There had been revelations in the past, but no word from God for 400 years. Malachi was the last prophet of the OT. No prophets received instruction. Had God forgotten his people? Had he forgotten his promises?
Then there are four appearances of angels first to Zechariah, then to Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. God had not forgotten. He spoke again. • Gabriel appeared to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist • Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus • An angel appeared to Joseph to explain the virgin birth and to name Jesus • One angel and then a multitude of angels appeared to shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus
Matthew 1:18-25 18. Mary was betrothed to Joseph – usually for a year, when the girl would stay with her own family, but the couple was legally committed. Second part of marriage was when the man took the woman into his home.
“she was found to be with child” on the outside, a reason for divorce Matthew does not explain more, just that this was “from the Holy Spirit”
20-21. An angel appeared to him in a dream and explained: • The virgin birth – the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit • That Joseph was to name the boy Jesus
The virgin birth: God did this. This was no act of man. You will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Jesus is from two Hebrew words: Ya, short for the name of God, Yahweh, and Hoshea which means “salvation.” “Yahweh saves.” God begot a son and a savior.
The Bible says much about the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus • When you believe in him, you have life in his name (Jn 20:31) • There is no other name whereby we can be saved (Acts 4:12) • Whatever we do, we do in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col 3:17) • God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:9-11)
There is no magic in the name of Jesus. The power in the name is the person behind the name. In biblical times, names meant something. They told others who you were and what purpose God had in your life. Adam was the first man. Eve was the mother of all living things. Abraham was the father of many nations. Benjamin was the son of his father’s right hand Moses was drawn from the water. Peter was the rock. Barnabas was the son of encouragement.
What about Jesus’ name? “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” He is more than a great teacher, more than an enlightened man, more than a worker of miracles, more than a political liberator, more than purpose for the purposeless. Jesus is the Savior of sinners.
22-23. All to fulfill what the Lord spoke by the prophet – God kept his promises. God has not forgotten his people. He has provided for us a Son, a Savior, just as he had promised by the prophets From Isaiah 7:14 – “they shall call his name Immanuel” Transliterated Hebrew for God with us. We marvel about the child that was born; the miracle is that God has come to us.
Joy in Jesus’ Coming • God is faithful to his promises • Jesus, the Savior, has come for sinners • God himself, Immanuel, has come to dwell with us