Christ the Saviour is Born – Matthew 1:18-25

Christmas service 2018. Many are confused as to who Jesus Christ is and why He came? This passage of Scripture, outlining the Christmas story, reveals the answers to both of those questions. It reveals who Christ is and why He came that first Christmas.

Many are confused as to who Jesus Christ is and why He came?

This passage of Scripture, outlining the Christmas story, reveals the answers to both of those questions. It reveals who Christ is and why He came that first Christmas. We will now observe three truths about Christ in this passage:

The Conception of Christ (Vs. 18-20)

The conception of Christ was…

Supernatural – conceived of the Holy Ghost

1. Vs. 18 “…she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”
2. Vs. 20 “…that which is conceived in here is of the Holy Ghost.”
3. Luke 1:26-38 – Vs. 35 “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
4. The account leaves us in no doubt that Joseph was not the father of Christ.
   1. Vs. 18 “before they came together”
   2. Vs. 25 “And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son…” This means that while Joseph took Mary as his wife, they did not enter into the one flesh union as husband and wife until after Christ was born. The Holy Spirit includes this detail for a reason, jealously guarding the truth of the virgin birth of the Son.

Significant – conceived without sin

1. Sin is passed down in the human race through the man: Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
2. Christ was miraculously conceived without the aid of a human father. This means He did not inherit the sin nature that has been passed down from Adam.
3. A baby in the womb does not receive blood from the mother, therefore Christ did not inherit a sinful blood line from Mary. Babies have neither of their parents’ blood but make their own blood from their own bone marrow cells.
4. The Bible repeatedly declares the sinless character of Christ:
   1. Heb 4:15 – “…in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
   2. Heb 7:26 – “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.”
   3. I. Peter 1:19 – “…a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
   4. Christ could boldly challenge the Pharisees with the question, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” John 8:46.
   5. Pilate, a man skilled in the art of Roman interrogation had to admit, “…I find in him no fault at all.” Jn. 18:38
   6. The repentant thief’s testimony was, “…this man has done nothing amiss.” Luke 23:41
   7. I. John 3:5 – “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

The Mission of Christ (Vs. 21)

The Name of Christ reveals the purpose for which He came. He came to be…

Our Saviour

1. Equivalent to O.T. name ‘Joshua’ meaning “Jehovah helps/saves.”
2. Jesus = Saviour
3. 1 Timothy 1:15 – “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
4. Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
5. Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matt. 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32)
6. If Christ came to this world for sinners, then He came for me and you!

Our Sin-bearer

1. ‘for’ = explains the reason why Messiah’s Name was to be Jesus (Saviour)
2. “He shall save his people from their sins” = Christ came to save us from our sins. What is sin? Sin according to 1 John 3:4 is “…the transgression of the law.” The law, the 10 commandments, is God’s mirror that reveals to us just how sinful we are. We have all sinned by lying, lusting, blaspheming, stealing, coveting etc…
   1. Ecc. 7:20 “For there is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not.”
   2. Rom. 3:10-18 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…”
   3. Rom. 3:23 “For all have sinned…”
   4. Rom. 5:12 “Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world…”
3. If we could save ourselves (e.g. good works), or be saved by someone else in this world (e.g. church, religion or priest) then Christ would not have come. Christ came because He ALONE has the power to save us from sin and hell. See Eph. 2:8-9 & Titus 3:5
   1. 1 Tim. 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator, between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”
   2. Rom. 5:8 “But God commendeth his love…”
   3. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world…”
   4. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Moreover, brethren I declare unto you the gospel…how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures: And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures:”

The Prediction of Christ (Vs. 22-23)

The Source of the Prophecy (Vs. 22)

1. The prophecy quotes is from Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sing; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
2. Isaiah was written approx. 745-680 B.C.
3. It has been well said that “prophecy is history written in advance”

The Specifics of the Prophecy (Vs. 23)

There are two main things mentioned in this prophecy:

1. The virgin birth – “behold a virgin shall be with child”
2. The Name of Messiah – “Emmanuel”
   1. Clear reference to Christ’s Deity. Jesus Christ is God!
   2. 1 Timothy 3:16 “…God was manifest in the flesh…”
   3. Colossians 1:15 “Who is the image of the invisible God…”
   4. Hebrews 1:3 “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person…”
   5. Hebrews 1:8 “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever…”
   6. John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
   7. John 8:24 “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

Conclusion

As mentioned at the beginning of the message, this passage reveals who Christ is and why He came that first Christmas

1. Jesus Christ is the virgin born, Son of God. He is God manifest in the flesh, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father (Phil. 2:6)
2. Jesus Christ was born to die! He was laid in a manger so that He might later lay His life down on the cross for our sins. He came to save us.
3. Challenge: Will you receive Christ as your personal Saviour this Christmas? John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (Rom. 10:9-10)

Sermon Audio Id: 122318427443450