Micah 5:2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”

Micah 5:2      “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
    From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
    His goings forth are from long ago,
    From the days of eternity.” 

Map by Accordance Bible Atlas

John 7:37   Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 7:40   Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.”  41 Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” Still others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?  42 “Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”  43 So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him.  44 Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
John 7:45   The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?”  46 The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.”  47 The Pharisees then answered them, “You have not also been led astray, have you?  48 “No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he?  49 “But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed.”  50 Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them)  said to them,  51 “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?”  52 They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.”  53 [Everyone went to his home.

Mark 13:1   As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples  said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”  2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”
Mark 13:3   As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately,  4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?”  5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6 “Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7 “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. 8 “For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
Mark 13:9   “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10 “The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 “When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13 “You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.
Mark 13:14   “But when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 15 “The one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; 16 and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. 17 “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18 “But pray that it may not happen in the winter. 19 “For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. 20 “Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. 21 “And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; 22 for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 “But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.
Mark 13:24   “But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, 25 AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 “Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. 27 “And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.
Mark 13:28   “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 “Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 30 “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 32 “But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
Mark 13:33   “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. 34 “It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. 35 “Therefore, be on the alert — for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning —  36 in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 “What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’”

 Father,
You are able to cause us to stand firm and remain alert. Strengthen us in the Lord. May You cause many hearts to turn and believe in Jesus the Messiah Who was and is and is to come, Lord of lords and King of kings, faithful and true, Savior of the world, and Lord over all. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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 1:19 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.