The Birth of Jesus Matthew 1:18

Matthew was a Jew, writing specifically to the Jews about a Jew whose name was Jesus. Matthew employs many Old Testament references throughout his book as to prove that Jesus is indeed the Messiah for whom the Jewish people awaited. Matthew began his book with the words, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham”, and he included, “Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judas and his brethren, Phares and Zara of Thamar, Esrom, Aram, Aminadab, Naasson, Salmon, Booz of Rachab, Obed of Ruth and Jesse, David the king, and Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias, Roboam, Abia, Asa, Josaphat, Joram, Ozias, Joatham, Achaz, Ezekias, Manasses, Amon and Josias, Jechonias and his brethren, Salthiel, Zorobabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Sadoc, Achim, Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob who fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ”. Matthew continued to share how there were three separate “fourteen generations” which were involved in Jesus' coming, and in chapter one and verse eighteen of his book, Matthew shares about, “the birth of Jesus” where we read:

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

The verse reads, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise:” Matthew began with the word, “now” which means “moreover and” “the birth” or “the begetting, engendering and nativity” “of Jesus” or “pertaining to Jesus whose name means Jehovah is salvation” and is “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “Christ” which refers to “the anointed One, the Messiah and the Son of God” “was on this wise” or “was in this manner or like this”. Matthew began to share about the manner in which the “birth” of “Jesus Christ” came.

The verse goes on to say, “When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” Matthew continued with the word, “when” which means “at the time and moment” “as his mother” or “Jesus' mother” “Mary” which means “their rebellion” and was “the mother of Jesus” “was espoused” which means “was betrothed and promised in marriage” “to Joseph” whose name means “to the man whose name means let him add” and was “the betrothed husband of Mary”, “before” or “prior to the time when” “they came together” which means “assembled in conjugal cohabitation”, “she was found” or “Mary was met with, fallen into and discovered” “with child” which means “with a child within her womb or belly” “of the Holy Ghost” which refers to “belonging to the pure, morally blameless and religiously and ceremonially consecrated third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit who is coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Son”. Matthew wrote how Mary was pregnant with “Jesus” by the “Holy Spirit” before she and Joseph were married and had conjugal relations.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see his testimony to the fact that Mary was impregnated by the “Holy Spirit” of God and not by Joseph. It was imperative that the “seed” of the Messiah be sinless, and therefore no man could be involved in the birthing process of Him. God brought forth His Son Jesus in a pure fashion so all of mankind could benefit from His sinless life, and those who yield their lives to Him by asking forgiveness of their sins shall live eternally with Him.

Next time Matthew shares how, “Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make” Mary “a public example ”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.