20231224 Matthew 1:18-25 Jesus is our Hope
Advent means arrival. At Christmas, we celebrate the arrival of Jesus. We celebrate that the second member of the Trinity became a man forever! Advent is meaningful to Christians because it is through the coming of Jesus that God provides the forgiveness of sins.
As we celebrate Jesus’ first coming, we also consider his second coming or second advent. At Christmas we do not have to imagine what it would have been like to be the people of Israel waiting for their Messiah, because we are a people who wait. We wait for Jesus’ second coming. Though we celebrate Christmas and Jesus’ first coming, we also focus on the hope of his second coming.
Christmas relates to many good things. There are Christmas vacations, gifts, reunions with family and friends. But there are also uncertainties. Traveling is stressful. You may wonder if family time will be as difficult as last year? Perhaps you'll miss a loved one who has passed away. For many, grief is part of their Christmas experience. So many things are beyond our control, but what remains certain every Christmas are God's promises. These promises are sure and will not disappoint. For the best of Christmases, God, who never changes, must be central, and he offers us the wonderful concept of hope. Hope is being sure of the future God promises. This hope enables us to live cherishing His promises even when life is hard.
Matt 1.18-25 gives us reasons to celebrate in Jesus’ first coming and offers Hope in his second coming. SIOS:Matt 1.18-25 teaches that the hope of forgiveness of sin and God's presence leads to obedience. This was true with Jesus' first arrival and for us as we await his return.
The name "Jesus" or יְהוֹשֻׁעַ combines “Yeho” from Yehovah the name of the Lord and “Shua” from the verb יָשַׁע which means to save or deliver. Joseph is to call the boy, “The Lord Saves” because he will save his people from their sins.
The promise of forgiveness of sins is the first reason to have hope at Christmas. The promise of forgiveness of sin was hidden in the promise of the son who would crush the devil in Gen 3.15. It was anticipated in the sacrificial system of the people of Israel. The Prophets made this promise explicit with the prophecy of the new covenant in Jer 31.34. The angel announced to Joseph that the promise his ancestors had waited for thousands of years had taken human form in the womb of his betrothed.
The gospel is the good news at the heart of Christianity. This news is that Jesus came to save his people. He came to offer forgiveness of sin to all who believe in him. We are all sinners. At the final judgment, God will judge all sinners. This judgment is eternal conscious torment. We all need our sins washed away. The good news is that Jesus came to wash us clean. For anyone who believes in Jesus, you can rest assured that your sins are forgiven.
The forgiveness of sins also relates to Jesus’ second coming. The Bible teaches that as soon as we believe in Jesus, as soon as we trust in Jesus’ accomplished on the cross, God declares us righteous. Jesus paid the debt of our sin and transferred his perfect life to our account. But we still await the glorious moment of Jesus' return and final judgment with hope. God will declare us openly "Not Guilty." "Innocent" and will say "Well done, good and faithful servant."
As a point of application, God absolutely wants Christians to have the hope of forgiveness of sin. Christians can know the verdict of the final judgment. God wants Christians to have this hope so that we would have the peace the gospel promises and so that we can offer the comfort of Christ to those who do not believe.
If you doubt whether you can truly know your sins are forgiven, these are three ways God assures Christians. First, God promises in his word that those who believe in Jesus are forgiven. Second, Jesus came to earth to forgive sin. Third, the Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are God's children, and we see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. The Word of God, the work of Jesus, and the witness of the Spirit give us hope in the return of Jesus. Jesus came at the first Christmas to die for the forgiveness of sin, now we have hope in his return that he will destroy all evidence of sin once and for all!
This promise is excellent news because we are created in God's image. God created us to have a relationship with him. The writer of Ps 42 writes in v.3 "I thirst for God, for the living God. When will I finally be able to enter his temple, to present myself before him?" When we don't have a relationship with him, we are missing something. That is why there are religions throughout the ages all over the world. Humanity needs God, we have a void that we try to fill.
God's intentions are clear. God created us to live with him. The Garden of Eden was the idyllic place where Adam and Eve lived with God. Since the sin in the garden and their expulsion from it, God's presence has been mediated by a religious system. The tabernacle, which was a tent, and the temple represented God's presence with his people. The decorations of the tabernacle and temple are reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. The people of Israel had a model of Eden, but due to sin they did not live in Eden in the presence of God.
Ever since the promise in Gen 3.15 that a son would be born to destroy the serpent and reverse the consequences of sin, God's people have been waiting. The angel tells Joseph that the wait is over. The child in his fiancée's womb is God with Us.
Other NT verses relate Jesus to God’s presence. Col 1.15 indicates that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God." Col 2.9 indicates that in Jesus "all the fullness of the God dwells bodily." Heb 1.3 teaches that Jesus "reflects the splendor of divine glory; he is the very expression of what God is." To be in the presence of Jesus is to be in the presence of God. Jesus satisfies our greatest need.
This truth is so wonderful, that some of us, we may wish we'd been part of Jesus' ministry and experience his physical presence. But Jesus teaches that it was to our advantage that he left. He says in John 16.7, "If I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you."
It was in our interest that he left. Now, the Holy Spirit universalizes Jesus' presence. The disciples did not enjoy a continuous presence of Jesus. Jesus' presence was limited to one place at a time. Now, through his Spirit, Jesus is with us everywhere and always. Secondly, the Holy Spirit internalizes Jesus' presence, for he dwells within us. On earth, Jesus was with his disciples. He could teach them, but he could not enter their personalities and change them from within. We now enjoy this special presence of Jesus through the Spirit.
The promise of God’s presence also relates to the second Advent. Christians already benefit from the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. However, because of the sin in our lives we still don't fully enjoy God's presence as we will at Jesus' return.
John writes about the future in Rev 21.3, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man! He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God will be with them, he will be their God." We see that with Jesus' first coming, God came to be with humanity. Now, God is with us, but we still have the hope of being in his presence. One day we will know God's presence as never before, at our death and in the new earth and new heavens.
Joseph was about to do what many people would have done by leaving, but the good news he heard was so extraordinary that he changed his mind. Even though Mary was pregnant with a son not his own, even though rumors would surely circulate about Mary's pregnancy before marriage, Joseph obeyed. This is the power of hope. The hope of forgiveness of sin and the presence of God leads us to obey whatever the consequences.
The history of the church teaches this lesson. The advancement of the gospel can be summed up in the hope that leads to obedience. The twelve apostles proclaimed the good news, most at the risk of their lives. Once Martin Luther recognized the biblical doctrine of salvation by faith alone without work, he didn't let his comfort, and his professional stability as a priest and professor of theology, prevent him from being obedient to God. He confronted the most powerful institution of his day, the Catholic Church, and denounced the corruption and false doctrines it taught. Luther was excommunicated and became an outlaw. We still benefit today from Martin Luther's obedience and his role in the reformation of the Church.
The obedience that follows hope can take many different forms. When a friend of mine became a Christian, the pastor taught him that he could not keep living with his girlfriend, with whom he'd been living for 6 years. To my surprise, he ended the relationship. In the eyes of the world what he did was crazy, impossible even. He told me that because Jesus became everything to him, it no longer made sense to have an intimate relationship around which Christ was not the center. To be a Christian is to obey Jesus radically because of the hope he gives us. We all have areas in our lives where more obedience is needed to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the calling we have received (Eph 4.1).
Looking forward to the first Christmas, the people of Israel had the hope of forgiveness of sin and the presence of God. These gifts are so great that they motivate us to live to please God. Now, with Jesus' return, our hope is even greater. When Jesus returns, we will have glorified new bodies, we'll live forever in the new heavens and the new earth, where there'll be no more sin, no more suffering. Thanks to God's work, our obedience will be perfected!
As we celebrate Jesus’ first coming, we also consider his second coming or second advent. At Christmas we do not have to imagine what it would have been like to be the people of Israel waiting for their Messiah, because we are a people who wait. We wait for Jesus’ second coming. Though we celebrate Christmas and Jesus’ first coming, we also focus on the hope of his second coming.
Christmas relates to many good things. There are Christmas vacations, gifts, reunions with family and friends. But there are also uncertainties. Traveling is stressful. You may wonder if family time will be as difficult as last year? Perhaps you'll miss a loved one who has passed away. For many, grief is part of their Christmas experience. So many things are beyond our control, but what remains certain every Christmas are God's promises. These promises are sure and will not disappoint. For the best of Christmases, God, who never changes, must be central, and he offers us the wonderful concept of hope. Hope is being sure of the future God promises. This hope enables us to live cherishing His promises even when life is hard.
Matt 1.18-25 gives us reasons to celebrate in Jesus’ first coming and offers Hope in his second coming. SIOS:Matt 1.18-25 teaches that the hope of forgiveness of sin and God's presence leads to obedience. This was true with Jesus' first arrival and for us as we await his return.
First, we look at our Hope for the Forgiveness of Sin v.21.
V.18-20 describe the announcement of Jesus' birth. Jesus' mother, Mary, was betrothed to Joseph. Before their union, Mary became pregnant by the action of the Holy Spirit. Joseph intended to leave, but a messenger from the Lord appeared to him. In a dream, the angel told Joseph to take Mary as his wife. The angel tells Joseph that she is carrying a child from the Holy Spirit. The angel tells him to name the child Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.The name "Jesus" or יְהוֹשֻׁעַ combines “Yeho” from Yehovah the name of the Lord and “Shua” from the verb יָשַׁע which means to save or deliver. Joseph is to call the boy, “The Lord Saves” because he will save his people from their sins.
The promise of forgiveness of sins is the first reason to have hope at Christmas. The promise of forgiveness of sin was hidden in the promise of the son who would crush the devil in Gen 3.15. It was anticipated in the sacrificial system of the people of Israel. The Prophets made this promise explicit with the prophecy of the new covenant in Jer 31.34. The angel announced to Joseph that the promise his ancestors had waited for thousands of years had taken human form in the womb of his betrothed.
The gospel is the good news at the heart of Christianity. This news is that Jesus came to save his people. He came to offer forgiveness of sin to all who believe in him. We are all sinners. At the final judgment, God will judge all sinners. This judgment is eternal conscious torment. We all need our sins washed away. The good news is that Jesus came to wash us clean. For anyone who believes in Jesus, you can rest assured that your sins are forgiven.
The forgiveness of sins also relates to Jesus’ second coming. The Bible teaches that as soon as we believe in Jesus, as soon as we trust in Jesus’ accomplished on the cross, God declares us righteous. Jesus paid the debt of our sin and transferred his perfect life to our account. But we still await the glorious moment of Jesus' return and final judgment with hope. God will declare us openly "Not Guilty." "Innocent" and will say "Well done, good and faithful servant."
As a point of application, God absolutely wants Christians to have the hope of forgiveness of sin. Christians can know the verdict of the final judgment. God wants Christians to have this hope so that we would have the peace the gospel promises and so that we can offer the comfort of Christ to those who do not believe.
If you doubt whether you can truly know your sins are forgiven, these are three ways God assures Christians. First, God promises in his word that those who believe in Jesus are forgiven. Second, Jesus came to earth to forgive sin. Third, the Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are God's children, and we see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. The Word of God, the work of Jesus, and the witness of the Spirit give us hope in the return of Jesus. Jesus came at the first Christmas to die for the forgiveness of sin, now we have hope in his return that he will destroy all evidence of sin once and for all!
Second, we have hope of being in God's presence forever v.22-23.
According to Matthew 1:22-23, Jesus' birth fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14. "The virgin will be with child and bear a son, and he will be called Immanuel," which means "God with us. God's presence is the second reason for our hope at Christmas.This promise is excellent news because we are created in God's image. God created us to have a relationship with him. The writer of Ps 42 writes in v.3 "I thirst for God, for the living God. When will I finally be able to enter his temple, to present myself before him?" When we don't have a relationship with him, we are missing something. That is why there are religions throughout the ages all over the world. Humanity needs God, we have a void that we try to fill.
God's intentions are clear. God created us to live with him. The Garden of Eden was the idyllic place where Adam and Eve lived with God. Since the sin in the garden and their expulsion from it, God's presence has been mediated by a religious system. The tabernacle, which was a tent, and the temple represented God's presence with his people. The decorations of the tabernacle and temple are reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. The people of Israel had a model of Eden, but due to sin they did not live in Eden in the presence of God.
Ever since the promise in Gen 3.15 that a son would be born to destroy the serpent and reverse the consequences of sin, God's people have been waiting. The angel tells Joseph that the wait is over. The child in his fiancée's womb is God with Us.
Other NT verses relate Jesus to God’s presence. Col 1.15 indicates that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God." Col 2.9 indicates that in Jesus "all the fullness of the God dwells bodily." Heb 1.3 teaches that Jesus "reflects the splendor of divine glory; he is the very expression of what God is." To be in the presence of Jesus is to be in the presence of God. Jesus satisfies our greatest need.
This truth is so wonderful, that some of us, we may wish we'd been part of Jesus' ministry and experience his physical presence. But Jesus teaches that it was to our advantage that he left. He says in John 16.7, "If I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you."
It was in our interest that he left. Now, the Holy Spirit universalizes Jesus' presence. The disciples did not enjoy a continuous presence of Jesus. Jesus' presence was limited to one place at a time. Now, through his Spirit, Jesus is with us everywhere and always. Secondly, the Holy Spirit internalizes Jesus' presence, for he dwells within us. On earth, Jesus was with his disciples. He could teach them, but he could not enter their personalities and change them from within. We now enjoy this special presence of Jesus through the Spirit.
The promise of God’s presence also relates to the second Advent. Christians already benefit from the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. However, because of the sin in our lives we still don't fully enjoy God's presence as we will at Jesus' return.
John writes about the future in Rev 21.3, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man! He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God will be with them, he will be their God." We see that with Jesus' first coming, God came to be with humanity. Now, God is with us, but we still have the hope of being in his presence. One day we will know God's presence as never before, at our death and in the new earth and new heavens.
Third, we see that our Hope leads to obedience v.24-25.
In V.24-25, Joseph wakes up and does exactly what the angel has commanded. Josph takes Mary as his wife. Verse 25 indicates that they have no intimate relations until the birth of Jesus. This is to show that the conception was miraculous beyond a doubt, as Mary was still a virgin when Jesus was born.Joseph was about to do what many people would have done by leaving, but the good news he heard was so extraordinary that he changed his mind. Even though Mary was pregnant with a son not his own, even though rumors would surely circulate about Mary's pregnancy before marriage, Joseph obeyed. This is the power of hope. The hope of forgiveness of sin and the presence of God leads us to obey whatever the consequences.
The history of the church teaches this lesson. The advancement of the gospel can be summed up in the hope that leads to obedience. The twelve apostles proclaimed the good news, most at the risk of their lives. Once Martin Luther recognized the biblical doctrine of salvation by faith alone without work, he didn't let his comfort, and his professional stability as a priest and professor of theology, prevent him from being obedient to God. He confronted the most powerful institution of his day, the Catholic Church, and denounced the corruption and false doctrines it taught. Luther was excommunicated and became an outlaw. We still benefit today from Martin Luther's obedience and his role in the reformation of the Church.
The obedience that follows hope can take many different forms. When a friend of mine became a Christian, the pastor taught him that he could not keep living with his girlfriend, with whom he'd been living for 6 years. To my surprise, he ended the relationship. In the eyes of the world what he did was crazy, impossible even. He told me that because Jesus became everything to him, it no longer made sense to have an intimate relationship around which Christ was not the center. To be a Christian is to obey Jesus radically because of the hope he gives us. We all have areas in our lives where more obedience is needed to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the calling we have received (Eph 4.1).
Looking forward to the first Christmas, the people of Israel had the hope of forgiveness of sin and the presence of God. These gifts are so great that they motivate us to live to please God. Now, with Jesus' return, our hope is even greater. When Jesus returns, we will have glorified new bodies, we'll live forever in the new heavens and the new earth, where there'll be no more sin, no more suffering. Thanks to God's work, our obedience will be perfected!
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