Our
attention is first drawn to the fact that Jesus birth was unique. Notice in
verse 16 of chapter One the phrase that is used in referring to the birth of
Jesus.
(Mat 1:16) and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of
whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
In all of the
above verses we are told of the Father’s name and then who was born to them. In
this verse that process is excluded but instead we read, “Of Mary, of whom
Jesus was born.” Jesus would forever be called by the unbelieving crowd the son
of Joseph or the illegitimate one. He
would hear this constantly throughout His walk here on earth. They would refuse
much like the liberals of today that Jesus was virgin born.
Why is all of this so important? In order for us to be saved we would have to be saved by one whom
had never sinned. The only one of whom this could be said is that of God. Jesus could not have been born of Joseph as
he would have inherited his sin nature. Rather he was born of Mary. If he was
not born of a virgin as some liberals state this would also make the Gospel account
false. If the Bible were to contain errors how could we trust what it says?
(Mat 1:18) 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.
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Took place this way-According to the Gospel
account this is how Jesus birth happened.
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Betrothed-This was like an engagement period of
time but even more intense. It would involve official arrangements and a
prenuptial agreement before witnesses which also had a legally binding
contract. Thus in order for the Betrothal period to be broken one had to go
through a formal process of divorce. (It is not like the engagement process of
today.) If a woman was found guilty of being sexually unfaithful during this
time just like in a marriage she would be stoned to death.
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Now for Joseph’s problem, during this betrothal
period Mary was now found to be pregnant. What would he do? He could have her
publically humiliated and stoned to death or as some would do he could quietly
break it off which would still bring shame to her. She had been gone for a
period of about 3 months to see her cousin Elizabeth who was getting ready to
have a son by the name of John. (This same John was John the Baptist.) Just
before Mary left she would carry the Christ child in her womb. Now as she comes
back she is 3 months or more pregnant and she is showing. What would Joseph do?
Behind the Scenes:
Luke 1:26-38 ( ESV )
27to a virgin betrothed£ to a man
whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
29But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern
what sort of greeting this might be.
32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And
the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
35And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be
born£ will be
called holy—the Son of God.
36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also
conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
38And Mary
said, “Behold, I am the servant£ of the
Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
What had happened 3 months earlier
was that the angel Gabriel had appeared before the virgin Mary and told her
that she had found favor or grace with God. (By the way she would carry Jesus
in her womb not because she was sinless but because God showed her grace. She just like all of us was in need of a
savior as testified by her own words in Luke 1:47 where she calls Him, “God my
Savior”.) She is told of how he will be born and that He would be called the
Son of the Most High and He would be the king who would inherit the throne of
David.
Big question HOW?
The answer, the Holy Spirit would come upon her, not in a sexual way but that
the Holy Spirit through a creative like act would place Jesus within her womb.
He gives her a sign in that her cousin Elizabeth old and beyond child bearing
age was going to have John and was in her sixth month. The key is that nothing
was impossible with God.
I love Mary’s
heart, this young woman was willing to say, “Behold I am the servant of the
Lord, Let it be according to your word.” Come what may I am willing to do
whatever you may ask of me as a servant of the Lord. Do we have this kind of
heart? Now she comes back to her beloved Joseph obviously with child.
Joseph’s character and love
(Mat 1:19) And her husband
Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce
her quietly.
Ø Joseph
is now called a “just man” He was known for being zealous for the things of God
and showed it forth in his response towards Mary. He could have out of a sense of
betrayal had her stoned but instead like the savior wanted to show forth mercy
and would not put her to shame but rather let her quietly slip away from his
life. He would show forth that he was a just man by his response to the angel
of the Lord.
Mat 1:20-21 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."
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Why does the angel call him son of David? Maybe to remind
him of the promise of a Messiah to come that had been taught throughout
Israel’s history and that the Messiah would come through the line of David.
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Do not fear. Don’t worry Joseph about what you should do to
Mary. She is clean in all of this and don’t worry about what others might say. The child she carries is from the Holy Spirit
of God.
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Call his name Jesus. This is the savior that Abraham,
Jacob, David and all of your forefathers has waited for. Most importantly of
all He will be the one who will save His people from their sins. He was the one
that they had waited for throughout all of their history. The Savior of the World.
The
angel now reassures Joseph from the scriptures that this very birth that was
taking place with Mary was a prophecy that had been given to the people in Is.
7:14. You can believe the scriptures Joseph, for they now will be fulfilled
before your very eyes.
Mat 1:22-23 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).
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The word virgin translated here from the LXX into this
passage refers to a true virgin one who has not had sexual relationships with a
man. Joseph she is sexually pure but she is going to have a son.
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Immanuel-Not only is she going to have a son but his name
will tell you more about who He is. The name Immanuel literally means, GOD WITH
US. This little one is not just some good man or miracle but literally when He
is brought forth He is God and He will walk among you. (Jesus is God.)
How did Joseph now respond?
Mat 1:24-25 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.
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What I love is as soon as this was revealed to
Joseph he did just as the Lord commanded him through the angel. He took Mary as
his wife. Think of the scorn, the shame, the words spoken behind their backs
and the false accusations. It did not matter though what man would say Joseph
and Mary would do what the Lord would have them to do without question.
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Knew her not until-During this time before Jesus
birth Joseph also showed forth that he was a just man and zealous for the
things of God in that he did not have sex with his wife until after the birth
of the Christ.
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The word Until is important in that Mary did not
remain a perpetual virgin as some teach as a matter of fact she would conceive
with Joseph other sons and daughters. Matthew 15:55-56, Mark 6:3 and Gal. 1:19.
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Now we are told that they give birth to this one
who is called Jesus and truly Yahweh does save.
APPLICATION AND CLOSING THOUGHTS:
1.
WHAT A JOY TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A SINLESS
SAVIOR. BECAUSE OF JESUS PERFECTION WE HAVE A SAVIOR WHO CAN MAKE A PERFECT
SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS.
2.
AM I WILLING TO ACT LIKE MARY AND JOSEPH AND BE
WILLING TO DO WHATEVER THE LORD WOULD ASK OF ME?
3.
HOW SHOULD WE LIVE OUR LIFE IN THE LIGHT OF THAT
AS A BELIEVER IMMANUEL LIVES WITHIN US?
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