The Testimony of Jesus
Notes
Transcript
Doxology:
This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart, that I might not sin against God. Amen!!
Biblical Reference: Matthew 1:18-25
As we continue through this Gospel Journey, we have made it to the point of Christ’ birth. I know that Christmas has come and gone on the calendar, but the birth of Christ can be celebrated, and should be celebrated, all throughout the year!
Many people talk of Christmas in July. We are going to have Christmas in February!!!
I have preached over this text several times since being called to the ministry, but I can honestly say that I have never preached it as I will be preaching it today. In my studies this week, God opened my eyes to something that I have never seen before. The spectacular thing, is that it is not some great mysterious thing, or some hidden truth. It is something very plain in the text that has been there all along, and I simply have failed to see it.
Don’t you love when that happens. You revisit a text that you feel you are all too familiar with, but God opens your eyes to see yet another layer of truth embedded within the text. It is not a different truth, just a deeper truth.
The A.I.M. of the text is to show the power of God. More specifically, it shows how powerful “The Testimony of Jesus” can be. That is the title of our message today: The Testimony of Jesus.
A testimony is an account. It is the account of one’s life. When you give your testimony, you are simply telling others the account of your life. You are sharing who you used to be, how you met Jesus, what changed, and who you are now. It is personal, because it is your story.
When we tell our story, we are not only giving others a glimpse of who we are, we are also telling others who God is. God is a part of our story. Matter of fact, He is the main part of our story. He is the purpose of our story.
This means, that when Jesus gives His own testimony, He is telling others about Himself, but He is also telling others about us. His story includes us. We are a major part of His story.
As we see the testimony of Jesus in this text, we will see the power it has to change lives.
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.
Context
Context
The last time we saw Mary and Joseph in the text, they had been through a fight. The fight was bad enough that Joseph decided to not follow through with the engagement. They had separated.
Mary decides to follow up on a lead that was given her of Gabriel, and she goes to see Elizabeth, her cousin, and congratulate her on the pregnancy.
Look at vs. 20 again. It says “while he thought about these things,”.
Even though Joseph made the decision to not follow through on the engagement, he couldn’t stop thinking about Mary. He loved Mary. If he didn’t, he would simply cast her aside and found another woman. He had been bitten by the love bug, and he was absolutely devastated that they were now separated. He couldn’t believe that Mary had cheated on him and......gotten pregnant by another man. He was absolutely broken.
Notice with me the reason for their separation. It was Jesus. Jesus was the reason they separated. Mary was pregnant with a baby boy named Jesus, and Joseph couldn’t take it.
When he hears the news that Mary is pregnant is beside himself. He knows it isn’t his and he can’t bring himself to believe this ridiculous story of God’s miraculous work within her. He decides to separate because of Jesus.
There are a lot of people in the world today who cannot stand Jesus. Many relationships have been destroyed because of Jesus. Maybe there are some young men in here today who are pondering the very things that Joseph did. Or maybe the roles are reversed and there are some young ladies in here today who are pondering the same thing.
“While he thought about these things”, an angel appears to him in a dream and begins to explain the situation.
The angel begins to give Joseph the testimony of Jesus, and hearing His story changed his life forever.
Content
Content
Jesus’ Purpose
Jesus’ Purpose
And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
The world needs Jesus to come.
Jesus means “He who will save”.
This is why we call Him our Savior.
The world needs a Savior.
He wanted to come.
Notice it says in this verse that He will save “His people”. Jesus came for His own. Who are His own? His own are all of those who will believe in who He is and trust their lives unto Him.
The sin of mankind has left us in a fallen state, but God created us for more than that.
His shed blood is powerful enough to save every single person, but it is only applied to those who will believe. Only those who voluntarily place themselves under His love can be affected by His love.
This is the very purpose of Jesus.
for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
All of those who believe in His purpose will become part of that purpose. They will ask God, “God how may I be of service? How can help you accomplish your will?”
Our purpose is to be a part of His purpose.
Jesus’ Person
Jesus’ Person
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
He is God.
Joseph, you know the Scriptures. You know the Word of the Lord. It said this day would come and it is now here. God has come down. This child is the very Son of God. This child is God.
Why the virgin birth?
The birth of God’s Son required a miracle. He could not be born through the natural process as other men are. If He had been born as other men, His very birth would indicate that He was no more than a mere man.
The birth of God’s Son required a combined act on God’s part and on woman’s part. If God’s Son were to become a man and identify with men, He had to come through the process of conception through a woman. Why? Because men can only come through the woman. Therefore, if God willed to send His Son into the world as a man, He would have to perform a miracle, causing Mary to conceive by an act of His divine power.
The birth of God’s Son required a miraculous nature - both a divine nature and a human nature.
He had to be born of a woman to partake of human nature
He had to be born by a miraculous act of God so as not to partake of man’s corruption.
Your ancestors all moved in faith, longing for this day. Every sacrifice they made, every movement that took place, every act of obedience, were all done in hopes of this very promise. The time has now come. This child is of God. This child is God.
He is with us.
God Almighty is with us. All of your life, you have pondered the things of God. All of your life, you have studied the heart of God. Now you get to see it. He is here. He is here in the flesh. He is before you.
Jesus’ Presence
Jesus’ Presence
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.
This is of God.
Mary has indeed been faithful.
Mary loves you. I know that you are really struggling with you are going through right now, but please understand that Mary has done nothing wrong.
This is all part of God’s plan.
So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
That child she is carrying is not the result of sin. Mary has not sinned against you or against me. Matter of fact, her faithfulness to me and you is the reason she is with child.
It is time for my promises to be fulfilled. It is time for these things to come to pass.
My Word has not changed and my purpose for you has not changed.
God chose Mary.....and God chose you!!!
I am about to turn this world upside down. I am about to do something that no one alive today has ever seen. I am about to change the course of history.
I have chosen Mary and you to be a part of it.
We should truly be seeking the leadership of God’s council in our lives today. God is still moving and acting today, just as He always has.
God used Mary and Joseph to bring Christ into this world and raise Him. God has things He wants to use us for today as well.
We must take a good, long, honest look at ourselves in the mirror and decide how much of ourselves we are truly willing to give to God.
Commitment
Commitment
That is why Mary is pregnant.
To fulfill the word concerning the Messiah
Because He is God
Because mankind needs a savior
Because God loves His people!!!
Once Joseph heard the testimony of Jesus, it says:
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.
After hearing the testimony of Jesus, Joseph decided that he wanted to be a part of God’s plan. Why? Because Joseph was a part of God’s plan.
Maybe someone here has been struggling with the thought of accepting Jesus. Know that Jesus loves you. Know that Jesus’ Testimony involves you. Know that everything God has done, has been done with you mind.
You are a part of His testimony. The question is:
Will he be a part of yours?