The Virgin Shall Conceive

Intro

Merry Christmas!

It seems like everything has become instantly more “Christmasy” since we last met:

Snow started falling

Christmas baking on the go

Christmas tree going up later today

Christmas music on the radio

This also marks our first Sunday in advent

We have the candles, we had a reading, and we will prepare ourselves to remember the first coming of Jesus into this world

During advent we will be going through Matthew’s account of the birth and early years of Jesus

Focusing specifically on the five times he declares that prophecy was fulfilled

Read Matthew 1:18 - 25.

Story Time

Mary and Joseph were betrothed to be married

Betrothal = much more binding than our engagements

Would take a divorce to break things off

These marriages were often arranged, and women were very young

Fairly commonplace to be betrothed at 12

Story takes place likely near the end of a year long bethrotal, putting Mary likely at 13 or 14 years old

During this betrothal, Mary becomes pregnant

We all know the true reason for this conception: The Holy Spirit (v. 18)

“Before they came together” = no sexual relationship with Joseph

“From the Holy Spirit” = Not a sexual encounter with God; just a miracle by the power of God’s Spirit

Make no mistake, Mary was still a virgin

While this seems clear to us, it was NOT clear to Joseph

All that he knew was that he did not sleep with his betrothed, and now she was pregnant

What conclusion would you draw? I’m not sure it would have helped even when she told Joseph of her angelic visist

Cf. Luke 1:26-38.

This would all seem extremely far-fetched to Joseph

But Jospeh is an honorable man, and he doesn’t want to shame Mary

“Put her to shame” = publically reveal her sin = “did not want to expose her to public disgrace” (NIV)

I’m sure Joseph felt hurt by Mary (and her supposed lack of faithfulness), but he chose to treat her lovingly

The solution was to divorce her quietly

This would solve the legal issue of dissolving a binding betrothal

Unfaithfulness was grounds for a divorce

It would also save Mary from undue hardship and shame

It all made perfect sense… from a human point of view

As he is deciding this course of action, Joseph receives his own visit from an angel

“Joseph, son of David”

Only place in Matthew’s gospel where “son of David” does NOT refer to Jesus

Ties into the opening geneaology that establishes Jesus lineage to King David

Strengthens his claim as the Messiah

Matthew focuses his story on the birth of Jesus almost exclusively on Joseph (while Luke focuses on Mary)

Likely to reinforce Joseph’s role as the link between David and Jesus

“That which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit”

What a shock! It would also completely reinforce what Mary shared from her own visit from an angel

Joseph will now be completely convinced that Mary has not been unfaithful

He will also be convinced that God is doing something miraculous through his family

“You shall call his name Jesus”

Jesus = “Yahweh saves”

Which makese sense when Matthew explains that “he will save his people from their sins” (v. 21)

Jesus will be his proper name, but it is also a description of the mission he is on

And Joseph obeys everything that he was told by the angel

He abandoned his divorce and married Mary

He did not have sex with her until she gave birth to the child conceived by the Spirit

When that child was born, “he called his name Jesus”

And the course of human history was changed forever

Fulfilled: The Virgin Shall Conceive

Read Matthew 1:22-23.

“All this took place” = reference to the story we just studied together

God was incredibly purposeful in how His Son Jesus entered the world

Joseph = line of David (Messianic claim)

Mary = virgin

Needed so that there would be no doubt that the Holy Spirit worked the miracle of conception

Joseph = obedient to the direction of God through the angel

If he didn’t believe or obey, the story would have been MUCH different

“To fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet”

Matthew quotes Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

We need to ask: What was the original context of this prophecy? What did it mean to the original hearers of Isaiah’s time? (Important ground rule for interpreting Scripture)

King Ahaz of Judah was under threat of attack by the kings of Aram and Israel. God both promised Ahaz that the attack would not come, and invited Ahaz to ask for a sign. We pick up the story:

Read Isaiah 7:10-14.

There was a child that was a symbol of the promise that God was with His chosen people

The Lord would protect them and look after them agains the many threats that surrounded them

The theme of Immanuel continues in Isaiah’s prophecy, reinforcing the immediate sign of the promise of the protection of the Lord

Read Isaiah 8:7-10.

Sure enough, the Assyrians rose and conquered Israel… but not Judah

God proved this prophecy true; He was WITH His people when they were literally under siege

How does this apply to Jesus? Does the fact that there was an immediate fulfillment make this prophecy less credible?

No! that is not the way that many OT prophecies work, especially Messianic prophesies that Jesus fulfilled

Explain the “twin peaks” of Jewish prophecy; immediate fulfillment and then later (hidden) complete and greater fulfillment

We will never know if Isaiah was aware of the fact that Jesus would yet come to complete this prophecy

But Matthew did, and God gave Him the spiritual awareness to understand how all these things were made true in Jesus

Just like Jesus did for the disciples on the Road to Emmaus and Philip did for the Ethiopian on the road

This complete fulfillment of the prophecy will be related to the original fulfillment

Just as the people of God needed a sign of the promise that God was with them when surrounded by enemies, we need a sign of the promise that God is with us today

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which means, God with us”

God With Us

We often focus on the literal fulfillment of this prophecy at Christmas

Jesus is literally “God with us”

Fully God, fully man

The claim of the virgin birth is crucial and true

Took on flesh and dwelt among us

“Moved into the neighbourhood”

Revealed the character and nature of God more directly than anyone or anything else

But the promise of Jesus as “God with us” did NOT end with His time on earth

Even as He ascended into heaven, He promised His followers, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age”

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has paved the way for us to have an ongoing relationship with Him

Not true to say “Jesus WAS God with us;” is true to say, “Jesus IS God with us”

Just like the nation of Judah, Jesus is God with us as He gives us comfort and protection

We may never understand what it was like to be literally surrounded by an enemy army, but there are many situations where we feel “under seige”

Tensions at work with a coworker, being bullyed at school or online, facing broken relationships with a close family member

When your need is greatest, God promises to be with you, and support and protect you

Share about my Mom’s love of Psalm 23, even on her death bed

Cf. Psalm 23:4.

God is with you!

Rod and staff = protection from enemies; even death

Jesus is God with us as He provides for everything we need

Cf. Hebrews 13:5-6.

Christmas can be a season driven by consumerism

It becomes all about gifts, possessions, money, etc.

I HATE going to the mall this time of year… ugh

It can also be a season where we are aware of how little we have

Some families have real worry and concern about being able to give their children good gifts this year

Year end bonus?! How about having enough to make it through the next year?

Tis the season to remember that in Jesus, God has promised to provide everything you need

Pray to God; seek His provision; He will answer

Tis also the season to be an answer to others’ prayer for provision

Christmas hampers; Christmas gifts to our recently arrived families

Jesus is God with us as He saves us from our sins

Here we see the truth of both names together:

Jesus = Yahweh saves

Immanuel = God with us

There is no greater gift at Christmas then salvation found in Jesus Christ

Cf. Acts 4:12.

This may be the end of the sermon, but it is the starting point of your relationship with God

Recognize that you are enslaved to sin, unable to save yourself

Jesus alone is able to save you from your sin

Confess and repent, turn to Jesus, and He freely and with joy will offer you salvation

From this day forward, Jesus is God with You

Pray