Matthew 1:18-23 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
One of our first observations as we begin Matthew’s gospel is that Jesus was born in a miraculous way, conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary. Why Mary? We do not know why Mary was selected from all other women to carry the living seed from God himself, but Mary was chosen. We might ask why Abraham? We usually do not know why God chose the people He used. God’s marvelous plans are carried out through human beings that He chose in his sovereign knowledge and wisdom. In Abraham’s case, we see Isaac coming forth from Sarah’ womb, a woman too old to have a child, but Sarah in her old age birthed Isaac, experiencing the anguish of delivering a child. In Mary’s case we see a young woman, easily capable of birthing a child, having Jesus as her first born, and later Mary had several other children. In both situations, we see God choosing, not man deciding the children should be born. Even today in the body of Christ, we see God giving special assignments to individuals He has chosen, giving out unique gifts of ministry to all of his beloved with some gifts more attractive to the flesh that others. Many times people desire to be the Mary of the story, centered in the middle of the stage. They desire to be the ministers, the worship leaders, or other high profile positions in the church; but God gives the gifts and the assignments. Sarah and Mary were assigned to be mothers of important sons; these sons would lead humanity out of its desperate lostness to the throne room of God. In the body of Christ, all bear the marks of special assignments or giftings given by the Lord God. Are we willing to endure in these assignments and apply these gifts to the end of our lives? Will we remain the servants of the Most High? Mary had to endure the sufferings of birthing. She was young and she was not in her home. The anxieties of the situation must have been great for Mary, yet God called her to fulfill her role. Sarah was way beyond the child bearing age. Her body would be taxed greatly by bearing a child, yet God implemented his plan through the suffering her body would endure. We sometimes forget what it costs to fulfill God’s purposes and directions in our lives. Yet in spite of the costs ahead of Mary, her possible rejection by her intended, and the society around her, Mary sings with praise to God when she shares her news with her cousin Elizabeth: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. (Luke 1:46-49) She recognizes the truth of the angel who said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. (Luke 1:28)
Before Matthew describes Christ’s birth, he shares Jesus’ genealogy to confirm Jesus was born in the household of Joseph—a lineage of royalty. Although Jesus was not Joseph’s biological son, He was a legitimate inheritor of the royal line of the kings, because of Joseph’s decision to adopt him. Jesus could easily assume the title: King of the Jews. This is exactly the title the Magi’s of the East attributed to Jesus. Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. (Matthew 2:2) And at the end of Jesus’ life, Pilate calls him the king of the Jews. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the jews. (John 19:19) In reality Jesus was the king of the jews and of everyone else on Earth, for through him all things were created. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3) Even though Jesus could have claimed that He was someone special, born to a household that could claim they were from King David’s lineage, He claimed none of that. He called himself the Son of Man. He was nothing more than a man born from the womb of a woman. Of course the term Son of Man really means that He is the ideal epitome of man. Adam failed his position of being the ideal, fellowshipping with God directly, always safely under the authority of God. Jesus, the Son of Man, always did exactly what the Father God desired him to do, even at the end of his life when He would experience great torture, ridicule, and death. Jesus completed the course as the perfect man, even to his death. If we as Christians would follow God in this manner, we would be totally sold out to him in body, mind and spirit; however, the flesh is too much in us to be one hundred percent given to God in every detail of our lives. But praise God, Jesus paid the price for that role. We hide IN CHRIST to fulfill that perfect way to heaven. The rich young man could not measure up to that role and neither could the disciples, for they were still in the flesh. But Jesus completely fulfilled that task for us. Yet He never lifted himself up, but He always pointed to his Father God, Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9) As joint-heirs with Christ, this should be our goal as well: When people see us, they should see that we are members of a royal family with God as our Father and Christ as our elder brother.
We see our inheritance expressed from the beginning of Jesus’ story on Earth—the story of the Good News. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”). Beloved friends around this breakfast table, look at each other. Look with the eyes of the Lord. You have been made pleasing to God; you are dressed in the robes of righteousness. Jesus paid the price for you and for all others who trust in the name of Immanuel, the Lord, God with us. Through Immanuel, the baby born to Mary, you have eternal life. God has made you his own; you are chosen, a special race, forever free from the bondage of slavery. No man, no circumstance, no activity can bring you back into slavery if you continue by faith to rely on the blood of Jesus that covers your sins. John says this so well, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7) The KJV says the blood cleanses us from all sin. Immanuel’s blood has set you free; Jesus’ sacrifice is totally pleasing to God. You never have to fear God and his judgment, for you have been made right with God through the works of Jesus Christ. You are no longer living under the law of right and wrong. You are living under the grace and mercy of God because of your faith in the life, death, and resurrection of the baby Jesus Christ that Mary birthed. Through faith in Jesus, his life has become your life. His Spirit abides in all of us who are around this breakfast table. Eternal life sits in each of us; the Spirit of God will raise our souls to God. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:10-11) As with Mary and Sarah, following God’s directives in our lives is sometimes difficult; many times a lot of anxiety and pain accompany obedience. Both Mary and Sarah experienced the curse of childbearing: I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. (Genesis 3:16) However, the joy of fulfilling the plan of God is much greater than the troubles or adversities that we face in life. As Paul says, we will be honored in heaven for running the race to the end regardless of the adversities we faced; all creation will know someday that we are God’s own, favored by him and glorified with him. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. (Romans 8:18-19) Mary and Sarah are known in heaven as his choice servants. You too, dear breakfast friends, who are fighting the good fight in life, will be honored in heaven. As with Paul, you will say, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7) I used every gifting and assignment I was given for the glory of the living Lord. God will welcome you home. Amen!
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