Matthew 1:22-25 Bible Study [Video, Audio, Slideshow] Christmas

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“Get into the Christmas Spirit”?

Christ is the messianic Son of David (cf. Jer 23:5-6; Is 11:1-2; 2 Sam 7:11-13, Is 9:6; Mt 1:1, 20; etc.) Who’s birth to a virgin fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy (Is 7:14) – bringing it to a fuller significance.

Joseph – who was a righteous man (Mt 1:19) – trusted and obeyed God – even though it likely cost him his reputation. God’s honor is more important than our own honor.¹

Joseph obeys and takes responsibility of raising Jesus – even though he is not His biological father ² – thus Jesus becomes a legal son of David.³

We know there are many guys who don’t even take care of their own biological children.⁴ Joseph acts like a real man – a man of God. He exercises sexual restraint and obediently adopts Jesus.

He is called both “Jesus” and “Immanuel”. As it’s been said, His Name “Jesus specifies what He does (“The LORD saves”), and Immanuel specifies Who He is (“God with us”)”.⁵

Jesus was incarnated; the Presence of God became flesh and tabernacled among us (cf. Jn 1:14).

Throughout history, humans have tried to come to God in various ways. But, in Christ, the God in control of human history came to us – as the Way (Jn 14:6).

As truly human and truly divine, Christ was able to adequately pay the sin debt of all people as our substitute on the cross. And after His Resurrection and Ascension, He sent us a comforter (cf. Jn 15:26-16:15).

Now God is present with us through the Holy Spirit — The Spirit through whom Christ was conceived.

People talk about “the Christmas Spirit”, but the true Christmas Spirit is the Holy Spirit.

So, let’s not concentrate on secular notions of “getting in the Christmas Spirit”, let’s allow the Holy Spirit of Christmas to get into us.

In light of the with-ness of the Divine (cf. Mt 1:23, 18:20, 28:20), we should be a witness for the Divine.

For the greatest of all Christmas presents is the Presence of Christ!

For the first part of this lesson, please see the Matthew 1:18-21 Bible Study post.

Translation

22 Now all these things took place so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call Him by the name, Immanuel” (which is translated, “God With Us”). 24 So after Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took [Mary] as his wife. 25 Yet he was not being sexually intimate with her until she bore a son. And, he called His Name Jesus. (Mt 1:22-25, AT)

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