The Great Fulfiullment: Virgin Birth

Matthew 1:18-25

The backdrop

The generations from Abraham, leading up to Jesus: 3 x 14.

This is not by accident. Matthew wants his primarily Jewish audience to recognize something important.

In Hebrew, each letter of the alphabet carries with it the numeric value of its place in the alphabet.

The 14 is significant because it is the numeric value of the name of David. Dalet- 4, Waw- 6, Dalet- 4 = 14.

3 is significant because it splits the history of Israel into three separate parts- pre-Dividic kingdom, Davidic kingdom, and post-exile.

Finally, here is the Son of David, the One promised through Abraham!

Do you take care and time in your personal or family reading to think deeply about the richness of the truth conveyed in the details?

This Christmas, don’t just give another 5 minute rendition of the birth of Jesus with your family. Take time to see the beauty and glory of the details of the birth of the Savior of the world

Before they came together

At times this phrase refers to sexual union

This is the case in this passage

They were chaste

This is really important because without this we are left to confusion

Matthew is crystal clear about the fact that Mary was a virgin

Joseph, however, doesn’t know this and is going to divorce her for infidelity

It is all of God’s grace that Joseph doesn’t divorce her

He, being a godly man, was resolved to divorce her quietly

An angel of God came to him in a dream to tell him not to fear to take Mary as his wife

By God’s grace he obeys

That which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit

This was no normal birth

Virgins don’t just have babies

This is fitting because this was no normal child

This was a one-of-a-kind miracle

No other miracles of God was like it

Abraham and Sarah

Hannah

Zechariah and Elizabeth

None of these miracles is the same as this miracle

Without this there is no gospel

Human sinful nature is passed down through the man

Romans 5:12-14- Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

Jesus had no sinful nature and if He did you have no hope

Even the presence of a sinful nature would have stripped the promise away, becasue He would have been sinful, in need of New Birth like the rest of us, and unable to take the sin of His people upon Himself

This was to fulfill

This was not an accident

As we will continue to see, every part of the birth of Jesus was specifically brought about by God to uphold His Word.

This was to fulfill the promise of God through the prophecy of Isaiah

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.

Why it matters

God has kept His promises

He has never failed to do what He said He will do

Our Savior is able to save

We have hope!

Rejoice!

O Come, O Come Immanuel

1

O come, O come, Immanuel,

and ransom captive Israel

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appear.

4

O come, O Branch of Jesse's stem,

unto your own and rescue them!

From depths of hell your people save,

and give them victory o'er the grave.

Refrain

Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel

shall come to you, O Israel.