Matt 1:25 and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

Matt 1:25 and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
How does Joseph keep Mary after taking her to be his wife?
“and kept her a virgin . . .” (Matt 1:25).

    • The term ἡ παρθένος (hā parthenos) refers to a maiden of marriageable age who does not have 
       sexual experience with a man.

How long is Mary kept a virgin?
“and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son . . .” (Matt 1:25).

What is the son called?
“. . . and he called His name Jesus” (Matt 1:25).

    • Phil 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,  6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,  7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,  10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

    •Rom. 10:13 for “ WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”    

“Blessed is the King Who comes in the name of the LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38)

 

 

Father, 

To the praise of Your glory, Jesus Christ is Lord!  May His Name be exalted and adored this day. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Matt 1:24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife,

Matt 1:24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife,

How does Joseph respond to the message of an angel of the Lord who appears to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife: for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bear a son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.” (Matt 1:20b-21).

“And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife” (Matt 1:24).

Adonai,

Your lovingkindness surrounds those who walk humbly before You. You are attentive to the cries of Your people, and You do not ignore the needs of Your servants. Your glory goes before us. Your glory is our rear guard. Your glory hems us in. You keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in You. Blessed are those who trust in You. You lead in paths of righteousness for Your Name's sake.

Joseph laid down with a burden of fear and concern for Mary. But You quieted his soul. Like a weaned child must be his soul within him as he arose in the morning dew of Your peace and assurance. Great is Your faithfulness to reveal the mystery of Your great power and eternal purposes to save the world that would perish apart from the divine intervention of Your Son. Glory to Your abounding grace given freely.

Glory and thanks to You for the announcement and fulfillment of the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world and Lord over all. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Matt 1:23 “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.”

 Matt 1:23 “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.”

How is the messianic prophecy spoken by the Lord through Isaiah introduced? 
 “Behold” (Matt 1:23, Isaiah 7:14).

    • The demonstrative particle “behold” (הִנֵּה) announces the sign that the Lord gives. One of the functions of the Hebrew particle הִנֵּה is to introduce “clauses involving prediction . . . with reference to the future” (BDB, 244).

What sign must be fulfilled for the prophecy to be realized?
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel...” (Matt 1:23, Isaiah 7:14).

    • The sign that the Lord gives in Isaiah 7:14, quoted in Matt 1:23, is the conception of the virgin who will be with child and bear a son. The definite article (ה) accompanies the noun and signifies specificity. The word translated “virgin” with the definite article (הָעַלְמָה) appears in two other Old Testament texts in reference to the virgins Rebekah (Gen 24:43) and Miriam (Exod 2:8).

    The Isaianic virgin (הָעַלְמָה) is pregnant (הָרָה) and bearing a son (וְיֹלֶדֶת בֵּן). The term הָעַלְמָה is used to emphasize the chastity of a woman of marriageable age, who would presumably be a virgin. When a woman’s lack of sexual experience with a man is emphasized, the term בְּתוּלָה is commonly used. For example, in Ezekiel 23:3, בְּתוּלָה is used to describe the sexual experience of the metaphorical women who played the “harlot in Egypt. They played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and there their virgin (בְּתוּלָה) bosom was handled.” Though both terms הָעַלְמָה and בְּתוּלָה  presumably refer to virgins, the distinction is whether the emphasis is on the chastity of the young woman (הָעַלְמָה) or her lack of sexual experience (בְּתוּלָה).

     In Matthew’s quotation of Isaiah 7:14, the introductory reference to the sign, which is included in the Septuagint, is omitted: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:” (διὰ τοῦτο δώσει κύριος αὐτὸς ὑμῖν σημεῖον).  The New Testament quotation of Isaiah 7:14 begins with the declaration of the sign itself, introduced with the interjection “Behold” (ἰδού). The sign that the Lord himself had given to the Davidic house in 734 BC is now proclaimed several hundred years later within the context of its imminent fulfillment in the conception of the virgin Mary who would give birth to the Messiah. Apart from Micah’s mention of “she who is in labor” following the prophecy of the Messiah’s birthplace (Mic 5:2-3), the Isaianic sign has not been reiterated since 734 BC. Now, several hundred years later, the sign is remembered, testifying to the Lord’s remembrance of his covenant with David (2 Sam 7). The sign confirms God’s covenant with David (2 Sam 7). The Messiah who would establish the kingdom of David and reign on his throne forever would be miraculously conceived and born by the virgin Mary.

     The phrase “behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son” (ἰδού ἡ παρθένος έν γαστρὶ ἕξιει καὶ τέξεται υἱόν) reflects the exact wording of the Septuagint. As previously discussed, the term ἡ παρθένος refers to a maiden of marriageable age who does not have sexual experience with a man. Matthew introduces Mary as a virgin, “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” (Matt 1:18). No previous occurrence of such a miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit is recorded. After meticulous study of the various views that have been discussed concerning Isaiah 7:14, Alexander concludes, “While some diversity of judgment ought to be expected and allowed, in relation to this secondary question, there is no ground, grammatical, historical, or logical, for doubt as to the main point, that the Church in all ages has been right in regarding this passage as a signal and explicit prediction of the miraculous conception and nativity of Jesus Christ” (Joseph Addison Alexander, Prophecies of Isaiah, Rev. ed., 172.)

For a prophecy to be deemed fulfilled, every precise detail of the prophecy must be fully realized in its occurrence.       

Only by divine intervention could a virgin conceive. So the natural birth of a son through the sexual union of a man and woman would be disqualified from consideration as a referent to the Isaianic prediction of the virgin’s conception and the birth of her son who would be called Immanuel. Some argue that the sign demands immediate fulfillment for the word that was first spoken by the Lord through the prophet Isaiah to Ahaz to be confirmed. But if the sign is not intended for Ahaz, but rather for the house of David, as indicated by the plural pronoun, the sign does not demand immediate fulfillment. For the sign of the Lord in Isaiah 7:14 is given to a future audience.

Those who argue that the sign demands immediate fulfillment suggest that the maiden was the wife of the prophet Isaiah or Ahaz. However, at the time the sign is given by the Lord, Isaiah’s son accompanies him, which means that Isaiah’s wife was not a virgin. In the case of Hezekiah, the chronological record indicates that he was already a young child at the time the sign was given. In no circumstance has a sign been given by Yahweh that was fulfilled prior to its announcement. The Immanuel sign demands the conception of a virgin to be realized. Matthew announces the first recorded occurrence of a virgin conception of a Davidic son.

    Conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin, the God-man Messiah would be born and dwell with God’s people. The Davidic Messiah would be recognized as Immanuel, God with us. Immanuel is a Hebrew word (Isa 7:14). “Greek Christians spell it Ἐμμανουήλ" (BDAG, 322).  Since the name occurs only twice (Isa 7:14; 8:8), its referent must be the Isaianic Immanuel.

    For the Immanuel prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 to be realized, the referent must bear the divine title. Neither the Old Testament nor New Testament bestows the title on any other person or nation. Only through the progressive revelation of the Messiah in the Old Testament is the idea developed that God would abide with his people. And only in the New Testament is the Isaianic sign fully realized in Jesus, who was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin by the Holy Spirit, and uniquely bears the name Immanuel, or God with us.

What is the meaning of Immanuel when translated?
“Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us’” (Matt 1:23).

    • Bearing a son, the virgin will call his name עִמּנוּ אֵל, a compound noun phrase phonetically translated Immanuel, meaning God with us (Matt 1:23). The inspired translation of the meaning of the name Immanuel, or God with us, is provided in the book of Matthew. Immanuel is one of the titles of Jesus the Messiah, emphasizing his divine nature. Isaiah also provides other names for the Messiah:

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest upon His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor; Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this (Isa 9:6-7).

The fourth Gospel also confirms the divine nature of the Word who became flesh and dwelt among the people of the first century (John 1:1, 14). The Word is the Messiah. And the Messiah is Immanuel, which translated means, God with us.

Matthew records the unique fulfillment of the Isaianic Immanuel prediction through the account of the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus. Betrothed Mary conceives before she and Joseph come together as husband and wife. The conception in her womb was by the Holy Spirit. The result was the miraculous birth of a son, Immanuel, or God with us. Only the divinely conceived Messiah fully satisfies the demands of the Immanuel sign that was given by the Lord himself to the Davidic house, confirming the promises of the Davidic covenant that Yahweh would raise up David’s descendant and establish his covenant. “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Sam 7:13).

Adonai,
Glory and thanks to You for remembering Your covenant with David and fulfilling the sign of Immanuel, God with us. For when Your Son took on flesh, conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit and born in a manger in Bethlehem, God dwelt in our midst.

Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, Immanuel, God with us, the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. The government will rest upon His shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace. On the throne of David and over his kingdom, He will establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness forever, just as was spoken.

Jesus is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. He is Savior and Lord over all. May You turn hearts to Jesus. By Your grace, may many sinners repent and believe in Jesus, that they may take their place among those sanctified by faith in the Beloved, in Whom is forgiveness of sins. May the Holy Spirit baptize the hearts of those who are brought to glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Matt 1:22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

Matt 1:22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

Why does all this take place?

"Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken. . ." (Matt 1:22).

Who spoke what is being fulfilled?

". . . what was spoken by the Lord. . ." (Matt 1:22).

Through whom does the Lord speak what was spoken?

". . . through the prophet" (Matt 1:22).

The prophet who is quoted in the following verse is Isaiah, an eighth-century BC royal prophet of unparalleled renown whose writings have been referred to as The Fifth Gospel because of their remarkable revealing of the Person and work of the Messiah. The book of Isaiah is dated by conservative scholarship to be no later than about 700 BC (Eugene Merrill, Everlasting Dominion, 501). Isaiah’s oracles address both a present and future audience regarding Judah’s idolatry, imminent exile and future restoration to the land. Beyond the address to ancient Judah, Yahweh outlines the broad eschatological scope of his plan to redeem and establish his kingdom under the reign of the Messiah. Isaiah delivers messages that apply to contemporaneous and eschatological events.
Isaiah records the deaths of Ahaz (Isa 14:28) in 715 BC and Sennacherib (Isa 37:88) in 681 BC, which indicates that the prophet outlived Hezekiah. Legend purports that Isaiah was sawn in two during the reign of Manasseh (696–642 BC) (date of Manasseh's reign reported by William Schlegel, Satellite Bible Atlas, 2013, 149). The biblical account verifies the violence of Manasseh, “Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another . . .” (2 Kgs 21:16). Hebrews 11 confirms that the prophets “were stoned, they were sawn in two . . .” (Heb 11:37).  A chronicle of Isaiah's death is recorded in a Jewish apocryphal work, Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah, which was familiar to the Church Fathers:

"Because of these visions, therefore, Beliar was angry with Isaiah, and he dwelt in the heart of Manasseh, and he sawed Isaiah in half with a wood saw. And while Isaiah was being sawed in half, his accuser, Belkira, stood by, and all the false prophets stood by, laughing and (maliciously) joyful because of Isaiah. And Belkira, through Mekembekus, stood before Isaiah, laughing and deriding. And Belkira said to Isaiah, ‘Say, “I have lied in everything I have spoken; the ways of Manasseh are good and right, and also the ways of Belkira and those who are with him are good.”’ And he said this to him when he began to be sawed in half. And Isaiah was in a vision of the LORD, but his eyes were open, and he saw them. And Belkira spoke thus to Isaiah, ‘Say what I say to you, and I will turn their heart and make Manasseh, and the princes of Judah, and the people, and all Jerusalem worship you. And Isaiah answered and said, ‘If it is within my power to say, ‘Condemned and cursed be you, and all your hosts, and all your house!’ For there is nothing further that you can take except the skin of my body.” And they seized Isaiah the son of Amoz and sawed him in half with a wood saw. And Manasseh, and Belkira, and the false prophets, and the princes, and the people, and all stood looking on"  [James H. Charlesworth, ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 2 vols., vol. 2 , 163-64.]

If accurately reported, the account reflects the tumultuous political turmoil of Isaiah’s day and the dark depravity of Manasseh’s reign that ushers in the judgment of Judah into Babylonian exile. Against the backdrop of impending judgment, Yahweh reveals details of the Messiah that would be realized in the birth, ministry, and suffering of Jesus, whose incarnation was foretold by the Lord through the prophet Isaiah over seven hundred years before His birth.

Adonai,

You are the God who breathes prophecy into existence and fulfills it. Your glory is revealed as You watch over Your Word to fulfill it.

How brilliantly Your power is revealed through messianic prophecy and its fulfillment in the incarnation of Your Son Who came in the flesh and dwelt among us. In Jesus, Your glory is revealed, Your Word is fulfilled, and salvation comes to the ends of the earth to save your people from their sins. In Jesus, grace and truth are revealed. And in Him we are blessed with grace upon grace. New birth by the Spirit into Jesus brings life that is abundant and free, for whom the Lord sets free is free indeed, to the praise of Your glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

• Who does the angel tell Joseph that Mary will bear?    
• “She will bear a Son. . .” (Matt 1:21).

• By what name will the Son be called?
• “. . . and you shall call His name Jesus. . .” (Matt 1:21).

•     How is the name “Jesus” spoken in Hebrew?

                                   יְשׁוּעָה (Yeshua)

•   What does the name Jesus (יְשׁוּעָה (Yeshua)) mean?

                                 "help, salvation" (HALOT, 446)

• Why will the Son be called by the name Jesus (יְשׁוּעָה (Yeshua))?

•     “. . . for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt 1:21).

•    What additional insight do the following verses offer?

            •Luke 2:21   And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

            •Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

            •John 1:29   The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

            •Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

            •Acts 5:31 “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

            •Acts 13:23 “From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus,

            •Acts 13:38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

            •Acts 13:39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

            •Col. 1:20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Col. 1:21   And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,  22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach —  23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. 

Adonai,
Mary bore a Son, and He is Your Son, Jesus, conceived in the virgin's womb by the Holy Spirit. By Your grace, You save Your people from their sins through faith in Jesus, the Messiah, Yeshua, the song of our salvation. May ears be opened to hear Your Word revealed in grace and truth that is understood as the veil of unbelief is removed through Yeshua. May many hearts receive Him in faith, be filled with His love, and respond with thanksgiving and praise. Thank You for the miracle of the incarnation of the Word, Immanuel, Jesus, יְשׁוּעָה. May His Name be praised and His people rejoice.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Matt 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.

Matt 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.

What happens when Joseph, her husband, considers sending Mary away secretly after she is found to be with child by the Holy Spirit?

•       “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream . . .” (Matt 1:20).

What does the angel say in a dream to Joseph? 

•       “. . . 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” (Matt 1:20).

Why is Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife?

•       “. . . the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 1:20).

 

Father,

You are the Most High God, the Ancient of Days, sovereign and supreme.

Joseph, son of David, must have sought You with an upright, humble heart as he considered how to respond to the baffling pregnancy of his beloved Mary. How fearful he must have been. How faithful You are to give assurance during heart-wrenching times of confusion.

You made known what Joseph could never have comprehended on his own. The God/man Messiah was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. Your power, the power of the Most High, overshadowed Mary, and for that reason the holy Child is called the Son of God. Immanuel. God with us. The Holy Spirit continues to make the truth of Jesus known, and His ministry is glorious in our midst. May we yield to Him. And may many hearts be turned to You, the God of hope, and take their place amongst those sanctified by faith in Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Matt 1:19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

 

Matt 1:19And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

Who is Mary’s husband?

Joseph

•       From which tribe is Joseph?

o   Judah (Matt 1:2)

•       Who are significant Jewish ancestors in Joseph’s genealogy?

o   Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Tamar, Boaz, Ruth, David, Bathsheba, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jeconiah, (after Babylonian exile): Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abihud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob (Matt 1:1-17).

•       How is Jesus and the genealogy introduced in Matthew 1:1?

o   “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt 1:19).

•       According to the Davidic Covenant, what would be done for David (of Judah)?

o   “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever” (2 Sam 7:16).

•       According to the Abrahamic Covenant, who is blessed in him?

o   “. . . And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Gen 12:3b).

How is Joseph described?

“. . . being a righteous man . . .” (Matt 1:19)

•       δίκαιος (dikaios) “pertaining to being in accordance with high standards of rectitude, upright, just fair” (BDAG, 246).

What does Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, not want?

“. . . not wanting to disgrace her . . .” (Matt 1:19).

•       “If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (Lev 20:10).

•       A Cyprian law mentions that “an adulteress had to cut her hair and was subjected to contempt by the community” (BDAG, 214).

What does Joseph plan to do?

“. . . planned to send her away secretly” (Matt 1:19). 

Adonai,

You are the Covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and You are the God Who remembers and upholds Your covenant with David, the house of Judah, and the house of Israel.

Jesus the Messiah, Your Son, the Savior of the world, descended from the seed of David in the flesh, descendent of Abraham through Whom all the families of the earth will be blessed, is conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary. Your ways are profound. Surely Joseph could not have expected his wife to conceive the majestic seed of Your Anointed One, spoken of since the Fall, the Deliverer Who would come from the seed of Eve to crush the head of the serpent.

Suddenly, You remember.

Behold, a virgin is with child, bearing a son. His name is Immanuel, because He is, God with us, tabernacled in the tents of Shem.

Joseph planned to send her away secretly. But Your plans would prevail.

You are gloriously unthwartable. Through Jesus, You conquer and bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Glory to You and to Your glorious Son. 

 In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Matt. 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.

Matt. 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.

Whose birth was as follows?

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ . . .” (Matt 1:18).

When is His mother Mary found to be with child by the Holy Spirit?

“ . . . when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph . . . “ (Matt 1:18).

What happens before they “came together”?

“. . . she was found to be with child . . .” (Matt 1:18).

By Whom is she with child?

“. . . by the Holy Spirit” (Matt 1:18).

 

Yahweh,

Covenant God of Israel, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Your glory and power are revealed as You fulfill the Word which You foretold through Your servants the prophets. You alone are the One True, Incomparable God. Over seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, You Yourself gave a sign to the house of David. “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Glory and thanks to You through Jesus for remembering Your Word to the house of David, confirmed through conception of the virgin Mary, who gave birth to a Son, Immanuel. God with us. God in our midst. God with us. Glory and thanks to You for Immanuel. God with us. And now, God in us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Genesis 15:6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Gen 15:6  Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

וְהֶאֱמִן בַּיהוָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָֽה                    

In whom does Abram believe?
the LORD

What is reckoned to him?
it

How is it reckoned to him?
“. . . as righteousness”  (Gen 15:6).

Was Abraham justified by his faith in God before or after the Law of circumcision?
Before

How does Romans 4 explain “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness”  (Rom 4:3)?
Rom. 4:1   What then shall we say that Abraham,  our forefather  according to the flesh, has found?  2 For if Abraham was justified  by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.  3 For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  4 Now to the one who  works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.  5 But to the one who does not work, but  believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,  6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7      “ BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN,
    AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.
8      “ BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT  TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.” 
Rom. 4:9   Is this blessing then on   the circumcised, or on  the uncircumcised also? For  we say, “FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  10 How then was it credited? While he was  circumcised, or  uncircumcised? Not while  circumcised, but while  uncircumcised;  11 and he  received the sign of circumcision,  a seal of the righteousness of the faith which  he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be  the father of  all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,  12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which  he had while uncircumcised.
Rom. 4:13   For  the promise to Abraham or to his  descendants  that he would be heir of the world was not  through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.  14 For  if those who are  of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;  15 for  the Law brings about wrath, but  where there is no law, there also is no violation.
Rom. 4:16   For this reason it is  by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with  grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to  all the  descendants, not only to  those who are of the Law, but also to   those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is  the father of us all,  17 (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God,  who gives life to the dead and   calls into being  that which does not exist.  18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become  a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “ SO SHALL YOUR  DESCENDANTS BE.”  19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now  as good as dead since  he was about a hundred years old, and  the deadness of Sarah’s womb;  20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith,  giving glory to God,  21 and  being fully assured that  what God had promised, He was able also to perform.  22 Therefore  IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.  23 Now  not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him,  24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those  who believe in Him who  raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,  25 He who was  delivered over because of our transgressions, and was  raised because of our justification.

Adonai,
You are just and the One Who justifies. Glory and thanks to You through Jesus for Your free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. For all have sinned and fall short of Your glory, being justified as a gift by Your grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom You displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate Your righteousness, because in Your forbearance You passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration of Your righteousness at the present time, so that You would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. You are the God of the Jews and the God of the Gentiles. Glory and praise to Your great Name. And glory to Jesus the Messiah Who came and is coming again. In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

John 20:30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 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.

John 20:30    Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 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.

What are not written in this book?

“Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book” (John 20:30).

•       How is this reiterated in John 21:25?

“Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

Why have these been written?

“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” (John 20:31).

•       What are you to believe?

“…that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God…” (John 20:31).

•       What may whoever believes in Him have?

John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

•       What is the result of unbelief in Jesus?

John 8:24 “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

  Father,

You are true. Your will is for us to believe in Your Son Whom You sent to take away the sins of the world. For You so loved the world, that You gave Your only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For You did not send Your Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

How may you have life in His name?

“…that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31).

John 20:28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

John 20:28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”  29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed?  Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

How does Thomas respond when Jesus appears and says to him, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into my side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing” (John 20:27)?

“Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28).

What does Jesus ask Thomas?

“Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed?’…” (John 20:29).

Who does Jesus say are blessed?

“... Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (John 2:29).

•       In his address “to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood” (1 Peter 1:1-2a) how does Peter describe their relationship to Jesus Christ?

o   1Pet. 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory

 

Father,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with You, and the Word was You. He was in the beginning with You. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The Word is the true Light, which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become Your children, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of You.

And the Word became flesh…

Our Lord and our God.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.