THE BIRTH OF THE KING
MATTHEW 1:18–25
INTRODUCTION
Join me in Matthew 1.
The earthly lineage of Jesus through 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.
Matthew 1:16 NKJV
And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
What makes Him different? What sets Jesus 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.
Matthew 1:18a NKJV
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 folklore.
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 position 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. 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 losing a war, desperate for victory. Undoubtedly she was an inspiration to the
soldiers who had lost many comrades 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 particular individuals but embellishes their stories, making them seem larger than life. You have...
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 answer 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.
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 incredible 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...
1. JESUS HAD A UNIQUE CONCEPTION (VS.
18-20)
Look at verses 18-20 with me.
Matthew 1:18–20 NKJV
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 quickly 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 first-century Jewish marriage customs.
During this era of Jewish history, there were three steps to marriage. First came the engagement. This was arranged by the family who determined the compatibility of the couple for each other. This was finalised in a contract.
The second step was called the betrothal period. It was the public declaration and approval of the engagement and eventual wedding. 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 fidelity. If the woman were found to be pregnant during this one year, it said 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 who was described 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 to boost his own status), but his goodness was rooted in something more profound because he did not desire to humiliate Mary or her family by a public divorce. To spare the agony of a public scandal, Joseph sought a means to annul the marriage quietly and privately.
While he pondered how this might be done, Joseph learnt 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 God the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:35 NKJV
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.
His unique conception sets Jesus apart from anybody else. Wiersbe writes:
Jesus was born of an earthly mother without the need of an earthly father.i
Both Matthew and Luke ensure us that this pregnancy was not the work of a man and women's relationship.
We see Matthew makes a break in the active "begot" to the passive "was born" in verse 16.
Matthew 1:16 NKJV
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.
Matthew 1:24–25 NKJV
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.
Luke records the words of Mary.
Luke 1:34 NKJV
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 or anyone else in history, because
2. 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.
Matthew 1:22–23 NKJV
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:
Man has always craved a God who is tangible and visible.ii
Even though they were spiritual men, both Job and Philip affirm this reality with their own words.
Job 23:8–9 NKJV
"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.
John 14:8 NKJV
Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."
Jesus was the answer to this longing within mankind.
John 14:9 NKJV
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.
John 1:14 NKJV
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.
Herein 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.
Philippians 2:6–7 NKJV
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.
JESUS IS GOD.
He pre-existed before Abraham was He was.
John 8:58 NKJV
Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
John 17:5 NKJV
And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
He is the source of life, for in Him is life and He has life of Himself.
John 1:4 NKJV
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
John 5:26 NKJV
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 could change or wither away He will always be the same.
Hebrews 1:12 NKJV
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.iii
He is omnipotent (or all-powerful), for the winds and seas bow to His command.
Matthew 8:26–27 NKJV
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 is in man.
John 2:23–25 NKJV
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.
This was not a learnt understanding, but the same kind of knowledge as revealed of God in Jeremiah 17.
Jeremiah 17:9–10 NKJV
"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.
He is omnipresent (or everywhere present and active).
Matthew 18:20 NKJV
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.
He grew as other humans grew.
Luke 2:40 NKJV
And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
Luke 2:52 NKJV
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
He looked like any other human.
John 4:9 NKJV
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.
Matthew 4:2 NKJV
And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
Luke 19:41 NKJV
Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,
John 4:6 NKJV
Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His
journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
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 was.
The promises were fulfilled 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 God the Holy Spirit), made Him a unique person (He is God in the flesh). And being so unique, made Jesus spotless and void of original sin. This makes Him the only individual who is capable of saving the world. Jesus is different from any other person for
3. JESUS HAD A UNIQUE MISSION (VS. 21)
Matthew 1:21 NKJV
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.
• 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. His mission was to deliver
people from the cause of all the turmoil and death, sin its self. He (being God) was born of a woman, putting
Himself under the law to redeem us.
Galatians 4:4–5 NKJV
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.
The whole reason for the unique conception was so that Jesus would be the spotless lamb for humanity who
could take away our sin.
John 1:29 NKJV
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
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.iv
CONCLUSION
The one born of Mary, Jesus, who is called the Christ, was different from any other decedent of Abraham or David, and as Luke points out, from any other decedent of
Adam. He had a unique conception being born of a woman by the divine work of God 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.
1 John 4:14 NKJV
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
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.
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 essential to have a proper position on the Bible and an understanding of 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 ensure your eternal destiny is knowing and completely accepting by faith that, as Wayne Grudem said,
Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man in one person, and will be so forever.v
And that He willingly gave up His life for ours, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Mark 10:45 NKJV
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 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 13).
Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
ii Sanders, J. Oswald. (2009). The Incomparable Christ. Kindles Edition. Moody Publishers. Location 365.
iii Evans, W. (Public Domain). The Great Doctrines of the Bible. Kindle Edition.
Amazon Digital Services. Location 749.
iv Thiessen, H. C., & Doerksen, V. D. (1979). Lectures in systematic theology (pp.
214). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
v Grudem, Wayne. (2004). Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Bible Doctrine. Bits & Bites Computer Resources. Whitefish, Montana. Pg. 530.
