October 2: Matthew 1, Luke 2:1-38

October 2, Matthew 1, Luke 2:1-38

Matthew’s main theme about the life of Christ is to show that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah from the lineage of David - as the prophesies talked about.

Matthew 1 starts out with the genealogy of Jesus Christ - his lineage through King David who was the son of Abraham. It is interesting to note that the lineage is important because the Jewish people would have been very concerned about all the covenants that God had made. The particular genealogy does not hide the ‘less thans’ in the lineage. It has men in the line up, adulterers, prostitutes, heroes and the like - as we will learn, Jesus was the only one that was perfect, his lineage was not. Matthew does not spend a bunch of time on Jesus’ birth, even though it was one of the greatest events/miracles in all of history. He breaks down the birth of Christ this way: Mary was engaged to Joseph and before they were intimate she was pregnant. Joseph was a good man that didn't want to shame her (in that culture if you were sleeping around outside of marriage it was punishable by death). An angel came to Joseph and told him to marry her because the baby inside of her was from the Holy Spirit. Joseph was told to call Him Jesus. All this happened to fulfill prophecy from Isaiah 7 that a virgin will have a son, a Savior. Joseph woke up and obeyed the angel. He never slept with Mary until she had given birth to Jesus. Some Catholics believe in the perpetual virginity of Mary - that she was an eternal virgin. I don’t see this Scripture supporting that, as she had other kids with Joseph and the Bible never says that… Anyway…

Luke 2:1-38 Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census was to be taken - each person had to register in their own town. Joseph was from the line of David - so he went to Bethlehem to register. While Joseph & Mary were there, it was time to give birth. Jesus was born in a manger - because the hotels were all full from all of the out of towners registering for the census. At night, some angels visited some shepherds in one of the fields - like all the others who say the angels, they were afraid. The angels told them not to be afraid because this was about good news! What is the Good News?  “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” That is our Jesus Christ! Fulfilling the prophecies. The angels and a host of heavenly beings were all praising God - how amazing that must have been. How will the shepherds know this to be true? They were told to go to the manger and they will see this Savior wrapped up. So, they went (wouldn’t you?). Sure enough, just as the angels said - they saw Jesus with Mary & Joseph and Mary treasured all of this…

Then it was time to get Jesus circumcised. It was then that he was named Jesus. Enter Simeon, an old guy that had been waiting for God to fulfill the promise God made to him… “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said…“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” God kept His Word, as always. Mary & Joseph marveled at what was said about Jesus. Simeon also said that Jesus was appointed for the fall and rise of many… Incredible stuff - none of this is made up! 

To sum it all up: 

• There is so much here, but the main thing is that this Jesus who I have been writing about was really born and was God. 
• Jesus is the only one who could have fulfilled all the prophecies about Him.
• For unto you was born in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord - now repent of your sin, turn to Him, give your life to Him, and live and die for Him.