"A Child is Born" A Miraculous Birth

Scripture

Matthew 1:18–25 KJV 1900

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

The true story of a Miracle is the birth of Christ Jesus.

This is what a miracle looks like to each of us. Just ask Mike Robinson. He is a maintenance worker for United Airlines at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. He had just left work and was on his way home, very early in the morning of January 13, when a tire on his car blew out. He lost control of the car, jumped a median, and slammed into a ditch, where the car immediately burst into flames. Robinson remembers trying to get his door open, but it was jammed. Then, as flames began to rise around him, he lost consciousness.

Del Wolfgramm is another airport worker who was working in a hanger near where the accident occurred. He just happened to be stepping outside at the very moment the car jumped the median. Seeing the accident, he ran to the car. As the flames engulfed it, Wolfgramm pried the jammed door open and pulled Mike Robinson from certain death.

When Mike Robinson was in that car, trying desperately to escape the flames that were encircling him, everything must have seemed lost. All hope must have been gone and death must have seemed imminent. And then, out of nowhere, a hero arrived to save the day.

Today I am going to talk about another hero who arrived just in the nick of time. Only, this one didn’t just happen to be in the right place at the right time, as was the case with the airport worker. No, this one was deliberately sent, by God, in order to fulfill His promise. And of course, the hero I’m speaking about is Jesus.

I. The Miracle Of The Gift (v. 18)

• “Mary was espoused to Joseph”

In Jewish culture there was a period of betrothal that lasted about a year.

This was before the marriage ceremony but was still legally binding.

She was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Luke 1:26–35 KJV 1900

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

II. The Misunderstanding About The Gift (vv. 19-20)

“Being a just man”

Not much is said in the Bible about Joseph, but what little is said is very powerful.

Joseph was a righteous man, upright in character, a man who was obedient and faithful to God’s commands.

• When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant he had a choice to make.

He could have done what the Law entitled him to do; make a public spectacle and have her stoned to death.

He could have kept it quiet, divorced her secretly and sent her away.

The Bible says he chose grace and compassion over judgment and ridicule, “not willing to make her a public example.”

• I wonder how often when we are given a choice between doing something two ways, how often do we choose to show grace.

Matthew 5:7 KJV 1900

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

James 2:13 KJV 1900

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

• Listen, Joseph did not have all the information.

We can not do what is right until we know what is true.

This was true for Joseph and it is true in every circumstance of life.

How often we jump to conclusions and end up doing the wrong thing.

Be mindful

• Doing what is right as Joseph did(vs. 24), can sometimes come at a price.

Think Joseph paid a price in his community for his decision to do what was right.

The right thing will often put us in opposition to others, but we will be at peace with God.

III. The Manifestation Of The Gift (vv. 21-23)

• Manifest – to reveal something; make it readily perceived or evident by the eye.

This gift had long before existed, but was just now being made evident so that all could see.

• “Jesus” means the LORD saves, or the LORD is salvation.

God sent the gift of His Son for a specific purpose, “that the world might be saved through Him,”

John 3:17 KJV 1900

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Colossians 1:19–22 KJV 1900

19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

God sent the gift of His Son to make a difference in our lives, to bring us back to God and present us to Him as holy, blameless and beyond reproach.

That is the only way God can take us back!

Have you been changed by this gift?

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV 1900

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

• The fulfillment of prophecy, very important in Matthew’s gospel.

• “Behold, a virgin shall be with child,”

The importance of the Virgin birth, do we believe it, do we even think about it.

Isaiah 7:14 KJV 1900

14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.

• “They shall call His name Emmanuel,” “God with us.”

Because Jesus was God, we were able for the first time to behold the face of God, to be in His presence, to listen to Him speak to us and learn from Him as He taught to us.

Through the gift of His Son we can now draw close to God and know Him in a personal way.

Ephesians 2:12–13 KJV 1900

12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Closing

So when someone asks you, “What’s Jesus got to do with Christmas?” you can explain to them that Jesus is the very essence of Christmas itself. That He reveals in a profound way that God is for us, that He understands and shares in all the ups and downs of our life and that He is with us even now.

This is the true hope and meaning of Christmas and it far outshines and far outlasts any of the gifts that you and I will find under the tree this year.

The gifts of God to you in Jesus will never perish, spoil, nor fade but will grow in beauty, wonder and splendour with each passing year.

Jesus is the living manifestation of God’s promise to never leave us nor forsake us.

Apostle Paul says this way

Romans 8:31–39 KJV 1900

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So as we prepare for celebrating Christmas this year, let’s remember “A Child is Born” A Miraculous Birth was provided to you and me.d