The Incarnation of Jesus Christ

Introduction

In Matthew's account of Jesus' entrance into the world — we're not just getting a glimpse of His birth — it's like watching the opening scenes of a captivating movie that sets the stage for the epic story to unfold

Jesus' birth wasn't just unique — it was a cosmic event — breaking the mold of any ordinary human arrival

Jesus Christ — born as the Holy Offspring of God and an earthly mother— Steve Lawson once said, “Jesus is the only one born as old as His Father and older than His mother.”

This isn’t your typical birth announcement!

Now, why does this matter?

Well, it's not just a fascinating detail; it's the bedrock of our faith

The virgin birth isn't some theological side note — it's central to Jesus' mission to bear and take away the sins of humanity

Remove this miraculous element, and you risk unraveling the very core of our Christian beliefs

Today — we're delving deep into the incarnation of Jesus Christ as told in Matthew 1:18-25

We won’t just scratching the surface

We're on a thorough journey exploring three key aspect

1. The Story of the Incarnation

We'll unravel the scandal Joseph felt, witness his compassion, understand God's alternative plan, and marvel at how it all comes together in the consecration and consummation of God's divine purpose

2. The Explanation of the Incarnation

We're breaking down the hows and whys—from the prophesied virgin birth to the mind-blowing concept of Jesus as both God and man. We'll simplify these deep truths for a solid understanding of the Incarnation

3. The Necessity For The Incarnation

Why did it all have to happen? We'll explore why Jesus came to save us, satisfy God's righteousness, and shower us with His incredible grace

So — as we dive into this incredible narrative — remember, it's not just about a miraculous birth; it's about the divine fulfillment of God's promise to save humanity

Our passage in Matthew 1 not only recounts the miraculous birth but also unveils the purpose behind His arrival—to be the ultimate redeemer — offering salvation and reconciliation to His people

Let’s read God’s Word…

READ: Matthew 1:18-25

The Person of Christ in The Two Portions of Matthew 1

In v. 1-17 — we find that Jesus Christ comes from the human line

Matthew 1:1 ESV

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

By being the son of David and the son of Abraham — strictly speaks to being the human

The genealogy speaks volumes of the Jesus being human — that Christ was completely human — he had all the senses you and I have

Sight

Hearing

Taste

Smell

Touch

These senses work together to create our perception of the environment — forming the basis for our experiences and interactions with the world — and Jesus Christ had all of these from His natural human line

The differences however which come form v. 1-17 and v. 18-25 — tell us that Christ also had a divine nature (v. 18) — this divine nature would be the nature in which Jesus had from eternity past

The divine nature would remain because He was not a descendant of an earthy father’s flesh — rather, it would be because He came from the Divine Heavenly Father

If the first portion of Matthew 1 is putting forth that Christ is from a human line and the second portion of chapter 1 is putting forth that Christ is from the divine, the question we can ask then is: Who is Christ?

Matthew 22:42 ESV

42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.”

Reflecting on Matthew 22:42 and the question, "What do you think of Christ? Whose Son is Christ?"

Matthew is drawing attention to the reluctance of some to acknowledge Jesus as God despite readily accepting Him as a king, as seen in the lyrics of "Hark the herald angels sing."

“Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel. Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King.”

There is an emphasis upon the danger of forming theological beliefs based solely on majority opinion

The core of Christianity — rests on the essential doctrine that Jesus is God in human flesh, a truth illuminated in the birth of Christ

Transition

The genealogy in Matthew establishes Jesus as the son of David — emphasizing his humanity — while the virgin birth underscores his divine nature as the Son of God

Chapter 1 of Matthew is presented as a narrative that — when logically dissected, reveals the dual nature of Jesus—human and divine

The significance of the virgin birth is highlighted — noted as a cardinal fact which seems to be attacked by false doctrines often

The narrative in Matthew 1 is affirmed as a true historical account — not a fantasy — providing a foundational story of Jesus' dual identity as both fully human and fully divine

Our objective this morning is to prove — the incarnation of Jesus Christ is the divine fulfillment of God's promise to save humanity from the bondage of sin

Our passage illuminates not only the miraculous birth of Jesus but also the purpose behind His arrival – to serve as the ultimate redeemer — offering salvation and reconciliation to His people

It's a powerful testament to God's unwavering commitment to His people and the unfolding of His redemptive plan through the person of Jesus Christ

This morning, we're diving into the incredible story of Jesus' incarnation — We'll first explore the narrative that Matthew lays out for us — then dig into what the Incarnation really means — and finally — understand why it's so essential

I. The Story of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ (v. 18-25)

Let's explore the incarnation of Jesus by starting with the conception that leads to thoughts of a scandal...

The Scandal

Matthew 1:18 ESV

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.

Most of this text doesn't focus on the birth itself but rather on the events leading up to the birth of Christ

Mary and Joseph are betrothed

To be betrothed meant it was a promise of future marriage between a man and a woman

It was the giving of a ring was to signify the man’s earnest endeavor to marry the woman — along w/ the filling out and signing a legal document

The betrothal period would last 12 months (1 year) — in some cases it could have gone as short as 6 months (but this was unusual)

Betrothal is similar to an engagement in our Western culture — yet it is much more binding and serious

During the contract of betrothal period if either party violated that marriage vow — you had the option to be divorced in an official sense

You were constituted legally married — though there were no physical relationships whatever

So after the betrothal period — there was a wedding — a seven-day celebration

During this time — the groom's family would pay a price to the bride's father

Often in goods such as livestock — which could serve multiple purposes such as compensating the father for the expenses incurred in marrying off his daughter and acting as a form of life insurance for the wife, as seen in Genesis 34.

The betrothal period was a crucial time of testing and probation — ensuring the bride's virginity and testing the fidelity of the husband and wife

So when we read “before they came together she was found to be with child” — Mary was pregnant — now she understood the divine nature of the conception

However — Joseph — upon discovering her pregnancy — faced a shock

Knowing Mary's character — her righteous standard — and her stature before God — this turn of events seemed entirely out of character for her

In Joseph’s mind — this was a scandal — a big one

Mary was with child — Joseph hadn't violated the betrothal period — so consequently he doesn’t want to be w/ her

So Mary finds herself expecting a child, but the twist is she's only betrothed to Joseph — and he's not the biological father of the baby

Now, picture this situation in today's anything-goes — play-by-your-own-rules culture — where scandals are met with relative nonchalance

Contrast that with the cultural backdrop of Mary and Joseph — where deviation from God's rules was unthinkable and adherence to cultural norms was paramount

The scandal in their context would have been exponentially more significant — highlighting the gravity of the situation in the cultural framework of that time

Joseph — aware of the consequences outlined in Deuteronomy chapter 22 for a woman becoming pregnant outside of wedlock — initially struggled to comprehend the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Mary's pregnancy

This underscores the uniqueness of Jesus — challenging conventional expectations of an ordinary man

If Jesus is distinct from others — his birth is not ordinary either — defying typical human norms

Let’s stop and reflect on this

Take a brief stroll in his footsteps — Inhale the same air he was breathing

Consider how you would react if you were in his shoes

Would you feel humiliation — anger — or jealousy?

Although Matthew doesn't explicitly convey Joseph's emotions, it's challenging to envision him as unaffected — as if these emotions never crossed his heart.

Yet what Joseph does is full of compassion..

The Compassion

Matthew 1:19 ESV

19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

Yet even in his compassion — Joseph could not disregard God’s Law

Deuteronomy 22:23–24 ESV

23 “If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets 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 with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

If Joseph was to overlook this pregnancy — which occured outside of the covenant of their betrothal — he would be overlooking something God said not to overlook

If he had overlooked this pregnancy — he would have essentially been pleading guilty — saying “Yes this is my child, shame on us.”

Joseph knew Mary well—her good and righteous character — how she lived following God’s law, and her relationship with God

So, what happened seemed completely unlike her and didn't make any sense

Joseph didn’t want to make a spectacle out of the woman he loved so dearly — he wanted to give her honor and respect even though it seemed none was being given to him

According to Deut. 22 death was on the table — yet even though this was not God’s plan initially — there was a leniency during the time Joseph lived

The leniency was that he could divorce her (betrothal more significant than engagement) instead of stoning her

So, he had some choices — The phrase to “divorce her” or to "put her away" was what Joseph “resolved to do” — this was something he could do privately

This is compassion counseling Jospeh if you would — for Joseph a private divorce would the way to proceed

In every moral — emotional — and legal way — Joseph was right to plan to end the betrothal

Joseph's deep love for Mary and his profound commitment to God played pivotal roles in shaping his response

Instead of adopting a harsh stance characterized by high justice and low mercy — Joseph chose a path of high justice coupled with high mercy and grace

This decision was driven by a profound desire to protect Mary's honor and reputation

This spirit of safeguarding the names and reputations of others is a virtue that each of us should embody — standing in opposition to the damaging forces of slander and gossip

AGAIN — It's noteworthy that — during this crucial time — Joseph remained unaware of the supernatural conception of Jesus — adding complexity to the situation

The Lord let Jospeh obviously struggle w/ this problem on his own for a time — we are not sure how long before the Lord revealed to Joseph the alternative plan — the right plan

But — God often works this way in our lives — He lets us make plans — then He reveals the better way — and reveals to us clarity of His will

The Alternative Plan

Matthew 1:20–23 ESV

20 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.” 22 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).

So even though Joseph had already “resolved” his decision — God had other plans

In other words, the decision to privately divorce Mary was Joseph's primary desire, making the divorce inevitable for him

Again — keep in mind — Joseph was unaware that the HS had been the one to supernaturally cause Mary to conceive this child

The Lord sends an angel to appear to Joseph in a dream

This is not a dream like you have a dream — This is not a dream where what you see isn’t real — it’s imaginary

Somehow in some way in a dream kind of revelation — the dream turns into something real — It was a real angel and Joseph really saw that angel

Simply put — Joseph fell asleep, began to dream, and his dream turned to a reality

The angel tells him not to be afraid — this child that Mary is carrying is from the HS — not from you and not from another man

At first this pregnancy seemed to be a scandal — yet when the angel appears — there is clarity provided to Joseph to set him straight on what is going on

What Joseph was missing was the bit of information in v. 18

Matthew 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.”

But now Joseph had this information — for the angel sent by the Lord had cleared up any miscommunication

A few things to notice in this clarification which was provided:

The Bible is very careful about never naming Joseph as the father of Jesus

(1) We see this in our text (v. 20-21)

In Matthew 2:13 “13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”

Always the child and his mother — Why didn’t he say, “Take your child and your wife”? Why “the child and the mother”?

Always Joseph is removed from the actual fatherhood.

Matthew 2:20 “20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”

It’s always the child and his mother — never Joseph as the father.

This once again shouts = Virgin born.

(2) Jesus came to save His people from their sins

Acts 4:12 “12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

We will go into more detail later — but Christ came to save His people as v. 21 tells us — not the entire world — but His people — we will examine this when we explore the necessity for the incarnation

(3) We also see in v. 23 — that Christ is Immanuel — God w/ us

Psalm 139:7–9 ESV

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

The birth of Christ proves that God is always w/ us — we can never flee from His presence

We can ignore God — deny God — curse God — but He never disappears — He never stops existing — His reign eternally extends

Matthew tells us — that w/ Christ’s birth — God entered human history in a new way — a human way — this birth was going to bring forth the very God in human flesh

Just as the HS hovered over the face of the waters at creation — so here for the salvation of His people — the HS overshadowed Mary’s womb — making God’s son into one of us — w/ bones — a brain — blood — lungs — lymph nodes — w/ head and heart — and hands

There is such awe on the incarnation of Jesus Christ — the work of the HS was material — tangible — and visible

As Douglass O’Donnell said, “Ironically, the Spirit’s work is fleshly!” — this is referencing the physicalness of Jesus Christ — Immanuel (God With Us)

While recognizing that Christ embodies divinity in human form — it's essential not to overshadow His divine nature by excessive focus on His humanity

Similarly — we should avoid an overemphasis on His spiritual aspect that neglects His genuine humanity

Striking a balance is crucial in understanding the dual nature of Christ — both in spirit and person — God is with us through Jesus Christ

The Consecration & Consummation

Matthew 1:24–25 ESV

24 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.

We can say that Joseph enjoyed a restful nap — perhaps the most satisfying of his life

After the angel finished speaking — Joseph woke up,— taking the message to heart

Believing the words — he obediently did what the angel had instructed—Joseph took Mary as his wife

His submission to God was clear — a powerful echo of Mary's own commitment as the servant of the Lord

Joseph didn't let shame or anger guide his actions; instead, he abandoned any thoughts of divorcing Mary and chose to marry her

Matthew underscores the extraordinary nature of Jesus' conception by stating that Joseph refrained from marital relations with Mary until after she gave birth

This aligns with the angel's message, and Joseph followed through by naming the baby Jesus, as directed

This narrative beautifully exemplifies a living faith

Despite initial emotions of fear and shame — both Mary and Joseph demonstrated obedience to God — recognizing that He is with His people to save

Their focus on God's voice over popular opinions speaks to a profound understanding of faith

The story not only illustrates faith but also narrates the actions of the triune God—where the Father's redemption plan enters a crucial phase — the Spirit's prophecy finds fulfillment — and the eternal Son becomes part of the human world

May we — like Joseph — submit our plans and emotions to God — dedicating our hearts and minds to Him

Transition

Now that we've walked through the gripping narrative of the Incarnation — let's zoom in on the specifics

In this next part — we're going to break down the Virgin Birth – that miraculous beginning

Then, we'll tackle the straightforward yet profound idea that Jesus is both fully God and fully human – no complicated jargon — just the simple truth

Finally — we'll see how understanding these concepts shields us from some potential pitfalls

II. The Explanation of the Incarnation

As we have walked through the account of the incarnation of Jesus Christ — we must turn our attention the to the explanation and pull out the important aspects that surround the arrival of Jesus Christ in human flesh

When we read:

Matthew 12:6 ESV

6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.

Matthew 12:41 ESV

41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

Matthew 12:42 ESV

42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Matthew 16:16 ESV

16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

We immediately recognize that this Jesus Christ is like no other — by Christ’s own admission:

He is greater than the temple in Jerusalem

He is greater than Jonah’s preaching

He is greater than Solomon’s wisdom

He is the Christ — the Son of the living God

Yet — none of these things would be possible apart from the Virgin Birth

A. The Virgin Birth

Matthew 1:18 ESV

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.

So we find Mary "with child" — this is obviously denoting she is pregnant —

Stating that she is “with child” and pregnant serves as an instance where the Bible asserts that life commences at conception

This child is not from an earthly father — rather this child is "from the Holy Spirit" — the emphasis that Matthew places on this fact highlights the divine nature of Christ's origin

Despite our lack of complete understanding of the virgin birth — the Bible unequivocally presents it as the means by which Christ entered the world—an aspect we are called to accept

You may ask — "How did the virgin birth happen?” — I don't know

But it's not a new thing for the Holy Spirit to the miraculous

He's always been the Creator

In Genesis 1, he created everything by hovering over emptiness and nothingness

In Acts 1 — He created the church by moving among people in the upper room

So, why wouldn't he be able to create the marvelous miracle of the virgin birth?

If Jesus had two human parents — he would have been affected by humanity's problems

But because of the virgin birth — with only one human parent — Jesus avoided being contaminated by human issues

Looking into Lk 1:35

Luke 1:35 ESV

35 And 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.

This verse reinforces the divine intervention in Christ's conception

Christ was born without a human father — Jesus avoided inheriting a sin nature from Adam that had been passed down through generations since Adam's time

The intentional absence of a human father underscores Jesus' holiness — mirroring that of the Holy Spirit in His humanity

This fact stands as a testament to Jesus being the Son of God

The Heidelberg Catechism states from Question 35 = What is the meaning of: Conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary?

The answer is: That the eternal Son of God, who is and continues true and eternal God, took upon Him the very nature of man, of the flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary, by the operation of the Holy Ghost; so that He also might be the true seed of David, like unto his brethren in all things, sin excepted.

As the Apostle John states:

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1 John 1:1 ESV

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—

The eternal Son of God was made flesh through the virgin Mary

The Apostle Paul writes

Galatians 4:4–5 ESV

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Through the virgin birth — Jesus took on human nature from the substance of His earthy mother

Prophecy

What is even greater about this miraculous event — is that this birth was prophesied 7 centuries before it occurred

We read in Is 7:14

Isaiah 7:14 ESV

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

In the historical context of Isaiah's prophecy — King Ahaz faced the imminent threat of the destruction of the kingdom of Judah by Syria and Israel

Anxiously seated in the southern kingdom — Ahaz feared the potential obliteration of the kingly line

God, in His comforting response, offered a promise ensuring the preservation of the kingly line

The sign given was profound—a virgin conceiving a child, and that child being Immanuel, signifying God's presence with us.

Matthew provides a profound commentary on Isaiah 7:14

Matthew 1:22–23 ESV

22 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).

Matthew skillfully connects the OT to the NT establishing the significance of the prophecy in relation to Christ

Despite any criticisms that may arise — Matthew's commentary stands as a divine revelation, an un-erasable testament to God's message

This divine assurance reached through the corridors of history to the fulfillment found in Jesus

He, the virgin-born child, became the living proof that God would indeed keep His promise — safeguarding the unbroken lineage of David's throne for eternity

The clarity of the virgin birth serves as a powerful confirmation of God's commitment to His covenant with David and to King Ahaz

B. The God-Man

The incarnation of Jesus Christ led to the complete Divine also taking on complete humanity

Greg Nichols writes, “Thus, Mary contributed everything that any human mother contributes to the conception of her son. She was in every sense Jesus’ biological mother.”However, Joseph had no biological relation to Jesus (Matt. 1:25)”

If God had formed the human nature of Jesus apart from the conception and birth through a human mother (such as when formed Adam from the dust of the ground) — our acceptance of Christ's genuine humanity would face greater challenges — it would be hard to believe that He had a true human nature

Conversely — if Jesus had been brought into the world through the ordinary union of a man and woman — the acknowledgment of His divinity would then be hard for us to believe — as He would appear merely human

Yet, the virgin birth of Jesus from a human mother serves as a vivid illustration of both His divine and human nature

Christ is fully God and fully man

Christ is the God-Man — existing in one body there are two natures — neither one of them is diminishing to the other — one person existing in two natures

There is but ONE Christ — Not two (one man and one God) — NO

An Analogy

We can loosely apply this analogy — The connection of the human soul and body

The parallel exists in bringing together two substances with distinct properties in one person

This enables them to work together — each in accordance with its unique characteristics

Both the soul and body are created

Whereas in Christ — as Joel Beeke puts it “Christ, a person with an infinite and eternal divine nature took to Himself a finite and temporal human nature.”

As an early church father said, “What He was He continued to be; what He was not He took to Himself.”

Being fully God and fully man — is laid out by Matthew v. 1-17 — again referencing Christ’s human lineage — whereas v. 18-25 lay out His divinity

John Calvin said — “[Christ] was conceived by the Holy Spirit, because it was unfitting that the one who was sent to cleanse others should come from impure and tainted origins.”

Christ had to be born under the law to rescue those under the law — yet He had to retain His God nature so He could do what no other man could do — die on a cross and rise from the grave 3 days later

In which He accomplished the mission that He was sent to do and that was to make a complete sacrifice for the sins of His people

Only the God-Man could do such a thing!

C. Errors We are Protected From In The Doctrine of The Incarnation

(1) Christ did not go in and out of certain phases where He was God for a moment and then human

He is eternally God — for God was not made — nor can be unmade — God does not have a beginning and will not have an end

God is unable to cease to be — so Christ being fully God — did not cease to be God in His humanity

By being conceived in Mary’s womb — He then took on human flesh — taking on human flesh would then make Him the God-Man

(2) Christ has not given up His humanity now that He is in heaven

The God-Man — will always remain God Incarnate as a man — there will never be a time where this ceases to be

Acts 1:9 ESV

9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

Acts 1:11 ESV

11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

The Westminster Shorter Catechism (Q. 21) says, Christ “was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, for ever.”

(3) Christ as the God-Man Is Not Two Distinct Person

Matthew 16:16 ESV

16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

1 John 4:9–10 ESV

9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

These passages indeed can create a tension in our understanding

God is spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable

Can God experience bleeding? — Can God be affixed to a wooden cross? — No.

However — Christ's unique combination of deity and humanity occurs within His singular person

This means that the individual who died on the cross is also the Divine Lord

Transition

Transitioning from the miraculous Virgin Birth — we uncover the profound reality of Jesus as the God-Man — fully divine and fully human

This unique union eliminates separations between divinity and humanity — resolving the tension in His dual nature

Now — delving into the WHY? — WHY WOULD JESUS BECOME FULLY MAN AND FULLY GOD?

This is the necessity of the Incarnation — Jesus came to save His people from their sins — providing a particular redemption through the satisfaction of God's righteousness and demonstrating the grace of God

III. The Necessity For The Incarnation

Look back with me in verse 21

Matthew 1:21 ESV

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

To Save His People

The first necessity for the Incarnation of Jesus Christ falls on saving His people from their sins

The term "His people" refers to the two specific doctrines — (1) of unconditional election and (2) definite atonement

This salvation mission is not aimed at the entire world but specifically at "His people," those chosen by God in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4)

God's choice of a people to worship the Son stems from His profound love for the Son

The Holy Spirit — God the Father — and God the Son are intricately bound together toward the singular mission of saving the people predestined by the Father

This mission encompasses particular redemption — with not a drop of Christ's blood given in vain—every drop securing the salvation of those for whom Christ died

The triumphant reality is that none for whom Christ died for will be in hell — as His death and resurrection fully accomplished salvation

The most glorious aspect in all the world is to be counted among "His people."

Recognizing there is an infinite chasm between a holy God and sinful people — the only means of approaching God is through the sacrifice of the Holy Jesus

Jesus came as the representative for us — acting intentionally out of love for His people

His sacrificial act was not for an indiscriminate number of people; rather, He died for the exact number of His people

Those for whom He died will never perish — never be cast into the flames of hell — because He is the good shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep — not the goats

To Satisfy God’s Righteousness

Since our righteousness — our good deeds — only amount to filth before God — there had to be a perfect righteousness to take our sins away and make us whole

Hebrews 9:22 ESV

22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

The incarnation was necessary so that Christ would be this blood sacrifice for us — the only way for Christ to be this sacrifice was for Him to take a human body

W/out the humanity of Christ there would be not sacrifice of sins — there would have been no blood shed — there would have been no forgiveness of sins — there would have been no saving

One individual said, “The satisfaction of God’s righteousness is necessary for salvation, and “no one [apart] from God can make it, and no one man ought to make it, [so] it is necessary for [the] God-Man to make it.”

God’s Grace Towards Sinners

Matthew 1:21 ESV

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The grace of God — something that is undeserved — yet it is given by God to us — through His Son

Jesus — meaning Yahweh saves — saves who? — His People

From what? — Their sins

This act of sending Christ proves the gracious God that we serve — God’s grace is what caused the Son of God to be made a Son of Man — so we could be sons and daughters of God

The Son of God took on our sin — to impart His righteousness unto us

The Son of God took on our weakness — so we would be made strong

The Son of God became poor — so He could give us His wealth

The Son of God descended to earth in humiliation — so He could provide an ascent into royalty as His people

Conclusion

My friends — as Joel Beeke has said, “We need nothing as much as we need Jesus”

As Christ entered the world through a miraculous birth — our entry into God's family requires a supernatural birth

It's not sufficient to rely on religious activities — attending church — giving gifts — or singing hymns to secure acceptance with God

The essential factor is the supernatural work of God's grace — not our own efforts

Consider the fact that when you first came into this world – it wasn't your doing

Similarly — being born into God's family a second time is not achieved through personal actions

It's about placing faith in Jesus Christ — and even this act of belief is a work of God in our souls

Being born again is imperative for entering the kingdom of God

Here's a personal question: Have you experienced this rebirth from above?

Have you been born of the Spirit?

Without this spiritual birth — there is no entrance into God's kingdom

Just as Jesus was supernaturally born — so too will we experience a supernatural birth ourselves

Let us pray.