Matthew 1:24–25

And the Word of God was conceived of  Holy Spirit and made flesh and came to dwell among men. Through Him all things were made and salvation was born.

Micah 5:2 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, 

Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of you shall come forth to Me

The One to be Ruler in Israel,

Whose goings forth are from of old,

From everlasting.”

Doing can not save us, Jesus can. Grace, the pure grace of God made flesh.

Luke 4:18-19

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”The New King James Version 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise of eternal life in heaven through Jesus' death on the cross. Give me an eternal perspective, and help me see the places in my life where I am more focused on this world than Your Kingdom. I want to be a disciple who honors You with my life. In Jesus' name, amen. First5 

O Come into the quiet,
and enter into rest.
A banquet is prepared for you,
A full and wholeness blessed.
Come drink the wine of being,
And let the rivers flow,
Awakening the glory,
Of heaven in your soul.
Bob Holmes
Contemplative Monk

Matthew 1:24–25

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. The New King James Version

The Greek word used here, parthenos, reflects the Septuagint (ancient Greek translation of the old testament) version of Isaiah 7:14, which Matthew drew from when quoting the Hebrew Bible. 

Matthew appropriates this prophecy and applies it to the virgin birth of Jesus. However, women of marriageable age in ancient patriarchal culture like Matthew’s were expected to be virgins. “The Virgin Shall Conceive” Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, which says that the child’s name will be Immanuel (meaning “God with us”). While in the original context of Isaiah, this is a prophecy about a child born during the reign of King Ahaz of Judah, Matthew sees this prophecy as finding its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. 

The book of Isaiah as a whole connects Immanuel with the Messiah figure from David’s line and by extension the Suffering Servant. Like the Messiah in Isaiah’s portrayal over 500 years earlier, Jesus comes from David’s line as God’s anointed one and then suffers and dies on behalf of humanity—to save people from their sins. He is also prophesied as being resurrected. 

Matthew is careful to indicate that no human father had any role in Jesus’ conception. The date of Jesus’ birth is approximately 5 bc, based on aligning it with the reign of Herod the Great. Faithlife Study Bible

Matthew makes it clear that Isaiah’s words find their ultimate fulfillment in the virgin birth of Jesus, a sign to people of all ages that God was with them. 

Joseph did not know Mary physically until she gave birth to Jesus. The clear implication of this verse is that Mary was a virgin only until the birth of Jesus. The brothers and sisters of Jesus were probably younger siblings born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus’ birth. Joseph could not have had children by a previous marriage, as some suppose, for then Jesus would not have been heir to the Davidic throne as the oldest son of Joseph. The NKJV Study Bible

Exodus 13:2 “Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Luke 2:1–7

2 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. The New King James Version

Augustus Born Gaius Octavius in September of 63 bc, the Roman senate gave him the name “Augustus” in 27 bc to honor his defeat and annexation of Egypt. Formerly one of three co-rulers, Augustus gained sole control of the empire and reigned from 27 bc to ad 14. Although harsh and unrelenting, he was a master administrator who restored order to the empire after two decades of civil war. He was responsible for ushering in Rome’s Golden Age—an era known as Pax Romana or Pax Augusta (meaning “Roman Peace” or “Augustus’ Peace”), which lasted for roughly 250 years.

After narrating John’s birth, Luke relates the birth of Jesus. In this section, he explains how Jesus came to be born in Bethlehem. 

Known censuses in proximity to Caesar Augustus’ reign (27 bc–ad 14) occurred around 28 bc, 8 bc, and ad 14. Given the size of the Roman Empire, the task of registering its people would have taken years; consequently, Luke could be pointing to the census of 8 bc. Based on the reference to Quirinius, this would place Jesus’ birth around 6–4 bc. Quirinius was a legate or emissary of Augustus Caesar. He served in this capacity ad 6–9, and conducted a census in about ad 6. However, he may have served on two separate occasions. A possible term in 6–4 bc would align with a potential date for Jesus’ birth

Joseph must travel to his ancestral city for the census. Since he is a descendant of King David, he travels to David’s hometown of Bethlehem. A Roman census normally did not require people to travel to their ancestral town. Censuses served the purpose of registering people for military service or taxation, and it is possible that Joseph owned land in Bethlehem on which he paid taxes.

Yahweh had consecrated Israel’s firstborn children. 

Wrapping or swaddling provides warmth, comfort, and security to newborn infants (and is still practiced today). A trough out of which animals were fed. This may imply that they were in a barn of some sort, but a house is a stronger possibility; animals were often kept indoors at night in the house’s lower level. The Greek text here (at the end of this verse) uses the term katalyma in reference to a guest room. Faithlife Study Bible

The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 90 miles, at least a three-day trip. The fact that Mary made the journey with Joseph suggests that they were already married. However, the marriage had not yet been consummated.

Firstborn Son implies that Mary had other children. Jesus was probably born in a stable or in a cave that served as one. The NKJV Study Bible

1 Samuel 16:1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”