John 20:30-31 - Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
3 responses to an amazing Christmas prophecy
I. Be Impacted by the Purity of the Virgin Birth
Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned…
Matthew 1:16 - …Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah…
Matthew 1:18 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:38 - And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:41-45 - When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”
A. A godly mother
Matthew 1:18 - …before they came together…
Matthew 1:18 - …she was found to be with child…
B. A considerate father
Matthew 1:19 - And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.
Matthew 1:20 - But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:24-25 - And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
C. A perfect nature
Matthew 1:21 - She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins…
1 Peter 1:18-19 - …knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
II. Be Amazed by the Prophecy of the Virgin Birth
Matthew 1:22-23 - Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
A. The original recipient of this prophecy was a man named King Ahaz who had to make a decision between doing things man’s way or doing them God’s way
Isaiah 7:2 - When it was reported to the house of David, saying, “The Arameans have camped in Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind.
Isaiah 7:3-4 - Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz…and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands…’”
Isaiah 7:7-8 - …thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. For the head of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another 65 years Ephraim will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people)…
Isaiah 7:11 - Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.
Isaiah 7:12 - But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”
Isaiah 7:13-14 - Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”
B. The original response to this prophecy
2 Kings 16:5-8 - Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to wage war; and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him…So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son; come up and deliver me from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.” Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house,and sent a present to the king of Assyria.
C. The lessons for you and me
1. Regarding our salvation
John 8:41 - …They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 - He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2. Regarding sanctification
III. B2e Drawn by the Possibility of the Virgin Birth
Matthew 1:23 - …call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
- There are many reasons to be thankful for the way our church was started nearly 58 years ago…we truly have a delightful heritage…
- it began when the leaders of Kossuth Street Baptist Church became concerned about the significant number of homes that were being on what was then the growing south side of town…the area south of what is now Lafayette Jeff High school…
- and so that church congregation scooped off 5 of their families and sent them to plant a new local church to win people to Christ in that area of town…
- I can’t think of a better motivation to begin a new church than that one…and we are eternally thankful for what was done for us…
- a second reason to be thankful is the way the early congregation positioned themselves in our community…they wanted everyone in town to know exactly what they believed, why they believed it, and how they were inviting others to come to similar theological conclusions…
- I love reviewing the dedication program distributed on the occasion of our first permanent building being completed on South 18th Street in 1967…
- that in and of itself is amazing because the congregation went from 5 families to being able to purchase property and erect their first building in just under three years…the Lord’s hand was clearly upon them…
- but when you look at the program – there isn’t any marketing about all the ministries and all the programs and all the benefits of joining what they were doing…
- no – you find three elements…
- a simple, but carefully considered order of service…and then…
- what they termed An Act of Dedication which was a responsive reading between the pastor and the church congregation…
- the first line which read – To the fulfilling of our objectives as defined by the doctrines…the doctrines, usages, and practices and the historic Baptist church…
- then the final third lists a series of “Fundamental Bible Truths.”
- do you see the sixth one on that list?...the virgin birth of Christ…from Matthew 1:23…
- those are our forebears…
- not, if you come – we have great coffee…or we have marvelous programs…or slick advertising…[not that any of those things are wrong in and of themselves]…
- but what they wanted this community to be absolutely clear about was that they believed that Jesus Christ truly was born of a virgin…
- and it didn’t matter what Purdue University thought about that…
- or what the Journal and Courier thought about that…
- or what theologically liberal churches thought about it…
- and the reason that was so important to them then, and why it is so important to us now – is because it was absolutely necessary for Jesus to fulfill His Saving Purpose…
- with that in mind, please open your Bible this morning to Matthew chapter 1 – that’s on page 1 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…
- this year we’ve been focusing on the theme of Enjoying Life in Jesus’ Name
- primarily this has been a verse by verse study of the gospel of John, and in the providence of God, this has been a very timely emphasis during this past year and I think it has helped us stay grounded in where a Christian’s true hope, and life, and joyfulness reside…
- in spite of a pandemic, political tension, racial tension…so many topics that could drain a person or a church of any real vitality or enthusiasm or excitement…
- that doesn’t have to be the case with people who are finding their life in Jesus’ name…
- I hope our theme verse has become very meaningful to you as well -- John 20:30–31 - Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
- there are many ways the final phrase could actually occur for people like you and me which makes it very helpful and meaningful…
- for our purposes this morning, we could say – one of the means God ordained for life in Jesus’ name to be possible for those who choose to believe …was the miraculous virgin birth of our Savior…
- what our forbears affirmed nearly 58 years ago…we would, without apology, just as strongly proclaim today…
- let’s read this marvelous Christmas passage and find out why.
- read Matthew 1:18-25
- so we’re talking about our Lord’s – His Saving Purpose…
- and with the time we have remaining, let’s think about 3 responses to an amazing Christmas prophecy.
I. Be Impacted by the Purity of the Virgin Birth
- please keep in mind that the Gospel of Matthew was written especially to a Jewish audience to provide evidence for believing that Jesus Christ was truly the King – the promised Messiah of Israel…
- that’s why the genealogy was so important in verses 1-17…
- if you compare that to the Gospel of Mark, which emphasizes Jesus as the Servant…there is no genealogy at all because that gospel has a different purpose…
- but the one here is extensive…tying Jesus in verse 1 all the way back to Abraham and to King David…
- the first few words of this book are about the fastest and shortest way to connect all the Bible together that we could imagine…
- Pastor (Green/Hutton) also pointed out all sorts of amazing aspects of Christ’s lineage that just take your breath away…
- so the issue of legality – if you want to use that word – is comprehensively explained…his birthline meets the tests of the multiple prophecies about the Messiah given in the OT…
- but it’s much more than that…there’s also the test of purity…
- because the incarnation – God becoming a man – presents a clear and obvious challenge…
- in that the normal procreation process results in the transmission of the sin nature… Paul would later explain that in Romans 5 -- Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—
- so now Matthew turns to address that question…how could Jesus possibly be qualified to die for our sin if He was sinful Himself?...
- you have to love the way Matthew subtly introduces that topic…
- so you’re moving along in what is a typical way you would read a genealogy – so and so was the father of so and so…for example in verse 15 – read
- but then verse 16 throws us a curveball…Jacob was the father of Joseph…what would we have expected to read next?...and Joseph was the father of Jesus…
- but it doesn’t read that way, does it?...because Joseph was not the father of Jesus, at least not biologically…Joseph was what according to the verse?...the husband of Mary?...it was…Matthew 1:16 - …Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah…
- you have to imagine a person reading this for the very first time…you talk about intrigue…what is Matthew trying to say here?...
- well, we don’t have to wait long for an answer, do we?...
- Matthew 1:18 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.
- now, if you’re new to studying the Bible – I realize that may seem confusing…
- in their culture, betrothal was similar to our engagement period, but more formal and binding...
- after a couple was betrothed to one another, they still lived separately---they abstained from sexual relations...but they were actually called husband and wife at that point…
- and to dissolve a betrothal, which would happen because of infidelity during the betrothal period, there actually had to be a divorce...
- now the verse also told us that during this betrothal period, which generally lasted 12 months, Mary was “found to be pregnant”...
- now you might say – that would be a surprise…yes and no…why?...
- this is why it is so helpful for us to have 4 gospels…
- because when we add what God revealed through Luke…what do we know has already happened?...
- an angel had appeared to Mary before this occurred…so he explained what would happen…
- and what did Mary say to the angel?... Luke 1:38 - And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
- the angel also told Mary what was occurring in her cousin Elizabeth’s life, the mother of John the Baptist…and when Mary went to visit her cousin…sure enough, when Mary got there – everything was confirmed because her cousin who had formerly been barren was now expecting the forerunner of the Messiah…
- and do you remember what transpired… Luke 1:41–45 - When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”
- now, here’s the point – do you see the context of purity?...
A. A godly mother
- Mary wasn’t sinless – she affirmed in her response to Elizabeth that she recognized she needed a Savior…
- but she was godly…she believed what the angel said…and she acted on her belief by remaining sexually pure before their betrothal…
- the phrase…v. 18 – before they came together…is a crucial part of this story…
- what we don’t know is how much of this Mary explained to Joseph…she had to tell him she was expecting…that’s what the next phrase explains…
- v. 18 – she was found to be with child…(there are a lot of unanswered questions in that phrase, btw)…
- but then the camera pans over to Joseph…
B. A considerate father
- Matthew 1:19 - And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.
- that tells us volumes about the kind of home Jesus was going to grow up in…
- because Joseph could have asked that the full OT punishment be brought down upon her…which would have been stoning…
- or he could have initiated a very public divorce to be sure that the shame was placed on her, not him…
- but instead he was going to act as mercifully as he could…
- what we don’t know at this point is – did Mary not tell Joseph about the angel already appearing to her…and did she tell him and he didn’t believe her?...
- regardless, we know what happened next… Matthew 1:20 - But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
- so to this faithful woman, and this considerate man…the Messiah would be conceived of the Holy Spirit…and then what happened?...
- Matthew 1:24–25 - And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
- don’t you love the simple purity of, humanly speaking, the parents of our Lord?...
- and by the way, Bible students believe, based on what is known about culture at the time, that Mary was probably 14 years old at the time, and Joseph could have still been in his teens…
- we can’t be dogmatic about that…but it leads to the question – how could they possess such faith, and obedience, and purity...the answer is, the Person of the Godhead who is emphasized throughout the passage…it’s the Holy Spirit of God who made all of this possible…
- which resulted in our Savior having…
C. A perfect nature
- the reason our church family 58 years ago would have affirmed their belief in the virgin birth is because they understood that our redemption could only be secured by a perfect lamb…
- it’s on that basis that the angel went on to explain… Matthew 1:21 - She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins…do you remember what Peter would later affirm -- 1 Peter 1:18–19 - knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
- friend, we should be impacted by the purity of the virgin birth…
- now, amazingly, Matthew is not done with this part of the story…because what he explains next should help us…
II. Be Amazed by the Prophecy of the Virgin Birth
- Matthew 1:22–23 - Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
- you talk about strengthening the case…the point is – not only did this happen…but it was predicted by the prophet Isaiah 700 years in advance…
- if you’re here this morning and you’ve never trusted Christ…please understand that the gospel is not about believing fairy tales that have no proof…
- one of the strongest reasons to repent and believe in Christ is the certainty of fulfilled prophecy…
- now, please keep this is mind – a very important principle of Bible study…(or hermeneutics if we’d like to use the formal term) is that we always think first of how this would have impacted the original audience…
- Jewish people who would have known their Old Testaments would have also known the recipient of this original promise…
- there’s a very important point here – but we have to dig for it…so if you’d like to follow along, you can turn to Isaiah 7 and 2 Kings 16…(pages 491 and 286)…we’ll also have the verses on the screen if that’s easier for you…
A. The original recipient of this prophecy was a man named King Ahaz who had to make a decision between doing things man’s way or doing them God’s way.
- it’s amazing how much of our Bibles deal with this 300 year period of history…
- to keep it simple, we can think of King David, the second king of Israel after Saul reigning around 1000 BC…
- then after his son’s Solomon’s reign…the nation divided in two parts in 931 BC – so now we have the northern 10 tribes which kept the name Israel, and the two southern tribes which were referred to as Judah…
- so in this slide, the pink is Israel, the mauve is Judah…
- the only other two dates you really need to remember is that the northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 BC…and the southern kingdom fell to Babylon in 586BC…
- all of the OT prophets are writing during that period of time…
- so King Ahaz is the leader of the southern kingdom in 735 BC…and he’s facing a real problem…
- because the northern kingdom has teamed up with Syria (Aram – the country in purple) and are coming to invade the southern kingdom…that shows how wicked the people of God had become – that the northern kingdom would actually team up with pagans to attack their own brothers…
- Isa 7:2 summarizes this -- Isaiah 7:2 - When it was reported to the house of David (Judah – in mauve) , saying, “The Arameans (Syria, in purple) have camped in Ephraim (Israel – in pink),” his heart (King Ahaz) and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind.
- so God in his mercy sends the prophet Isaiah to speak truth to Ahaz…
- Isaiah 7:3–4 - Then the Lord said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz…and say to him, ‘Take care and be calm, have no fear and do not be fainthearted because of these two stubs of smoldering firebrands…
- then God explains why… Isaiah 7:7–8 - thus says the Lord God: “It shall not stand nor shall it come to pass. For the head of Aram is Damascus and the head of Damascus is Rezin (now within another 65 years Ephraim will be shattered, so that it is no longer a people),
- the point is – don’t fear those other nations…I am going to take care of them…
- then the Lord even says this… Isaiah 7:11 - Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; make it deep as Sheol or high as heaven.
- Ahaz’s response is as fake and pious as you can imagine…
- Isaiah 7:12 - But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!”
- we know how fake that was… Isaiah 7:13–14 - Then he said, “Listen now, O house of David! Is it too slight a thing for you to try the patience of men, that you will try the patience of my God as well? “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.
- in other words – God is powerful enough to do anything…even accomplish a virgin birth…you’re simply required to place your faith in Me…
- now, here’s the question…do you think Ahaz believed and acted on what God said?...
B. The original response to this prophecy
- no…this is where 2 Kings 16 comes into play…because here’s what he did instead…
- 2 Kings 16:5–8 - Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to wage war; and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him…So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son; come up and deliver me from the hand of the king of Aram and from the hand of the king of Israel, who are rising up against me.” Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent a present to the king of Assyria.
- instead of trusting in the Lord, and waiting for His deliverance…he established an alliance with yet a different pagan nation…and even paid him tribute from the gold and silver that was in the temple…
- time doesn’t allow us to read the rest of 2 Kings 16…but it is astounding how far King Ahaz was willing to compromise in order to appease his new partner…
- now, what are…
C. The lessons for you and me
1. Regarding our salvation
- every person here has to decide whether you believe that Jesus Christ was truly born of a virgin…and whether that was necessary so that your sin and mine could be comprehensively addressed on the cross…
- and the challenging aspect of this particular prophecy is that we already know what King Ahaz did with it…
- when faced with the alternative between trusting in the power and Word of God…or trusting in Tiglath Pilesar, the pagan king of Assyria…he trusted the Pagan King…
- we also know that many people in Matthew’s day also rejected this message because one of the pivotal points of this gospel is chapter 12 where the Jewish leaders committed the unpardonable sin of ascribing Christ’s work to the devil…
- which is why some of his enemies began openly mocking Him on this point…
- do you remember this year from our study of the Gospel of John…when… John 8:41 - …They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.”
- what was that?...a refusal to believe in the virgin birth…
- so why would men and women then…and why would men and women today…be unwilling to believe what God’s Word says on this matter?...
- at least 2 answers come to mind…
1. One is that they don’t want to believe that God can truly perform miracles…which is a very hopeless way to live…
- it God can’t do this…then how could He possibly prepare a place for people like you and me in heaven?...
2. or maybe it’s because some people don’t really want to acknowledge that a price of this magnitude had to be paid to make our salvation possible…there’s a sense in which the virgin birth puts God in His place, and mankind in ours…
- Can I ask you – do you know for sure that there has been a definite time in your life where you admitted your need, and then you trusted the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to – as the angel said to Joseph – to save you from your sins?...
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 - He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
- what are the lessons here…
2. Regarding sanctification
- is the Lord placing you in any Mary/Joseph type situations?...
- where on the one hand you have what God’s Word says…but you really don’t see how that could come to pass?...
- and there might even be a Tiglath-Pilesar type short-cut substitute…
- so there’s God’s way, or there’s man’s way…
- God’s way about how to handle your anger…or man’s way…
- God’s way about how to communicate…or man’s way…
- in decisions about what we’re going to do with our time, God’s way or man’s way.
- decisions about how we’re going to spend our money, God’s way or man’s way.
- in decisions about how you’re going to respond to trials, God’s way or man’s way.
- decisions about how we’re going to treat other people, God’s way or man’s way.
- Mary and Joseph chose to patiently wait for the Word of the Lord to be fulfilled in their situation…
- we should be impacted by the purity of the virgin birth…and amazed by the power of the virgin birth…
III. Be Drawn by the Possibility of the Virgin Birth
- if our sin can be completed addressed, and the righteousness of Christ can be placed on our account…then what does that mean can be true?...
- the answer is, we can…Matthew 1:23 - …call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”
- see, what was it that motivated those who started this church to make such profound, though controversial doctrinal affirmations?...
- it’s because they believed God was with them…
- what was it that motivated Mary and Joseph to believe and act on what they were told?...it is because they believed that God was with them…
- you may have heard that the West Lafayette City Council is considering an ordinance banning gay conversion therapy with minors practiced by either licensed or unlicensed counselors with a penalty of $1000 per day for non-compliance…
- we’ve never used the term conversion therapy…but we stand with the church for the last 2000 years which has affirmed chastity in singleness and fidelity in marriage…
- we’re not trying to force our views on anyone, but if a person comes to us, including a minor with their parent’s permission and asks us to show them what God’s Word says about such matters…we are going to encourage them as single people to abstain from sexual relations of any kind…
- and if they want to know what God’s Word says about any aspect of human sexuality….we are going to show them exactly what the Word of God says…
- and we will teach the same principles in our Christian school…
- and we’re not planning on asking the West Lafayette City Council’s permission to do that…
- our message to them is twofold…
- we already have a God…
- and it’s not them…
- and we will not surrender our religious liberty to anyone…
- because Jesus Christ is our Immanuel…our God with us – and we intend to obey him rather than men…
- this is also why I’m so glad that the Living Nativity presents the full story of Christmas…
- the scenes that precede that manger are so very important…
- and I would encourage you to pray that the Lord would open the hearts of men and women as they observe them…
- the Garden of Eden…and the certainty of mankind’s sin…
- and the prophets…demonstrating that the birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ was predicted hundreds and in some cases thousands of years before it occurred…
- and then the annunciation…the good news that our Savior would be born of a virgin…