Have you ever been told to “just have faith”? That phrase is meant to be encouraging or comforting, but really it’s such an open statement it usually leaves us with more questions. What, or who exactly do we have faith in? And is this person or thing I’m putting my faith in trustworthy, faithful, steady, or sure? Let’s say I have faith in one who is trustworthy, faithful, and sure – what then? How would that affect or influence the way I live my life?
For example, if we have high faith in our public institutions, then we would go about with peace of mind knowing that they are taking care of things. Or if we are doing a group project or group assignment with someone notorious for being careless or inconsistent, we’d have low faith that they’ll do the job well; we would possibly be filled with anxiety about the outcome of the project, or perhaps work extra hard to make up for their shortcomings.
In this study of the book of Matthew, we’ll see how faith looks like in God’s kingdom. What do we put our faith in? Is it sure? And how does that influence how we live today?
Matthew, one of the four gospels, targets a primarily Jewish audience that would have known the history of Israel and the Old Testament. Last week, we read about the Old Testament context to Matthew. God raised up a people and nation for Himself as His missional people in the world for redemption, but Israel has been in a repetitious cycle of redemption, rebellion, testing, and rescue. The people meant to proclaim rescue themselves continually need rescue, and God says there will come one promised Shepherd King, from the royal line of David, to once for all save His people and shepherd their hearts. There is longing and anticipation for Him, the fulfilment of God’s promises.
As we traced the genealogy of Jesus, we see the line of fathers who failed to teach their children faithfully, and mothers of controversy and scandal. The inclusion of all these in the genealogy speaks of God’s grace, and the hope that God will be gracious to the unfaithful as He fulfils His promises. So amidst the waiting, God’s people struggled to wait. But in the fulness of time, God vindicates his people by fulfilling His promise to save. We are to wait well for the Kingdom of God, for God will vindicate his people.
While the previous study was like a flyover view of Old Testament events that created longing and anticipation for the Davidic Shepherd King, this passage zooms in on the particular circumstances of Christ’s birth and highlights the faith of His father, Joseph. We will see how kingdom faith trusts God’s promises to save and is demonstrated in obedience despite risk to ourselves.
(A) Announcement of a Saviour; Promises Revealed and Fulfilled (Matt 1:18-23)
Matthew begins this section with this introduction: “Now, the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way” (Matt 1:18a). This helps us to see how events in this passage will focus on the person of Jesus Christ, and how he was born. Yet, because Jesus is not yet born, the main characters in this narrative are his parents and especially his father, Joseph. Note that Matthew does not record for us Mary’s account, and that is found in the gospel of Luke. As we read this passage, we must keep in mind that Matthew is ultimately narrating the events of Jesus’ birth so that we can know more about this Jesus. As we read we should constantly ask ourselves what the passage tells us or reveals about Jesus, who he is, what he will do.
But, how does this section link to the previous section? After explaining Jesus’ lineage and pointing us to Jesus’ identity as an heir to God’s covenant promises to Abraham (c.f. Gen 12:1-3) and to David (c.f. 2 Sam 7:8-17), Matthew has set up a great expectation for the coming of this Jesus Christ. While the genealogy sets up Jesus’ heritage, this birth narrative gives us Jesus’ biographical origin. Jesus’ birth was rife with controversy from man’s perspective, yet from God’s perspective, His sovereign hand was at work to achieve His purposes. This factual account also makes it seem less like a made up story.
We read that Mary, mother of Jesus, was betrothed to Joseph, i.e. they were due to be married but were not yet married. However, before they came together she was pregnant (Matt 1:18b). Matthew explicitly tells us that there were no sexual relations between the couple, thus, they were a law-abiding Jewish couple. Yet Mary had become pregnant by some other means. “Found to be with child” in Matthew 1:18 suggests that this was Joseph’s unpleasant shock discovery.
Matthew also indicates clearly that Mary was with child from the Holy Spirit. This is highly unusual. As this account was written after the fact, Matthew’s readers are being told what had happened based on Matthew’s own research, likely taught by Joseph and Mary themselves in the early church. She alone would have been this clear that Jesus was virgin-born and that she had had no relations with Joseph. Luke’s Gospel tells us the corresponding information - Mary had received a message from an angel, telling her that she would conceive from the Holy Spirit (c.f. Luke 1:25). While we have heard of the dead or barren wombs bringing forth life (Sarah, Rachel, Hannah) never before (and never after) has God performed such a miracle, to have a woman conceive without sexual relations with a man. Only His miracle birth is “without human beginning”.
In the 20th century, the doctrine of the virgin birth was particularly controversial and many liberal theologians have tried to say that as science views this as impossible, it couldn’t have happened. However, we remember that the God who makes miracles happen can do anything, and that the God who works miracles did this. This doctrine is essential and He needed to have been born of the Holy Spirit.
What was Joseph about to do, and why? Because of these unusual circumstances (probably that Joseph himself could not believe) Joseph was about to “quietly divorce” Mary (Matt 1:19). This tells us a few things. Firstly, Joseph did not believe in the virgin birth either. He believed (logically) that she must have committed adultery before they got married. How else could she get pregnant? Joseph’s hesitance, honestly, is only natural in response to the impossible. We aren’t told whether Joseph was aware of the angel’s message to Mary but it would appear that he did not. But even if she had told him, he probably wouldn’t have believed her!
At the same time, Joseph’s response was a thoughtful, loving, gentle, and merciful response. Joseph was facing a huge betrayal of trust, yet there is no mention of anger or rage, but resolution, mercy, and graciousness. Notice also that he “considered these things” – which means he did not act impulsively or carried on his emotions but thought sensibly about his options and how they would impact Mary. There’s real anger and hurt when trust is broken, yet Joseph is doing a merciful thing here, even thinking of Mary’s well-being.
God’s civil Law in Deuteronomy 22:23-24) required that a betrothed woman caught in adultery be put to death by stoning in a public arena. Yet Joseph was a just man, a righteous man, and was unwilling to put Mary to shame because he knew she would have lost her life. He could have called for her to be put to trial, and stoned in public for adultery. But he chose not to, and instead wanted to protect her dignity and her life.
What should we do with these words? Do we find this part familiar and then just skip over it? How many of us read Matthew 1:18b quickly, skipping it to move on with the story? It may be easy for us who are familiar with this story to gloss over this portion, yet, many who have never heard of Christianity would quickly balk at this idea. How could a woman get pregnant while being a virgin, without having had sex? It’s against natural logic.
Have we become de-sensitised to the miraculous and wondrous nature of the birth of Jesus, the Christ? Are we too familiar with God to believe in the supernatural? Sometimes, when we get too familiar with something, we lose our sense of wonder. God starts to become small in our eyes. The virgin birth calls us to slow down, put aside time, and read closely, meditate deeply, and ask if we have become too presumptuous, too small minded to say that it’s not possible for God to work in miraculous ways. If God did not send us a miraculous Savior born of a virgin, then how do we trust His miraculous work to save and work in us?
A second application point to consider: the godly character of Joseph, a just man, should also call us to grow in godly character. Micah 6:8 says “he has told you O man what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” Are we gentle and merciful in response with those who hurt us as Joseph may have been hurt by Mary? Would you be just even if it tarnishes your reputation? Are you in such a situation today where someone has “wronged” you, or you’re in a position to really wreck someone’s life. What does Matthew say godly justice that pleases God looks like?
Joseph’s godly character and act of mercy points us to God’s greater act of mercy. Despite having been created by Him and for him, we constantly rebel and turn from Him, and break our marriage covenant with our God. Yet, he deals with us with mercy and saves us unto himself.
In Matthew 1:20-23, we read of how an angel of the Lord then speaks to Joseph. Firstly, let’s consider the timing of this angel’s appearance. In Matthew 1:20a, we are told that the angel appeared in a dream “as he considered these things”. The timing of the angel’s coming was perfect — not before Joseph found out, but after; not after he acted, but before. In other words, God was intervening in the specific sequence of events to save Mary’s life (since she could have been stoned), to save the baby’s life, and to save Joseph’s marriage. It also ensured that Jesus would be born of the right line. God did not reveal the context to Mary’s pregnancy too early to spare him the heartache. What a lesson for us to learn that God allows us to struggle for our good! And this has been Recorded for our benefit so we could see the faith working out in Joseph’s life.
Next, we also learn of Joseph’s family line. We are told that he is a “son of David” (Matt 1:20b). This is a reference to a distant ancestor — the King David in Israel’s history— instead of his father, Jacob. This would have called to mind and signalled to Joseph, and to the reader, that the angel is pointing to the Davidic Covenant (c.f. 2 Sam 7:8-17) of his ancestry. God was fulfilling ancient promises to David’s family.
Joseph was also given clarifying information in Matthew 1:20b. He was told not to fear and given assurance. This means that he was likely afraid, anxious or worried about whether to marry Mary. This is one of 365 times the Bible says not to fear. Joseph was also given the reason not to fear: that Mary had conceived from the Holy Spirit. She did not commit adultery, and it was a miracle or sign from God. What he initially assumed to be a terrible thing was actually a wonderful thing!
This reassurance not to fear was also likely directed to fear of the repercussions, or what those around him might think. By choosing to marry Mary, he would also have to bear the penalty of being married to a pregnant mother, a virgin he has not known, and whom others will assume he has laid with before marriage.
The angel also gives Joseph details about this baby and His purpose. Joseph was commanded to call his name “Jesus”, which means “The LORD (Yahweh) saves”, similar to Josehua or Yeshua (Matt 1:21). Jesus had a specific purpose — to be a saviour of his people. What does Jesus save his people from? Jesus saves his people from their sins. Not from Rome (as many were expecting and hoping), but from their deep rebellion and enmity against God, and the consequences of that rebellion – God’s wrath. What a stark contrast to the failures in the genealogy! Joseph would not have been thinking immediately about this greatness and also the failures in his history. Jesus’ ancestors needed to be saved, and He would be doing this long-awaited saving.
This is a good reminder for us. Many look to Jesus for salvation from different things: from poverty? From shame? From loneliness and other felt needs? While God knows we need all these basic things, our deepest need is a Saviour who will deliver us from our sins. That’s our biggest problem, your biggest problem. Because we cannot save ourselves.
What are you looking to Jesus to save you from?
Matthew also tells us how to understand the angel’s announcement in Matthew 1:22. Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah and informs his readers of who this Saviour Jesus is going to be. Ultimately, He is going to be the virgin-born “Immanuel” God with us, God dwelling with his people, just like God dwelt with Israel at the tabernacle, at the temple, when God’s glory and presence came and lived permanently among the community of God’s people. Then, the glory was not permanent, both on the mountain and also the temple. God’s glory did leave the temple. By quoting Isaiah, Matthew was saying that that the events of Jesus’ virgin born birth were long foretold, and that Jesus’ life fulfilled Isaiah’s ancient prophecies. In Jesus promises made are kept. This is a continuing theme that will run throughout the Gospel of Matthew.
Why is it important for the readers to know this? It had been 400 years since God’s last revelation – by the prophet Malachi. By fulfilling a prophetic word that it will be a virgin birth that conceives and bears the son, Matthew proves the identity and authority of Jesus as God’s promised Christ.
This points us to all the promises that Jesus will fulfil. None of the events of His life, not even His birth, were conceived late in the game as Plan B. Isaiah prophesied some of these facts more than 400 years before Christ’s birth. As early as Genesis 3, we’ve seen how the work of Jesus was foreshadowed when God cursed the serpent and put enmity between the offspring of man and the offspring of the serpent, and how He will crush the serpent’s head finally. The offspring of the woman, the virgin born Savior will achieve all this and God will finally come and be with us.
In the previous study, we saw that throughout Israel’s history Israel had awaited a promised Saviour, who would free God’s people from the cycle of constant rebellion and shepherd them. Matthew points to Him, here! In Him all our hopes and expectations are fulfilled. This is where our faith shall rest. Put your faith in this one, in this saviour. As the old carol goes, “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus; born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.”
Why is it important for us today? We’ve seen the announcement of a Savior as promises made and kept. What kind of God makes and keeps these ancient promises to do good to His people? We may be impatient with how God seems to keep His Word, and we may even question it. It is not for us to question the wisdom of God in this matter, whether it be earlier or later. Instead, we are told that this happened at the right time (Gal 4:4), not one minute earlier or later.
Have you considered how precious it is, that from ancient days, God had an eternal plan of redemption. Everything in His hands. As we look at His Son’s incarnation, dwelling amongst men, we should grow to trust the purposes of a faithful God.
Look at His plan: That Jesus, Son of God would come from heaven to earth, and live amongst us. Since Being in the flesh, He would know our weaknesses and our sufferings, that he might fully represent us before God. Truly God and truly Man. And that he would save his people from their sins, ultimately by offering himself on the cross for us. Friends, God knows what He is doing in your life and mine. He knows what He is doing in salvation.
(B) Arrival of the Newborn King; Promises Believed and Obeyed (Matt 1:24-25)
How did Joseph respond? Matthew 1:24-25 tells us that Joseph obeyed and did what was commanded. He: (i) woke, (ii) took his wife, (iii) knew her not until her birth and (iv) called his name Jesus. These acts result in Mary giving birth to Jesus as a virgin without incident. In this culture, Joseph’s obedience. allows Jesus’ life to be saved, Mary’s too, and the family of Jesus is intact.
In fact, the text seems to convey an immediacy (“when Joseph woke from sleep”) and completeness (“did as the angel of the Lord commanded him”). He obeyed immediately and completely by taking her as his wife, and named the child Jesus. He also exhibited self-control with no compromise by not having sexual relations with her until their son was born, which would have raised further questions about Jesus’ paternity. As above, only Joseph and Mary would have known this fact and conveyed it to Matthew in the early church. This too turns out for God’s glory. Is our obedience to God’s Word immediate, complete, and without compromise?
What was the order of things in Joseph’s response? First, came the Word, then came Joseph’s faith, then his obedience. God’s revelation to us through His word tells us of what He has done and what He is doing or will do.
How is Joseph’s response instructive for us as Christians? We can learn lessons about Christian obedience. Joseph had a God-given mind and would have tried to reason things out. Before Joseph was given the message by the angel, he could not see how Mary was pregnant other than possibly infidelity. So he wanted to proceed with a divorce. But God’s Word changed his mind, and he acted differently as a result. Obedience led to an actual action on his part as he proceeded to be married to Mary and father to Jesus.
While we don’t have angels coming to speak directly with us, we do have God’s revealed word, also given to us via divine inspiration (c.f. 2 Pet 1:20-21). There is vast treasure in God’s word, which is more precious than gold (c.f. Ps 19:7-11), with instruction for many important areas of our lives — for parenting, work, marriage, relating to older men and women in church etc. Do we give attention to God’s Word? Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says it it should be God’s Word on our heart, everywhere we go? Where there are God’s commands, as difficult and controversial as they may seem, we are to have faith in God’s word, trust God’s good plans and obey Him! Do we meditate, hold on to, and obey God’s word? What do we do when His word runs against the grain of culture? Do we obey Him even if it may cost us something in the world?
And God is gracious. He will never call us to do what He Himself has not done. Like His earthly father’s faith and obedience, the Lord Jesus Himself knows what it means to be trust God’s promises by faith and obey. Hebrews 12 tells us that Jesus is the founder and perfecter of our faith – all we believe and all that we need to make our belief complete and full is in Him. And why? Because Philippians 2:8 tells us that He Himself knows what it means to obey: “being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”.
This section in Matthew shows us what Kingdom faith looks like. Kingdom faith trusts in God’s promises to save; His promises, revealed to us in His ancient Word, have come to pass and have shown God to be true and faithful; with the knowledge that God’s word is sure, we can live in faithful obedience to Him, no matter the risk.
Have you become too familiar with God that you have made Him small in your eyes? What truths from His Word can you meditate on to regain your wonder of God? What is God speaking to you today about faith and obedience, and how has His word encouraged you to put your faith in God?