Episode Transcript
It has been a good week of looking a Christmas through the eyes of the prophets. I’ve been greatly encouraged in Scripture as I have worked through the prophetic words about Jesus and the world as the prophets looked forward to the first Christmas. I hope you have enjoyed the 25 days of Christmas so far. It is amazing to me that God took His time to be sure we could be confident in Jesus and the belief that we have finally seen Him in the flesh. I don’t think He could have done it better any other way. God is good, and today we get to see again how the New Testament authors saw Jesus as fulfilling the Old Testament foretelling about His advent.
Joseph didn’t believe Mary when he saw she was pregnant. He knew what it took for a young woman to get pregnant, and any woman would lie to protect herself from the consequences incurred by the act of adultery in Jewish culture. Joseph was a good man. Instead of pressing charges, he planned to end their betrothal quietly. He cared for her, but he was also respectable. He wouldn’t be with an adulterous woman.
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.
21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for 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 “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” (Matthew 1:20-23).
God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to reassure him. His suspicions were justified. The evidence was there. Evidence only really shows us the current state of affairs, it can’t provide a history. So many people today are trying to look at current evidence to discover true history. We can’t ever know for sure by looking at current evidence exactly how things came to be in their current state. We can learn something from Joseph, here. In this case, Mary’s pregnancy did not mean what Joseph reasoned it did. The angel told Joseph that the baby was not conceived in adultery but was, instead, the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. The angel instructed Joseph to name the child “Jesus.” Jesus is a wonderful name. Jesus is the English rendering of the Greek, “Ιησους.” Ιησους is the Greek rendering of the Hebrew “יהושׁוע,” or “Joshua.” This was a name that immediately reminds us about the entrance of God’s people into the promised land of Canaan. Jesus was a name given to show that this child would deliver the people from their sin and give them an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. Jesus would conquer the world like Joshua conquered Canaan. Like it was with Joshua, it would be shown that God’s zeal, not the power of people, would accomplish all this. His name shall be Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.
Matthew tells us plainly that this took place explicitly to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14. Let’s look at Isaiah 7 to get a broader context. Rezin and Pekah, the kings of two different territories were both marching on Jerusalem. King Ahaz in Jerusalem feared their armies but also didn’t want to test God by asking for a sign. Yet, God assured Ahaz that neither of these armies would be allowed to invade.
14 “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.
15 “He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.
16 “For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken.
Not only would the kings fail to invade Jerusalem, they would be forced to vacate their own lands as they are invaded by other armies—those of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and then Rome. Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria captured Damascus and slew King Rezin in 732 BC. He completely captured Remaliah, including Galilee, by 722 BC. King Pekah was assassinated by conspirators and the land’s inhabitants were deported—fulfilling God’s promise to King Ahaz.
All this happened according to Isaiah’s prediction before a virgin gave birth. This child would be a boy. These two kings would be deposed and their lands forsaken (the people deported) before the boy grows to an age of maturity. Jesus was born 700 years after these two kings were deposed and their people deported. Isaiah didn’t say how much time would pass. He dis predict that this male child would be called by the title “Immanuel”—God with us.
There are many people who take issue with Isaiah’s prophecy, here, because Isaiah insinuates that Jesus would not have known the difference between right and wrong until He reached a certain age. I don’t take issue with this at all because of the hypostatic union. Jesus was fully divine. At His incarnation, He assumed a fully human flesh and nature. His divinity is not affected. In His humanity, Jesus also grew in stature and knowledge. He came to contemplate morality as a man growing into maturity—yet without sin. Isaiah’s prophecy is now fully fulfilled. Matthew knows it.
Jesus, God with us, was born to save His people from their sins. He offers to do that for you today. Repent and believe the Gospel.
