The Birth of the King

Introduction

Last week we ended with a question that Matthew himself forces upon every reader of this Gospel: If God kept His promise across generations to give you this King—what will you do with Him now?

In Matthew 1:1–17 we saw that Jesus is not an interruption to Israel’s story. He is its fulfillment. He is the promised Seed of Abraham. He is the Son of David. He is the rightful heir to the throne whose kingdom will have no end. Through famine and feast, through righteousness and rebellion, through glory and exile and obscurity, God sustained the royal lineage of Christ because God is faithful to His covenant promises.

But now Matthew presses the matter further. It is one thing to prove that a King has the right to rule. It is another thing entirely to show what kind of King He is. Because lineage alone does not save anyone. A royal bloodline does not forgive sin. A legal right to a throne does not reconcile sinners to God. The truth of the matter is that a promised King who cannot deliver His people from their greatest enemy is no Savior at all.

So Matthew moves from genealogy to nativity, from royal claim to royal mission. The genealogy shouted, “He is the Son of David.” Now the angel declares, “He will save His people from their sins.” text in Matthew is not simply the historical narrative of how Jesus was born; it is also the explanation of why He was born. The King who has come is not merely a ruler—He is Redeemer; even more than that, He is Immanuel, He is God with us.

With this in mind turn in your copy of God’s word to the book of Matthew as we close out the first chapter this morning by reading and studying verses 18-25:

Text

Please stand in reverence for the reading of God’s Holy, Inerrant, Infallible, Authoritative, Sufficient, Complete and Certain Word.

Matthew 1:18–25 LSB

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the One who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” And Joseph got up from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

Our gracious and holy Father,

We thank You for the reading of Your Word this morning and for the clear testimony it gives to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We praise You that in the fullness of time You sent forth Your Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, to accomplish the salvation that we could never secure for ourselves.

We rejoice that You have not remained distant from us in our sin, but have drawn near to us in Christ as Immanuel—God with us.

As we now turn to the preaching of Your Word, we confess our need for Your grace. Open our eyes to understand the truth before us. Soften our hearts where they are hard, convict us where we are complacent, and encourage us where we are weary.

Help us to see clearly that our greatest need is not relief from circumstance, but redemption from sin. Grant us faith to believe that the One who came to save His people from their sins is mighty to save even us.

Prepare our hearts to receive Your truth with humility and repentance. May Christ be exalted, Your people be strengthened, and Your name be glorified in all that is said and heard.

We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and King,

Amen.

The Scandal of the King’s Arrival

Matthew does not begin this section with angels singing in the streets. He begins with scandal in a home. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.” The first thing Matthew wants you to feel is the tension. Mary is pregnant. Joseph knows the child is not his. And in their culture this was not merely awkward—it was catastrophic.

Betrothal was not casual engagement as we think of it today. It was a legally binding covenant. A couple was pledged to each other, publicly committed, and regarded as husband and wife in a legal sense, even though they had not yet begun to live together nor had they consummated the marriage. However, in that culture to dissolve the bond forged by betrothal required divorce. In this case there would also be a question sexual purity. This would create an issue regarding covenant faithfulness, and an apparent violation could bring shame, public accusation, and under the law...death.

From Joseph’s perspective there were only a few explanations, and none of them seemed good. Either Mary had been sinned against or Mary had sinned. Either way, Joseph’s life had suddenly been turned upside down. His name, his future, his reputation, his plans—everything now sat under the weight of this unexpected news.

Matthew tells us, “And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.” Notice the combination: righteous, yet merciful. He is not indifferent to holiness, yet he is not cruel. He does not pretend that sin is insignificant, yet he does not delight in exposing Mary to shame. He intends to do what is lawful to end the betrothal, but in the quietest and gentlest way he can.

And here is a lesson that Christians must learn again and again: a righteous man does not act immediately on appearances—even when those appearances seem obvious. Joseph does not yet have all the facts, and he does not yet understand the providence of God. But he is careful. He deliberates. He refuses rash action. He chooses restraint. In a world that moves at the speed of outrage and accusation, Joseph stands as a quiet rebuke. Providence is often at work where suspicion would reign.

Still, do not miss what Matthew is showing us: the entrance of the King into this world is marked not by applause but by misunderstanding. Before there is a crown, there is reproach. Before the cross is erected on Golgotha, there is already a shadow over His birth. Even His coming is lowly. Even His arrival bears the scent of suffering. The King enters by way of humility because He has come to save by way of suffering.

The Spirit Who Formed the King

While Joseph finds this unexpected, troubling and most likely downright confusing, God has planned and now that the fullness of time has arrive and the plan proceeds, Joseph receives much needed guidance and direction. “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.’”

The angel addresses him as “son of David.” Joseph is not merely a private man with a private problem; he is a link in the covenant chain. God is about to fulfill what He promised to David, and Joseph has a role to play. Then the angel says, “Do not be afraid.” That fear is real. Joseph is afraid of shame. Afraid of being implicated. Afraid of the future. Afraid of what people will say and what his life will become. And the angel’s word is not, “Your fear is silly.” The angel’s word is, “Your fear must yield to God’s revelation.”

“For that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Here we must tread carefully. The mystery of Christ’s incarnation is to be adored, not pried into. Scripture does not satisfy every curiosity. It gives us what we need for worship and faith. It does not tell us the mechanics of the miracle. It tells us the Author of the miracle. The child is conceived “of the Holy Spirit.”

This is not the beginning of the Son’s existence. The Son is eternal. He is not a creature. He did not begin to be in Mary’s womb. What begins here is His human life, His true humanity, His taking of our nature. The eternal Son takes to Himself a real human nature, a true body and a reasonable soul. He becomes what He was not—man—without ceasing to be what He was—God.

The virgin conception also matters because it teaches us something about the salvation Christ brings. The salvation we need is not something we can generate. We are not merely sick people who need assistance; we are dead people who need resurrection. We are not merely confused people who need information; we are guilty people who need atonement and rebels who need renewal. That is why the first step of the gospel story is not human effort but divine initiative. Salvation begins with God.

And the Spirit’s work here safeguards two crucial truths: Christ is truly human, and Christ is truly without sin. He is born of a woman—He shares our nature. Yet He is conceived by the Spirit—He does not share Adam’s guilt or corruption. He enters our world not as a sinner in need of saving, but as a Savior able to save. He is like us in all things, yet without sin.

The Mediator We Need: Truly God and Truly Man

At this point we must slow down and ask: why does Matthew make this so central? Why is the virgin conception not a decorative detail but a doctrinal pillar?

Because the Savior must be both. If He is only man, He cannot bear the infinite weight of divine wrath. A mere creature cannot satisfy the justice of an infinite God for the sins of many. If He is only God, He cannot stand in the place of humanity. God cannot die; God cannot bleed; God cannot be our representative under the law unless He assumes our nature.

But as Immanuel, He lays His hand upon both. He is God toward man and man toward God. He is the only mediator between God and men. He is the only one able to reconcile sinners to a holy God.

This is what Job longed for when he said there was no arbiter to lay his hand on both. In Christ, the longing of Job is answered. Here is One who can represent us truly and bring us to God righteously. The incarnation is not sentimental. It is necessary. It is the foundation of substitutionary atonement. If Christ is not truly man, He cannot obey in our place. If Christ is not truly man, He cannot die in our place. If Christ is not truly God, His obedience and death cannot have infinite worth. But because He is both, His work is sufficient.

And this also means the gospel is not the story of God sending a helper while remaining distant. It is the story of God Himself drawing near. The One who will save us comes into our condition. He enters our weakness. He takes our burdens. He identifies with our sorrows. He is not ashamed to call us brothers. He becomes like us so that He might redeem us.

The Savior Who Bears Our Sin

Then the angel gives Joseph a command: “And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Names in Scripture are never arbitrary. They reveal purpose and mission. “Jesus” is the Greek form of “Yeshua,” the same name as Joshua, and it means “Yahweh saves.” The name itself is a sermon. Every time Mary called Him, every time Joseph spoke to Him, every time the neighbors referred to Him, the name proclaimed the mission: Yahweh saves.

But the angel does not leave the meaning vague. “For He will save His people from their sins.” Not merely from their troubles. Not merely from their political enemies. Not merely from poverty or sickness or oppression. He will save His people from their sins.

That tells us what our greatest enemy is. It is not Rome. It is not merely the cultural decay around us. It is not merely the struggles we face in life. Our greatest enemy is sin—its guilt, its power, its presence, and its consequences.

Sin is what brought death into the world. Sin is what fractured communion with God. Sin is what placed humanity under divine wrath. Sin is what enslaves the will and corrupts the heart. Sin is not merely what we do; it is what we are by nature in Adam. We do not become sinners by sinning; we sin because we are sinners. That is why education cannot fix us. That is why moral resolve cannot cleanse us. That is why religious activity cannot atone for us. We need salvation from sin itself.

And notice the phrase: “His people.” The angel announces not a possibility but a certainty. He will save. Not He might save. Not He will try to save. He will save His people. The salvation Christ accomplishes is effective. It actually rescues. It actually delivers. It actually reconciles. He does not merely make salvation available; He accomplishes salvation for those the Father has given Him.

How does He save them from their sins? In the fullness of Matthew’s Gospel we see the answer. He will live under the law with perfect obedience. He will fulfill all righteousness. He will bear the curse in His death. He will rise in victory. He will pour out the Spirit to apply His work to His people.

So when the angel says, “He will save His people from their sins,” it includes everything: justification—the removal of guilt; sanctification—the breaking of dominion; perseverance—keeping them through trials; glorification—removing sin’s presence forever. He saves from sin’s penalty, sin’s power, and ultimately sin’s presence.

And this corrects what many expect from a King. Many want a King who will fix their circumstances. Few want a King who will crucify their sin. Many want deliverance from suffering. Few want deliverance from rebellion. But Christ did not come to negotiate with sin. He came to destroy it.

If you want Christ to give you comfort but not holiness, you do not want Jesus as He is. If you want a Savior who will forgive you but not change you, you do not want the Savior the angel announces. The King who saves does not merely excuse sin; He delivers from it. He breaks chains. He makes new hearts. He turns rebels into worshipers. He rescues sinners into communion with God.

Immanuel — God With Us

Matthew then pulls back the curtain and shows us that this birth is the fulfillment of prophecy. “Now all this took place in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’”

Immanuel. God with us. Those words are among the sweetest in all of Scripture, but do not let familiarity dull their weight. Immanuel is not merely a comforting phrase for hard days. It is a theological earthquake.

By nature, God is above us. He is Creator; we are creatures. He is holy; we are sinful. He dwells in unapproachable light. By the law, God is against us, because the law reveals His righteousness and our guilt. If God is only above us, we tremble. If God is against us, we perish. But in Christ, God is with us—personally, covenantally, savingly.

This is the great theme of the Bible: God dwelling with His people. What was once mediated and veiled in tabernacle and temple now comes in person—the Word made flesh, God walking into our world.

Immanuel also means something about covenant faithfulness. God had promised, “I will be your God, and you will be My people.” That covenant promise reaches its highest expression in Christ. He is the covenant in person. He is the faithful God bringing His people into fellowship. He is the Mediator who secures every covenant blessing—pardon, renewal, adoption, and everlasting communion.

And here is where we must make a crucial distinction: God with us is either terror or treasure, depending on whether you are in Christ. If God is with you in judgment, there is no escape. If God is with you in holiness while you remain in sin, you cannot stand. But if God is with you in Christ, then His presence is your life, your peace, your salvation. The same sun that melts wax hardens clay. The presence of God is either comfort or condemnation depending on your relation to Jesus.

In Christ, God is with us in grace. God with us in sympathy. God with us in temptation—yet without sin. God with us in sorrow. God with us under the curse. God with us even in death, so that death might be defeated from the inside.

And this also means Christianity is not first a set of rules. It is communion. It is fellowship with the living God through Jesus Christ. The goal of salvation is not merely forgiveness as a legal transaction; it is reconciliation—God bringing sinners home to Himself.

Joseph’s Obedience and the King’s Throne

Now Matthew returns to Joseph. “Then Joseph woke up from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.”

Joseph obeys. He does not argue. He does not negotiate. He does not delay. He takes Mary as his wife. He protects her. He bears the cost of identification with her. He accepts that some will misunderstand. He chooses obedience over reputation.

And then Joseph names the child. That seems simple, but it is covenantally significant. In the ancient world, naming is not merely personal preference; it is acknowledgment and legal recognition. By naming the child, Joseph publicly receives Jesus as his son. He adopts Him legally into his household. And because Joseph is a son of David, that legal act places Jesus within the Davidic line and secures His royal right.

The genealogy has already shown us that Joseph is in the line of David. But here Matthew shows us how Jesus, though conceived by the Spirit and not by Joseph, is nonetheless the legal heir to David’s throne. God fulfills His promise without violating His own holiness. Jesus is born of Mary, truly human; conceived by the Spirit, truly holy; and named by Joseph, truly the rightful heir.

Quiet Joseph—by simple obedience—places the crown upon the head of the King. He does not preach a sermon. He does not perform a miracle. He simply obeys the word of God. And in that obedience, he becomes a crucial instrument in the unfolding of redemptive history.

This should encourage us. God often works His greatest purposes through ordinary obedience. Faithfulness in the hidden places matters. Obedience in the quiet decisions matters. The Lord is not only glorified in public platforms; He is glorified in the private choices of faith.

Application: Union with the King Who Saves

Now, what does all of this demand of us? It demands more than admiration. It demands faith. It demands repentance. It demands receiving the King on His terms.

First, it calls us to humble repentance. The angel’s words confront us: we need saving from sin. That means our biggest problem is not “out there.” It is in here. It is in our hearts. It is our guilt before God and our bondage to corruption. If Christ came to save from sin, then sin must be taken seriously. You cannot lightly handle what required the Son of God to take on flesh and go to the cross.

Second, it calls us to trust the Savior God has provided. If Christ is Immanuel, God with us, then salvation is not found in your performance. It is found in His person. Your hope is not that you have done enough. Your hope is that He is enough. The gospel is not “God helps those who help themselves.” The gospel is “God saves those who cannot save themselves.”

Third, it calls us into union with Christ. Salvation is not merely pardon; it is being joined to Christ by faith so that His righteousness, death, and resurrection life become yours, and you are kept by His grace.

This also shapes how we live. If God is with us in Christ, then we are never alone. Not in trials. Not in grief. Not in temptation. Not in suffering. There is no valley where the Shepherd is absent. There is no furnace where the Son of Man is not present. Immanuel means God has not only secured your future; He accompanies you in the present.

And it also shapes the church. The church is not merely a gathering of people who share preferences. It is the community of those who have been brought near by Christ. We are a people among whom God dwells by His Spirit. We gather each Lord’s Day not merely to do religious tasks, but to meet with God through His Son.

Finally, this passage presses the same question we ended with last week. If God sustained history to send this King, if the Holy Spirit conceived Him, if His name is Jesus because He saves from sin, if His name is Immanuel because God is with us—what will you do with Him now?

You cannot remain neutral. You cannot treat Jesus as a mere ornament to your life. He is a King. He is a Savior. He is God with us. The only safe place is under His saving rule.

Conclusion

Matthew has shown us the kind of King Jesus is. He is the King who saves. He is the King who comes lowly. He is the King whose throne is established by covenant faithfulness and whose mission is redemption. He is the King who does not merely command from afar, but who draws near—Immanuel, God with us.

And this leads us to the hope that stretches beyond Matthew 1. The One who came to dwell among us will one day bring us to dwell with God forever. The Bible ends where it has always been heading: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” The incarnation is the down payment of that final dwelling. Christmas is not merely a memory; it is the beginning of the everlasting communion God has promised.

So hear Matthew’s question, and answer it honestly. If this is who Jesus is, will you receive Him? Will you turn from sin and come to Him? Will you bow to the King who saves? Because He did not come to save His people in their sins, but from them. And neutrality is not an option before a King.

Closing Prayer

Gracious and Holy Father,

We thank You for the unspeakable gift of Your Son—our Lord Jesus Christ—conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary for our salvation. We praise You that in Him You have not remained distant from us in our sin, but have come near as Immanuel—God with us.

We confess that our greatest need was not relief from circumstance, but redemption from sin. And we rejoice that Christ came not to save us in our sins, but from them—bearing our guilt upon the cross and breaking sin’s dominion by the power of His Spirit.

Fix our eyes upon this King who reigns by redeeming and who rules by rescuing. Grant us grace to repent where we have resisted Him, faith to believe where we have doubted Him, and obedience to follow where we have strayed.

Cause us to rest in the truth that the One who came to dwell among us will one day bring us to dwell with You forever.

We ask it in the name of Jesus,

Amen.

Communion Liturgy

Call to Worship

Psalm 95:6–7 LSB

Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before Yahweh our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.

Confession

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. The third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

Prayer

Almighty God,

We come before You in humility and reverence. We thank You for Your grace poured out through Christ Jesus our Lord. We confess our sins, asking Your forgiveness, trusting in the finished work of the cross. Prepare our hearts, O Lord, that we might partake of this holy ordinance in a worthy manner. Strengthen our faith, deepen our repentance, unite us in love, and conform us more to the image of Your Son. Bless this congregation, grant us boldness to proclaim Your gospel, and preserve us in Your truth until Christ returns. We ask all this in His holy name. Amen.

Scripture

Luke 22:7–22 LSB

Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.” And they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare it?” And He said to them, “Behold, after you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters. “And you shall say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ “And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there.” And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover. And when the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. “For I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. “But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Me on the table. “For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

Fencing of the Table

Brothers and sisters, this Table is for those who have repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Those who do, in good faith, stand right and have been declared just based on the righteousness of Christ. If that describes you, come and partake. If you remain unrepentant or outside of Christ, we urge you to refrain, lest you eat and drink judgment upon yourself. Brothers and sisters, even those who have repented and believed are commanded to examine themselves to ensure that they come prepared to this table. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:27–29 “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must test himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.”

Let us now take a moment to examine ourselves and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Prayer of Consecration

Gracious Father,

We set apart these common elements of bread and the cup for this holy use. We acknowledge that they do not physically become the body and blood of Christ but serve as a reminder for us. We thank You for Christ’s body broken and His blood shed for the remission of our sins. May this Supper be a means of grace to nourish our faith and strengthen our covenant bond with You and with one another. Amen.

Bread

As we come to the observance of the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, given to us to celebrate in memory of His broken body and shed blood. It is said that on the the night before He was betrayed, at the conclusion of the feast of the Passover, which He and His disciples were celebrating, He took bread and having blessed it, broke it and gave it to His disciples and said “this is my body, which is given for you.”

Prayer

After bread is passed out:

John 6:58 ““This is the bread which came down out of heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.””

Cup

On that same night our Lord took the cup and having blessed it, gave to His disciples as said “This is My blood which was shed for you.”

Prayer

Hebrews 9:22 “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

1 John 1:7 “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Drink

1 Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.”

Conclusion

After our Lord and His disciples ate the bread and drank the cup, celebrating the first Supper of our Lord, it is said that they sand a hymn and went out.