Explore the Bible Lesson Preview December 25, 2011 "The Messiah Has Come" Background: Numbers 24:15-19; Matt. 1:1-2:23 Lesson: Numbers 24:17; Matt. 1:16-21; 2:1, 7-11 Motivation: Christmas Day! Family, eggnog, presents...tradition! But in the midst of the tinsel, let's not forget whose birthday we celebrate. I. Vision of a Future Ruler (Num. 24:15-19) "A star shall come out of Jacob; a scepter shall rise out of Israel" (24:17) J. Vernon McGee, p. 514: "Have you ever stopped to wonder where the wise men learned to look for a star? H ow did they associate a star with a king born over in Israel? Why would they make such a long trek? About 1500 years after this prophecy was given, we find coming out of the east, the land of Balaam, a whole company of wise men. Apparently this prophecy of Balaam was retained, since Balaam was considered an outstanding prophet in the east, and the wise men knew his prophecy. When they saw the remarkable star, they remembered that Balaam had said,...there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel...' (Num. 25:17) When the wise men came to Jerusalem, their question was, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him' (Matt. 2:2). When we add to these Scriptures the prophecy of Daniel (and Daniel likewise had prophesied in the east) which gives the approximate time that the Messiah would come, we see that the coming of the wise men to Jerusalem is very understandable. The thing that makes it very remarkable is that Israel, the people who had the Old Testament 1 / 9
with all the prophecies of Christ's coming, was not looking for Him - with the exception of a very small minority, such as Anna and Simeon. When this company of wise men (there were probably nearer three hundred than three!) converged on Jerusalem, the entire city, including Herod the king, was stirred. Their coming adds a thrilling dimension to the Christmas story. And it is quite interesting to trace it to this old rascal, Balaam." (Is. 60:6; Gen. 49:10; Dan. 7:14) II. Birth of the Savior (Matt. 1:1-25) A. The Ancestry of Jesus (1:1-17) Genealogy in v. 1 is transliterated from the Greek word genesis, thus a fitting opening verse to the New Testament. Believer's Study Bible, p. 1331: 1:2-17 "...Matthew's division indicates the high point in Israel's history during David's reign, the low point in the Exile, and the fulfillment of the O.T. promises in the Savior. Messianic prophecy intensified interest in genealogy, since the promised Messiah would be of the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15); of Abraham (Gen. 22:18); of Judah (Gen. 49:10); and of David (2 Sam. 7:12-29). Matthew employs the rabbinic literary device of gematria' (v. 17), which assigns to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet a numerical value (e.g., aleph = 1, beth = 2, etc.). Each epoch in Israel's history contains 14 names by including David in both the first and second ancestral lists, i.e., (1) Abraham - David; (2) David-Josiah; (3) Jeconiah-Jesus. This could be a device for remembering the genealogical lists or it could be derived from the Jewish sacred number seven (7 x 2 = 14), 14 being a symbol of completeness. The legal rather than the biological descent of Jesus is traced from David to Joseph in the Gospel of Matthew. 2 / 9
Luke's genealogy reflects Jesus' relation to all men and traces His ancestral descent from Adam, a point of interest for Greek or Hellenistic readers. Matthew traces His royal descent in fulfillment of messianic hopes, the concern of the Jew. By mentioning the five women - Tamar the Canaanite, Rahab of Jericho, Ruth the Moabitess; Bathsheba (who is not actually named, v. 6), and Mary - Matthew does a most unusual thing, and shows that the Son of David has come to bring blessings to all who respond with the faith of Abraham. These five may be included to represent a faith-righteousness as opposed to a works-righteousness, since women, especially Gentile women, were not usually included in Jewish genealogies." B. The Announcement to Joseph of Jesus' Birth (1:18-25) 1. Betrothed - Matthew used "betrothed", "husband" and alludes to divorce all in the space of two verses. What is unclear to us would have been very clear to a Jewish reader. Traditional marriages had three stages: a) engagement - often an engagement was arranged while the principles were still children, b) betrothal - upon ratification of the engagement by all parties, the betrothal was absolutely binding and lasted one year, c) marriage - a ceremony taking place at the end of the one year betrothal. 3 / 9
2. Betrayed - Thinking that Mary had been unfaithful to him, Joseph endeavored to terminate their relationship. Betrothal could only be ended by divorce, publicly in the presence of three rabbis if contested, or privately, in the presence of two witnesses, if uncontested. 3. Birthed - Jesus' virgin birth is the affirmation from God that His Son is divine. Matthew's gospel is very careful to emphasize that Jesus had no earthly father. a. vs. 16 - Notice that the "begots" end and that Joseph is simply described as the husband of Mary, not the father of Jesus. b. vs. 18 - The Child is described as "of the Holy Spirit." c. vs. 20 - What has been hinted at is made clear by the angel, "for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. " d. vs. 23 - "Behold, the virgin shall conceive..." - Isaiah's choice of wording was specific as was Matthew's. In both cases, the Holy Spirit led them to use a specific word meaning virgin or chaste. Believer's Study Bible, p. 1332 : 1:18-25 "In the birth narratives (12:18-2:23; Luke 1:26-2:40), Matthew and Luke affirm the virgin conception (1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38) as the fact and mode of the incarnation. A rejection of the virgin birth usually proceeds from or ends in the rejection of the supernatural 4 / 9
view of Christ and the Bible. The importance of the mode would seem to be evident in the doctrine of the atonement. To make atonement for the sin of man, Jesus had to be human. To have the authority to forgive sin and the ability to live sinlessly, He had to be God. The virgin conception is the way through which God accomplished this combination in one Person - Jesus Christ." 4. Benefactor (21, 23) a. Jesus - "Jehovah Saves" b. Immanuel - "God with Us" III. The Search for the Messiah (2:1-23) A. The Visit of the Magi (2:1-12) 1. Wise Men (1) - We don't know how many magi came to Jerusalem although tradition holds to three because of the three gifts. We can learn by their example: a. Faith - Hebrew religious leaders had centuries of prophecy pointing the way to the Messiah; these magi only had a star to follow. b. Sacrifice - Their journey would probably have been from Persia, a trip that was both costly and dangerous. 5 / 9
c. Generosity - Their gifts (11) were fit for a king. Their worship of Jesus in verse 11 would identify them as the first gentile followers of our Lord. 2. Herod the King (3) Herod was appointed procurator of Judea in 47 B.C. Upon the death of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavius advised the senate to declare him "King of the Jews." He was known for his grand building plans which included the temple and his shrewd and ruthless political intrigue that involved assassination of his own sons. A foreign delegation searching for another "King of the Jews" would certainly trouble Herod; and, if Herod was troubled, all Jerusalem would be troubled! 3. Bethlehem (5-6) There was no question among the chief priests and scribes that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Jesus' virgin birth and birth in Bethlehem were two of the twelve Old Testament prophecies that Matthew cites as being fulfilled in the life of Jesus (1:23, 2:15, 23; 3:15; 4:14; 5:17; 8:17; 12:17; 13:14, 35; 21:4; 27:9). 4. The Star (2, 9-10) Attempts have been made to link this heavenly phenomena with a conjunction of planets, nova, or known star. Because it went away and reappeared, the star seems to be a supernatural rather than a natural appearance. (Numbers 24:17) 5. The Gifts (11) Notice that they come into a "house" rather than a stable. Som e time has elapsed since Jesus' birth perhaps as much as two years (16). Gold would remind us of Jesus' royalty, frankincense of His priestly office and myrrh of his impending death. In Isaiah 60:6, those bringing gifts to the future Lord of Zion bring gold and frankincense, but no myrrh. 6 / 9
B. The Flight to Egypt (2:13-15) Believer's Study Bible, 1335: 2:15 "Some suggest that, by employing Hos. 11:1 in this verse and Jer. 31:15 in vv. 17, 18, Matthew implies that Jesus recapitulates the history of Israel. The passage from Hosea, which follows the flight into Egypt, recalls the Exodus. Under this view, Matthew sees in the personal experiences of Jesus a summary of the experience of His people. He is afflicted with their affliction (Is. 63:9) and repeats their religious experience of the Exodus from Egypt. As Egypt had been a refuge for God's people (Gen. 12:10; 46:3, 4; 1 Kin. 11:40), so now it offers asylum for the Lord's Anointed. Hosea saw in the Exodus both the liberation and election of the chosen people (cf. Ex. 4:22). Matthew uses Hosea to stress that Jesus is the liberating Messiah and Son of God, whose birth and infancy are guided by God's providence as was Israel's history." C. The Massacre of Bethlehem's Babies (2:16-18) Matthew's gospel views this tragic incident in light of God's plan of deliverance. The quotation of verse 18 is from Jeremiah 31:15 concerning the Exile; just a few verses later (Jer. 31:31-34) the New Covenant is introduced. D. The Return to Israel and the Home in Nazareth (2:19-23) There's no single reference in prophecy to Jesus being a Nazarene. (cf. John 1:45-46) Believer's Study Bible, p. 1336: 2:23 "... Although they used a different word, other prophets also spoke of the Messiah in terms of the 7 / 9
"branch" (Jer. 23:5; Zech. 3:8, 6:12), and Matthew could legitimately say that this prediction was "spoken by the prophets" (vv. 6, 15). Hence, the residence in Nazareth was in fulfillment of a general position held by the prophets as a body. To the author, every stage of the life and work of Jesus, including the residence in Nazareth, is directed by God and fulfills His purpose and promise." Application 1. Jesus' genealogy confirms His royal descent and prophetic fulfillment. 2. Jesus' miraculous birth confirms His unique nature as all God/all man. 3. Jesus' flight to Egypt reminds us of Satan's opposition. (Revelation 12:4-6) Adult Leader Pack: Item 6: Poster: The Giver; Item 7: Handout: The Gift Illustrator: pg. 15: "Of Marrying Age" Notes: **You may access David's Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: www.hfbcbiblestudy.org; Dates: 2011: 12/17 - Candy Cane Lane; 12/22-23 - Christmas Holidays - church offices closed; 12/24 - Christmas Eve Services @ 2, 4 & 6:00 pm; 12/25 - Christ mas Day - 1 svc. 10:30 a.m., no LBS ; 8 / 9
12/30 - College Ski Trip; 12/31 - New Year's Eve Party - Summit; 1/1 - New Year's Day - 1 svc. 10:30 a.m., no LBS; 1/2 - New Year's Holiday, church offices closed; 1/8 - Fitness Launch; 1/8 - Lord's Supper in all services; 1/13 - Summit Celebrates; 1/13-14 - As We Go Missions Conf.; 1/10-29 - Giving Life Away Emphasis; 1/20-21 - Living Proof Siesta Event; 1/27 - Midnight Madness. 9 / 9