This past weekend, I drove down to South Carolina to
visit with my Grandmother and to teach at Harvest Calvary Chapel in Travelers
Rest. It was a good drive, but I was pretty tired since just a few days before
my son and I had driven down to Chattanooga, Tennessee to help a student
relocate her things from Covenant College up to Liberty where she will be
attending next semester. It was about a 850 mile drive round trip.
It's always good to see my Grandmother. It was her 86th
birthday and we had a great time visiting with one another and family. On
Sunday morning, she accompanied me to Harvest Chapel where I was privileged to
teach on The Coming Messiah from the first two chapters of Matthew. Here is the
text of that message.
Introduction
The Gospels cover a period of about thirty-five years. They
open with an announcement to Zacharias about the birth of John the Baptist in
the Temple of God (Lk. 1:11-20) and closed with the ascension of the Son of God
(Lk. 24:50-51). As the Old Testament began with man made in the image of God
(Gen. 1:26), the Gospels open up with God made in the image of man (Jn. 1:14).
The man made in the image of God was defeated by Satan in a garden when defied
God’s will (Gen. 2:8; 3:1-7), but the God made in the image of man defeated
Satan in a garden when He submitted to His Father’s will (Lk. 22:39-42). Prior
to the Gospels, sheep died for shepherds (Ex. 12:1-13), but now the Shepherd
was going to die for the sheep (Jn. 10:11). At his birth he was offered
gold, frankincense, and myrrh by wise men who worshipped him (Mt. 2:11), while
at his death he was offered thorns, vinegar, and spittle by wicked men who
ridiculed him (Mt. 27:29, 34, 26:67). The Gospels describe Jesus saving sinners
under a tree (Jn. 1:48), up a tree (Lk. 19:4-5), and on a tree (Lk. 23:43).
The Synoptic Gospels
The first three gospels have been labeled as the Synoptic
Gospels. The word synoptic means "seeing together”. This is because there
is a structure found among Matthew, Mark and Luke in their presentations of the
ministry of Jesus.
They all have what is called a “geographic sequence” in that
they all focus on our Lord’s ministry in Galilee, his withdrawal to the North,
his ministry in Judea on his way back to Jerusalem and final ministry there.
This sequence is not found at all in the John (e.g., the
sending out of the twelve, the transfiguration, the Olivet Discourse and the
Last Supper are not found in John either).
Chapter 1
Covenants Fulfilled
v.1 The book of
the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Notice that Matthew opens his gospel by introducing Jesus as
the son of David and the son of Abraham. Matthew wants to show that Jesus will
be the ultimate fulfillment of both the Davidic and the Abrahamic Covenants.
Actually, he offered to fulfill them at his first advent, but it was rejected
(cf. Mal. 4:5; Matt. 17:12-13).
The Davidic Covenant
Jesus will be the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant because
is qualified to fulfill that promise (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12-16). Now portions of this
are speaking of Solomon, but it is ultimately looking to Christ as its
fulfillment.
The Abrahamic Covenant
As the son of Abraham, Jesus not only met the requirements
of the covenant but will also fulfill it one day (cf. Genesis 12:1-3; 17:1-8).
Jesus was the Promised Seed
Paul says Jesus was the promised seed and thus the
fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Gal. 3:16 Now to Abraham and his
seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of
one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Old Adam vs. New Adam
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ: The last place that phrase is found in the Bible is in
Gen. 5 when speaking of the generations of Adam.
Genesis 5:1-5 This is the book of the generations of
Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; (2)
Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam,
in the day when they were created. (3) And Adam lived an hundred and thirty
years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his
name Seth: (4) And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight
hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: (5) And all the days that Adam
lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
It’s also interesting to note that in Adams genealogy there
is the mention of death, but not so in Christ’s.
I believe that’s because through Adam came death and through
Christ came life (cf. 1Cor. 15:20-22).
The same comparison can be made between the Law and Grace.
Cf. the giving of the Law (Ex. 32:28) and the preaching of
the gospel (Acts 2:41).
Genealogical Additions
vv.2-17 Abraham
begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; (3)
And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and
Esrom begat Aram; (4) And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and
Naasson begat Salmon; (5) And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz
begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; (6) And Jesse begat David the
king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been
the wife of Urias; (7) And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat
Abia; and Abia begat Asa; (8) And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram;
and Joram begat Ozias; (9) And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz;
and Achaz begat Ezekias; (10) And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat
Amon; and Amon begat Josias; (11) And Josias begat Jechonias and
his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: (12) And after
they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat
Zorobabel; (13) And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim
begat Azor; (14) And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat
Eliud; (15) And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan
begat Jacob; (16) And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born
Jesus, who is called Christ. (17) So all the generations from Abraham to David
are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon
are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ
are fourteen generations.
It’s interesting that the Jews wanted nothing to do with the
Gentiles and yet, five Gentile women are in the line of Jesus.
1. Tamar was Judah’s daughter-in-law and was a Canaanite
(v.3; Gen. 38:13-30).
2. Rahab was a harlot and an Amorite (v.5; Joshua 2:1).
3. Ruth was the wife of Boaz and was a Moabite (v.5); Ruth
4:9-10).
4. Bathsheba was the wife of David and was a Hittite (v.6; 2
Sam. 11:1-5).
5. Naamah was the wife of Solomon and was an Ammonite (v.7;
1 Kings 14:21).
(While Naamah is not specifically mentioned by name, she was
Rehoboam’s mother.)
Why is this significant? – It shows that Gentiles were to be
included in New Testament salvation.
What is even more interesting is that three of the five
women mentioned in this genealogy, Tamar, Rahab and Bathsheba had committed
sexual sins!
Woman at the Well
Still, the Jews really struggled with the concept of
Gentiles being saved (cf. John 4:1-9).
Peter on the Rooftop
God had to supernaturally reveal it to Peter (cf. Acts
10:1-15, 25-29, 34-36).
Revealed in the Old Testament
Paul mentioned the salvation of the Gentiles in Romans
15:8-12 where he quoted from four Old Testament passages confirming Gentile
salvation.
Jesus spoke of the Gentiles in the Discourse on the Good
Shepherd in John 10:16, And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold:
them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one
fold, and one shepherd.
Jew and Gentile Bride
So, the Bride is made up of a combination of Jews and
Gentiles.
Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is
the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for
the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Genealogical Differences
Now, I want to talk about the genealogy of Matthew 1:1-16
and the genealogy of Luke 3:23-38.
Matthew is the genealogy of Jesus through Joseph.
Luke is the genealogy of Jesus through Mary.
A careful study of these two genealogies would reveal that
they are identical accept in two points.
a. The genealogy of Joseph works forward and Mary’s in Luke
works backward.
b. They differ from King David on.
Matthew 1:6 follows David’s son Solomon
Luke 3:31 follows one of David’s other sons Nathan.
Joseph’s genealogy goes from David’s son Solomon to a King
Jeconiah, Mary’s does not (Matt1:11).
The key person of note is Jeconiah who is also referred to
as Coniah (cf. Jeremiah 22:24-30).
If Joseph were the biological father of Jesus, He would not
be qualified to sit on the throne of David.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a
sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel.
Conclusion
The Bible is 100% accurate in every area.
The Birth of Jesus - Natural vs. Supernatural
vv.18-25 Now the
birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to
Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
(19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a
publick example, was minded to put her away privily. (20) But while he thought
on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream,
saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife:
for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. (21) And she shall
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his
people from their sins. (22) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, (23) Behold, a virgin
shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name
Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (24) Then Joseph being
raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto
him his wife: (25) And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn
son: and he called his name JESUS.
This was not a divine conception, in the sense that they
Holy Spirit conceived seed in Mary by natural means.
It was a supernatural conception by the Holy Spirit.
Espoused
Notice that the Bible says that Mary and Joseph were espoused
as husband and wife.
The espousal was like an engagement today.
The Bible tells us that after she found out that she was
pregnant that she went and stayed with her cousin Elizabeth for three months
(cf. Luke 1:35-40, 56).
Why do you think that she decided to do this? How many
have seen, “The Nativity.”
It was upon her return that Joseph found out that she was
pregnant because she was showing.
If you look at his response, he was being very generous in
trying to put her away privately.
Under the Law, a woman who did not keep her virginity until
her wedding day was considered a whore and could be stoned if her husband found
out (cf. Deut. 22:23-24).
You may ask, “How would the new husband find out?”
There was a test (cf. Deut. 22:13-21).
But rather than doing that, Joseph was content to just
divorce her (cf. Deut. 24:1-2).
Of course, had this actually happened, Mary would have been
labeled an adulteress for the rest of her life.
Of course, in that culture, it was a sentence to a life of loneliness.
And we do know that it was made public that Mary did indeed
get pregnant out of wedlock when the leaders said to him, “We be not born of
fornication; we have one Father, even God” (John 8:41).
But the angel of the Lord convinced him to do otherwise
(v.24).
Son of Man
Bear in mind that this is why Jesus was called the Son of
Man.
Son of God
However, first and foremost, He is the Son of God.
Mary’s Virginity
Was Mary a virgin?
#1 She said that she was.
Luke 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this
be, seeing I know not a man?
#2 The Bible said that she would be a virgin.
Is. 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a
sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel.
Cf. v.25
#3 She had to be a virgin
If Mary had not been a virgin, Jesus would have been born a
sinner.
Ps 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did
my mother conceive me.
Perpetual Virginity
Notice the word firstborn in v.25.
Notice the word firstborn in v.25.
Some of the modern versions remove that word, I might add to
the great pleasure of the Catholic Church who teaches that Mary was a perpetual
virgin.
Contrary to the Roman Catholic doctrine of the perpetual
virginity of Mary, she did have children after our Lord.
Cf. v.18, 25
Mark. 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the
brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters
here with us? And they were offended at him.
Cf. Matt. 12:46-47; John 2:11-12, 7:1-5; Acts 1:14
The Catholics say that the brothers mentioned in these
verses are the sons of Joseph from a previous marriage.
If that be the case, why are they mentioned with Mary so
much?
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:5 Have we not power to lead
about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the
Lord, and Cephas?
Paul refers to one of his brother in Gal. 1:19 But other
of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.
The perpetual virginity of Mary simply cannot be drawn from
Scripture.
It must be forced on the Scripture and in clear
contradiction to their teachings.
So, Jesus was the firstborn of Mary!
Chapter 2
Wise Men from the East
vv.1-10 Now when
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold,
there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, (2) Saying, Where is he that is
born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to
worship him. (3) When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him. (4) And when he had gathered all the chief priests
and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be
born. (5) And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is
written by the prophet, (6) And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not
the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor,
that shall rule my people Israel. (7) Then Herod, when he had privily called
the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. (8) And
he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young
child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and
worship him also. (9) When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the
star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over
where the young child was. (10) When they saw the star, they rejoiced with
exceeding great joy.
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days
of Herod the king: We celebrate Christmas in
December, but we really don’t know exactly when Jesus was born
Hyppolytus in the 3rd century was the first that
we can determine who said that he was born on December 25th.
John Chrysostom also favored that date as did Cyril of
Jerusalem who reportedly had access to the Roman birth census.
Of course the date also aligns with the celebration of Saturnalia
and the winter solstice, which are pagan festivals, and the birth of Christ was
an alternative for Christians.
The biggest argument that I have heard against the month of
December is that it would have been too cold and the shepherds would not have
been out in the fields at that time.
However, historically that argument doesn’t hold water
because unblemished lambs for the Temple sacrifices were kept out in the fields
all winter.
behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem: Here are a few things about the wise men to think about.
1. We have no idea who they were or where they came from.
Psalm 72:10-12 may be a hint (i.e., Spain, Mediterranean,
and Arabia)
2. We are not sure as to exactly how many there were.
We assume three because of the gifts they brought.
3. There is no mention of camels in the narrative.
It is just an assumption that that’s what they might have
been riding.
How did they Know?
How did the wise men know about the birth of our Lord?
Most feel that they followed the prophecy of Daniel (cf.
Dan. 9:23-27).
I believe that the wise men may have very well used this
prophecy to determine the date of birth of Jesus.
The command to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem was given in
Neh. 2 on March 14, 445.
The prophecy said that from the going forth of the command
on March 14, 445 that it would be sixty-nine weeks of years until the Messiah
would come.
That’s 483 years or 173,880 days using the Babylonian
calendar.
That puts us at April 6th, 32 A.D., the exact day
that Jesus came through the Eastern gate.
They could have back-tracked this date to his approximate
birth time.
Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh
v.11 And when they
were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and
fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they
presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Notice the gifts that the wise men brought: gold,
Frankincense, and myrrh.
Each of the gifts represents some aspect of our Lord.
The gold symbolizes his kingly role.
The frankincense symbolizes his priestly role.
The myrrh symbolizes his death.
Isa. 60:6 says that these gifts will be given to him again
someday minus the myrrh when it says,
The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of
Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and
incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD.
Young Child in a House
And when they were come into the house: Another interesting note is that the verse tells us that
Jesus was a young child and that they lived in a house.
We sometimes forget that while Jesus was born in a stable
and laid in a manger, it was most likely only one night of his life.
According to the dictionary, a manger is a box or trough in
a stable or barn from which horses or cattle eat.
And, of course, we know from v.16 that Jesus couldn’t have
been any older than two when they saw him.
The truth is that they only people present the night of the
birth of Christ was Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds (cf. Luke 2:8-16).
So much for the Nativity Scene!
Dreams
vv.12-13 And being
warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed
into their own country another way. (13) And when they were
departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying,
Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be
thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to
destroy him.
Many times in the Scripture’s we find God warning and
directing men through dreams.
They are mentioned in v.12, 13, 19-20, and v.22.
Dreams were not uncommon before the Bible was finally
published because men did not have all of the words of God to direct them.
Of course, some of them had the Old Testament or parts of
it, which was their absolute authority.
But still, it is recorded that God occasionally directed
them by dreams.
However, we must always remember that our dreams never trump
the Word of God.
In Jer. 23:25-29 when the prophets prophesied lies to the
people.
God said their dreams compared to his words were like the
chaff to the wheat.
Prophecies
vv.14-15 When he
arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into
Egypt: (15) And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called
my son.
This is a fulfillment of Hosea 11:1 that the Lord would be
called out of Egypt.
