Providence, Prophecy & People in the Birth of Christ
Matthew 1:17-25
Harry Stoliker
December 2, 2007 EBC
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Please take another look at the title of today's sermon. As I thought through this
very familiar text, it occurred to me that there are 3 main ingredients in the story
of the birth of Christ: Providence – Prophecy – People.
What is Providence?
God's providence is His gracious control over all that happens throughout His vast
creation, whether it is among the nations, in the animal kingdom or the natural
processes of weather. Every event is under his control whether man thinks so or
not. God controls Satan, demons, angels, mankind, and every event that happens and
every atom that spins in the universe. He keeps all things going and keeps them
doing exactly what he wants them to do. All things were made for His glory and He
brings them to that predetermined purpose. Heb. 1:3 "He is the radiance of the glory
of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word
of his power". Ephesians 1:11 "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been
predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the
counsel of his will."
God governs every snowflake and raindrop. He feeds every sea creature and determines
when they live and die.
- Job 37:5-6, 9-13 "God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things
beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, "Fall on the earth,' and tot the
rain shower, "Be a mighty downpour". So that all men he has made may know
his work, he stops every man from his labor. The tempest comes out from its chamber,
the cold from the driving winds. The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters
become frozen. He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through
them. At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do
whatever he commands them. He brings the clouds to punish men or to water his earth
and show his love."
- Ps. 147:15-18 "He sends his command to the earth; his world runs swiftly.
He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his
hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends his word and melts
them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow."
- Psalms 104:25-30 "Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures
innumerable, living things both small and great. 26 There go the ships, and Leviathan,
which you formed to play in it. 27 These all look to you, to give them their food
in due season. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your
hand, they are filled with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 When you
send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground."
He even controls the supposed 'random' decisions men think they make!
- Prov. 16:33 "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from
the LORD."
How then is Providence a part of the story of Christ's birth?
- Mt. 1:1 "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of
Abraham." After this important statement flows the long list of names that composes
Christ's earthly genealogy. Every person in that list had a life story. The providence
of God guided and controlled all their lives to form the historical base upon which
Messiah came into the world. The genealogy should make us think about the millions
of events and personal decisions that all these people made as part of the framework
that brought Jesus to life. The purpose of genealogies is not just to confuse and
embarrass the modern Christian who can't pronounce the names when they read them
in public! The purposes of listing biblical genealogies include making us realize
the providence of God in engineering history.
- The selection of Mary to be Jesus' mother was not a random selection. It didn't
happen by chance. God was at work in her birth and in the events that molded her
to be the humble, godly young woman that she was. Matthew 1:18 "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."
Think of the providence that is packed into this verse! We are not told how Joseph
even met Mary. Where did their lives begin to intersect? How were Mary's parents
and Joseph's parents involved in pairing them up? What chain of events led to the
betrothal? What if Mary had lived one more city away from Joseph? God had it all
under his control!
- How can we describe the greatness of the miracle that happened when the Holy Spirit
made Mary conceive before she ever knew a man?! Does God control body chemistry?
Does God supersede "natural" processes when He wants to? He certainly does!
The Virgin Birth is a testimony to Providence. How could Mary have a baby and yet
be a virgin when the baby was born? How could Christ be a human yet be without sin?
Christ would be fully man, yet without man's sin. God knew how to make that possible.
- When Joseph discovered his betrothed was already pregnant, it was no doubt, an incredible
shock to him! It's a "good thing" God had picked such a godly and tender
hearted man to raise Jesus and protect Mary! Joseph is a testimony to providence.
Look at the process by which God governs the situation in V.18-19 "Because Joseph
her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace,
he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel
of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be
afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from
the Holy Spirit." God allows Joseph to wrestle with the social implications of his
situation. He allows him to come up with a plan of his own – to divorce quietly
in order to minimize her shame and social rejection. But then God makes him have
a dream. This dream wasn't just the result of internal stress, insomnia or fear;
it was a true message from God. God was making sure Joseph did what God wanted done.
That's providence at work.
- V.24-25 tells us that the will of God was carried out by Joseph. The will of God
is always carried out by someone. Providence is God seeing that His will is carried
out in the particulars of life. This is what's going on behind the Christmas story.
It gives us great encouragement to realize this and to realize God is still at work
in our day and our lives.
How then is Prophecy a part of the story of Christ's birth?
- V.22 "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call
him Immanuel – which means, God with us." Here is where Matthew begins his theme
of FULFILLMENT.
- OT Prophecy was God telling beforehand what He intended to do so that there would
be no mistake that He was in control of the events. His involvement was clear because
he had made the plans. Prophecy points to the power of God because no one can see,
let alone control the future but God Himself. God's control of the future proves
that He is God! This is why the modern heresy called "Open Theism" – which
denies that God knows and controls all the details of the future – is so dangerous.
What does the Bible say?
- Isaiah 41:26 "Who declared it from the beginning, that we might know, and beforehand,
that we might say, "He is right"? There was none who declared it, none who proclaimed,
none who heard your words."
- Isaiah 46:9-10 "… remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is
no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and
I will accomplish all my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what
I have planned; that will I do."
- Prophecy gives us great assurance that God knows exactly what He's doing in human
history. That is why we can trust him with our lives. Prophecy builds great anticipation
while we wait for God's timing in all He has planned. Prophecy generates great joy
in our hearts when it is finally fulfilled. Hope fulfilled brings great joy. There
are over 400 prophecies in the Old Testament which point to the coming Messiah and
to His life and death. Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled every single one of them.
The odds of someone doing that who was not the Messiah are too great to even figure.
It is impossible. Prophecy is an extraordinary part of the Christmas story!
Let me show you two people who were deeply affected by fulfilled prophecy. Turn
to Luke 2:25-38.
How then are People a part of the story of Christ's birth?
- This is almost too obvious even to mention, but people are a main ingredient in
the birth of Jesus. Especially Mary and Joseph! Much about Mary and Joseph bring
us joy and a positive example. Their obedience and humility certainly pleased God.
- I've already mentioned the lives of all the descendants of Joseph in the genealogy.
It would be a worthy study to delve into the lives of all the people listed in the
genealogy. We would find that those who were poor in spirit, meek, mourned over
their sin and hungered and thirsted for righteousness were blessed and those who
were not faced God's displeasure.
- Let me mention a couple of fascinating things about the list of people in the genealogy
in Matt. 1. There are 4 mothers included in the list in Vs. 3-6: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth,
and Bathsheba. Probably all of them were non-Israelites and as one writer said:
"Moreover, their stories do not fit comfortably into traditional patterns of sexual
morality." Tamar seduced her father-in-law; Rahab was a prostitute, Bathsheba was
involved in adultery and some even question what took place at the threshing floor
between Ruth and Boaz. I doubt anything immoral took place with Ruth, but the point
of the whole thing is that the Christmas story is a story of forgiveness of sins
and new hope for people who come to the Messiah! We rejoice continually in this
truth. Christmas points to the Cross where our sins were atoned for.
- I think Matthew wants us to see these women in the context of his intent to show
that Jesus was the Savior of the world. They were all 'foreigners' who were
in the line of Israel's Messiah. Tamar and Rahab were Canaanites, Ruth a Moabite,
and Bathsheba the wife of a Hittite. In Chap. 2 he tells us about the magi, who
were of a Persian priestly cast of learned men who specialized in astrology. This
theme of foreigners coming to the Messiah increases all throughout Matthew's gospel
until it reaches its climax in the Great Commission to go into all the nations in
28:19. The Christmas gospel story is universal, international, and multiethnic.
From the Abrahamic promise in Genesis 17< all the way through the Bible to Revelation
5:9 "And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to
open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation" – the gospel is to be proclaimed
to all men.
- This is what it means when we read: "God so loved the world …"
- The main person, of course, upon whom the story hinges is Jesus Himself. V.21 tells
us about Him. "… you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people
from their sins." Here we are led to reflect on Messiah's mission, the reason for
His incarnation. He will bring salvation to His people. Jesus name reflects the
Hebrew name for God Himself. Yahweh saves – or God is salvation. This runs counter
to what the popular messianic expectations of a political deliverer. Jesus didn't
come to conform to the temporary wishes of men but the eternal plan of His Father,
which was to redeem a people, a chosen people, a definite people, a blessed people.
He WILL SAVE them! This strong, clear, definite statement of Jesus mission brings
us great joy this season.
Application
Spend some time this week going over these three pillars of the Christmas story:
PROVIDENCE – PROPHECY – PEOPLE … There is so much more in the text that brings out
the depth of these areas! Search it out with joy.
Are you a person who needs the message that Jesus Christ brings foreigners and sinners
into his bloodline, his family? If so, then the Christmas story is hope for you.
Are you a person who needs to believe that God's providence is at work in the details
of your life? God's providential love and care … even though things don't look like
it?
Do you need to realize that God controls the future? Does the future tend to worry
you? Why should it if we serve the God of prophecy?
This old Christmas story still yields great spiritual strength to us this year!
Let's Pray,
H.