Sunday Morning Service (Matthew 21:1-17)

Matthew 21:1-17

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"Presenting: Your King!" • 3.28.21 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro.

- The gospel of Matthew is focused on the evidence that presents Jesus as the King, the long awaited Messiah of Israel.

- Matthew has taken great care in unveiling these details to the Jewish nation specifically. Jesus comes from the right family line. His miracle working power was predicted by the prophets.

- The Lord's principles have been put on display in the Sermon on the Mount and His promises pertaining to future events are about to be captured in the Olivet Discourse.

- In the section before us, Jesus walks into the very center of Jewish life, into Jerusalem at the Passover feast, where the scrutiny and the criticism will be at it highest.

- Let's begin where our chapter begins, with the "Presentation Of The King." Verse 1.

Text

• Matthew 21:1a : "Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives," : The Lord has been slowly traveling south from the Sea of Galilee over a period of 9 months.

- He has been walking with His disciples, journeying from place to place. Just yesterday, Jesus opened the eyes of two blind men in Jericho.

- Today, He joins an untold multitude in pilgrimage to Jerusalem. During a feast, especially one like the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, the city could be overrun with visitors.

- Scholars estimate that 2-3 million people swelled into the city. This is why Jesus is stopping at Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives, right across from the entrance into Jerusalem.

- "Bathe-fagey" is translated as the "house of unripe figs." Fascinating place to stay, given the spiritual pulse of the Nation and the King who has come to inspect her!

- Jeremiah 24 speaks of the state of the nation at the time of Nebuchadnezzar's first campaign against Israel. God compares the nation to figs, some good and some rotten.

- The Lord is about to find out which were which! Before this commences, the Lord sends His disciples on a curious mission. Verse 2.

• Matthew 21:1b-3 : "Then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, 'Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.'" : Without much explanation, the Lord instructs His disciples to secure some transportation for Him. They are told where to go, the village opposite of them and what they would find.

- Most believe the village to be Bethany, where Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha lived.

- Whenever Jesus came into this area, He stayed with them and made a few other friends in the process. The Lord will have known of this donkey and it's colt.

- He instructs His disciples to loose them and bring both to Him. If anyone stopped them, they would only need to say that the Lord had need of them. That would settle the issue!

- Matthew doesn't record any obstacle, but both Mark and Luke reveal that someone did question them and immediately peacefully withdrew at their answer. (Mark 11:4-6, Luke 19:31,32)

- It happened as their Lord had said. Jesus has just walked hundreds of kilometers to get to the border of Jerusalem, but He needs a donkey and it's colt now? Why? Verse 4.

• Matthew 21:4,5 : "All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 'Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.’" : Jesus

didn't just want to rest His feet. This information is provided for us to reveal the intricacies of divinity.

- This entire episode exists in the record to reveal how committed God is to fulfilling His Word, which He has magnified, exalted above His own Name! (Psalm 138:2)

- I point that out because fulfilled prophecy runs through this passage in incredible ways.

- This particular scripture comes from the book of Zechariah. Zechariah 9 begins as a prophecy regarding the nations surrounding Jerusalem. Verse 9 turns it's attention to Israel.

- Israel is to rejoice and shout because it's King was coming to them! How would they recognize Him? First, He would come and be lowly, speaking of humility.

- Unlike the Kings of the Nations, those who have ruled on the Earth, Israel's King will be known for His humility when He appears. He's the anti-thesis to human governors and Kings.

- He will be known for His humility. This will be His primary characteristic at this visitation.

- The second part of this prophecy speaks of His transportation. In a typical Roman Triumph, a conquering King would be preceeded by a parade of soldiers with incense torches at hand.

- The King himself would ride on the largest and most majestic horse that he could find! Israel's King will arrive on a young donkey, the ultimate service animal!

- His countenance would be marked by humility, His carriage would speak of service! Zechariah 9:10 completes the thought.

• Zechariah 9:10 : "I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.’" : This King is not here on this day as a conqueror. He is calling for peace!

- In this season of time upon the Earth, men and women from every nation, are beckoned to peacefully surrender to this King of Kings! His second coming will not offer this option!

- When Jesus mounts this colt and rides into Jerusalem, the stage is set, as the Lord publically, unashamedly proclaims Himself to be the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9.

- He is Israel's King, their Messiah, who offers Himself in peace to them. Verse 6.

• Matthew 21:6-11 : "So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: 'Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!' And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, 'Who is this?' So the multitudes said, 'This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.'" : The disciples completed their task and laid their outer clothes across the donkey and colt. Then, they set Jesus upon them without realizing what was happening!

• John 12:16 : "His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him." : As Jesus made His ascent on that Sunday, a multitude began to respond by laying their clothes and palm frawns down before Him.

- They recognized what was happening which is revealed by what they cried out. "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Save now, Oh descendant of David!" They have found the ultimate Son of David!

- This is a specific Messianic title, tied to the promises of God in II Samuel 7, known to Bible students as the "Davidic Covenant." God would establish David's Kingdom forever in Christ!

- The people are crying for their Messiah to take His proper place and begin His rule over Jerusalem and the nations that surrounded her.

- Their gestures reveal that they are ready to submit to Him, but they also speak of what they don't understand about Him or His mission.

- About a hundred years or so prior to this, Judas Maccabeus came into Jerusalem with the same kind of fanfare. People waved and then dropped palm branches before him.

- Judas Maccabeus was a hero to the people of Israel because of the successful revolt he led.

- It's not strange to believe that many of those gathered on this day believed the exact same thing was about to take place. In fact, many of the same political integers were in place.

- In place of the Syrians, the Romans now exerted power over Israel. Jesus, being far more than a revolutionary, was credited among the people with divine works.

- The Passover that they were beginning to celebrate was in fact, the dominate redemption drama of the Old Testament, where God delivered His people from Egypt!

- No wonder they cried out in concert with Psalm 118:26. Blessed is He who comes in the Name, the power, of the Lord to bring salvation!

- The problem is that it wasn't the salvation they were looking for! We'll talk a bit more about that in a moment. For now, note a few more items that were taking place at this time.

- As you know, the Lord has prescribed the reading of certain texts throughout the year and the Passover was no different.

- As Jesus is ascending into Jerusalem, the Priests are reciting the words of Psalm 24:8-10.

• Psalm 24:8-10 : "Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory." : The priests are singing these words while the people are calling out for Jesus to establish His Kingdom. What a picture!

- In the air above, God's Word is confirming Christ's identity, while the throngs below seek a Messiah of their own making and for their own desire!

- There was genuine excitement, but complete misunderstanding of what God means by salvation! Their minds saw political freedom. God's heart envisioned spiritual freedom!

- This misunderstanding is critical to consider. One could see this in the emotional impact that was being experienced by Jesus Himself. Please turn over to Luke 19.

- With all of this fanfare and excitement, you'd think that the Lord would be pleased. To Him, it was an occasion for great sadness.

• Luke 19:41-44 : "Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.'" : Notice those words: "If you, even you had known!

- This was their day! They had the best vantage point, the most evidence and they missed it! They had the Lord's official records, living eyewitness testimony to His works.

- They even lived on "this day!" Jesus is referring to yet another prophecy that was being fulfilled at that very moment!

- Daniel 9 contains one of the most important prophecies in scripture with regard to the Jewish nation. God tells Daniel that there is a specific day when Messiah the Prince will enter Jerusalem.

- The countdown will begin with the command to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, which occurred when Artaxerxes sent Nehemiah to restore the walls of Jerusalem in 445 B.C. 

- From here, you have 69 units of years, equaling out to 483 years or 173,880 days. Guess which day that lands on? The very day that Jesus was entering into Jerusalem!

- The specificity of that prophecy makes it impossible for any other person to claim to be the Messiah because they would have had to have been there in Jerusalem on this very day!

- We know this now, but it was hidden from the eyes of the nation. What a tragic story. They had all of the emotions, but none of the knowledge of what was happening.

- Sadly, this is exactly where many people are today. They settle their relationship upon emotions, but have very little knowledge of the historical facts that make Christianity true!

- Jerusalem was moved emotionally as if it had experienced an earthquake, but it didn't comprehend who Jesus was, nor the work that He was doing! Listen to their own words.

- The Priests had asked who this was and the Psalm said, "the King of Glory." The people replied, this is Jesus, not the King, but the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee! What a sad testimony!

- They did not understand who was standing before them and their failure to bow their knees to Him would cost them their earthly Kingdom! We have witnessed the "Presentation Of The King."

- As we move into the next section, we'll take note of the "Power Of The King." Verse 12.

• Matthew 21:12,13 : "Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, 'It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.'" : There are so many interesting pieces to this story. First, recall that Jesus is entering into the Temple on the Day of Preparation.

- This is the day when Jewish households procured their sacrificial lamb. God prescribed that His people inspect their lambs for spots and blemishes from the "10th to the 14th." (Exodus 12:2-6)

- They were not to eat of a lamb with a birth defect or an injury picked up in their lives. From the moment they chose the Lamb, they were to meticulously inspect the lamb, ensuring it's perfection.

- Unbeknownst to the people, Jesus is the King, who is also the Lamb that God has selected! He will be examined like no other Lamb in history! But the type is not fulfilled at this moment.

- God's people need lambs! Because many were coming from distant lands, God's people opted to purchase "pre-approved, formally inspected" lambs from the Temple court.

- Of course, for the convenience, most would pay nearly three times the price for such a spotless and unblemished lamb. A temple lamb was sold to you at Amusement Park prices!

- Jesus is coming into the land on this very day and will be inspected by all of Jerusalem for four days. It takes Jesus two seconds of inspection to find what He was unhappy with!

- It's important to note where this actually took place. This was the court of the Gentiles, the only place where Gentile men and women could go if they wanted to approach God.

- When Jesus saw this gaudy scene, He took the merchant's tables by the hands and threw them over. What made this so galling to Jesus?

- First, this was the second time that He had cleansed the Temple. Matthew does not record it in his gospel, but John records it at the beginning of the Lord's ministry. (John 2:13-22)

- This was His house and the people who had the right of residence were not representing His wishes at all!

- The second problem was with the messaging that was taking place. The only way to get to God was through these shifty priests, who gouged the people before they came!

- This leaves us with what was the most offensive issue of the day. Notice that phrase at the end of verse 12: "the seats of those who sold doves!"

- Leviticus 5:7 prescribed doves as a poor person's sacrifice. Luke 2:24 reports that the Lord's family brought this exact sacrifice with them when Jesus was consecrated!

- His own Father and Mother had barely enough to bring to God and it was galling to the Son that these men could treat people like His family this way!

- Everything that these people did closed the way for people to worship God. What Jesus was about to accomplish would open that way forever!

- He says to all in the final verses of Revelation, that they should come and drink from the water of life freely! (Revelation 22:17) Jesus has paid the way for all who would come!

- What Jesus saw was corruption, exploitation and the merchandising of God's people and He would not have it! This is the passion of the Christ, who knows what God’s house is meant to be.

- The Jews were to choose a Lamb on the first day, as well as remove leaven from their houses! (Exodus 12:15) Jesus won't tolerate anything that would draw a person into sin.

- He is zealous about the space that He shares with His people. He wants His home to be holy!

- I would wish that we had the same attitude of intolerance toward any action or attitude that would mar His presence of grieve His Spirit! These men had made God's house a den of thieves!

- The way into Jerusalem for many people was fraught with danger from robbers, who holed up in caves along the roads.

- Jesus is telling the crowds here that they were safer out on the roads than they were in God's house! This is again a fulfillment of prophecy, as Jesus quotes from Jeremiah 7:11.

- In that chapter, Jeremiah indicts the people of God for their attitude when coming into the temple.

• Jeremiah 7:8-11 : “Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,’ says the Lord.”

- They have treated God with disrespect. His house was meant to be a place where prayer would take place. The religious leaders used the coming to His house as a pretense to rip people off!

- They set up and made prey out of the people of God and Jesus was not going to take it! Once His home was clean again, note what took place. Verse 14.

• Matthew 21:14 : "Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them." : With the money changers out of the way, the way was clear for the Lord to touch His people. When the way was clear, the blind and the lame came to Him!

- Had the Priests been there, these people would have been excluded from the Temple. These didn't have money or influence to enter. They didn't need any because the Master was in His house!

- They walked right in and the God of the Universe healed them right there in the Temple! The blind could see, the lame could walk, a fulfillment of Isaiah 35:5,6. What a scene!

- Please note that God's salvation, the One that He is offering now, has to do with what He does in His people. Jesus healed His people, He did not heal societal woes!

- The salvation that God brings deals with the transformation of His people's hearts.

- Instead of changing governments, God changes the voting ethics within His people, making them sensitive to His agenda

- Instead of healing racism, God makes brothers out of men from different skin colors. This is the whole way of God during this time between comings!

- When He comes the second time, He'll change everything we know about government policy and He will do so on a universal scale!

- Until then, know that what He wants to do now will be done in obedient, human hearts!

- This is very telling, as the people who would subvert Christianity's teachings today show their true colors in their response! Verse 15 and our final section revealing the "Praise Of The King!"

• Matthew 21:15-17 : "But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' they were indignant and said to Him, 'Do You hear what these are saying?' And Jesus said to them, 'Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?' Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there." : Do you see that? They saw the wonderful things that He did!

- The words intone a miraculous occurrence that was indisputable. They were witnesses to divine miracles and there were those standing around confirming it with their praise!

- Look at the contrast. The powerful chief priests, men endowed with position and knowledge.

- Next to them are the scribes, the proverbial lawyers who spent all their days examining texts of scripture in order to know how to govern God's people. Next to them are children.

- The word indicates boys that served in the Temple, much like the altar boys in Catholicism do. They shouted aloud, "Save Now Son of David!"

- These children had a fraction of the rulers knowledge, but the eye test was enough for them to shout out their praise to Jesus! That left the rulers beside themselves in anger!

- The word refers to being "bent." One could say that they were all bent out of shape! "Do you hear them Jesus? Do you hear what they are saying?"

- The religious leaders were angry because in their eyes, this man, and He was only a man, was not stopping people from saying these blasphemous things in the temple.

- Jesus is doing what the Messiah would do, but He was a poor Nazarene. The religious leaders, predisposed to non-belief, will not let any proof change their hearts.

- What they were watching was yet another fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus hears what they are saying and is wondering if they have ever read their Bibles, specifically Psalm 8:2!!

- The Messiah will not be worshipped, acknolwedged or loved by the establishment. The proof that He is Messiah will come from the infant, the babe that God would teach to praise Him!

- God has allowed praise to function as a means of silencing His enemies. In essence, they are drowning out the voices of the skeptical, forcing them to see the reality of their blindness!

- On that note, Jesus left His own house back in their hands and went where He could feel at home, among those that valued His presence.

- Ultimately, Jesus will not sleep in Jerusalem until He has come back to sit as King within her!

Conclusion

- Palm Sunday is the day when Jesus presented Himself as Israel's King. He is humble and has come to serve His people with His salvation.

- It is not a salvation of liberation or social justice. It is a salvation from sin. All who surrender to Him will receive His gift and will live forever in His peace.

- On Palm Sunday, His power was displayed as He cleansed His house. Jesus removed every obstacle and made the way for outcasts to be healed. He touches and heals them all!

- He has not come to install a government, but to instill a governed heart! His Spirit will indwell His people and their obedience will lead them to represent His choices in life decisions!

- The proper response to Him is praise. Let the nursing infant tell the story. When He comes into your heart, there will and must be praise!

- Those children were merely getting a head start for eternity! We are joining them now and will do so forever when our King sits on David's throne forever!

Sunday Morning Service (Matthew 20)

Matthew 1

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"The Providential Hand Of The Incarnation" • 12.20.20 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro

- This morning, we mark an incredible moment in redemptive history, namely the moment when God added humanity to His eternal deity. Theologians call this "the Incarnation."

- We consider this against the peace of that night, the quiet as the "cattle" lowed, the beauty of the night sky illuminated by an unusual star, all the while, God's glory is obscured by an infant's skin!

- God's greatest move against Satan's plot to destroy mankind was made and less than half a dozen people even knew about it as it happened! This is the definitive move in an ages long conflict.

- When Satan stood against humanity and enticed them to disobey their Creator, to turn from trusting the Fatherly heart of God, to satisfying their own desires, God made a promise.

- Satan would bruise the Seed of the Woman's heel, but that same Seed would crush His head! This was the moment when that plan took on personhood!

- As Matthew looks back, he reveals that there has been a steady hand, a series of calculated moves that have brought us right up to the night of the Nativity.

- God deposited Himself in a human body and would be the final weapon of Satan's final destruction! Look at how Matthew frames the movement of God toward the act of the incarnation.

Text

I. The Preservation Of The Line Of Christ  (v.1-17)

- I will spare us the reading of each of the 40 descendants named here, but I will ask you what it is that you think you see? Why is it here? What purpose does it serve?

- For you and I as Gentiles, this is seemingly irrelevant and certainly uninteresting. This is not the case for the Jews. The conversation about the Messiah is moot with roots!

- Geneologies were vitally important to the establishment of the identity of the Messiah, who had to descend from Abraham, Judah and David.

- Nobody today can legally claim to be the Messiah of Israel, seeing that those records were destroyed with the Temple in A.D. 70.

- The Lord's human genetic relationship was readily available to Matthew. When you look closely, you will recognize names that are famous, indeed synonymous, for their faith.

- Abraham. David. Hezekiah. Unfortunately, for every act of faith that they are famous for, there is an equal act of failure that comes to mind.

- Abraham was a liar. David, an adulterer. Hezekiah was a King infected with pride late in his reign. There is faith, but there is also great dysfunction!

- Among regular people, these actions are sinful. Among those who have been given the promise of Messiah, these actions are potentially devastating to the plan of God in salvation!

- Consider for a moment the life of Judah, the one whose very tribe will be responsible for bearing the Messiah. After the episode with Joseph, Judah seemingly leaves his kin.

- Where does he end up? Married to a Canaanite woman! She is no proselyte to the Jewish faith. In fact, Judah's children with her all bear Canaanite names! What in the world is Judah doing!?

- I'd encourage you to read Genesis 38 on your own and see there the faithful actions of Judah's daughter-in-law, which essentially saves the purity of Judah's line of succession!

- You and I will look through western eyes and judge Tamar for dressing up like a prostitute in order to lure her Father-in-law into impregnating her, but Judah renders his own judgment.

- "She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her Shelah my son." (Genesis 38:25)

- What seems scandalous in our eyes, was a last ditch effort of Tamar's for God's righteousness to prevail. That is probably why she is tagged by Matthew here.

- These individuals are dysfunctional, but then, there is also the disobedience of Christ's nation! King David was Israel's best King. After his reign, the results were spotty at best.

- We traveled through the book of Kings a few years ago and it was not often that we came upon exemplary moments.

- There were Kings who served the Lord's interests in their generation, only to cede the throne to a person that reversed every previous righteous directive! For example, note verse 10.

• Matthew 1:10 : "Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah." : Hezekiah and Josiah were two of the most righteous Kings for the nation of Judah in it's latter days. Mannasseh and Amon however, set new standards for wickedness!

- Manasseh even repented in his old age, but it wasn't enough to turn from sacrificing more and more to idols. (II Chronicles 33:23)

- As the throne went, so went the nation, easily turning back to idolatrous ways and practices.

- It got so bad that the Lord commanded Jeremiah three times to cease praying for the nation. (Jeremiah 7:16, 11:14, 14:11)

- God told Jeremiah that the nation was so bad, it wouldn't be saved even if Moses and Samuel stood before Him! (Jeremiah 15:1)

- He adds Noah, Daniel and Job to that list in Ezekiel 14:14! This nation that carried the promise of the Prince of Peace, could not be bothered to truly walk in the ways of their Lord!

- They were chosen by God. They had the laws of God, the Priesthood and the Kingdom! With all of these advantages, they failed to live faithfully.

- It is the story of mankind, who may have great intentions but aren't equipped with the engine!

- Even so God preserved the nation until it was best for her to be scattered as a final measure of discipline. And even then, God preserved His promise!

- Look at verses 11 and 12. There is Matthew following the Messiah's line into Babylon, in exile! How many nations have survived such an ordeal? How many promises come from rubble?

- Can you believe the fact that the people of Israel were not only able to preserve their culture and language, but were eventually able to re-enter their land, not once, but twice!

- The Babylonian captivity took place in 586 B.C. The Jews re-entered their land in 1948 and took Jerusalem as their capital in 1967!

- The preservation of Christ's lineage can only be attribute to divine interevention! When you look to the end of it, I hope you understand Matthew's point. Verse 17.

• Matthew 1:17 : " So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations." : When you look at this geneology, from now on, I pray that you see continuity, a faithfully unbroken line!

- The promised One survived His dysfunctional descendants from Abraham to David.

- God preserved His promise despite His disobedient nation, from David to the captivity. And, most unbelieveably, from the ashes of a scattered people until reaching Mary and Joseph!

- But if you think that was a safe place to emerge, you'd be mistaken. We have seen the preservation of the line of Christ. Look now at the . . .  Verse 18.

II. The Protection Of The Life Of Christ (v.18-20)

• Matthew 1:18-20 : "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.'" : Of all the ways that the Messiah could enter into humanity, He chose the way that is common to us all!

- Jesus was "born." He came into this world through the birth canal of a human woman! He endured the traumas endemic to the birthing process! One can hardly imagine!

- The King of all glory confined and adhered Himself to the uterine wall of a young virgin!

- "Someone affluent for sure!" Nope. Poor, unknown. "Certainly in a major market!" Not really! Bethlehem in out in the country and Nazareth was a bit of a rest stop!

- But then, you will note the drama that attended this birth. "After His Mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph." Betrothal is equivalent to our engagement, but is far more difficult to break.

- It would take public legal proceedings and a strong, even life threatening reason to end the relationship. One of those reasons would be sexual infidelity.

- This is where the next phrase comes in: "Before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit!" Uh-oh! That is not only a scandalous proposition. It's a death sentence!

- The penalty for a woman caught in adultery was stoning. According to historians, such a woman would be placed in a box of manure up to her knees and then stoned till she was face down.

- When Mary disclosed her pregnancy to Joseph, the Bible tells us that she had already been prepared and instructed. The angel Gabriel visited her and revealed God's plan to her.

•  Luke 1:30-35 : "Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.' Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I do not know a man?' And the angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.'" : Listen to how extensive Mary's knowledge was. She knew about her own virgin conception, the Child's Name and place in history.

- She knew her Son would be the King that was promised to David! He would reign forever and ever! When you read further, into Mary's Magnificat, she knows that her child is her Savior!

• Luke 1:46-49 : "And Mary said: 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name." : That's quite a lot of information to share but none of that was disclosed to Joseph!

- Matthew informs us that Joseph was her husband as well as a "just man." That is, he was a man that sought to do what was right in the sight of the Lord.

- He wanted to act in accordance with His faith and in line with the character of His God.

- This led him to consider how he should respond to Mary's news. Imagine the ackward moments that this couple shared together.

  - It was obvious that Mary was pregnant, but imagine, from Joseph's perspective, the gall that was necessary for Mary to announce to him that the baby "was from the Holy Spirit!"

- Joseph believes in God. He knows miracles are possible. He is sure that nothing is impossible for Him, but c'mon!

- Whatever he actually thought, it's obvious that he did not believe her but he couldn't bring himself to shame her either.

- Joseph did not want to make her a "paradigm" of infamy, but sought to "put her away secretly." He was willing to seek an under the table, quiet divorce.

- This is such a wonderful example, especially in light of our culture's current stands today.

- Today, such an event would not only garner scandalous attention, but Mary would be almost certainly "cancelled" before being publically executed!

- Joseph reveals the kind of heart that a godly person has. He doesn't want retribution or to advertise Mary's supposed sin.

- This man that has been chosen to be the "Stepfather" of the Lord shares in the heart of God the Father and will exemplify this same heart to God the Son!

- Our culture cancels at the first sight of sin but God's love covers a multitude of sins! (I Peter 4:8) For Joseph, this was the most humane thing to do considering the alternative!

- Joseph loved this young lady and his actions are motivated from what was best for her. That is the very heart of "agape!"

  - Imagine him pacing the floor, racking his brain, asking God to provide some sign, some word of wisdom! Joseph was caught in the middle of something very delicate.

- The stress level was high and his options were limited and painful. That is when God dispatched a messenger to soothe him.

- An angel of the Lord, a messenger from the Lord brought a word of assurance to Joseph. "Don't be afraid to take to you Mary your wife!"

- The fact that the angel tells him signals the fear that had gripped his soul. How often in our lives will we hear the Lord say these same words to us: "Do not fear!"

 God protected Mary's reputation and gave Joseph the information that he needed to guard her life. He knew definitively from God Himself, that this child was Divine!

- With one timely angelic visit, the Lord protected the life of His Son by saving the life of His Mother! Can you think of how many other scenarios God protected His Son from?

- Soon, Joseph will move his family to Egypt just before Herod kills every baby 2 years and under in the region. (Matthew 2:16)

  - How many times did the Jews attempt to seize Jesus in the gospel records? His Father protected Him right up until it was time for Him to offer Himself for our sin!

- Along with that, please don't miss Joseph's peace that he fought to have! Because he sought the Lord and waited to act, he learned that Mary was telling the truth.

- He heard from God directly and was put at ease. Every Christian can know this peace if they are willing to wait to receive it! That brings us to verse 21.

- We have seen the preservation of the line of Christ and the protection of the life of Christ. Please see finally, the . . .

III. The Power Of The Name Of Christ (v.21-25)

• Matthew 1:21-23 : "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.' So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.'" : After the angel provided the information that would protect Christ's life, he gets to introduce Joseph to the Name above all Names!

- "You shall call His name Jesus!" Joseph hears the very Name that connects him to every believer before and every believer after him! Jesus is the very center of redemptive history!

- When the angel tells him that he shall call His Name Jesus, he is telling Joseph that he is to take legal responsiblity for the child. He's going to be legally responsible for the Savior!

- "Jesus" is an English equivalent for the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name "Yeshua." Yeshua, when translated, means "God our salvation."

- This is why the angel says that He will save His people from their sins! That is the meaning of His name, the function of His mission, the purpose of the Godhead in Christ.

- His Name is the definition that will govern His life and ministry. Notice the certainty in those words: He will save or deliver! There is no question. There is no doubt.

- Jesus came to deliver us from our sins and that's what He has done by taking or bearing them upon Himself! Joseph has the privilege to hear of his own salvation from an angel!

- We get the privilege of sharing this same news to all that will listen! Christmast isn't about gifts give to one another. It's about THE Gift of salvation given to all that believe!

- Mary's pregnancy was a legitimate miracle and a fulfillment of one of the scripture's most vitally important prophecies of Christ!

• Isaiah 7:14 : "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

- Scholars attempt to soften this by mentioning that "almah" could be young woman. Sadly, nobody told Matthew this because he uses the Greek word used exclusively for "virgin!"

- Mary is also unaware, as she confesses that she had never known a man! (Luke 1:34)

- Several obstacles presented themselves with regard to Christ's humanity. There is the inherent sin nature passed through the genes of the Father. There are disgraced Kings to bypass.

- God takes care of that by allowing Christ to adhere to the womb of a virgin woman!

- Immanuel. He was never called this, but it is a description of what men would say when they encountered Him! "God was with us!" Jesus would be with them physically but with us spiritually!

˚ "And God with us, through every action of our life, that we begin, continue, and end in his name. He is God with us, to comfort, enlighten, protect, and defend us, in every time of temptation and trial, in the hour of death, in the day of judgment; and God with us and in us, and we with and in him, to all eternity."

                  Adam Clarke

- When they heard that a virgin had conceived a son, this would be the sign that they waited for. Only God's own blood would be sufficient for the stain of human sin. Verse 24.

• Matthew 1:24,25 : "Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus." : What a night's sleep he had! Think of how he had gone to bed: Stressed out and not sure what to do.

- How often do we go to sleep with the very same emotions? How often will the believer be aroused from sleep, confident in the Lord's direction!

- Joseph understands that this will be a much more difficult road for him. He is to take Mary, this pregnant teenager, as his wife. People would look. They would theorize.

- They would form their own opinions of both Mary and Joseph. This makes Joseph's actions all the more impressive. He did as the Lord had commanded him, no matter the cost to his reputation.

- And notice that he did this without violating his commitment to the Lord.

- Joseph "did not know her till she had brought forther her first born Son!"

- "She's already pregnant, she's already his wife. Who would know?" The Lord would know and eventually, to engage in such activity, would increase the questions of the Lord's deity!

- Joseph knew that his and Mary's purity would eventually lead to their blessing.

- Joseph was a man who was willing to take the more difficult road because of his love for the Lord and His will. I pray that we take a long look at that example!

- When the Baby was born, a story of incredible circumstances itself, Joseph proclaimed proudly that the Child's Name was Jesus.

Conclusion

- The Incarnation speaks so powerfully to me of the faithful God that we serve. Think about it.

- When God's people were dysfunctional and His nation disobedient, God kept His Word and found ways to faithfully continue the course that He promised! That is the character of God!

- He won't give up! If He has promised you a salvation from sin and a hope of eternity with Him, remember that He preserved the line of Christ through worse!

- When God's Christ came into the womb of the virgin at a time when she could have been abandoned by her betrothed and stoned by her brethren, God sent His Angel to protect Him.

- From there, God protected His life to the very moment when Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives, fully surrendered to His Father's plan and His nation's betrayal.

- Our God is powerful enough to carry us through safely until that time when we leave this life and join His.

- Finally, when God wanted to provide a Savior for man's sins, He physically sent His own Son, who appeared in time, helpless in form, perfect in life, present in death.

- The Incarnation reminds us that if He physically appeared to deliver us from our sins, He will physically come again to deliver us from this Earth!

- On that night, only a privileged few knew of His arrival. When He was born, hope filled their hearts. When He comes again, every heart will know and every knee will bow before the Holy King!

- Christmas is a yearly reminder that what God promises, He brings to pass!