Commentary and Lesson on Matthew 1:18-25
by Dr. Knox Chamblin
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST. 1:18-25.
I. THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT.
"This is how the birth [genesis, cf. v. 1] of Jesus Christ came
about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but
before they came together, she was found to be with child through
the Holy Spirit" (v. 18).
A. The Time of the Spirit's Work.
1. After betrothal. In that day, a Jewish marriage began in
two stages. First came betrothal. The man and the woman,
standing before chosen witnesses, gave their formal consent to
marry one another. By this exchange of vows they became legally
married and it was appropriate to call them husband and wife.
(Thus NIV correctly speaks of "husband" and "divorce" at 1:19.)
But it was usually another year before the second stage was
reached. During this interval the girl (who was usually about 13 or
14 years of age) continued to live with her parents. This is where
we are in the story. The time was yet to come when Joseph and his
friends would come in procession to Mary's home to take her to
live with him; cf. the parable of 25:1-13. Significantly, the Spirit
acts upon a woman who is already betrothed. The Savior is to be
born into a family.
2. Before consummation. The Spirit's action occurs
"before they came together [sunerchomai]," 1:18, i.e. before they
began to live together and consummated their marriage sexually
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(Gen 2:24). There is to be room for no doubt that this child is
miraculously conceived apart from the instrumentality of a human
father.
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B. The Nature of the Spirit's Work.
1. The Evangelists' reticence. Matthew tells us simply that
Mary "was found to be with child through [ek] the Holy Spirit"
(v. 18b; the same prepositional phrase is used in v. 20b). In Lk,
Gabriel tells Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you" (1:35a). Scientific
detail is conspicuous by its absence. God discloses that such a
conception occurred, not precisely how; our curiosity over the
latter is not satisfied. The Evangelists' reticence reflects their
recognition that they are recording an unfathomable mystery.
2. Sovereign visitation. Lk 1:35 indicates that the being of
Mary was overshadowed and overwhelmed by the divine presence
and power (cf. God's glory in the tabernacle, Ex 40:34-35.) That is
meant to be sufficient for us. To suggest that the Spirit "mated"
with Mary (as the gods did with human beings in the pagan myths,
and as "the sons of God" did according to Gen 6:1-4), has no basis
whatever in the record, reduces God in the most blasphemous way,
and converts a holy mystery into an absurdity.
C. The Theology of the Spirit's Work.
1. New creation. The Spirit's work in this story recalls that
which he did at the Creation (Gen 1:2; Ps 33:6). The Spirit
accomplishes a miraculous act of creation in the virgin's womb,
signalling that the Age of Fulfillment has arrived, and that God
can be expected to achieve further such creative actions as He
ushers in the kingdom.
2. The being of Jesus. He is both human and divine; he
has a human mother but a divine father. V. 18 speaks of "his
mother Mary"; yet nowhere in Mt is Joseph called his father.
Jesus speaks consistently of God as his Father (e.g. 11:25-27); he
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is repeatedly called "the Son of God" (e.g. 2:15; 3:17; 8:29). The
connection between the historical fact of the virginal conception,
and Mt's identification of Jesus as "the Son of God," and of God as
Jesus' "Father," should not be overlooked; cf. Lk 1:35.
3. The work of God. A conception normally occurs by
human coöperation with God. Yet the coming of the Savior (1:21)
happens by the divine initiative exclusively (cf. Jn 1:12-13). This
corresponds to Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom of heaven
(4:17) as a divine invasion rather than a human reformation.
4. The work of Jesus. Jesus is under the influence of the
Holy Spirit from the very beginning of his life. Mt makes it clear
that Jesus' public ministry is undertaken in the power of the Spirit
(4:1; 12:28). That Spirit of power is at work in his life from the
moment of conception.
II. THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
"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'"
(1:22-23, quoting Isa 7:14).
A. The First Stage of Fulfillment.
1. The threat to Judah. A crisis arises during the reign of
Ahaz (735-715 BC). Rezin of Aram and Pekah of Israel march
against Jerusalem (Isa 7:1-2). Assyria was reasserting her power
internationally under Tiglath-Pileser; Aram and Israel are seeking
to unite their neighbors against the common Assyrian foe. On
Judah's refusal to cooperate, the armies of Aram and Israel are
coming to force Ahaz's overthrow and to put their own man, the
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son of Tabeel, on the throne instead (7:6; cf. 2 Chron. 28:5-8). As
a result, Ahaz and his people are shaking with fear (v. 2).
2. The appeal of Yahweh. Through Isaiah, Yahweh makes
a twofold appeal: a. Have no fear; the power of Rezin and Pekah
is about to be snuffed out (7:4-7). b. Have faith. At the heart of
Isaiah's appeal to Ahaz is that he should trust in Yahweh: "If you
do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all" (7:9b).
Yahweh even accommodates himself to Ahaz's weakness and
offers to give him a sign - whatever sign Ahaz might wish
("whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights," v. 10).
3. Ahaz's response. "But Ahaz said, 'I will not put the
LORD to the test" (v. 12). This sounds pious, but Ahaz's refusal
of the sign shows that he rejects the word to which the sign was to
point. If the sign were given, there would be less excuse to reject
the word. Ahaz's refusal does in fact put Yahweh to the test:
"Will you try the patience of my God also?" Ahaz tries Yahweh's
patience by rejecting his Word. In response to the threat the king
appeals instead to the Assyrian king (2 Kings 16:7-18).
4. The Sign from Yahweh. Ahaz refuses the offer of a
sign, but a sign will be given nonetheless. "Therefore the Lord
himself will give you a sign" (v. 14a).
a. The sign itself. The main difference over v. 14b is
reflected in NRSV ("Look, the young woman is with child...") and
NIV ("The virgin will be with child...."). The Hebrew word
'almah means basically "a girl of marriageable age, a young
woman" (W. L. Holladay, Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the
OT). "It presumes rather than states virginity" (Kidner, NBC: R).
The Hebrew word for virgin is bethulah. The birth of the child
will signal that "God is with us" (7:14c) - the main point that
Isaiah has sought to make to Ahaz.
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b. The meaning of the sign. How shall God be "with
us"? In the first place, the birth of the child signals judgment.
Note the opening "Therefore" of v. 14. Precisely because Ahaz
has rejected the offer of a sign and thus shown his lack of trust in
Yahweh, the sign of v. 14 shall be given. V. 14 continues: "the
Lord himself will give you [plural] a sign" - "you" being not just
Ahaz but the nation he represents. The instrument of Yahweh's
judgment shall be the invading Assyrians - who shall devastate not
only Aram and Israel but Judah as well (7:16-17). The very one in
whom Ahaz has trusted, will be the instrument of Yahweh's
judgment against Judah. But secondly, the birth of the child shall
signal Yahweh's grace. In face of the coming catastrophe,
Yahweh promises his presence. "God is with us" here, even - or
especially - amid disaster. His judgment drives us to his grace.
Cf. 8:9-22.
c. The giving of the sign. Once the sign is interpreted
as one of both judgment and grace, then clearly there has to be at
least a fulfillment in the near future. For Assyria did actually
invade Judah and devastate her territory (Isa 36-37). Who then is
the child? I agree with those interpreters (e.g. G. Campbell
Morgan, Matthew, 12) who see the birth of Isaiah's own son as a
fulfillment of this prophecy (cf. Isa 8:1-18). (But Isa 8:8; 9:1-7
also point to the fuller meaning.) Applied to this stage of
fulfillment, the name "Immanuel" expresses faith in God's
presence but does not identify the being of the child.
B. The Final Stage of Fulfillment.
1. Jesus' birth as fulfillment. Note the use of the verb
"fulfill" (Greek pl‘roÇ) in 1:22a. We are to imagine a cup
partially filled with water, and now filled to overflowing. That
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which was (at most) partially realized in Isaiah's day, has now
been fully realized.
2. Jesus' virginal conception. Matthew, like the LXX, uses
the Greek word parthenos ("virgin") in rendering Isa 7:14. He
does so under the impact of the historical fact of Jesus' virginal
conception. NB that the influence was exerted in this direction
(historical fact interpreted by the OT) rather than the reverse
(Jesus' history written to conform to OT prophecy). In actual fact
this young woman was a virgin; so Matthew chooses parthenos
rather than neanis ("girl").
3. Jesus as God incarnate. The word Immanuel now
possesses a meaning that did not apply to the first stage of
fulfillment. The birth of this child is more than a demonstration
that "God is with us." He himself is God - now come to be with
his people in the fullest sense. (Cf. Mt 28:20, "And surely I will
be with you always....") Note how the immediate context in ch. 1
underscores this: "He will save his people from their sins"
(v. 21). This brings us to the next section.
III. GOD THE SAVIOR.
"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name
Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (1:21). As
in Ahaz' day, the birth of the child brings both judgment and grace
(as the rest of Mt will demonstrate). But for now, Matthew
accentuates the saving purpose of Jesus' coming.
A. His Name.
"Jesus" (1:21a) comes from the Greek I‘sous, which corresponds
to the Hebrew Joshua - which means "Yahweh is salvation." As
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with "Immanuel," we find here a name that applies to Jesus in a
way that was not true for Joshua. Joshua was an instrument of
Yahweh's saving purpose. But Mary's child is Yahweh himself,
now come personally to achieve his saving work. The name
"Yahweh" applies with equal validity to all members of the
Godhead. It is not merely titular but expressive of character (as in
Ex 3).
B. His Mission.
It is appropriate that he be called Jesus, "because he will save his
people from their sins" (1:21b). Note, in view of what has been
said about the names "Immanuel" and "Jesus," that the people are
said to belong to him, and that he is to forgive their sins. The
people belong to Yahweh, and to him alone; and Yahweh alone
possesses the authority to forgive their sins (cf. 9:1-8). In view of
Matthew's presentation of Jesus as "son of David" (1:1), 1:21 is
specially significant. Matthew makes it clear at the very beginning
of his gospel that Jesus' mission is fundamentally spiritual in
character, not political or social. On the identity of "his people,"
cf. what was said under 1:1-17; "his people" does not mean Jews
exclusively, but the people of God as newly constituted around the
person of Messiah - a people comprised of both Jews and Gentiles.
C. The Response.
We return to the quotation from Isa 7:14. The MT reads, "The
virgin...will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel"
(though cf. NIV mg., "Dead Sea Scrolls and he or and they"). But
in Mt we read, "The virgin...will give birth to a son, and they will
call...." Matthew quotes the prophecy in close connection with the
declaration of 1:21. It is his people, the ones he saves from their
sins, that shall exclaim, "God is with us!" It becomes an
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expression of praise and thanksgiving from the redeemed people of
God to Jesus, the divine and incarnate Savior.
IV. JOSEPH THE SERVANT OF GOD.
A. Joseph's Righteousness.
"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" (1:19, NIV). Some think Joseph was "righteous and
yet not willing" to act in accord with Mosaic Law concerning
adultery (e.g. McNeile, Matthew, 7). I agree with those who see
the word "righteous" explained by what follows: Joseph was
"righteous and therefore not willing" to expose her to public
disgrace (e.g. Schweizer, Matthew, 30-31). "Righteousness" is
thus expressed in an act of mercy and compassion - so that Joseph
becomes a prototype of Jesus and his disciples (cf. 5:20; 25:40;
also Paul's concept of dikaiosyn‘ as God's saving action).
B. Joseph's Lineage.
Mt 1 strongly affirms Joseph's descent from David (vv. 6-16). The
angel who appears to him calls him "son of David" (v. 20). The
importance of this is that Joseph, while not Jesus' biological father,
is just as surely his legal father. Accordingly, the angel instructs
that Joseph is to name the child (v. 21, where the "you" is
singular), a command fulfilled in v. 25 ("And he gave him the
name Jesus"). All of this certifies that Jesus is a true, legal
descendant of David.
C. Joseph's Obedience.
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Joseph's righteousness (v. 19) is further demonstrated by his
scrupulous obedience to God's word.
1. His obedience to the angelic word. "When Joseph woke
up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and
took Mary home as his wife" (v. 24) - his naming of the child
(v. 25) being further obedience to the same command. Joseph
simply did what God, through the angel, had told him to do. He
thus provides us a model.
2. His obedience to the prophetic word. Joseph also obeys
"what the Lord had said through the prophet" Isaiah. The
prophecy stated: "The virgin will be with child and will give
birth to a son" (v. 23). Accordingly, Joseph "had no union with
her until she gave birth to a son" (v. 25). It was as a virgin that
Mary was both to conceive the child and to give birth to the child.
We see what sort of model Joseph provided for the child Jesus
SUGGESTED TEACHING OUTLINE
MAIN IDEA: Jesus’ claim to David’s throne
depended on Joseph being his father (1:16),
but Jesus was virgin-born. Therefore, God
sovereignly intervened to create Jesus’
earthly family and establish his claim to the
Davidic throne.
I. Joseph and Mary before Joseph’s dream
(1:18-19)
A. Joseph and Mary were engaged (1:18)
B. Mary was miraculously pregnant by the
Holy Spirit (1:18)
C. Joseph wanted to divorce Mary (1:19)
II. Joseph’s dream (1:20-21)
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A. Joseph is the son of David (1:20b)
B. God’s son will be Joseph’s son (1:20b-
21)
C. Joseph’s son Jesus will save his people
from their sins, i.e. fully and
permanently restore the Davidic kingdom
(1:21)
III. Matthew’s commentary: Jesus’ conception
and birth fulfilled Old Testament prophecy
about the Davidic kingdom (1:22-23)
IV. Joseph’s response (1:24-25)
A. Joseph obeyed God by marrying Mary
(1:24)
B. Jesus became Joseph’s son (1:25)
SUGGESTED STUDY OUTLINE
MAIN IDEA: Jesus’ claim to David’s throne
depended on Joseph being his father (1:16),
but Jesus was virgin-born. Therefore, God
sovereignly intervened to create Jesus’
earthly family and establish his claim to the
Davidic throne.
I. Joseph and Mary before Joseph’s dream
(1:18-19)
A. Joseph and Mary were engaged (1:18)
1. They had not yet had sexual
relations (1:18)
2. They were counted as husband and
wife (1:19)
B. Mary was miraculously pregnant by the
Holy Spirit (1:18)
C. Joseph wanted to divorce Mary (1:19)
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1. Joseph wanted to divorce her
secretly in order not to disgrace
her (1:19)
2. Joseph’s desire to divorce Mary was
righteous (1:19)
II. Joseph’s dream (1:20-21)
A. God sends an angel to Joseph (1:20a)
1. God sends the angel because he
knows that Joseph is considering
divorcing Mary (1:20a)
2. The angel comes in Joseph’s dream
(1:20a)
B. The angel’s message (1:20b-21)
1. Joseph is the son of David (1:20b)
2. Joseph should marry Mary (1:20b)
3. Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit
(1:20b)
a. Jesus is human (1:18,20,21,25)
b. Jesus is divine (1:18,20)
4. Joseph should name his child
“Jesus” (1:21)
5. Jesus will save his people from
their sins, i.e. fully and
permanently restore the Davidic
kingdom (1:21)
III. Matthew’s commentary (1:22-23)
A. Jesus’ conception and birth fulfill the
Old Testament prophetic type found in
Isaiah’s child (1:22-23)
B. Jesus’ salvation of his people fulfills
God’s prior salvation of Judah (1:22-
23)
C. Jesus’ salvation of his people
ultimately realizes and fulfills the
truth signified by the prophetic name
assigned to Isaiah’s child: “God is
with us” (1:22-23)
IV. Joseph’s response (1:24-25)
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A. Joseph obeyed God by marrying Mary
(1:24)
B. Joseph did not consummate the marriage
until after Jesus’ birth (1:25)
C. Joseph named his son Jesus (1:25)
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Who are the major characters in this
story? What characters are secondary to the
action in the story? What is this story
about?
2. Compare this story to those Luke tells
about Jesus’ conception and birth (Lk.
1:26-56; 2:1-20)? Is there any similarity
between these stories? If so, what? How do
the characters, their speech and actions,
and the events themselves differ between
Matthew’s story and Luke’s story?
3. Does noticing the differences between
Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts help you
determine Matthew’s purpose in writing this
narrative? If so, how? How does the context
of the preceding and following material in
Matthew help indicate Matthew’s purpose in
writing this narrative?
4. How would you feel if you found out that
your wife was pregnant, and you knew that
you were not the father? Would you believe
her if she said she had conceived by the
Holy Spirit? How do you think Joseph felt
when he found out Mary was pregnant?
5. What evidence did Matthew offer that
Joseph was a righteous man?
6. Why was it so important that Joseph not
divorce Mary? How did God indicate to
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Joseph the importance attached to Joseph’s
marriage to Mary? How did Matthew indicate
to his audience the importance of Joseph’s
marriage to Mary?
7. Why was Joseph supposed to name his son
“Jesus”? Why wasn’t Jesus named “Immanuel”?
8. What does it mean to be saved from one’s
sins? How does the idea of saving people
from their sins compare to the original
meaning of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah
7:14-16? How does saving people from their
sins relate to the restoration of the
Davidic kingdom?
9. How was the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14-16
originally fulfilled? How did Jesus also
fulfill this prophecy? Does looking at
Isaiah cause you to doubt Matthew’s
credibility? Does it cause you to rethink
your definition of “fulfill”?
10. Was Jesus’ claim to the Davidic throne
contingent upon Joseph’s obedience to God?
Why or why not?
QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY
1. People have strange dreams all the time.
If you dreamed that an angel delivered a
message to you from God, would you heed the
message? What if the angel told you
something truly outlandish, such as that
your wife had conceived a child, but not by
you or any other man? Would you dismiss
this as a simple dream? How do you think
Joseph recognized that his dream really was
a message from God?
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2. Read Isaiah 7:1-8:4. If you did not have
the New Testament, would you think that the
prophecy of Isaiah 7:14-16 had anything to
do with a child to be born hundreds of
years in the future? Why or why not? Could
Jesus have fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy even
if he had not been virgin-born? Why or why
not? Could Jesus have been the Christ even
if he had not been virgin-born? Why or why
not?