Kingdom Mindset: Matthew 1:18-2:23
Notes
Transcript
CIT: The incarnation and early life of Jesus shows us who our Savior is and why he came
CIT: The incarnation and early life of Jesus shows us who our Savior is and why he came
How Jesus came
Who Jesus is
Why Jesus came
How Jesus came
How Jesus came
In order to learn who Jesus is and why he came it is important to learn about how he came.
Humbly (Matt.1:18-20)
We would think that the King fo all creation who has come to bring war against sin, death, and the Kingdom of Satan would be born in a palace to a royal family. But God subverts this, just as he does in his kingdom, that the Savior of all peoples was born to a poor family, to a virgin teenager engaged to a lowly carpenter.
To a virgin mother and adoptive father (Matt. 1:18-20)
However, while the circumstances of Jesus’ birth are humble they are vital to the story and mission of Jesus.
Virgin mother
This is a fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 which sets upJesus as the one who is the sign of rescue from sin.
Adoptive father
The legal father of Jesus is Joseph, who is a direct descendant of King David
This is a fulfillment of Isaiah 11:1-5 which sets up Jesus as the King who will rule over the kingdom of Israel for ever (a fulfillment of 2 Samuel 7)
To a fallen world (Matt. 1:21)
Jesus is not coming to this world for no reason, he is coming as the rescuer to save his people from their sins and this fallen world.
This fallen world was brought about in Genesis 3, but this rescuer, that is Jesus, was foretold in Genesis 3 as well.
Because this has always been the plan, that Jesus would come and be born to a virgin mother and a royal descendant.
Who Jesus is
Who Jesus is
Jesus is fully human (Matt. 1:18-25, Heb. 4:15)
Jesus’ physical birth shows that he is truly human. 100% human like you and I.
Why is this important? Because Jesus’ humanity shows that he is like us
Physically - in that he possessed a human body like ours and became hungry and tired like we do
Mentally - in that he possessed a human mind like ours and learned just like we do
Emotionally - in that he possessed human emotions like our and was sad and overwhelmed just like we are
These are all vitally important to our salvation, because if Jesus we not truly human then we would not have an actual substitute for our sins. but Hebrews 4:15 tells us that we do have a proper substitute!
Jesus is fully God (Matt. 1:20-23)
Not only is this Jesus truly and 100% human he is also truly and 100% God.
This is seen in Jesus’ names that he is given in this passage.
Jesus - In Hebrew it is Yeshua, or Joshua, which means “YHWH Saves” and what has Jesus come to do? He has come to save (Matt. 1:21)
Immanuel - Immanuel is Hebrew for “God with us” meaning that Jesus is in fact God who has come to save. Matthew is not just declaring that God will save us through Jesus, he is proclaiming that Jesus will save us because he is God!
The incarnation is incredible (Phil. 2:5-7)
The reality is that this moment here in history is incredible. This moment of Jesus being born is called the incarnation, the moment when God the Son took on flesh.
Paul understood that the incarnation was so incredible that it should be the foundation for our actions as Christians (Philippians 2:5-7)
The incarnation is incomprehensible
This moment is not only incredible it is also impossible for us to truly understand. We cannot comprehend that in human body the fullness of God dwelt in the person of Jesus. We can create theological statements, but they will always fall short of capturing the glory of this moment, that the King over all creation became a little baby being held by a lowly virgin mother and her carpenter fiancee. We can’t understand this moment, but this mystery is worthy of worship and adoration and thanksgiving!
This moment shows us why Jesus came
Why Jesus came
Why Jesus came
To be the new and better Israel (Matt. 2:13-23)
We will first skip to the end of the chapter with three quick explanations about the early life of Jesus. All three of these are pointing to the truth that Jesus has come to be the new and better Israel
First, Jesus and his family fled to Egypt
Who went to Egypt? Israel. Who was called God’s son and was called out of Egypt? Israel. Who is truly God the Father’s Son? Jesus. Who was called out of Egypt? Jesus.
Second, Herod kills the infants in Bethlehem (the Slaughter of the Innocents)
In the beginning of Exodus we see the tragedy of Pharoah slaughtering the children of the Hebrew people. What happens to the children in Bethlehem? They are slaughtered by Herod.
My experience in the Children’s Memorial at Yad Veshem
This section concludes with an excerpt from Jeremiah 31. That in the exile Israel was weeping as they were deported to Babylon, here the mothers are weeping in Bethlehem for the slaughter of their innocent children. But Matthew only quotes Jeremiah 31:15, the passage continues on after to give hope in Jer. 31:16-17, and ultimately the true hope of the New Covenant is given later in Jer. 31:31-34.
Matthew 2:18 serves as a transition into the next section because, “Matthew is saying that with the coming of Jesus, the time of the exile is coming to a close!… The tears shed by the mothers in Bethlehem inaugurate the reign of the one who will shed tears of blood for the forgiveness of sin and who will eventually, in the restoration of all things, wipe away every tear.” - Douglas O’donnell
Lastly, Jesus and his family return to Israel and go to Nazareth
Jesus returning to Nazareth is pointing to Israel leaving Egypt in the Exodus and returning to the promised land after their exile to Babylon.
It’s not just that Jesus is like Moses, a new and better deliverer. Rather Jesus is the embodiment of Israel itself, a new and better “son” - Douglas O’Donnell
As Israel was oppressed in Egypt under the tyrannical rule of Pharaoh, so the infant Jesus became a refugee in Egypt under the tyrannical rule of Herod. As Israel passed through the waters of the Red Sea, so Jesus passed through the waters of John’s baptism in the River Jordan. As Israel was tested in the wilderness of Zion for forty years, so Jesus was tested in the wilderness of Judea for forty days. And as Moses from Mount Sinai gave Israel the law, so Jesus from the Mount of Beatitudes gave his disciples the true interpretation and amplification of the law. - John Stott
To bring salvation (Matt. 1:21, 2:18)
in being the new and better Israel Jesus brings salvation to all of God’s peoples (Matthew. 1:21) and brings peace, comfort, and restoration through this salvation (Matthew 2:18)
To bring glory to God (Matt. 2:1-12)
Ultimately all of this, Jesus being the new and greater Israel, and him bringing true lasting salvation to all peoples is meant to do one thing, and that is to bring glory to God.
How do we see this int he text? through the wisemen. Their only goal in this story is to worship King Jesus and bring him glory and honor.
The goal
(Matt. 2:2) “We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
The accomplishment
(Matt. 2:11) “and they fell down and worshipped him”
What is Matthew saying with this? He is not giving us the life story of the wise men. We don’t know what happened to them. We don’t know if this first act of worship was their only act or if they continued on with lives of love and service to Jesus. But he is telling us what wise men (then and now) do. Wise men and women and children- from the south and the north and the west and the east- come to Jesus, and wise men find fulfillment through worshipping the newborn and forever-born King of kings. -Douglas O’Donnell
So let’s be wise together and worship Jesus.
