The Firstborn Son - Pt 3

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:18-23 ESV). The Messiah was born just as God had promised. God made possible in His birth what was humanly impossible: our salvation. This was all according to His promise. Follow the generations of Christ in the Old Testament. He was sent out of the line of Abraham and David. He came. Our text tells us exactly how Jesus was born so that we might see the fulfillment of the promise of Messiah. The birth of Jesus was the one who has come to save His people from their sins. But, more importantly, it was the birth of Christ. That is the Greek word for the Hebrew name Messiah. The Messiah had been promised for centuries. His line can be traced clearly throughout the Scripture. And now He has come, just as God had promised He would. And our Savior, whose birth we celebrate this season, is strong to save. God has made our salvation possible in Him. Here is Immanuel: God with us! Can you imagine what Joseph and Mary must have felt? Can you for a moment put yourself in their place? I find that awfully difficult. If I could, I think it would cause me great sorrow. All the dreams and hopes of our children were not to apply to their firstborn. He was to grow to manhood despised and rejected by the people he came to help. He was born to die the most ignomious and painful death ever devised by man. All of this was to done for others. I have seen the following explanation of the birth of Jesus many times. The author is unknown. The message is timeless in the simple declaration of the truth of the Incarnation: If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior. This Christmas season let us each commit to celebrate the coming of Messiah!