Behold, The King Series

Introduction

Our Advent Sermon Series this year is called, “Advent: The Unexpected King.”

The Bible contains a record of some remarkable births.

So far this Advent, we have examined the births of Isaac, Moses, and John the Baptist.

Each of these births foreshadow the greatest birth of all, the birth of Jesus Christ.

Actually, Jesus’ birth was as normal as any other child’s birth. What is remarkable about Jesus is his conception.

Theologians talk about the Virgin Mary and the Virgin Birth of Jesus.

By that they mean that Mary was still a virgin at the time of Jesus’ birth; she had become pregnant supernaturally without the aid of any human being.

And so, while it is okay to talk about the Virgin Mary and the Virgin Birth of Jesus, it seems to me that it would be more accurate to talk about the Supernatural Conception of Jesus.

However, I doubt that my proposal will change millennia of tradition!

Matthew’s purpose in writing his Gospel was to show that Jesus really was the unexpected King of the Jews.

Scripture

Let us read Matthew 1:18-25:

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Lesson

The birth of Jesus in Matthew 1:18-25 shows us that Jesus was the unexpected king of the Jews.

Let’s use the following outline:

1. The Dilemma of Mary (1:18)

2. The Distress of Joseph (1:19)

3. The Directive of the Angel (1:20-21)

4. The Declaration of the Prophet (1:22-23)

5. The Decision of Joseph (1:24-25)

I. The Dilemma of Mary (1:18)

First, notice the dilemma of Mary.

Matthew begins his account by saying, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph…” (1:18a).

Following ancient custom, Mary had been betrothed to Joseph. A betrothal is like today’s engagement. Mary and Joseph were not yet married.

It is quite likely that Mary was as young as twelve or thirteen years old, and Joseph could have been an older teenager, perhaps eighteen or nineteen years old.

Matthew then notes that before they came together she was found to be with child (1:18b). Matthew does not say how she was found to be with child; he simply notes that she was pregnant.

We know from Luke’s Gospel that earlier the angel Gabriel visited Mary and told her that she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:30-35).

After the angel left her, Mary went to visit her relative Elizabeth, who was now pregnant with John the Baptist.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home to Nazareth (Luke 1:56).

It is likely that shortly after Mary’s return to Nazareth she began to appear pregnant. That is perhaps when she was found to be with child.

No doubt people would have wondered who the father was. Perhaps they wondered if Mary became pregnant by someone in the hill country of Judea.

Of course, Mary knew that she was with child from the Holy Spirit (1:18c). The angel Gabriel had told her that she would become pregnant from the Holy Spirit.

But who would believe her? No one had ever heard of such a thing. How would Joseph ever believe her?

So, we see here the dilemma of Mary.

II. The Distress of Joseph (1:19)

Second, observe the distress of Joseph.

Matthew does not tell us how Joseph learned of Mary’s pregnancy. But he obviously did, and it distressed him greatly.

He was pledged to be married to Mary. He was building them a home, and now he wondered if all his work was for nothing.

Matthew tells us that Joseph… [was] a just man (1:19a). Joseph trusted in God and was a justified man. He wanted to obey God and his laws.