Dr. Montia Setzler, Senior Pastor
December 6, 2015
Series: The Wonder of Christmas
The Wonder of His Conception
Matthew 1:18–25 (HCSB)
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.
1. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST EMPLOYED A MIRACULOUS CONCEPTION.
v 18 …before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
v 20 “…Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.”
- Prophecy revealed that Christ would be born of a virgin.
Isaiah 7:14 (HCSB)
14 “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.”
- God would participate in this conception to emphasize Christ’s deity.
- Mary was chosen to give birth to Christ to emphasize His humanity.
2. THE CIRCUMSTANCES DEMANDED JOSEPH’S COURAGE.
v 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly…
v 20 …an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.”
- Joseph had every reason not to believe what had happened.
- Joseph had every right to punish Mary.
- Joseph accepted his assignment to be the earthly father of Jesus.
v 24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her.
3. CHRIST’S BIRTH CAME AS A RESULT OF GOD’S GREAT LOVE FOR US.
vv 22-23 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
- Mary and Joseph were told to name the baby, “Jesus.”
The Hebrew word is Yeshua (Joshua), meaning “The Lord saves.”
- The People would name the baby “Immanuel.”
The Hebrew word means “God is with us.”
- God had so much love and compassion for us, that he chose to come and live among us.
John 1:1-5 (MSG)
1-2 The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one.
3-5 Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!—came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.
John 1:14 (MSG)
14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
It was evident that God was up to something amazing with the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. But the courage and determination of Mary and Joseph to be obedient to God’s plan challenges us to do the same.
