The Birth of the King
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Join me in . The earthly lineage of Jesus though a promised line, was not a perfect line. Each one of the individuals, even though they could be classified as “good”, had their flaws. So how could all nations be blessed by Abraham, who was a lier? Why should God not have removed the sceptre from Judah, who defiled the marriage bed and had children out of wedlock? What makes David’s kingdom so special, especially since he by all points was a molester and a murderer? The promises given to this family tree were secure, not because of the individuals to whom the promises were given, but because of who would eventually come through this family tree.
The only way that the promised line was the promised line not because of those who were given the promise, but because of who came through that promised line.
And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
The earthly lineage of Jesus was not a perfect line. Each one of those individuals, even though seen has great individuals, had flaws.
What makes Him different? What sets Him apart from the rest of this line? What makes Him better than any other king? These are the questions we answer today as we explore, The Birth of the King. Look at verse 18.
What made Him different? What set Him apart from the rest of this line? What makes Him better than any other king?
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.
Jesus the Christ, the son of David, the son Abraham was unlike anybody in history. Yes there have been some mighty individuals, and many of their accomplishments became embellished through folk lore.
I am sure you have heard of King Arthur. It is historically believed that Arthur was actually a Roman general stationed in a post of Britannia (or Britain) and had successfully defended his post from the onslaught of barbarians. But there was no round table, no Sir Lancelot, no Princess Qwennevirre, nor wizard Merlin.
Another one you might recall is Joan of Arc. Yes, she was a real individual who, did lead the French military to many victories against the English all under the belief that she had received visions from God. But in all honesty it can be seen that she was nothing more than an illiterate girl from a poor peasant farmer’s family who caught the attention of a king who was loosing a war, desperate for victory. Undoubtedly she was an inspiration to the soldiers who had lost many commrads in that vicious war, but there was really nothing else special about her.
Through the works of Banjo Patterson we are confronted with the realities of bush life. In some of his ballads he references special individuals, but embellishes their stories making them seem larger than life. You have...
The New King James Version Chapter 1
Now the xbirth of Jesus Christ was as follows:
Clancy of the Overflow, which Banjo wrote as a result of receiving a response to a letter written to Thomas Gerald Clancy of a sheep station in Nymagee known as the “The Overflow”. The response he received was, “Clancy's gone to Queensland droving and we don't know where he are.” From this little note Patterson’s imagination ran wild and gave birth to the words:
In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy
Gone a-droving 'down the Cooper' where the Western drovers go;
As the stock are slowly stringing, Clancy rides behind them singing,
For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.
And the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him
In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,
And at night the wond'rous glory of the everlasting stars.
Clancy would then make an appearance as the best horseman who learnt to ride while droving on the plains, in perhaps Banjo’s most famous ballad, The Man from Snowy River.
And Clancy of the Overflow came down to lend a hand,
No better horseman ever held the reins;
For never horse could throw him while the saddle girths would stand,
He learnt to ride while droving on the plains.
I do not know Thomas Clancy’s riding ability, but through the works of Banjo Patterson it would appear that he was untouchable.
These individuals accomplished some amazing things, but I dare say none of them could amount to the stature of the one born of Mary, whose name is Jesus and is called the Christ.
You see...
Jesus had a Unique Conception (vs. 18-20)
Jesus had a Unique Conception (vs. 18-20)
Look at verses 18-20 with me.
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.
As we approach this passage with our 21st century western minds we can easily become confused. In one verse we are told that Joseph and Mary are “betrothed” or engaged and are not together, while in other verses he is called Mary’s husband and Mary is referred to as Joseph’s wife.
To grasp what is going on we must view this seeming conflict in light of the first-century Jewish marriage customs. During this era there were three steps to a Jewish marriage. First came the engagement which was arranged by the family who determined the couples compatibility for each other and marriage, this was finalised in a contract. The second step was called the betrothal period. It was the public declaration and approval of the engagement. This time lasted for one year where the couple would become known as a married couple, but did not include rights of living together as husband and wife. The only way to terminate a betrothal was by divorce,
The betrothal period was meant as a testing time of marital chastity. If the women was found to be pregnant during this one year period it meant she was unfaithful and the marriage could be annulled. But after this one-year, if purity was demonstrated, the bridegroom would make his grand march to collect his bride from her parents home, and from that time forward they would live together as husband and wife, consummating their marriage physically.
As we approach our passage we find Mary and Joseph in the middle of this betrothal period. But Mary has been “found with child”, which created a dilemma for Joseph. Joseph is describe as “being a just man”, which carries that concept of being a right man, a good man, a faithful man. Joseph was a good catch. And we see that this goodness was not just some outward thing (in other words Joseph was not kind or good in effort to boost his own status), but his goodness was rooted in something deeper, because he did not desire to bring shame upon Mary or her family by a public divorce. To spare the agony of a public scandal Joseph sought for a means to annul the marriage quietly and privately.
While he pondered how this might be done, Joseph learned about the uniqueness of this pregnancy. This was not an ordinary conception. Mary had been faithful, she had kept her vows, but this child which she now carried was a divine work of the Holy Spirit.
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:34-
His unique conception sets Jesus apart from anybody else. Wiersbe writes:
His unique conception sets Jesus apart from anybody else. Wiersbe writes:
This was a unique conception. Wiersbe writes:
Jesus was born of an earthly mother without the need of an earthly father. [Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 13). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.]
Both Matthew and Luke ensure us that this pregnancy was not the work of a man and women’s relationship.
As we approach we find Mary and Joseph in the middle of this betrothal period.
Matthew makes a break in the active “begot” to the passive “was born” in verse 16.
And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
Then Matthew makes it clear that even after collecting his bride, Joseph abstained from consummating their relationship.
for even after collecting his bride Joseph abstained from consummating their relationship.
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.
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
Luke records the words of Mary,
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
The conception of Jesus was a divine work of God the Holy Spirit, setting Him apart from all other decedents of David and humans in history. Being the seed of the woman, made Him human, but being a divine work of the Holy Spirit allowed Him to remain God. This means Jesus was different from any other king of Israel for
The conception of Jesus was a divine work of God the Holy Spirit, setting Him apart from all other decedents of David and humans in history. Being the seed of the woman, made Him human, but being a divine work of the Holy Spirit made Him spotless and void of original sin. The fact that Jesus had a unique conception is paramount for
Knew her not until she had Jesus ()
Jesus was a Unique Person (vs. 22-23)
Jesus was a Unique Person (vs. 22-23)
Jesus was a Unique Person (vs. 22-23)
And forgive me for stepping out of the natural structure of the passage, but I believe we must understand this fact before we can understand the message found in verse 21. So join me in verse 22.
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.”
I like Oswald Sanders words in his book, The Incomparable Christ:
In Jesus
Man has always craved a God who is tangible and visible. [Sanders, J. Oswald. (2009). The Incomparable Christ. Kindles Edition. Moody Publishers. Location 365.]
Even though they were spiritual men, both Job and Philip affirm this reality with their own words.
“Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.
Job 23L:
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
John 14:
Jesus was the answer to this longing within mankind.
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Jesus is God in the flesh. The Word that was in the beginning with God and was God became flesh and dwelt among us making the infinite God tangible to us who are finite.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Here in lies the importance of the virgin birth. If Jesus was born after the manner of any other human He would not have been God. Yet being a work of the Holy Spirit He was born of a woman, becoming flesh, but was and is eternal God who existed before Mary and Joseph.
who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
John 1:
Jesus is God.
Jesus is God.
Philippians 2:
He pre-existed, before Abraham was He was.
Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
John 8:
He is the source of life, for in Him is life and He has life of Himself.
He is the source of life.
He is the source of life.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
He is immutable (or unchangeable), for though His garments would change from time to time He will always be the same.
Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.”
In the theology book titled, The Great Doctrines of the Bible, Evans wrote:
All nature, which like a garment He throws around Him is subject to change and decay; Jesus Christ is the same always, He never changes. Human teachers, such as are spoken of in the context, may change, but He, the Christ, never. [Evans, W. (Public Domain). The Great Doctrines of the Bible. Kindle Edition. Amazon Digital Services. Location 749.]
He is omnipotent (or all-powerful), for the winds and seas bow to His command.
But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
He is omniscient (or all-knowing) for He knows what was in man.
John 2:2
Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.
But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,
and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”
Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
This was just some simple learned understanding, but that same knowledge as revealed of God in .
John 1:47-49
“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
Jerem
He is omnipresent (or everywhere present and active).
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
Jesus is God, but also
Jesus is human.
Jesus is human.
He grew as other humans grow.
And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
He looked like any other human.
Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
He lived with human frailty.
And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,
Matthew
Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
Though there have been many great men and women throughout history, none can compare to He who was born of Mary, Jesus who is called the Christ. Though Israel took pride in their family tree, the blessings did not come because of who Abraham, Judah, or David were, but because of who came from their line, Jesus who is called the Christ.
Though there have been many great men and women throughout history, none can compare to He who was born of Mary, Jesus who is called the Christ. Though Israel took pride in their family tree, the blessings did not come because of who Abraham, Judah, or David were, but because of who came from their line, Jesus who is called the Christ.
Having a unique conception (being born of Mary by the divine work of the Holy Spirit), made Him a unique person (He is God in the flesh). Being so unique, made Jesus spotless and void of original sin, making Him the only individual who was capable of saving the world. Jesus is different from any other person for
made Him spotless and void of original sin. The Doctrine of the Virgin Birth is paramount for, you see,
The conception of Jesus was a divine work of God the Holy Spirit, setting Him apart from all other decedents of David and humans in history. Being the seed of the woman, made Him human, but being a divine work of the Holy Spirit made Him spotless and void of original sin. The fact that Jesus had a unique conception is paramount for
The Doctrine of the Virgin Birth is paramount for
Knew her not until she had Jesus ()
Jesus had a Unique Mission (vs. 21)
Jesus had a Unique Mission (vs. 21)
And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Many throughout history have made it their mission to save people. They have sought to deliver individuals from the impending doom of disease, famine, homelessness, climate change(?).
Bill Gates set his mind to eradicating disease and improving the living standards of populations worldwide.
Andrew Carnegie spent billions to promote peace and self-improvement.
He is the Saviour
Boaz who redeemed Ruth from the fields, none could be classified as the Saviour of world.
George Soros believes he is on the front lines for the fight against fascism and defending human rights. He has spent billions on lobbying for economic, legal, and social reform.
Yet there is not a single person in history who had a mission as unique as Jesus. For His mission was to deliver people from the cause of all the turmoil and death, sin itself. He (being God) was born of a woman, and put Himself under the law to redeem us.
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
none could be classified as the Saviour of world.
The whole reason for the unique conception was so that Jesus would be the spotless lamb for humanity who could take away our sin.
Galatians
and came to be the spotless lamb for humanity.
John 1:
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Though some could be classified as a redeemer, none could be classified as the Saviour of world.
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
He who knew know sin came to be made sin for us that we would be made the righto
By sacrificing Himself Jesus could put away sin. This is the purpose of all purposes. As Thiessen wrote in his work called Lectures in Systematic Theology,
By sacrificing Himself Jesus could put away sin. This is the purpose of all purposes. As Thiessen wrote in his work called Lectures in Systematic Theology,
Christ came to teach men, to aid them in material and physical respects, to give them an example, and so forth, but above all these things, he came to die for man’s sins. His death is the foundational requirement of every other blessing we enjoy. [Thiessen, H. C., & Doerksen, V. D. (1979). Lectures in systematic theology (pp. 214). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.]
Christ came to teach men, to aid them in material and physical respects, to give them an example, and so forth, but above all these things, he came to die for man’s sins. His death is the foundational requirement of every other blessing we enjoy.[Thiessen, H. C., & Doerksen, V. D. (1979). Lectures in systematic theology (pp. 214). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.]
[i] Ibid. (p. 214).
Many throughout history can be classified as saviours.
Boaz saved Ruth from the fields. You could say that Joan of Arc was a saviour of France.
You could say Joan of Arc that she was a saviour of France.
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Emmanuel, the God-Man
He came to taste death for every man.
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The one born of Mary, Jesus who is called the Christ, was different from any other decedent of Abraham, and as Luke points from any other decedent of Adam. He had a unique conception being born of a woman by the divine work of the Holy Spirit. This made Jesus a unique person for He is 100% God and 100% human. Being God and man allowed Him to fulfil His unique mission, to be the Saviour of the world.
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
Who is this one born of Mary? Who is this Jesus you ask?
In these words of introduction Matthew solidifies in our hearts and minds that Jesus is King because of who He is and what He has done.
Jesus is King because of who He is and what He has done. Will you follow Him?
Jesus is the seed of the woman, who is at odds with the serpent.
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
1001 Illustrations that Connect Illustration 196: His Natural Birth
God fills a bush with his glory, and it burns. God enters into the great mountain, and it rocks with an earthquake. When he comes to occupy a man, he must distort the humanity he occupies into some inhuman shape.
Instead of that, this new life into which God comes seems to be the quietest, most natural human life that was ever seen upon the earth. It glides into its place like sunlight, seeming to make it evident that God and man are essentially so near together that the meeting of their natures in the life of a God-man is not strange.
So always does Christ deal with his own nature, accepting his divinity as you and I accept our humanity, and letting it shine out through the envelope with which it has most subtly and mysteriously mingled, as the soul is mingled with and shines out through the body.
—Phillips Brooks, Episcopalian preacher (1835–93)
No matter where we come from (our ethnic group, nationality, skin colour, financial status, social status, or religious position), our purpose and eternal destiny all hinge on this one question, “What think ye of Christ?” It is important to have a proper position on the Bible and understand who God is, but in all honesty those things will not secure your eternal destiny, nor will you be able to understand those things until you answer this one question in your life. What will secure your eternal destiny is knowing and completely accepting by faith that, as Wayne Grudem concludes,
Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in one person, and will be so forever. [Grudem, Wayne. (2004). Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Bible Doctrine. Bits & Bites Computer Resources. Whitefish, Montana. Pg. 530.]
Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in one person, and will be so forever.[i]
And that He willingly gave up His life for ours, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Mark
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
[i] Grudem, Wayne. (2004). Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Bible Doctrine. Bits & Bites Computer Resources. Whitefish, Montana. Pg. 530.