution. Jesus was and is more than a little baby born in a manger. He grew to be the Savior of the world. Within the story of the birth of Jesus we discover a blessed birth because of the willingness of a couple to follow their faith wherever it lead. Are you willing to?
Conclusion:
A disturbing situation, a divine direction, and a blessed birth.
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