MATTHEW 1:18-25
Jesus Messiah is the virgin born Son
of God. In this incredible passage, Matthew relates the story behind
Jesus’ birth, and how God overruled all actions threatening to thwart or skew His
plan for our salvation. This Christmas story affords us many reasons to rekindle hope during this season of the year.
Think for a moment about the term "providence." Providence refers to God's protective and provisional care of all creation. It is His fascinating work behind the scenes, through angels, and people, regardless of the
circumstances. He masterfully governs the universe providentially! He is still able to insert Himself or intervene in meaningful ways today. In fact it is His involvement and presence that
gives us real reason to hope. Additionally, by this incredible passage we are
assured that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, legal heir to the throne of David,
and God’s promises to Abraham are fulfilled in Him. Beloved, this chapter in Matthew accounts for the birth of the Messiah King, Jesus The Lord of Glory.
Matthew judicially lays before us the foundational proofs that Jesus Christ is
indeed the Messiah-King. He
gives us his background, and heritage.
Since Messiah is a divine king, it is needful to demonstrate both his
humanity and deity. Matthew anticipated this requirement and opened his Gospel
with a careful account of the birth of Jesus Christ and the events that
accompanied it. Beloved, this is real history! He presented two vital facts about the King, his human heritage
(Matt. 1:1–17) as well as His divine heritage (Matt. 1:18–25). Since royalty depends on heritage, it
was vital to establish the Lord Jesus’ rights to David’s throne as the Messiah-King
Son of God (Wiersbe).
Furthermore, in this account we find not only a
miraculous conception, but also an equally astonishing divine intervention. Yes, God involved Himself and His resources! This is shocking to a generation who characteristically does not "get involved" with other people's business! God's initiatives provide a rich source of instruction
about our participating in the providential plan of God.
Have
you ever regret making a decision? If you are anything like me, then you have fervently wished that someone had warned you
differently on more than one occasion! Well, Joseph came real
close to abandoning God’s plan for him, but God in his wisdom and providence
prevented the grave mistake. Yes, God is a Master
at intervention; He influences the outcomes in this account. Actually He is
continually actively perennially governing and preserving all facets of His universe. God guides and compels the cosmos to dance to His music and march to the beat of His drums! He
exercises absolute lordship over His creation: everyone and everything depends
on Him as the Creator-Sustainer. Because we believe in an all wise,
all-powerful, and benevolent God of providence, we reject the ideas of chance,
fate, coincidence, fatalism, nihilism, or luck as governors of our lives or futures. This same awesome God desires to direct and include us
in the execution of His will—we are people of His destiny. Joseph’s experience in this account illustrates one possible way all of this can unfold. First, notice...
Matthew’s Declaration of Christ’s Unique Birth (Matt. 1:18)
The facts surrounding
this miraculous conception and birth are stated with dignity and
simplicity.
The
Circumstances Surrounding His Birth (Matt. 1:18)
The Messiah’s Divine Heritage Needed To Be Explained (Matt. 1:18). “Now the birth of
Jesus Christ was on this wise” that is it was
different from any of the births mentioned in the family tree previously referenced. This birth was
so terrifically unique that it needed to be explained!
The
Messiah Was Born of a Virgin Woman Only. Matthew 1:16
and 18 make it clear that Jesus Christ’s birth
was different from that of any other person ever. Joseph was the “husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called
Christ.” Jesus was born of an earthly mother without the need of
an earthly father. This is known as the doctrine of the Virgin Birth. Matthew was
pointing out that Joseph did not “beget” Jesus Christ (Gal.
4:4; Gen 3:15). Repeatedly we find the formula: “A begot B.” But now we
have the record of a birth without a human father (MacDonald). Jesus Christ is the sinless Son of God (Phil. 2:5-8)!
The
Messiah’s Mother Was Only Espoused to Joseph (Matt. 1:18). No
doubt Joseph anticipated all the workings of Hebrew marriage customs. Their marriage was arranged by their parents,
and contracts had been negotiated. Since then, they have been considered
married and were called husband and wife. It was not time for them to begin to
live together, however. Instead, Mary continued to live with her parents and
Joseph with his for one year. During this waiting period Mary would demonstrate
her faithfulness and purity. After this
Joseph would go to the house of Mary’s parents and in a grand processional
march lead his bride back to his home. There they would begin to share a home
as husband and wife and physically consummate their marriage. At this point in the text they were only espoused. It relates to our modern engagement.
The
Condition of Mary was Discovered by Joseph (Matt. 1:18).
During the waiting
period of her betrothal, however, Mary was found to be with child. During this time, the young virgin Mary became pregnant by a miracle of the Holy Ghost. “She was found with child of the Holy Ghost…” An
angel had previously announced this mysterious event to Mary in Luke 1:35. Joseph discovered His bride to be was with child!
The Holy Spirit Crafted and Engineered Jesus’ Conception (Luke 1:26-35).
The
Message—in Luke 1:26-31, the angel Gabriel
visited a young Jewish virgin named Mary. He told her she would be having a Son.
Mary’s obvious question was, “How shall this be, seeing
I know not a man?” Though she
believed the promise, she did not understand the performance. How could a
virgin give birth to a child? (MacDonald)
The
Miracle—to answer her, Gabriel spoke some of the most amazing words ever
heard by the human ear: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that
holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
(Luke 1:35). What an out of this world fantastic statement!
First, Gabriel explained that this
would be a miracle, the work of the Holy Spirit of God. Joseph, Mary’s
betrothed, would not be the father of the child (Matt. 1:18–25), even though
Jesus would be legally identified as
the son of Joseph (Luke 3:23; 4:22; John 1:45; 6:42). Gabriel was careful to
point out that the Baby would be a “holy thing”
and would not share the sinful human nature of man. Jesus “knew no sin” (2 Cor. 5:21), “He did no sin”
(1 Peter 2:22), and “in Him is no sin” (1 John 3:5). His body was
prepared for Him by the Spirit of God (Heb. 10:5) who “overshadowed”
Mary. That word is applied to the presence of God in the holy of holies in the
Jewish tabernacle and temple (Ex. 40:35). Mary’s womb became a holy of holies
for the Son of God! (The Bible Exposition Commentary)
What An Amazing And Touching
Scene! An unknown Jewish virgin girl becomes the earthly mother of Jesus
Christ, The Lord of Glory, by the miraculous conception of the Holy Spirit.
God Took on a Human Nature. Again the Holy Spirit creatively brought about the physical
conception of the Lord Jesus (Luke 1:35). Mary’s Son would be God manifest in the flesh. No language can elucidate, explain,
enlighten, nor explicate the mystery that is shrouded here. This
miraculous conception and Virgin
Birth of Jesus Christ was necessary because of His divine nature and
preexistence (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Gal. 4:4). From
this astonishing beginning, to the bittersweet end, the Holy Spirit was active
in and through the life of The Lord Jesus.
But
Mortal Man Ignored Christ Incarnation. People have a hard time appreciating the
truly spiritual and the unique holiness of this splendidly supernatural phenomena (1Cor.
2:11-16). They can only
criticize, speculate, discredit, bark at, and cast doubt! Likewise, a cloud of suspicion and
scandal hung over Mary. In all of human history there had never been a virgin
birth. When people saw an unwed woman who was with child, they had only one
possible explanation. Every child born
into the world is a totally new creature. But, Jesus Christ, being the eternal
God (John 1:1, 14), existed before Mary, Joseph,
and any of His earthly ancestors. There is no human explanation for our Savior's birth; why not accept
this divine one!
It
is Still Correct to Believe in the True and Living God Who is Skilled in
Miracle Making (Luke 1:37;
Gen. 18:14; Jer. 32:17, 27; Matt. 19:26; Phil. 3:21). While God is NOT obligated to give miracles just because we want them badly, He is delighted to fire off a few to advance His awesome will! Since God is able and willing to perform
the inexplicable we have hope in every situation in life. We never face a single day without the hope
He inspires by His very presence and providential involvement. God insert Himself in our situations still! Do need some of His providential involvement?
Joseph’s Distress about Mary’s
Pregnancy (Matt. 1:19)
As any of us would expect, Joseph was perplexed, confused, distressed, and broken-hearted. Certainly he felt alone, betrayed, and vexed with this development initially. He felt exactly like we have felt after losing the affections of someone we loved deeply. His heart was broken and his dreams for them were shattered into a trillion irreparable pieces!
He
Felt Betrayed and Deeply Hurt (Matt. 1:19)
He
Thought a Trust Had Been Broken. Understand Joseph is heartbroken, assuming
his pregnant wife-to-be has been unfaithful. In reality they had never engaged
in marital relations and Mary had been faithful (Matt. 1:20,
23).
He
Felt His Plans were For Ever Lost. One can only imagine how confused, perplexed,
hurt, and possibly angry he must have been. He genuinely loved Mary, and yet
the word came that she was expecting. His dreams, goals, and plans for them were ruined and shattered! The sharpness of this apparent gross violation had been thrust through His aching soul!
He
Assumed The Worst Case Scenario! Joseph was planning to
act on a faulty assumption! Though it is difficult, we must resist the
temptation to jump to conclusions, get the whole story, wait and observe with
fairness and discretion, remember to use objectivity, and make wise decisions
free of emotional confusion (Prov. 18:13; Duet. 13:12-14; Jn. 7:51). Avoid making emotionally charged and hasty decisions. They almost always abandon God's will and plan for us!
He
Decided to Reject and Put Mary Away (Matt. 1:19)
He
Wanted to Act Discreetly. Not wanting to disgrace Mary, he
determines to break their engagement secretly. To the Jewish people in that
day, betrothal (engagement) was equivalent to marriage—except that the man and
woman did not live together. They were called “husband and wife,” and, at the
end of the engagement period, the marriage was consummated. His love for Mary
and desire for justice led him to decide to break the betrothal by a quiet
divorce. If a betrothed woman became pregnant, it was considered adultery (see Deut. 22:13–21). Unfaithfulness on the part of the
betrothed was punishable by death.
But,
should not Joseph look up to God before he leap? Joseph, does
your life plan correspond to God’s plan? It would be wise to seek God and wait
for His direction before making a hasty decision (Ps. 27:14; 37:34; Prov. 20:22).
Waiting is Never Easy;
especially when we feel pressured to make a decision. Some argue that we figure out what the loving thing
to do is—and simply do it. But is it safe or right to act without a sense of
acting in God’s will?
·
Abraham
could not wait for God to keep His promise of a son, and the result is the
Arab/Israeli hostility that even today tears the Holy Land apart.
·
Jacob chose
to lie to obtain a blessing already promised him, and spent years separated
from his family.
·
The impetuous
Peter was often rebuked by the Lord for his hasty actions.
·
Even godly
people like Peter and King Josiah can and do run ahead of God. How important
that we learn to rely on the Lord, and wait prayerfully and confidently for His
timing.
Should not we all thank
God for His wisdom not only in planning good for us, but in knowing just how
and when to bring that good to pass.
He
Tried to Balance Fairness and Compassion (Matt. 1:19)
He Felt Divorcing Her Was a Just Decision (Justice). Accordingly, “being a just man” Joseph
possessed a strong sense of right and wrong! Joseph did not yet know the true
explanation of Mary’s condition. He might have been indignant at his fiancée on
two counts: First, her apparent unfaithfulness to him; and second, though
innocent, he would almost inevitably be accused of improper involvement. People would naturally imply He was involved somehow.
Joseph keen sense of justice and right-ness raises a noteworthy emphasis here. We need more believers with a strong sense of “right and wrong” in our day of ultra tolerance for sin and
wickedness. Genesis 6:9, These are the generations of
Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah
walked with God. Mark 6:20, For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a
just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many
things, and heard him gladly. Luke 2:25, And, behold, there was a man in
Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout,
waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. It
is clear that he had not been involved in an unrighteous sexual
relationship. To Joseph that was
definitely wrong behavior!
He
Felt Preserving Her Was A Compassionate
Decision (Mercy)—“not
willing to make her a public example”.
He wished to avoid the public disgrace which normally accompanied such an
action. He chose not to create a public
scandal by exposing her condition to the judges at the city gate. Such an act
could have resulted in Mary’s death by stoning (Deut.
22:23-24). His love for her enabled him to shield and protect her in
spite of the pain in his own heart. This demonstrated how big this MAN Joseph was. There is no wonder why God trusted him with raising Jesus His Son!
Christ
is the Best Model of the Husband’s Role as Protector. Ephes. 5:23, For the husband
is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the
saviour of the body. Consider
what Barnes said regarding this peculiar statement.
“The idea here seems to
be, that as Christ gave himself to save his body, the church; as he practiced
self-denial and made it an object of intense solicitude [consideration]
to preserve that church, so ought the husband to manifest a similar
solicitude [care] to make
his wife happy, and to save her from want, affliction, and pain. He ought to
regard himself as her natural protector; as bound to anticipate and provide for
her needs; as under obligation to comfort her in trial, even as Christ does the
church. What a beautiful illustration of the spirit which a husband should
manifest is the care which Christ has shown for his "bride," the
church!”—Barnes’ Notes
In addition, Matthew Henry records,
“Christ's authority is
exercised over the church for the saving of her from evil, and the supplying of
her with everything good for her. In like manner should the husband be employed
for the protection and comfort of his spouse; and therefore she should the more
cheerfully submit herself unto him. So it follows, Therefore as the church is
subject unto Christ (v. 24), with cheerfulness, with fidelity, with humility,
so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything-in everything to which
their authority justly extends itself, in everything lawful and consistent with
duty to God.” –Matthew
Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible
What good wife, would not appreciate a godly man who protects her and looks out for her highest interest?!
But, Joseph Was Running Ahead of God and Leaving His
Will.
All
Of Us Have Hopes, Dreams, And Plans! The Bible never
discourages us from looking to the future with bright expectations in Christ Jesus. However,
passages like James 4:13–17, enforce a crucial qualification. James 4:13-17, Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we
will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get
gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the
morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a
little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For
that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or
that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such
rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore
to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. As
we make our plans, whether in business, in relationships, or in our personal
lives, we must do so with a perspective on who is ultimately in charge—God!
In other words, we need to plan with an attitude of humility and deference to the will of God (The Handbook of Bible Applications).
Our
Tendency As Humans Is To Seek Control Over Our Circumstances.
Certainly the Bible encourages us to take responsibility for our lives (1Thess. 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:12). But even so, we must
ultimately submit to the sovereignty of God. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah
likens us to clay in the hands of a potter; the divine Craftsman can do with us
as He wishes (Is. 64:8; 1 Cor. 12:15–18). As a result, we need to submit every
intention to God—even our business proposals and plans. He may allow us to
proceed according to our desires; or He may decide to alter our plans according
to His own purposes. In either case, we need to accept what He decides to bring
into our lives, without arguing and complaining (Rom. 9:20–21; Phil. 2:13–14). Yield control to God; He really does know what He is doing!
The result: tremendous
peace! We can feel confident that an infinitely wise, powerful, and good God
ultimately controls our lives and our world. Of course, that does not mean that
life will always go the way we want. Sometimes, from our human perspective, it
will seem unfair, maybe even absurd. Nevertheless, God rules the world.
Humility demands that we acknowledge and accept what He allows to happen in it.
Who’s in Charge Here? Always
remember God is in total control (Rom. 8:28).
We Must Constantly
Guard Against Jumping Ahead of God. Running ahead never ceases to
be a concern for the Christian in his or her walk with God. Each of us must
diligently examine our motivations before we act. By cultivating an attitude of
patient waiting, and looking to the Lord for guidance, we can give God control
over the direction of our lives (The Handbook of Bible Applications).
Yet sometimes we come to feel lost and separated from God. At such
times, we may long for the Lord to reveal Himself to us. Fortunately, our God
is a loving God. Even when we stray, we need not fear permanent separation from
God’s guiding hand. Our Good Shepherd will search for us like the lamb who
strayed, and bring us back into His fold. And when He does, our sense of
isolation will give way to the comfort and wonder of His presence. In history, God drew people to Himself through very personal encounters
with Himself. What is it like to encounter God? How can we more fully
experience the fellowship of the Lord? It may be time for a fresh encounter
with the living God in accordance with the wisdom of the Apostle John (1 John 1:1-10).
I feel more impressed
with these attitudes because they focus on the Father of Glory! The first three
attitudes that follow seem to relate particularly to the Lord God, our Heavenly
Father. The attitudes are joy, trust (prayer), and gratitude and all three
relate directly to our relationship with God. Our joy is in Him and from Him.
Our prayers are directed to Him as our Provider, and we offer our sincerest and
most heartfelt thanks to God!
