Great Expectations in the World
Preached by Jason Abbott
December 8, 2013
Last week, we began our Advent series by looking at the announcement of great expectations in the past. Thus, we went all the way back to the first hint of God’s plan to defeat evil and redeem a people for his glory as it is found in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15.
Today, we are going to examine the realized coming of that offspring—Christ Jesus—into the world. We are going to look at the Incarnation as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 1 and verses 18 through 25. For, it is this birth (this arrival in human history) that we primarily think of around Christmas time.
Matthew 1:18-25
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Introduction: Justice and Mercy
Matthew’s vignette on Jesus’ birth is from the perspective of Joseph whereas Luke’s vignette is from the perspective of Mary. It is quite helpful and endearing for us to get separate glimpses into how these two individuals handle these startling and miraculous events. Each account can teach us a lot. Thus, for a few moments, let’s consider Joseph’s account and see what it teaches us.
Matthew tells us, rather matter-of-factly, that Joseph finds out that his betrothed is with child. This is bad news for Joseph. For, it appears to him that Mary has been unfaithful. The betrothal or engagement period was a “firm commitment” typically lasting “a year before marriage.” 1 The couple, during this time period, was essentially in the beginning stage of marriage while living separately from one another.
Infidelity was a very serious crime in those days. The betrothed could be prosecuted as an adulterous. This could potentially mean a death sentence for her and the man with whom she committed adultery (cf. Deuteronomy 22:23-27). Joseph would’ve been able legally to force the issue—making a public example of Mary. Yet, what does he do? Matthew tells us:
Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly (v. 19).
What does Joseph’s decision and Matthew’s description of him teach us? What, in short, can we learn from Joseph here?
Well, we learn first that Joseph is “a just man” according to Matthew. Essentially this means that Joseph operates according to the law. He values the laws of God! He does not choose to do what is right according to his own standard. Rather, he allows God’s standard to guide him. So also should we.
Second we learn that his justice is not divorced from a desire to show mercy. In fact, Matthew seems to suggest that Joseph’s “unwillingness to put her to shame” and, therefore, “divorce her quietly” is part of what makes him “a just man” in the first place! So, one commentator explains:
Perhaps we should say that for Joseph being just before God included an element of mercy.2
I believe this is precisely what we should say of Joseph, and what we should hope to be able to say of ourselves. For, Joseph is attempting (to the best of his knowledge and ability) to do what is right. However, he wishes to do it with as much compassion and mercy as possible. And so should we!
Francis Schaeffer has said:
Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world.
This is entirely true since a compassionless orthodoxy is no orthodoxy at all. The gospel is the heart of orthodox Christianity. And, the cross of Jesus Christ is the heart of the gospel. And, what is the cross but the ultimate simultaneous expression of God’s justice and God’s mercy. It is the stern expression of his just judgment of sin and, simultaneously, the compassionate expression of his abounding mercy toward repentant sinners.
In his desire to do what is right and just while also doing what is compassionate and merciful in regards to Mary, Joseph is reflecting a heart after God’s own heart! And, if we have received God’s just mercy in Christ Jesus, we cannot hesitate to do so as well!
Well, let’s move now into a discussion of what this passage can tell us about the great expectations of the arrival of God’s Savior into the world. First, we will see that Jesus arrived in real history. Second, we will see that Jesus arrived in real history as fully God and fully man.
1. Jesus arrived in real history.
This seems obvious to many of us, but we should not think that because it seems obvious to us that it seems obvious to everyone. Many dispute the historicity of the birth account of Jesus. (That is not to say that they don’t believe a man named Jesus walked the earth and ministered and was crucified by the Romans. Most will admit that those events happened.) They simply do not believe that what Matthew records here concerning his birth is completely true!
Many whom you will meet today who don’t believe this account is real history do so because of their intolerance of this narrative’s supernatural elements. “Virgin’s don’t give birth!” “Angels don’t exist!” “Miracles are impossible!” These are some typical objections. However, are such objections rational objections? I want to argue that they are often not rational. In fact, many times people who object to such supernatural things aren’t being reasonable or consistent in their objections.
I have a good friend whom I love very much. And he does believe in god (small g). We had a discussion over Facebook not too long ago concerning some passages in the Bible. I was defending the view that the Bible can and should be taken seriously. He was surprised that I was doing so.
In the end, he couldn’t believe I thought we should take passages from the Bible seriously that are obviously “ridiculous” or “backward” to the modern mind. (I believe he would’ve categorized miraculous passages as “ridiculous” passages.) So, what’s the problem with my friend’s point of view? How is he not being rational in his objection?
Well, (1) he is presupposing that god exists, that there’s some supreme deity. Yet, (2) he’s also presupposing that this god must operate as he thinks god should. He has created a god who must not be “ridiculous” or “backward” according to his personal judgment, according to human reason. Yet, this is really no god at all! Either God exists and can do what he wants (e.g. virgin births, angelic messages, etc.), or God does not exist and such “miraculous” things are not possible.
So, I say, this is real history. And, interestingly, this is exactly what it appears to be. Look, if Matthew wanted to convince people that God’s Savior had entered into human history then it’s rather unlikely that he would have invented a false history that looks like this.
Unwed, virgin mothers don’t make for easy belief—not in our day and not in Matthew’s day either.
Humble, unknown communities like Nazareth aren’t the types of places from which people usually suppose a great king’s family will come—not in our day and not in Matthew’s day either.
Why then would Matthew include such troublesome and difficult details? Why would he report Jesus’ conception and birth story in this way? Because, this is how it happened! Because, this is how God chose to bring his Son into the world! This honesty, even though it seems hard to believe, is (in fact) precisely what makes Matthew’s account so convincing! This is real history.
But, let’s build upon this! Let’s go now just a step further. Matthew reveals something even more mind-blowing about this real history. Because he tells us:
2. Jesus arrived in history to save.
There are, however, at least two surprises in the details of this salvation. Jesus will save his people from their sins, and Jesus is God who saves his people from their sins.
a. Jesus saves from sin (vv. 20-21).
Look at the passage with me. Recall that Joseph is in the midst of figuring out what to do with Mary’s surprise pregnancy when God gives him this message. Mark explains:
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (vv. 20-21).
It is this last dependent clause that should jump out at us—“for he will save his people from their sins.” This is a tremendous statement. This is a statement which we shouldn’t hesitate to trace back to last week’s sermon text, Genesis 3:15. For, Jesus’ birth is the beginning realization of that promise!
How so? Well, remember that the promise from Genesis 3 is that God will put enmity between humanity and the serpent, who is the personification of evil. And this discord will result in a battle in which the offspring of the woman will be wounded but in which evil will be crushed.
Yet, how can evil be crushed without crushing sinful human beings too? How can all evil be judged and condemned without judging and condemning evil people for their evil acts, their sins?
God’s answer is to provide a sinless Savior who can represent the people. God’s answer is to save people from their sins through this sinless Savior (v. 21). His answer is to crush the people’s sins (crush evil) through Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf. In short, Jesus took on sin (he became what we are) so that we might take on righteousness (we become what he is)! (This is precisely what Paul explains to us in 2 Corinthians 5:21.)
But, what about our second surprise?
b. Jesus is God who saves (v. 23).
Matthew explains this to the reader:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, / and they shall call his name Immanuel” / (which means, God with us) (v. 23).
In the great unfolding of God’s redemptive plan, there is nothing more awe-inspiring and beautiful than God’s sacrificial humility in dealing with our sinful rebellion. You see, Jesus was Immanuel—God with us. The eternal Creator of all things entered into his creation to save us by dying for us!
This is precisely what Paul explains in Philippians
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8).
Consider this for a moment. Philippians 2 and Matthew 1 and many other passages tell us that “in Jesus none less than God came right where we are.” 3 Incarnate God walked and talked and ate and laughed and slept just like us.
However, more than any of these things, God came to die on a cross to save. He came to rescue a dying people for his glorious purposes. He came to transform our hearts and to wipe away our tears and do away with our illness. He came to judge sinfulness and to establish righteousness. He came to work complete salvation, holistic rescue!
Jesus came with a heart surpassing the beautiful heart of Joseph, his legal earthly father, while perfectly imaging the infinitely beautiful heart of God, his eternal heavenly Father. Jesus brought a heart that desired both justice and mercy. He brought a righteous heart. And, through his life, death, and resurrection (in real history), Jesus has enabled us to have such a righteous heart too!
1Leon Morris, The Gospel According To Matthew, 26.
2Ibid., 28.
3Ibid., 31.
