Sunday Sermon: The Birth of the King (Matthew 1:18-25)

You are listening to the teaching ministry of Gabriel Hughes. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday on this podcast, we feature 20 minutes of Bible study through a

New Testament book. On Thursday is a study in the Old Testament, and then we answer questions from the listeners on Friday.

Each Sunday we are pleased to share our sermon series. Here's Pastor Gabe. The Christmas Story, as read in Matthew chapter 1, verses 18 through 25.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the

Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying,

Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife. For that which is conceived in her is from the

Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name

Jesus. For he will save his people from their sins.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name

Immanuel, which means God with us. When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the

Lord commanded him. He took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son, and he called his name

Jesus. Let us come before the Lord again in prayer. Heavenly Father, what a wonder you are, and what a blessing you have given to us in your

Son, Jesus Christ. As we consider these things this evening, not just the birth of Jesus, but the significance of this.

May it open our hearts to understand your gospel, and it is only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can a person be forgiven their sins and have right standing with God and eternal life in your forever kingdom.

We pray your spirit opens our eyes to the text this evening. In Jesus' name we pray, and all

God's people said, amen. So this past Sunday in church, we looked at the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the lineage of a king,

Matthew chapter 1, verses 1 through 17. And it's not just an interesting list of names that would be relevant to a

Jew, but even has relevance to us. It has significance to us in the understanding that Christ is our heritage.

It is through faith in Jesus Christ that we have come into eternal life, and not just the blessing of salvation that we have peace with God in this life, but eternity that we will spend with him in his forever kingdom.

One of the other things that this signifies for us, or what it establishes for us, is the fact of Jesus' life.

And as we will also read about in Matthew, his, the miracles that he did, the life that he lived, and his death on the cross, and his resurrection.

These things we as Christians do not believe as myth or as fancy or as fables, or because we needed to latch ourselves onto some kind of religion.

We believe these things because they're true. And it is only by faith in the truth are our sins forgiven.

I read an article just today, as a matter of fact, a friend of mine passed it on to me. It was posted in CNN, at CNN .com,

and the guy that was writing this story was telling us the significance of the Christmas story, except this guy wasn't even a believer at all.

So we're trying to hear from someone who doesn't believe in Christ, him telling us the significance of our religion.

Here's what you need to get out of your religion, when he didn't even believe it. In fact, he even said that in the article.

He said that he didn't believe it and gave a link to indicate that some of the things that we believe about the

Christmas story may not even have a basis in history whatsoever. So this guy who doesn't even think it's historically relevant is trying to tell us what we should believe about the

Christmas story. Here's the moral lesson that you're supposed to take from this, though he doesn't believe it himself.

But we don't just believe moralism or some fabulistic tale. We believe the truth of this story, and the fact that Matthew starts with a genealogy establishes

Jesus Christ really lived. He really died. He really came back from the grave, and he really ascended into heaven where he is seated at the right hand of the

Father, and he reigns on high even now. We don't just believe this at Christmas, but we believe this our whole life long.

As a friend of mine, a pastor up in Washington State, Toby Logsdon said, if Jesus came and went and is now nothing but another memory of the birth of a great historical figure, then

Christmas has no real significance for us. But if the one who came is still here today, if he comes to us through his

Holy Spirit to apply the salvation that he purchased for us 2 ,000 years ago, and to give us new life in him, then the incarnation,

Christmas, means everything. As we had looked at the genealogy of Christ on Sunday, understanding that Jesus Christ is the son of David, the son of Abraham, and fulfills those covenant promises through those two figures whom

God had given his promises through, I said there was another qualification that this

Messiah had to meet in order to sit on this throne and proclaim himself as the one whom

God sent, through whom all nations on earth would be blessed, and through whom

God would establish his kingdom forever. There was one other qualification he had to meet. Not just born of Abraham, not just born of David, he had to be born of a virgin.

Because, see, otherwise, even Jesus' own half -brothers and sisters qualified for being descendant of Abraham and descendant of David.

But Jesus himself is the only one who could be the fulfillment of these promises spoken about in the

Law and the Prophets, because he himself and he alone was born of a virgin.

It was in Isaiah 9 -7 that it was said to us, or I'm sorry, Isaiah chapter 7, verse 14.

Isaiah 9 -7 is a different Christmas passage. That's, to us a son is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders.

That's a relevant passage for us this evening as well. But it's Isaiah 7 -14 that Matthew quotes here in Matthew 1 -23.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, which means

God with us. And indeed God is with us now, through faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The birth of Jesus took place in this way, Matthew says in verse 18, when his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph before they came together, before their marriage was consummated.

She was found to be with child, conceived by the Holy Spirit. And we have this narrative in greater detail for us in Luke chapter 1, when the angel

Gabriel appears to Mary and says that she is going to be with child, and she says to the angel, how can this be, because I'm a virgin?

And it was Gabriel who said to her, nothing is impossible with God, for what is conceived in you is from the

Holy Spirit, and he will save his people from their sins.

What is the significance of the virgin birth? Why is it necessary for us as Christians to believe this?

The Gospel of Matthew says that Jesus' virgin birth was in fulfillment of what had been written by the prophet

Isaiah. So this isn't just something that happened in history, but it was even foretold in history.

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name

Immanuel. The virgin birth is one of the most essential parts of the Christmas story.

It's also one of the most shrugged at and scrutinized stories in the

Bible. I already told you about a guy from CNN who shrugged at the fact that this stuff may not have even happened in history at all anyway.

In his bestseller, God is Not Great, atheist Christopher Hitchens said, parthenogenesis, that's the scientific term for virgin birth, is not possible for human mammals.

Duh, Chris, that's why it's called a miracle. Hitchens went on to say that even if the virgin birth were true, it would not prove that the resulting infant had any divine power.

Thus, and as usual, religion arouses suspicion by trying to prove too much.

Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Megachurch in Atlanta, Georgia, shrugged at the virgin birth himself when he preached,

Matthew gives a virgin, sorry, Matthew gives a version, not virgin, version of the birth of Christ, Luke does, but Mark and John, they don't even mention it, and a lot has been made of that, unquote.

Stanley went on to say, quote, if someone can predict their own death and then their own resurrection,

I'm not all that concerned about how they got into the world, because the whole resurrection thing is so amazing, and in fact, you should know this,

Christianity does not hinge on the truth or even the stories around the birth of Jesus. It really hinges on the resurrection of Jesus, unquote.

Is Andy not amazed that the Old Testament prophets predicted

Jesus' birth, specifically the virgin birth, and then it happened?

Furthermore, as we have seen, the prophets predicted the lineage, the time, the exact place that He would be born, and yet Andy thinks we shouldn't be concerned with these details, though it's literally the first event we read about in the

New Testament? Just how important is it to believe in the virgin birth of Christ?

Well, if Jesus was not conceived by the Holy Spirit, then He had to have been conceived by the seed of man. The Bible says that everyone who is born of Adam is under the curse of Adam.

All who are born of Adam inherit his sin nature, and the penalty for sin is death.

As it says in Romans 5, 12, therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.

But because Jesus is conceived of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was born without sin.

He was even conceived without sin. He was sinless in the womb of Mary.

Remember the words of the angel to Mary, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God, Luke 135.

Why will the child be called holy? Because he will be without sin from the very moment of his conception.

Remember what the angel said to Joseph, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the

Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins,

Matthew 1, 20 -21. How will He be able to forgive sins? Because He will be the perfect spotless sacrifice that is without blemish, which according to the

Old Testament, the sacrifice was supposed to be. And all of this was to be a type and shadow of the

Savior whom God was to send, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

As John the Baptist said of Him, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,

John 1, 29. Hebrews 9, 22 says, indeed, under the law, almost everything is purified with blood.

And without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. Under the

Old Testament system of offering sacrifice, blood had to be shed to atone for sins.

And the animal being offered had to be impeccable from birth. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the sacrificial system.

The perfect man who laid down His life for sinful man. Cynics are apt to say, what a barbaric practice.

God demanded the shedding of blood to appease His wrath. We should be thankful that that is all

God demands. We frown on the Old Testament sacrifice of animals or we balk at the notion that Jesus had to give

His life because we think too much of ourselves and too little of God. Sacrifice is gross because sin is gross.

Sin is an absolute stench in the nostrils of God. But Ephesians 5, 2 says,

Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice unto

God. Jesus is the only one qualified to be such a sacrifice.

He is impeccable, without blemish, holy, from His conception, through His life, and to His death on the cross.

Jesus would not have been the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world if He had been born of the seed of man.

Again, all who are born of Adam inherit Adam's sin nature. Can you forgive your own sins?

No. Only God forgives sins. Even Jesus' opponents understood this.

Who is this guy who forgives sins? Does he think himself to be God? He is

God. And it's because of what He has done for us that we have forgiveness of sins.

There's a theological understanding here referred to as federal headship. When you hear that word federal, what do you think of?

Probably the federal government, right? Under most modern systems of government, federal headship can be a difficult concept to grasp.

So think of it from the perspective of a monarchy in Bible times, when nations were ruled by kings and emperors.

When a king declared war on another king, both of their kingdoms were at war. Everyone in that kingdom was against everyone else in the other kingdom because their king, their federal head, had declared war.

So understand this now from the perspective of all of us having been born of Adam. When Adam sinned, every man declared war on God because, as Augustine argued, every man was present with Adam in the

Garden of Eden. Adam is man's representative, our federal head.

Of course, the folly in declaring war on God is that we will not win that fight.

Who could possibly defeat God? Sin is cosmic treason against the high king of heaven, and we deserve to be eliminated for that rebellion against God.

But God gave His Son to die in our place. Jesus shed His blood on the cross, as the word the

Bible uses, as a propitiation for our sins. He satisfied the wrath of God burning against all unrighteousness,

Romans 5 .11. Everyone who has faith in Jesus Christ is no longer under the federal headship of Adam, the losing side.

We're under the federal headship of Jesus, the victorious side. As a result, we've become heirs of the eternal kingdom of God, heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ, Romans 8 .17.

By the grace of God, we're transformed from being treasonous criminals to fellow heirs.

All of this is possible because Jesus was virgin -born. Had Jesus been born of the seed of man, then

He would not have been without sin, and He would not have been a sacrifice who could atone for sin.

Consider these words from Dr. Voti Bacchum. For those who say the virgin birth, we can take it or we can leave it, it doesn't matter.

All we need is Christ as our example. No. If Christ was merely our example, and there was no virgin birth, then

Jesus stands condemned because Adam is His federal head, as are all of those who come by natural generation.

However, because of that virgin birth, Jesus Christ is not under that federal headship.

This is why His impeccability matters. This is why it matters that Jesus did not sin.

Much to Andy Stanley's chagrin, the virgin birth of Christ is as important as the resurrection of Christ.

Without the virgin birth, there is no resurrection. It's because Christ's offering was perfectly received that God raised

Him from the dead. His body was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and His body was raised by the

Holy Spirit. This was so we may also be raised by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8 -11 says,

If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised

Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

That's always been one of the most astonishing passages of the Bible to me. The same power that raised

Jesus Christ from the dead, the same power that brought about this birth in the womb of a virgin, this same power dwells in you and me if we are followers of Jesus Christ.

Amen. But false teachers who insist that only two of the four

Gospels mention the virgin birth, well, they're incorrect on that. We have it mentioned in the

Old Testament. We have it mentioned in Matthew and Luke. Christ's virgin birth is also mentioned elsewhere.

In John 8 -41, Jesus' critics mocked Him. We were not born of sexual immorality.

It was known that Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. But who could believe that he was virgin born?

Even though Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus, recognize again the words that the angel spoke to Joseph in a dream.

The angel said, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take

Mary as your wife. Surely Joseph, when he heard that Mary was pregnant, thought she had been with another man.

Why would his brain logically go to, oh, well, there's a child in her that's conceived of the

Holy Spirit. He would not have thought that. So he thought she had done something wicked, and he likewise would participate in something wicked by taking this woman to be his wife.

But the angel said to him, don't fear to take Mary as your wife.

What has happened to her is holy, not sinful. This child is conceived from the

Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophets. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call

His name Emmanuel, which means God with us. This was foretold in the Old Testament. It was spoken about loudly in the

New Testament. Jesus Christ is virgin born because He is the one who takes away our sins.

The doctrine of the virgin birth is not rejected because it has been disproved. It's rejected because of unbelief.

After all, virgin birth is impossible, right? But again, as the angel Gabriel said to Mary, nothing will be impossible with God.

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the promises of God in that He is born of the line of Abraham.

He is born of the line of David. And He qualifies as the Messiah by meeting a third qualification.

He is the fulfillment of that Old Testament promise. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call

His name Emmanuel. Jesus is the spotless lamb that takes away the sin of the world.

O come, let us adore Him. He alone is worthy of our worship.

Amen. This is

When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes. There are lots of great Bible teaching programs on the web, and we thank you for selecting ours.

But this is no replacement for regular fellowship with a church family. Find a good, Gospel -teaching,

Christ -centered church to worship with this weekend, and join us again Monday for more Bible study, When We Understand the

Text. Amen.