40-05 God With Us—Part 2

Matthew 1:18-25

In the 16th century, a monk named Martin Luther found himself in an unexpected challenge. He confidently faced the Diet of Worms, declaring, 'Here I stand, I can do no other!' What gave him such courage? He believed that God was with him, even in the face of great adversity. Or…

Picture David, a young shepherd boy, facing Goliath. Instead of shaking in fear, he confidently declared that God would deliver him. His approach to an immense challenge reminds us that with This illustrates that when we truly understand that God is with us, we can stand firm against any opposition facing every challenge with confidence in the presence of Almighty God.

It is usually the question that comes to mind (even if we don’t admit it) when we have difficulties, in the midst of tragedies and less than desirable circumstances… “where is God?” It is a question that we ask b/c of our fallenness and b/c of the weakness of faith. But it is the question that has been answered emphatically by God Himself in sending us the LJC who “will save His people from their sins.” And in fulfillment to the prophetic sign given to king Ahaz in Is 7, His name will be called “Emmanuel” and Matthew adds (vs 23) “which translated means ‘God with us.’” That’s God’s response to the question “where is He?” “I am with you.” For those who know the Lord (have trusted Him), He is with you.

Matthew 28:20 (NASB95)

…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

When God is with us, there is courage, strength, power, victory, hope, joy, peace, etc. That truth conveys just how precious the birth of Jesus was (and it continues to be today) b/c in Him, God is with us. Our vv detail 5 elements in this virgin birth narrative—everything pointing back to God’s gracious dealings with sinners according to His promise made to Abraham 2000 years before this: “I will surely bless you…multiply you…in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” These are written so that we would recognize the great blessing that comes in LJ and also that we would see the appropriate response to Him—to Emmanuel.

I. The Marriage Scandal Described

vs 18

Matthew begins with the account of JC (Messiah—anointed one) and His birth (genesis—record of His origin—stemming from the genealogical record in vv 1-17). We are immediately introduced to 2 obscure individuals. Joseph and Mary.

Mary stands out among all the women in the Bible (even those in the genealogy of X) as the one most-blessed among women and highly favored by God. That’s how Gabriel addresses her:

Luke 1:28 NASB95

28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

God chose Mary to be the sole instrument thru which He would bring Messiah into the world. This is an unparalleled blessing and Mary saw this herself.

Luke 1:48 NASB95

48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.

Now, this does not mean that she should be elevated, worshiped, prayed to, sought after to give blessing. She is not a co-redeemer, co-mediator—as if she has the power to save. But she is blessed b/c God chose her to carry and give birth to His Son. Now, Mary had a remarkable heritage. Luke traces her genealogy (thru her father, Eli) back to David thru David’s son Nathan. She probably grew up in Nazareth and from a family without any wealth. A few vv from the other Gospels tell us that Mary had a sister named Salome who was the mother of James and John (sons of Boanerges—making them cousins to Jesus—Mt 27:46; Mk 15:40; John 19:25). The Lord’s hand was on this extended family. We also know that Mary’s relative (probably a cousin) was Elizabeth who was married to Zacharias, who gave birth to John the Baptist (Lk 1:36). God was going to do amazing things in Israel thru this family.

Mary was a godly young woman. After Gabriel visited her, she responds to God by worshiping:

Luke 1:46-55;

She’s godly, humble, submissive—exemplifying the traits of those who believe.

Joseph is the other individual that we are introduced to and we know very little about him. His father is Jacob (vs 16) and he most likely followed in his footsteps as was a builder, construction worker/carpenter by trade (Mt 13:55). Aside from this, there is one other description of him being “a righteous man” (vs 19). This makes him a saint along with the others from the OT—those who are justified by faith alone.

Matthew describes the relationship b/t Joseph and Mary as a “betrothal.” This term describes a pledge to be married, regarded as something that was binding. Joseph is called “her husband” (vs 19) which is understood by the 3 stages of Jewish marriage. 1st was engagement. This was usually arranged by the parents (or other representatives) and often took place when the children were quite young. 2nd was the betrothal. This was a formal, legally binding covenant that lasted one year and served as the way for the couple to get to know each other. It also served to prove the faithfulness of both parties to each other. This was so binding that it required a certificate of divorce to sever the betrothal (which could happen in cases of adultery—Dt 22:23-24). At this stage they were regarded as husband and wife. But it wasn’t until the 3rd stage—following the wedding ceremony (could last a week) when the man brought the woman into his home where the marriage would be consummated thru sexual contact.

Matthew notes the scandal of this marriage arrangement: “before they came together she was found to be with child” The evidence of a pregnancy became obvious. This was one of the reasons for the “betrothal” period of time to prove fidelity to the other person. Sexual purity is a virtue of the godly and highly prized in Scripture. God’s perspective on this is that sex is reserved for marriage—abstinence/purity until you are married, and faithfulness within marriage.

When it became obvious that Mary was pregnant, b/c this was scandalous, Joseph could have responded 3 different ways. He could have taken Mary to the priest to have her publically shamed, he could have had her stoned to death (Dt 22:23) or he could send her away—giving her a bill of divorce. So this was a scandal by outward appearance…but Matthew’s description de-scandalizes the account by stressing that Mary is with child “by the HS.” Joseph hadn’t touched her and she wasn’t unfaithful with another man. This child was a miraculous conception by agency of HS so the baby (Jesus) is Mary’s son (and legally Joseph’s son—by way of adoption) but ultimately He is God’s Son—a supernatural work that is brought about by the HS. Jews understood that God’s Spirit was responsible for revealing and teaching truth. They knew the HS was involved in the work of creation and also re-creation (Valley of dry bones—Ezek 37). This is a profound mystery that cannot really be sufficiently explained but what believers accept by faith.

The HS de-scandalizes the virgin conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb.

II. The Agonizing Secret Interrupted

19-20

How would you fell if that was the woman you were engaged to, the one you’ve chosen to marry and it was discovered that she was pregnant just before you took her into your home? Heartbroken, angry, embarrassed? Maybe all of that. When Joseph realized Mary was pregnant, he of course thinks that it is because she has been with another man. Why else would she be pregnant? But Joseph is a “righteous” man. He was justified by God, accepted by God, an OT saint who was devout and a worshiper of YHWH.

While Joseph may have been deeply distressed, heartbroken, embarrassed, he truly loved Mary. He didn’t want to “disgrace” her. That word means “to expose, to make an example of, to put to open shame.” That was one of his options. Instead of passionate vengeance (which is how many people would have responded), he was intending to divorce her (to send her away) secretly. Jealousy is cruel and explosive emotion.

Proverbs 6:34 NASB95

34 For jealousy enrages a man, And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

Song of Solomon 8:6 (NASB95)

Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the Lord.

Joseph’s conduct was exemplary. He had to do what was right. So he was planning to divorce her (which would require 2 witnesses) and this was permitted in the Law (Dt 24:1).

vs 20—when he considered this (this was his plan/purpose), a supernatural visitor interrupted his plans. For the 1st time, an angel appears in the NT. We see them often in the OT—esp in our study of Genesis. Angels are active, attentive, ready to carry out the will of the Lord, they are servants…and here, an unnamed angel appears to Joseph in a dream (there are differences b/t visions and dreams). The angel spoke to him “Joseph…”

This confirmed that Joseph was intentional about putting Mary away secretly. It also confirms that Joseph was emotionally distraught over the whole ordeal—thinking that Mary was guilty of unfaithfulness. But the angel’s instruction was to change Joseph’s thinking. He needed to take her as his wife—this referred to the 3rd stage which included the marriage ceremony. This would conclude when the husband brought his bride into his home and they would consummate the marriage…but in this case…that sexual union was postponed. The angel then explained that Mary was not guilty of sin/infidelity but something miraculous and wonderful has happened.

Notice this… “child conceived in her…” Mary is passive in this conception—it is all of the HS and a reminder that God was the One who initiated the entire process that results in JC being born into the world.

So the angel appeared to Joseph and this interrupted his plans so that Mary would indeed become Joseph’s wife which needed to be in order for Jesus to legally be a “son of David.”

III. The Divine Son Revealed

21

The angel continues to reveal to Joseph the coming events including several details about the child Mary is carrying.

His Gender

“She will bear a son” and this was an important detail meant to help Joseph test the authenticity and accuracy of the angel’s message. As soon as the child was born, Joseph could know the truthfulness of what has been spoken to him. Now, he would be a legal father to this Son but only as an adopted parent.

Luke 3:23 (NASB95)

23 When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli,

So God was giving Joseph the way to scrutinize the message. He has actually given every believer the same instruction:

1 Thessalonians 5:21 NASB95

21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;

False religions do not want people to test what they are teaching but to keep us from error, that is precisely what God wants us to do. So the child would be a son, a male—important b/c the birthright would fall to the oldest son.

His Name

The next instruction was for Joseph to bear the responsibility of naming the child. Joseph was to give Him the name Jesus. That was the equivalent of the Heb yeshua or Joshua—meaning YHWH is salvation (or the Savior). Luke confirms:

Luke 2:21 NASB95

21 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

That was the same message that Gabriel had given to Mary even before she conceived that His name would be Jesus. The message to Joseph after she conceived is identical.

His Calling

Names in that culture had far more significance than in ours today. The thought is that the name would be linked to the actual character and destiny of that individual. And in this case, the name would be an indication of His calling… “for He will save…” Jesus Christ came to earth at His 1st advent for the primary purpose of saving His people (those who belong to Him/God).

Herschel Ford writes “What is the greatest work of Jesus? It isn’t guiding the sun and the moon and the stars. It isn’t deciding the destinies of nations. It isn’t ruling over the angel’s band. His greatest work is in the realm of salvation.” This is His calling, His directive, His purpose in coming to earth.

JC Ryle makes the profound point regarding the type of salvation Jesus brings:

“He saves them from the guilt of sin, by washing them in His own atoning blood. He saves them from the dominion of sin, by putting in their hearts the sanctifying Spirit. He saves them from the presence of sin, when He takes them out of this world to rest with Him. He will save them from all the consequences of sin, when He shall give them a glorious body at the last day. Blessed and holy are Christ's people! From sorrow, cross, and conflict they are not saved. But they are saved from sin for evermore. They are cleansed from guilt by Christ's blood. They are made fit for heaven by Christ's Spirit. This is salvation. He who cleaves to sin is not yet saved.”

Matthew says “He will save His people from their sins.” This is His special office and one that only God Himself can occupy.

Acts 4:12 NASB95

12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

John 14:6 NASB95

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Salvation is found exclusively in LJC and perhaps that is why the world attacks Christ, Xns, and Xnty—as Satan promotes all the false religions to compete with the message of Christ’s cross.

I would love to dig deeper with you into the nature of Jesus—His humanity and deity but for the sake of time, we need to move on. We’ll cover some of these truths another time.

IV. The Inspired Scripture Fulfilled

22-23

These vv are not part of the angel’s announcement but Matthew’s explanation that these things happened (lit) to fulfill Scripture (the OT)—that is “what was spoken by the Lord thru the prophet.” Matthew’s Gospel puts heavy emphasis on the fulfillment of Scripture (Matt 2:15,17,23; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:54). Jesus says “Scripture cannot be broken” (Jn 10:35). Fulfillment is essential if God’s Word is to remain truthful.

From vs 23 we know the prophet in mind is Isaiah (7:14)—which we looked at briefly last time.

Exploring the Gospel of Matthew: An Expository Commentary b. The Prophecy (1:22–23)

In its original context it was made to wicked King Ahaz at the time the Syro-Ephraimitic alliance was forged against him and he in his abysmal folly decided to appeal to the Assyrians for help. He might as well have asked a cat to come and keep peace between a couple of canaries. Isaiah had warned Ahaz against such a suicidal course and had offered him the opportunity to request a sign to encourage his faith. Ahaz had stubbornly refused to request a sign, but he had been given one anyway, the one Matthew quoted

A son would be born of a virgin. John Philipps:

Exploring the Gospel of Matthew: An Expository Commentary b. The Prophecy (1:22–23)

The virgin birth of Christ is not an optional article of faith. It is essential to the gospel. If Jesus was not virgin-born, He had a human father. If He had a human father, He was not God. If He was not God, the Bible is false, Jesus Himself was deluded, and we have no adequate Savior from sin. If Jesus was not God manifest in flesh, the life that was surrendered on the cross was only a human life and could never have taken away the sin of the world. As man, He could only have given a life for a life. As God, He laid down an infinite life that was more than sufficient to redeem any number of finite lives.

Isaiah’s prophecy included the promise that God was going to do amazing things to fulfill His purpose of redeeming the nation and that no one would destroy the people of God or the line of David. Isaiah was not just speaking to Ahaz, but the “you” “The Lord will give you a sign” is plural—spoken to the nation. The kings who would overthrow the northern kingdom and invade the southern kingdom on 4 occasions would not succeed in destroying God’s people—this sign would be given.

This child born of the virgin would be called “Immanuel” and Matthew translates that (indicates the gospel is for people of every language)— “God with us.”

That description ought to remove all doubt concerning the nature of LJC. The One born of the virgin Mary was God of God, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And there is only 1 appropriate response in light of the nature of Jesus:

V. The Reverent Submission Detailed

24-25

“Joseph awoke…and did” Interesting that the instruction of the angel carries the authority of God Himself. He took Mary home as his wife (this would be the 3rd stage) but with an added emphasis that “he kept her a virgin” (lit “he did not know her). Know is the biblical way of speaking of the physical, sexual union that belongs to husbands and wives alone.

Genesis 4:1 ESV

1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”

Joseph did not “know” his wife until after she had given birth to Jesus—keeping her pure. Now, Mary would have other children (as Jesus is the 1st born)

Matthew 13:55–56 NASB95

55 “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 “And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”

Jesus had siblings—children of Joseph and Mary. What stands out after the angelic instruction is that Joseph obeyed. Not only did he take Mary to be his wife, but in full obedience to the nth degree—He called His name Jesus.

In Jesus, God is with us. He has a nature like our—yet without sin. His nature is human—weary, hungry, thirsty—faced every human experience including temptation. But Jesus is also God with us—fully divine.

Expository Thoughts on Matthew Expository Thoughts on Matthew

our Savior knew men's hearts and thoughts--that He had power over devils--that He could work the mightiest of miracles with a word--that He was ministered to by angels--that He allowed a disciple to call Him "my God,"--and that he said, "Before Abraham was I am," and "I and my Father are one."

Immanuel means that you have a strong foundation for hope and faith—b/c He is God, He keeps you secure so no one can pluck you out of His hand.

Immanuel means that you have comfort in suffering and trials—b/c He is man—who sympathizes with our weaknesses.

The appropriate response is to be like the ones we will encounter in ch 2—magi who come to worship. The appropriate response is to render total, unreserved, unhesitating obedience b/c JC is Immanuel—God with us.