The Coming Kingdom: Matthew 1.18-25 (2)
Pray Psalm 105.1-7.
Oh, give thanks to the LORD!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth…
Sing Psalm 105.1-5.
(Warrington: Give to Our God Immortal Praise)
Give thanks unto the LORD Most High; call on His Name, before Him cry!
Make known His deeds in every land; sing praise for all the works of His hand.
Glory in God, rejoice in heart, all you who seek His holy part.
Him and His strength and Presence seek; His works proclaim, His judgments speak.
Read Matthew 1.18-25; meditate on verse 21.
Why does the name, Jesus, fit Mary’s Child so well?
Preparation
1. How did Joseph learn about the birth of Jesus?
2. What did Jesus come to do?
Meditation
God used an angel to communicate His will to Joseph, and this itself reminds us of how often God spoke to His Old Testament saints through an angel. The angel either confirmed what Mary may have told Joseph; or, more likely, this was the first time the truth of the situation was presented to him. We don’t know. What we do know is that the angel told Joseph the Holy Spirit would accomplish a work of conception in Mary. The angel would go no further than that. A Son was promised, and He was to be named Jesus, which means “salvation”. That’s all Joseph needed to know. He was a just man, and he was marrying a just woman.
Jesus Christ does not merely make salvation possible. He accomplishes salvation. Salvation is a done deal because of Jesus. As the Old Testament Jesus—Joshua (the names are the same)—led Israel into the land of promise, this Jesus would do the same by becoming the promises of God’s covenant and fulfilling everything necessary to accomplish salvation (2 Cor. 1.20).
But for whom? For His people, those whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, those who have been chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1.4). Those who receive Jesus as the Christ, the One Who fulfills God’s covenant, the Savior of the world. Those who repent of their sins, believe in the Good News, and claim Jesus as the Way into the Kingdom of everlasting glory.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
|God made sure that Mary and Joseph’s relationship and marriage was above the curse (Gen. 3.16). There was to be none of the “he said, she said” bickering between them. God sent His angel to give them both the same message, giving them absolutely nothing to quibble about.
To Joseph the angel said:
“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. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His Name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1.20, 21).
And to Mary the angel said:
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His Name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end…The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One Who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1.30-35).
To God’s people the Scripture says:
This JESUS, the Son of God, is the only way to God; for He will save His people from their sins.
“Nor is there salvation in any other,
for there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4.12).
God says to His people:
“Because he has set his love upon Me,
therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high,
because he has known My Name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him, and
show him My salvation” (Ps. 91.14-16).
By the death of JESUS.
Through the resurrection of JESUS.
Because of the grace and mercy of God.
It has all been made clear, there is nothing to quibble about—He came to save.
All have been told the very same message of Good News. Just like Joseph and Mary.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
there’s just something about that Name.
Master, Savior, Jesus,
like the fragrance after the rain.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
let all heaven and earth proclaim:
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
But there’s something about that Name.
(Bill & Gloria Gaither, 1970)
Reflect.
1. Why has Jesus saved you?
2. How can you know that Jesus has saved you?
3. How will others know that Jesus has saved you?
Jesus is the same name with Joshua. And the reason of that name is clear, for those whom Christ saves, he saves from their sins; from the guilt of sin by the merit of his death, and from the power of sin by the Spirit of his grace. In saving them from sin, he saves them from wrath and the curse, and all misery, here and hereafter. Christ came to save his people, not in their sins, but from their sins; and so to redeem them from among men, to himself, who is separate from sinners. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Matthew 1.20, 21
Pray Psalm 105.8-11, 44, 45.
Jesus delivers us into the promises of God. Give Him thanks and praise. Call on the Lord to help you realize more of His promises as you serve Him today.
Sing Psalm 105.8-11, 44, 45.
(Warrington: Give to Our God Immortal Praise)
He will His covenant faithfully guard—His oath, the promise of His Word.
That which He to our fathers swore, He will perform forevermore!
To them He granted the promised land, the portion of His gracious hand.
Though they were few, and wandered far, He kept them close within His heart.
So let us all in our Savior confide, and in His holy Law abide.
Let us observe His glorious Word, and praise our sovereign, faithful LORD!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast pushes on through our readings from Joy to Your World!. Our Crosfigell teaching letter continues its brief series on the early 6th-century Irish saint, Coemgen. The ReVision column finishes the study of Kingdom values and turns to consider how to grow the divine economy. Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
