Ironically, the time of year called Christmas is a time of both celebration and separation. Because at no other time of the year is the Christian more separated from the world than at Christmastime. The world celebrates a season, but the Christian celebrates a Savior.
Whether this world likes it or not, and increasingly the world doesn't like it, Christmas is the celebration of the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now there are some people who will be so drunk they will not know whose birthday it is. There are some people who are so devious they want to forget whose birthday it is, and there are some people who are so depressed at this time of year they don't care whose birthday it is.
For the most part, the world will be throwing a big party, but they will forget to invite the guest of honor. Much of this world reminds me of a story of two women who were enjoying an expensive lunch in a downtown restaurant. It was obvious that they were celebrating some festive occasion.
When the waitress asked the occasion for the lunch, one woman said, "We are celebrating my baby's birthday."
But the waitress seeing no child said, "Where is the baby?" The mother said, "Well, you don't think I would bring the baby do you? Why he would ruin the whole party." Many people will throw office parties this Christmas, but they won't invite Jesus because He would ruin their party.
How would you feel if someone threw a birthday party for you, and at the party everybody got a gift but you? How would you feel if somebody threw a party for you, but you were not even mentioned, in fact, you were not even invited. We have managed to make Christmas a $15 billion industry.
Half of the toys sold in America are sold at Christmastime to the tune of $4.5 billion. Now I am not a scrooge, and there is nothing wrong with giving gifts and celebrating the season, but there is something tragically wrong when you forget the reason for the season.
Christmas is not about the buying of gifts, it is about the birth of God. Christmas is not about buying toys for children, it is about bringing tribute to Christ. I want to share with you why that birthday, two thousand years ago, was the birthday of not just a king, but the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The reason why Jesus lived a unique life, and died a unique death is because he experienced a unique birth.
I. It Was a Birth That Was Controlled By the Sovereignty of God
"Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:" (v.22) This verse refers back to the entire chapter beginning in verse one. The family tree of Jesus is given by Matthew, through the father Joseph.
Now if there is any part of the Bible that seems superfluous and uninteresting, it would be a section like this. It reads like a Hebrew telephone directory, with so many "begots" that by the time you finish reading it you have almost forgotten who has begotten whom.
Yet, some of the most precious jewels of biblical truth are embedded in these family fields. Some of the sweetest spiritual fruit may be picked from the branches of these family trees.
One of the greatest truths you can discover in these verses, is the sovereign hand of a providential God superintending the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now remember that the Messiah was restricted to a certain lineage.
First of all, we are told in Gen. 3:15 he was to be born of a woman apart from a man. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." Now normally, it is the man who contributes the seed. But here we are told he was to be born of the seed of the woman. That is exactly what we are told in Mt. 1:16.
Beginning in v.2 we read where everybody was begotten of someone else. But in v.16 it does not say Jesus was begotten of Joseph. It says, "And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ." Joseph did not beget Jesus, Jesus was born of Mary.
Back up in v.2 we are told that Abraham begot Isaac. Now Abraham had two sons: Isaac and Ishmael. But God had eliminated one-half of this lineage because he said the Messiah must come from Isaac. "But God said to Abraham, ‘Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.'" (Gen. 21:12)
We then read in v.2 that Isaac begot Jacob. Now Jacob had two sons: Jacob and Esau. But God said the Messiah would come from the line of Jacob. "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult." (Num. 24:17) Now God eliminates one-half of the lineage of Isaac.
We continue to read in v.2, "Jacob begot Judah and his brothers." Now Jacob had twelve sons, each son representing a tribe of the Hebrew nation. Yet, God said the Messiah must come from the tribe of Judah. "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people." (Gen. 49:10) So now God eliminates 11/12's of the line of Jacob.
Then in v.5 we are told that Obed begot Jesse. Now why is Jesse included? Because Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come from the family line of Jesse. "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots." (Is. 11:1)
Then we read in v.6, "Jesse begot David the king." Why is that important? Because Jeremiah prophesied that the Messiah would come from the house of David. "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord, ‘That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.'" (Jer. 23:5)
Now we know from I Sam 16:10-11 that Jesse had at least eight sons. So God now eliminates 7/8's of the family of Jesse to insure that Jesus would come through the line of David. Now if you think that is wonderful, it gets even better.
V.11 tells us "Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon." Now we have a great problem. Jeconiah was a wicked king, so wicked that even though he was of the line of David, the Messiah would never come through him. For Jeremiah revealed, "Thus says the Lord: ‘Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days; for none of his descendants shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David, and ruling anymore in Judah.'" (Jer. 22:30) The Messiah, God's anointed, could not come through Jeconiah. So how was this problem solved?
Look again in v.16. Every person mentioned up to this point is begotten of someone else until you get to Jesus. But you do not read that Joseph begot Jesus, but rather that Jesus was born of Mary. Joseph was not the real father of Jesus. If he had been, not only could Jesus not have been the Son of God, He could not have been the Messiah, because the blood line of Joseph goes through Jeconiah, who had been disqualified for the messianic line.
But another problem is raised. The Messiah must come from the line of David. So how was this problem solved? Well, Jesus did come from the line of the house of David, but not through his father, but rather through his mother.
Luke traces the genealogy of Jesus through the mother. We read in Luke 3 that Jesus was "the son of Nathan, the son of David." You see, Matthew gives us the regal line of Jesus, ending in Joseph showing Christ as the son of David and the son of Solomon. Luke gives us the legal line of Jesus through Nathan, an elder brother of Solomon, ending in Mary, the Lord's mother. Genealogically speaking, Jesus is the only man ever born perfectly qualified to take the throne of David. Now you might think that is a strange coincidence. I believe it is sovereign providence. God did it.
II. It Was a Birth That Was Conceived Through the Spirit of God
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit." (v.18) Now we are told two things here plainly about the birth of Jesus: (1) He was not begotten of an earthly father, because (2) He was begotten of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the only man who was ever born of an earthly mother without the need or aid of an earthly father.
In fact, Joseph himself testified that he was not the father. "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly." (v.19)
There were three stages in a Jewish marriage: There was, first of all, the arrangement, then the engagement, and then there was the marriage. Marriages in those days were basically arranged by the parents, but then came that stage called the betrothal or the engagement.
Now betrothal in that day was even more binding than an engagement would be today. In effect, it was a legal contract which was considered binding on both parties the moment it was made. The man and woman were even considered legally married even though the marriage ceremony would not occur for a year.
Now we know that this marriage had not been consummated, for we are told that Mary had become pregnant "before they came together." (v.18) Joseph, who was "a just man" (v.19) could not take responsibility for the birth for he had not caused it.
In that day virginity was not a vice, it was a virtue. But he wanted to put her away privately because adultery was a crime punishable by death by stoning. Joseph did not know who the father was. He just knew who the father was not.
Then an angel appears to Joseph and tells him who the true father is. "But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.'" (v.20)
Now the Word of God teaches there are only four ways to get a body:
Without a man or a woman this is the way Adam got his body; made from the dust of the earth.
With a man, but no woman this is the way Eve got her body; made from Adam's side.
With a man and a woman as all men have been born since Adam and Eve.
With a woman with no man as Jesus was born; the only man born this way, having an earthly mother but no earthly father.
Jesus was the earthly child of a Heavenly Father, and the heavenly child of an earthly mother. Someone has said he is the only child who was older than his mother and as old as his Father the moment he was born. Now there are those who want to deny the virgin birth of Jesus even to this day. If they do not deny it, they say it is just simply not important.
Well, it may not be important to many people, but it is extremely important to me. Because the virgin birth and your belief in it is the difference between your going to heaven and your going to hell. Because there are three things that are tragically true if the virgin birth is not:
a. Scripture Is Unreliable
Over and over and over the virgin birth was predicted in the Old Testament. Isaiah, speaking of the Messiah, said, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.'" (Is. 7:14) Jeremiah prophesied in Jer. 31:22 that "A woman shall encompass a man."
It was also proclaimed in the New Testament by none other than a medical doctor whose name was Luke. He testified in Luke 1:34-35, "Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?' And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.'"
Here in Matthew, chapter one, we are told specifically in v.18, "she was found with child of the Holy Spirit." An angel testified to this fact in v.20, "that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." The Bible never tries to prove the virgin birth any more than it tries to prove the creation of this world, it just presents it. You can accept it or you can reject it.
But if you reject the virgin birth you reject Isaiah, Jeremiah, Matthew, and Luke. Then you have a real problem, because if you cannot believe all of the Bible, how can you believe any of the Bible?
b. The Savior Would Be Undependable
If Jesus was not the Spirit-conceived virgin-born child of God, then of necessity He must have been the illegitimate child of an immoral woman and a promiscuous father.
Then, the problem really begins. If Jesus Christ were not virgin-born, then he had a human father; if he had a human father then he inherited the nature of that father; since that father had a nature of sin, then he inherited his nature of sin; therefore Jesus Himself was a lost sinner and He Himself needed a Savior from sin.
The fact of the matter is, if you deny the virgin birth, the house of Christianity falls like a stack of cards. If you take away his deity from the cradle, you do not need his death on the cross. If Jesus was not born through a supernatural birth, He could not have died a saving death.
c. Salvation Would Be Unattainable
If Jesus Christ was not born of a virgin, then He was not the Son of God; if He was not the Son of God, He was not perfect; if He was not perfect, He could not have been our sacrifice for sins, for God requires a perfect sacrifice; if Jesus was not a perfect sacrifice, then He was no sacrifice at all; if He was no sacrifice at all, we are still in our sins separated from God without hope.
I want you to see that our eternal destiny is bound up in that birth. It is controlled by that cradle. It is determined by that doctrine. But there is one other thing to be said about this birth.
III. It Was a Birth That Was Consummated the Son of God
In v.1 of this chapter we are told that Jesus was the Son of David, and the Son of Abraham. But then we are also told in the Scripture He is the Son of God. Now nowhere in the Scripture will you find where Joseph is called the father of Jesus, nor will you find where Jesus is called the Son of Joseph.
He was the Son of Abraham, that refers to his earthly humanity; He was the Son of David, that refers to his exalted royalty; but he was also the Son of God, that refers to his eternal deity. Because he was the Son of God, and it was the birthday of a King, it leads us to say three things about that wonderful birth:
a. The Mystery of His Birth
Paul was right when he said in I Tim. 3:16, "Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness." The first part of that mystery he describes as "God manifested in the flesh." There is no way scientifically, technologically, empirically, or rationally, you can explain the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In all honesty, the Bible doesn't give an explanation, it simply gives a revelation. Doctors and scientists may say that the virgin birth is impossible, but Luke 1:37 tells us, "with God nothing will be impossible."
A person can be saved without knowing about the virgin birth. A person can be saved without understanding the virgin birth. But it is impossible to be saved and deny the virgin birth.
b. The Majesty of His Birth
"Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, ‘God with us.'" (vv. 22-23) We are given here one of the names of Jesus, the name Immanuel, which means "God with us." Now this name refers to his person.
This baby recorded in the first chapter of the New Testament is none other than the God recorded in the first chapter of the Old Testament.
If a man became like God, you would expect him to be just like Jesus. That is why the great poet, Lord Byron said, "If ever man was God, or if ever God was man, Jesus Christ was both."
There was a man who was preaching on Jesus and his virgin birth. He was preaching the truth of his conception by the Holy Spirit. There was a skeptic who came up to him after the service and said, "I don't believe that story, and I don't believe you believe it either." The pastor said, "Well, you are mistaken, for I do believe it."
The man said, "Suppose a young woman about six months pregnant came walking into your office and said, ‘I'm expecting a baby. This is my boyfriend, the only man I have ever been with. He has never laid a hand on me. I conceived this baby miraculously by the Holy Spirit. Would you believe her?'" He thought the pastor would surely say no.
To his surprise, the pastor said, "Yes, I would believe it." Then after a dramatic pause he said, "I would believe it if that birth had been foretold by prophets thousands of years before the baby was conceived."
"I would believe it if an angel visited this boyfriend and said, ‘Do not be afraid to take this woman as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.'"
"I would believe it if when that baby was born wise men traveled from afar and brought gifts to worship him and a star guided him to where that baby lay."
"I would believe it if her son had power over the wind and the waves, over death and disease."
"I would believe it if her son died on a cross and was raised from the dead three days later."
"I would believe it if that son went out to a mountaintop and ascended visibly back into heaven while an angel stood by and said, ‘this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come again in like manner as you have seen him go.'"
"Yes if his disciples through two thousand years were numbered in the billions, I would believe it."
So would I, and I do. I believe any objective rational person who will examine the evidence will believe it as well.
c. The Ministry of His Birth
"And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (v.21) Now the name Immanual tells us of his person, but the name Jesus refers to his purpose. The name Jesus literally means "Jehovah saves." Jesus had only one purpose in coming to this world, and that is to seek and to save that which was lost.
Now you need to understand that back in those days Jesus was an ordinary Jewish name. It was as common in that day as the name John is common today. When Mary named that boy Jesus nobody stopped to ask what she meant by that name. There were a lot of other little boys running around that countryside with the name Jesus.
I imagine that there were even mothers who said after Mary had her baby, the last thing we need around here is another kid named Jesus. Little did they know that the only thing they would ever need for salvation, happiness, and joy was this little baby named Jesus.
This one was to be called Jesus because he was the first and only person who could truly live up to that name. That name tells us of the ministry that Jesus came to perform. He came to perform the ministry of justification, because He saves us from the penalty of sin by washing us in His blood.
He came from the ministry of sanctification, for He saves us from the power of sin by filling us with his Holy Spirit.
One day He will perform the ministry of glorification by saving us from the presence of sin, taking us out of this world and giving us a wonderful home in heaven.
He did not come to condemn the world
He did not come to blame;
He did not only come to seek
It was to save that He came;
And when we call Him "Jesus,"
We call Him by His name.
If we had needed information, God would have sent a teacher. If we had needed technology, God would have sent a scientist. If we had needed knowledge, God would have sent a philosopher. If we had needed money, God would have sent a philanthropist. If we had needed pleasure, God would have sent an entertainer. But we needed salvation, and God sent a Savior, and His name is Jesus.
Jesus is the only man who experiences a birthday every year, but He never gets any older. I think everybody ought to get a gift on his birthday, especially the King's birthday, and the greatest gift you can give to King Jesus, if you really want to wish Him a happy birthday this Christmas season, is to give Him the only thing He may not already have, and that is to give Him your heart.