Giving Miracle Birth.
Matthew 1:18-25TPT
Do you sometimes wake up tired because of vivid dreams? I imagine Joseph had that problem. Matthew records four dreams through which an angel of the Lord spoke to him. The first dream was to assure him that he could take Mary as his wife and that the child she bore was the Messiah Immanuel—God with us. The second dream warned him of Herod’s intent to destroy the child and to flee to Egypt. The third dream lets him know it is time to return to Palestine, and the fourth gives specific directions where to go.
Aren’t you glad for God’s guidance!
Mary trusted her husbands dream. My Jenny has interrupted dreams in the past that were very significant.
By the way, Acts 2:17 Peter reminds the people who were experiencing Pentecost, that Old men will dream—dreams, and young men will receive—vision.
Do we have anybody dreaming dreams, or having visions?
I want to take 7 verses of scripture from Matthew chapter 1, verses 18-25. Tonight, we shall look at each verse.
Matthew 1:18TPT This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother, Mary, had promised Joseph to be his wife, but while she was still a virgin she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Mary was engaged to Joseph usually this engagement lasted 1 year. Engagement can be a very exciting thing. Love between two, Long conversations about the future. Plans about the Honeymoon, Where will we live, etc?
For Jenny and I, We didn’t want to leave each other. We were constantly on the phone. I burned hwy. 41 N & S up everyday. Over 150- miles-a-day was common.
Again, Joseph and Mary engaged.
Matthew 1:18b… but while she was still a virgin she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Right off, we can see the power of the Holy Spirit in action. The Holy Spirit impregnated Mary with God’s word.
John 1:1AMP In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.
John 1:14AMP And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception).
Think about this once more, the power of the Holy Spirit came and impregnated Mary. That’s powerful!
Here’s the power of God’s word—Hebrews 4:12NKJV For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Holy Spirit still does the same thing. Listen to, John 14:16-17TPT And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Savior, the Holy Spirit of Truth, who will be to you a friend just like me—and he will never leave you. 17 The world won’t receive him because they can’t see him or know him. But you know him intimately because he remains with you and will live inside you.[
Think about this, God’s word became flesh. God’s word still has the power to impregnate people. To give dreams and visions. To change an outlook etc.
Jesus records in, Mark 4:3NIV Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
Matthew 1:19TPT Her fiancé, Joseph, was a righteous man full of integrity and he didn’t want to disgrace her, but when he learned of her pregnancy he secretly planned to break the engagement.
Joseph was going to do the noble thing. This thought came to me, When you automatically do the noble thing, it allows God to re-adjust whatever.
Matthew 1:20TPT While he was still debating with himself about what to do, he fell asleep and had a supernatural dream. An angel from the Lord appeared to him and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, don’t hesitate to take Mary into your home as your wife, because the power of the Holy Spirit has conceived a child in her womb.
Remember this, The best decision you can always make is to sleep on it.
Notice, As Joseph slept an angel from the Lord appeared to him…
Again, Matthew 1:20TM While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant.
When you think about Joseph this Christmas season, you should think—love, trust and faith, because this man displayed all three during this 9 month period. P.H
Joseph’s vision and dream were put on hold by this impregnation. He would readjust.
Romans 8:9NIV You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
The angel continues to proclaim over Joesph—
Matthew 1:21TM She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.”
If we had the opportunity to ask Joseph, He would be like, “My wife is carrying the Messiah, Jesus, Savior of the world.”
I wonder how that went?
Mary was a special person, she was filled with integrity, She was humble, She listened, She believed, She was a virgin etc.
Romans 5:8-9TPT But Christ proved God’s passionate love for us by dying in our place while we were still lost and ungodly!
9 And there is still much more to say of his unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in my sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God.
Just as Joseph and Mary had a role to play in life, you do too.
* He’s called you to be faithful.
* He’s called you to be loving.
He’s called you to a life of Love, Prayer and Grace.
My thought—You remain fruitful, and He will do the rest. Why? Because He knows best.
Romans 5:9c…because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God.
Matthew 1:22-23TPT This happened to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through his prophet: 23 Listen! A virgin will be pregnant, she will give birth to a Son, and he will be known as—
“Emmanuel,” which means in Hebrew, “God became one of us.”
Isaiah 7:14TPT The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold—the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will name him God Among Us.
Wow, think about that, “This Jesus, became—God with us.”
Isaiah 9:6NKJV For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Before you make any major decision remember, you have—God with us. Emanuel.
The Apostle Paul wrote in, Galatians 3:13-14TPT Yet, Christ paid the full price to set us free from the curse of the law. He absorbed the curse completely as he became a curse in our place. For it is written: “Everyone who is hung upon a tree is cursed.” 14 Jesus Christ dissolved the curse from our lives, so that in him all the blessings of Abraham can be poured out upon gentiles. And now through faith we receive the promised Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Say, Emanuel!
Matthew 1:24-25TPT When Joseph woke from his dream, he did all that the angel of the Lord instructed him to do. He took Mary to be his wife, 25 but they refrained from having sex until she gave birth to her firstborn son, whom they named “Jesus.”
Mary and Joseph gave miracle birth—It took 3.
Think about it, Almost everyday of our life we have chances to give miracle-birth to something.
Hosea 11:1NIV When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
This prophecy was written by Hosea approximately 800 years before Christ was born. This verse looks backward and forward. Remember the Israelites were slaves in Egypt when God brought them out. Also remember that Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt with the baby Jesus to avoid the slaughter by Herod.
I came to tell you tonight that you’ve come thus far with Jesus’ help, and you will continue to walk with ‘His’ help.
“Jesus wants His people to walk with His continual help.’ You’re not alone.” P.H
Jesus saves—Remember you were born into destruction, but released through the wonderful Savior.
Say, “I’m redeemed!”
Benediction.
