The Father Has A Son!

"The Father Has a Son!"

Author: Dr. Neal Gray

Passage: Matthew 1:18-25

Purpose: The Father allowed His precious Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to take birth in this human race. Imagine how the Father must have felt as Jesus was being born!

INTRODUCTION

Opening

We have a tradition in the church to tell the story of Jesus’ birth each year about this time. It is a wonderful story, one that brings much joy and merriment. We remember...

* Joseph, Jesus’ foster father, being told in a dream that Mary was with child by the Holy Ghost

* The census call that summoned Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem

* Shepherds seeing the angels announcing Christ’s birth, and,

* Mary as she gives birth to Jesus, laying Him in a manger.

It is a wonderful story. But it occurred to me that WE ALMOST ALWAYS FORGET ONE PERSON WHEN WE TELL THIS STORY--THE FATHER GOD! This year, let’s read the Christmas story and consider how God the Father in His heavenly abode must have felt.

Scripture

Our Scripture is the story of Christ’s birth, Matthew 1:18-25.

THE CONCEPTION

Introduction

How long has our Lord and Savior and God, the Lord Jesus Christ, existed? The answer is, He has lived eternally.

God is Eternal, We are Created

Our little finite minds simply cannot comprehend the word "eternal." And yet, we know that our God is "eternal," because God has always been.

When I was five or six years old, I was lying across my father’s lap, and he was rubbing my back (just like a dog, I like my back rubbed). I asked my Dad, "Daddy, where did we come from?"

Probably somewhat surprised by my question, he replied, "God made us."

So, I asked the next natural question, "Daddy, who made God?"

Dad chuckled a little and answered, "God has always lived."

I didn’t ask any more questions, but to this day I can remember that I tried to stretch my mind back into eternity. I grew up a little that evening by realizing that there is a God, and that GOD IS ETERNAL, and that I was created.

Early Planning of Jesus’ Appearance

Today, if I were to ask my Father a question--I mean my true heavenly Father--it would be, "Abba, when did You decide to send Your precious Son to earth to help Your people?"

When did God decide that Jesus would come to the human race to live, experience human life, and suffer ridicule and human death for our benefit? I don’t know. But I don’t suppose for one instant that God convened a HEAVENLY BOARD MEETING to decide the issue!

==> I do suppose that our Father in heaven was moved by the REALITY THAT THE HUMAN RACE WOULD UTTERLY FAIL to know, respect, worship, and love their true Creator. At that moment, He and His eternal Son must have decided it would be necessary for Jesus to come.

==> God was planning to become a father! He would soon have a Son!

Did the Angels Know?

Did the angels know that Jesus would undertake such a "mission impossible"? Were the angels made aware that humans would be so dull, and so hard-headed, and so blinded by Satan, (2 Corinthians 4:4), that only the mercy and grace of God in sacrificing His beloved Son would do the job?

Certainly some of the angels knew a little ahead of time. We know that...

* The Father awarded the ANGEL GABRIEL the honor of informing the soon-to-be mother, MARY, of the plan (Luke 1:26ff.).

* Gabriel also told ZACHARIAS, John the Baptizer’s father, of the mission of his son, John, to prepare the way for God’s Son (Luke 1:11ff.)

* An angel of the Lord INFORMED JOSEPH in a dream of God’s plan.

* And an angel was dispatched to some BETHLEHEM SHEPHERDS announcing the birth of the Savior (Luke 2:8ff.). A heavenly host praised God at the birth (Luke 2:13).

Probably some of the other angels in heaven knew that Jesus would be born on earth. I suspect that our God must have been terrifically excited and anxious about the plan! Like any expectant father, Father God wanted to share the good news of His Son’s upcoming birth!

The Prophets Knew

God also informed the general human race that the Savior was on His way to save His people. Long ago, it was recorded in God’s Word: the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son. The Father was not secretive about this wonderful plan. He wanted us to know that help, immense help, was on the way.

God told the Prophet Isaiah much more, too:

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah 9:6-7)