The Birth of Jesus in Matthew Matthew 1-2
Focus on what is here
Matthew A Jewish Christian Convinced that Jesus has come to be Savior of the Jews and the world Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commended you. Matthew 28:18-20a
Who are the three most important people in the Old Testament? Abraham Moses David Matthew connects Jesus to all three of them in these two chapters.
The Birth of Jesus in Matthew The genealogy Matthew 1:1-17 The birth of Jesus Matthew 1:18-25 The visit of the wise men Matthew 2:1-12 The escape to Egypt Matthew 2:13-15 The massacre of the infants Matthew 2:16-18 The return from Egypt Matthew 2:19-23
The Genealogy Matthew 1:1-17 Who is Jesus? An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1 genealogy or genesis again, think of Genesis 1 Jesus God saves or O Lord, save Messiah Christ Long-awaited deliverer son of David Messiah must be from line of David son of Abraham in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed Genesis 12:3
The Genealogy Matthew 1:1-17 Who is Jesus? Pattern repeats: Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram - Matthew 1:2-3 Until and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. -Matthew 1:16
The Genealogy Matthew 1:1-17 Who is Jesus? Why are (these) four women mentioned? Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the wife of Uriah, Three of the four are tainted with scandal All are gentiles Are they foreshadowing Mary? What does the genealogy of Joseph have to do with Jesus? Both legal adoption not biological descent And miraculous birth Jesus is the goal of God s history
Birth of Jesus Matthew 1:18-25 Who is Jesus? Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
Birth of Jesus Matthew 1:18-25 Who is Jesus? All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, God is with us. When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Birth of Jesus Matthew 1:18-25 Who is Jesus? First the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, now the birth of Jesus the Messiah The focus is on Joseph He is engaged to Mary Much stronger than engaged today Marriage was a two-step process if Joseph had died Mary would have been considered a widow; Mary being unfaithful to Joseph was adultery, punishable by death Joseph decides to be merciful rather than assert his legal right, and then the angel comes to him
Birth of Jesus Matthew 1:18-25 Who is Jesus? All this took place (v. 22-23) Very common in Matthew The present is understood by looking to the past Jesus is the completion of the Old Testament Emmanuel God is with us Third name Jesus, Messiah, Emmanuel
Birth of Jesus Matthew 1:18-25 Who is Jesus? When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. The actual birth doesn t seem too important to Matthew Back to the both and Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Messiah descended from David Jesus was conceived and born in a wholly miraculous manner
The Visit of the Wise Men Matthew 2:1-12 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, * and have come to pay him homage. When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd * my people Israel.
The Visit of the Wise Men Matthew 2:1-12 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage. When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Matthew give us 1. No number of magi (astrologers) 2. No claim that they were kings 3. No indication whether they were Jews or gentiles 4. No clear idea of how long after Jesus birth
The Visit of the Wise Men Matthew 2:1-12 We have observed his star at its rising In 7 B. C. a confluence of two planets and have come to pay him homage. Again in v. 11 The star is another Who is Jesus? answer his birth is heralded in the heavens
The Visit of the Wise Men Matthew 2:1-12 Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? This gets Herod s attention Phrase King of the Jews next used by Pilate (27:11 and 27:37) at the time of Jesus death At his birth and at his death, even those who plot his destruction bear witness to who Jesus really is
The Visit of the Wise Men Matthew 2:1-12 And you Bethlehem from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel. (v. 6) David was the first shepherd-king, Jesus is the second (another Who is Jesus?) they knelt down and paid him homage. (v. 11) (yet another, Who is Jesus?) Mary and Joseph fade into the background focus in on Jesus
The Escape to Egypt Matthew 2:13-15 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him. Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, Out of Egypt I have called my son.
The Escape to Egypt Matthew 2:13-15 Throughout this entire section we are supposed to think of Moses (Exodus 1:8-2:10) Cruelty of king/pharoah all (male) children Hidden baby Later Moses/Jesus come out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1) Later Jesus offers extended teaching on God s will on a mountain (Matthew 5-7) Again, the angel comes to Joseph
The Massacre of the Infants Matthew 2:16-18 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.
The Massacre of the Infants Matthew 2:16-18 Herod s cruelty was notorious Ordered the execution of three of his own sons On his death, one person in every family was to be killed so everyone would truly grieve Herod s death Bethlehem s population around 300 people Under age two may be a clue that Jesus is older than an baby here Quote is from Jeremiah 31:15
The Return from Egypt Matthew 2:19-23 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child s life are dead. Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, He will be called a Nazorean.
The Return from Egypt Matthew 2:19-23 Herod died in 4 B. C. Jesus was perhaps born in 7 B. C. If Jesus was approaching 2 when he left Bethlehem, he wasn t in Egypt for a long time Twice in these verses an angel appears to Joseph Archelaus was Herod s son, and just as awful Nazareth Source of reference in prophets unclear Jesus was forced to wander, at odds with the world, yet guided at every step by God