The Supernatural Power of Christ’s Birth
Matthew 1:18-23
Isaiah 9:6-7
Everything about the birth of Jesus was supernatural.
First, there was the miraculous conception. “Mary was conceived of the Holy Spirit.” It was unheard of for a virgin girl to become pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
Second, when you look at the part Joseph played in the birth of Jesus you realize Mary and Joseph had a miraculous relationship.
Matthew 1:18 Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph. The pledge was equal to a marriage contract. But before they were officially married Mary became pregnant.
Matthew 1:19 Joseph was a righteous man. He lived by the Torah – First five books of the Bible.
Scott McKnight, a New Testament scholar describes what it meant to live according to the Torah. Joseph would not eat unclean food. He didn’t mix with the wrong kinds of people. He didn’t keep his carpentry shop open on the Sabbath to make a few extra drachmas.
Joseph discovered he had a major problem. The girl he was engaged to marry was pregnant. Joseph knows that whoever is the father, it is not him. Equally troubling was the fact that living in a small village everybody knows everybody’s business.
Joseph is confronted with the unexpected pregnancy of Mary, his betrothed. This is about as bad as it gets in the first century. Since Joseph knew the child was not his, he prepared to nullify their betrothal agreement.
Mary’s pregnancy could not be hidden. The child’s birth would be undeniable evidence of her apparent immorality and betrayal. Although Joseph intended that she escape the legally sanctioned death by stoning, Mary was about to become permanently scarred by scandal. Joseph himself faced humiliation
Put yourself in Joseph’s place for a moment. Your fiancée is pregnant and your whole reputation and identity revolve around one thing – your commitment to the Torah. What the Torah says you do.
It doesn’t take much imagination to know how Joseph must have agonized over his situation. Imagine you are engaged to a 13-15 year old and your fiancée come to you and says, “I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I’m pregnant even through we’re not married yet. The good news is I haven’t been with anybody else. An angel came to me and said, “Hail Mary, full of grace. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.” (Luke 1:28, 30)
Joseph didn’t want to expose Mary to the public because of the dire consequences. (Deut. 22:21), if a girl got married and could not prove she had been faithful prior to marriage, “She shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of the town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.”
Matthew 1:20 - An angel of the Lord became a miraculous marriage counselor to Joseph. “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.”
Matthew 1:21 Mary would have a miraculous birth – the angel said: “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.”
This would be a miraculous fulfillment of bible prophecy as recorded in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Joseph considered all the options and consequences: no longer would he be considered a righteous man by the community. He would lose friends and business, but he was willing to pay the price to carry out God’s mission for his family. His whole reputation would be trashed, his work as a righteous man would cease.
Now when Joseph looked people in the community in their eyes he would no longer have their respect and adoration.
The Gospel of Matthew gives Joseph’s biological heritage and spiritual faithfulness work to complete God’s divine Christmas plans.
Matthew first mentions Joseph (1:16) during his litany of Jesus’ genealogy. Joseph is a descendant from the Davidic line and is cited as "the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born." No matter how delicately Matthew describes the situation, it is evident that although Joseph, the Davidic descendant, is Mary’s husband, he is not the infant Jesus’ father.
Verses 18-19 begin by describing a typical first-century social construct, in which a couple was betrothed or promised for a fairly lengthy period of time before the final marriage took place. This extended period of time not only allowed the bride’s family to consolidate and prepare the required dowry. Not coincidentally it also allowed enough time to go by that the prospective bride’s chasteness would not be challenged.
Any child that came along after the formal marriage was obviously the result of the union between the bride and groom. While verse 18 lets the reader know Mary "was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit" during this betrothal period, Joseph at first has no such insight. In accordance with his legal rights under Jewish law, he was entitled to break off their engagement publicly, parading Mary’s obvious sin before the entire community. Furthermore, although by the first-century the harshest legal punishment—stoning to death of the unfaithful woman and her lover (see Deuteronomy 22:23-25)—was rarely carried out, it certainly was an option Joseph could have legally invoked.
Yet Matthew’s text presents Joseph as a righteous man (verse 19). For this gospel writer righteousness involves justice tempered with compassion. It is a gentle, compassionate Joseph who determines he will break off his engagement quietly—in private—with only the two required witnesses present in order to spare Mary any further public humiliation.
Mary’s pregnancy is not only disrespectful to her betrothed; it is deceitful, immoral, shameful, and surely more than an embarrassment to Joseph. He is a wronged man. Mary’s obvious infidelity is a slap in the face to his dignity and respect. Yet because he is a righteous man, Joseph is satisfied with simply and privately ending their betrothal contract. His concern for Mary’s feelings, not any desire for vengeance, dictates his actions. For Matthew it is this obedient adherence to the law, tempered with compassion and concern for the other that makes Joseph righteous or just. It’s the incarnation of this same righteousness which will be the hallmark of Matthew’s narrative of Jesus’ own ministry.
In verse 20 Joseph is finally provided with the information Matthew’s readers are already know—that the child Mary is expecting "is from the Holy Spirit." Matthew is particularly fond of the Hebrew tradition in which God’s intentions are communicated to human beings through dreams (another dream will clue Joseph into Herod’s murderous intentions in Matthew 2:13). Note that this angelic messenger specifically addresses Joseph as "son of David," emphasizing Joseph’s lineage and the necessity that he legally pass this heritage along to the as-yet-unborn child.
The focus of the angel’s message to Joseph is on the conception of this baby through the power of the Holy Spirit. The angel makes it clear that the birth of this child is a divine initiative, God’s purposive intrusion into human lives and human history.
Furthermore, by revealing Jesus’ absolutely miraculous conception Matthew’s text emphasizes the unique relationship that exists between Father and Son, God and Jesus. This child-to-come is truly the "Son of God"—a title Matthew uses throughout his gospel text.
This angelic pronouncement gives Joseph the name for this unborn child. Matthew uses Jesus’ proper name more than any other New Testament writer. "Jesus" as a derivative of "Joshua" (Yeshiva) may be translated either as "God’s help" or as "God’s salvation." The angel’s announcement accents this second title for Jesus. This child is named as the one who will "save his people from their sins" (verse 21). For Matthew this is the essence of the messiah’s identity and the role Jesus will fully inhabit throughout his gospel narrative.
James Lane expressed the incarnation of Christ in rather unique language when he said:
"Jesus took off his scarlet robe and he hung it up in the wardrobe of eternity. He bought a ticket at the depot of time. He rode the train down forty-two generations and disembarked at Bethlehem. He cried like a baby; healed people like a doctor, fed people like a supermarket, spoke like an orator, and died like a mighty God. He was God in the flesh."
The name Emmanuel is a Hebrew name, which literally means "God with us." It’s a promise of incarnate deity. We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Christ. And yet, the greater miracle is the fact that he’s God at the same time.
Video Clip – The Message of Christmas – Jesus came as the incarnate Son of God.
Closing
Joseph risked everything on what he believed God was doing. Mark 6 says Jesus had four brothers they named James, Joseph, Judas and Simon. Scholars say Joseph and Mary may have given their sons the names of Israel’s patriarchs because they trusted that through their son Jesus, God was going to act one more time to renew his people.
Joseph and Mary learned to trust God in spite of hardships and hard times. We can learn from Joseph’s example to trust God even when it costs us dearly. Joseph did the right thing. The world may have looked at Joseph with disrespect, but God looked at him as a righteous man – a man who lived out the laws of the Torah.
When push comes to shove how deep is your commitment to Jesus? This Christmas let’s say “Yes” to Jesus and follow Him regardless of the cost of possible ridicule from friends or family. Let’s follow Jesus even if it means being made fun of at work or school because we want to please Jesus in all we say and do.
Wally was big for his age--seven years old. Everyone wondered what role the teacher would give him in the annual Christmas play. Especially considering the fact that he was also a slow learner. Perhaps he could pull the curtain. To everyone’s surprise the teacher gave Wally the role of the innkeeper. The boy of course was delighted. After all, all he had to learn was one line: “There is no room in the inn.” He had that line down in no time.
Then came the night for the program. The parents took their places. Every seat in the auditorium was filled. The children entered singing "Oh come all ye faithful." The lights dimmed. A hush moved over the audience. The curtain opened on Scene One. Mary and Joseph entered the stage and walked up to the inn. "Please sir, my wife is not well. Could we have a room for the night?” Wally was ready for his line. He had rehearsed it all night. He began, there is…and he hesitated. He started over again. There is . . . and again his mind went completely blank. Everyone was embarrassed for him but poor Wally just didn’t know what to do. Joseph thought he would improvise and started walking away toward the stable on stage left. Seeing him walking away Wal1y in desperation called out: “Look, there’s plenty of room at my house, just come on home with me."
Is there plenty of room in your life and home for Jesus this Christmas? Can you say to Jesus, “Look, there’s plenty of room at my house, just come on home with me.”
