Galatians 4:4-8 when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Everything was foretold and in the perfect timing of God, Jesus the Christ was born. Born of the Virgin Mary he was born incarnate without an earthly father. He was the only begotten Son of God conceived of Holy Spirit. All man and all God.
John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
All things were made by Him and in Him resides the light of mankind. The Word was made flesh and born of a woman and dwelt among humans. Peter, James and John saw Jesus transformed as the person of the Godhead in the transfiguration. They beheld His glory.
Matthew 1:20-23 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Luke 1:77–79 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The holy person of the Godhead, Jesus, would come to His chosen people as their redeemer King BUT through the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant He would be a blessing offered to the whole world. God with us became our hope of glory. Carla
Conceived of the Holy Spirit establishes Jesus as a legal son of Joseph; verses 18–25 deny that Joseph was Jesus’ physical father. The first was necessary to establish Jesus’ lineage to David and His royal right to be King. The second was necessary to establish His qualifications to be the Savior of all people: Jesus was God’s Son and not merely Joseph’s. Matthew elaborated on Jesus’ kingship while Luke detailed His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26–56).
Behold … Immanuel: This is a quotation from Isaiah 7:14. In this verse, the prophet Isaiah consoles King Ahaz of Judah. A coalition of two kings, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel, was opposing Ahaz. Isaiah tells Ahaz not to fear, for the plans of his enemies would not succeed. Even though uncertainty surrounds how this prophecy was fulfilled during Isaiah’s lifetime, 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. NKJV Study Bible
Angelic visitation and dreams are a common means of supernatural revelation in the sacred literature of this time. In Matthew 27:19, Pilate’s wife urges him to not be involved in Jesus’ sentencing because of a dream she experienced the night before.
A father was responsible for naming his son at the time of his circumcision (eight days after birth). The angel’s words implicitly command that Joseph accept his role as father of the child.
In antiquity, names were often thought to be emblematic of the character or calling of the individual. From the Hebrew name yeshua', which means “Yahweh saves.” He will save His people announces more than a royal or political Messiah. Jesus saves, even from sin (Isaiah 53:12). This declaration—which reflects the meaning of Jesus’ name—is programmatic for Matthew’s Gospel. The remainder of the narrative justifies this statement, culminating in the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. The salvation of which the angel spoke differed vastly from Jewish expectations of the Messiah; Jesus brought forgiveness of sins, not expulsion of the occupying Roman army or political-religious restoration.
Matthew often interprets events in Jesus’ life in terms of prophecies from the Old Testament; this is the first instance of this type of interpretation. “Would be fulfilled” in 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 (or Old Testament).
Matthew appropriates this prophecy and applies it to the virgin birth of Jesus.
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. Faithlife Study Bible
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Luke 1:31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
Acts 5:31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
Luke 2:11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
“Like the ancient prophets, we are dispatched back to the good work entrusted to us. It is the work of peace-making. It is the work of truth-telling. It is the work of justice-doing. It is good work, but it requires our resolve to stay it, even in the face of the forces to the contrary that are sure to prevail for a season.” Thank you, Walter Brueggemann.
This past week (on June 5th), one of my theological heroes—I was introduced to his writing back in my seminary days—joined the great cloud of witnesses alongside other departed heroes who made our world a place where grace and justice and healing are real. Walter Brueggemann was 92, continuing to write and teach until the end of his life.
And speaking of heroes, Brueggemann’s life and work reminds me of Andrew Young’s take on another of my heroes, John Lewis. It fits both men. “He didn't convince you by his arguments. He convinced you by his life… He believed what we talk about, and he lived it every day of his life. And he didn't have a violent streak in his body. And he was always forgiving, always loving, always understanding. And he never made you feel guilty. But he made you feel responsible.”
Yes. And here's the bottom line: This isn’t about a seminary class. Or correct answers on a theological test questionnaire. It’s about the fuel—yes, the fire—that burns inside, and motivates behavior and choices that change our world for the better.
It is about people willing to stand up for other people, no matter what it costs them. Sabbath Moments
“I had a choice: I could either let the darkness of the world swallow me, or I could do what I could to help make the world a little bit brighter.” Haruki Murakami
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