Jesus’ Family Tree: “He Will Save His People”
(Matt. 1:18-25)
When Mary was betrothed to Jos., & they began to plan their life together, they had no idea that the most significant part of it was already planned for them, that they would actually become actors in a drama planned by God Himself.
1. Right from the beginning, things didn’t go as they had planned.
A. “Betrothal” was a legal agreement to be married, more binding that our “engagement.”
B. And before the marriage even took place, Mary “was found to be with child.” She was pregnant, & Jos knew he wasn’t the father. - What he didn’t know was that he wasn’t supposed to be. (Mary already knew this, b/c angel had told her.)
C. Could have made a big deal of this & exposed Mary as an
adulterer, but didn’t want to do that. Matt describes him as
a “just” (“righteous” man); decided to just divorce her
quietly. Let her off the hook as gently as possible.
D. But that’s when he began to learn that there was something
else going on here - something divine, something brought
about by God Himself.
(1) An “angel of the Lord” appeared to him while he was
sleeping & told him, “Do not fear to take Mary as your
wife.” - Something amazing is going on here, but not
something to be afraid of. - Quite the opposite!
(2) That’s when he learned that Mary wasn’t guilty of infidelity; rather, “that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” - God’s plan being worked out in her.
2. M & J probably didn’t know it, but what was happening to them was part of a plan that began long before they were ever born.
A. 1:22 - “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had
spoken by the prophet” - the prophet Isaiah, 800 yrs
earlier!
B. It all went back to the days of King Ahaz of Judah,
when the kings of Syria & Isr had invaded his land &
had Jeru surrounded (Is. 7).
C. Ahaz was scared to death: “the heart of Ahaz & the heart of
his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.”
D. So God sent Isaiah to him with a message: “Be careful,
be quiet, do not fear, & do not let your heart be faint.”
E. Why? - B/c it wasn’t going to happen. God wasn’t going
to let it happen.
F. So Isaiah challenged Ahaz to ask for a sign from the Lord to
prove He was in control & that Judah would be delivered.
(1) Ahaz wouldn’t do it. Said he didn’t want to put the Lord
to the test. (Pious-sounding, but phony.)
(2) So Isaiah said, “The Lord will give YOU a sign: “The
virgin shall conceive & bear a son, & shall call his
name Immanuel.” (Is. 7:14)
(3) Matt interprets that for us: “God with us.” In Ahaz’s
day, probably = “God is on our side” (against Syria &
Isr.).
(4) But with the birth of Mary’s baby, “God IS with us” -
i.e., in the person of this child.
G. Matt says “all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had
spoken by the prophet.”
(1) Remember,”fulfill” doesn’t just mean a prediction
that “comes true.” Sometimes means that, but more.
(2) It means that a Scrip now has been “filled full” of its
intended meaning. Formerly known only partially, now
completely revealed.
(3) I.e., that baby born in the time of Ahaz & Isaiah, along
with his name (title) “Immanuel,” was only a foreshad-
owing of the birth of the REAL “Immanuel” - “God with
us.”
(4) So for the 1st time, Israel could now know what Is. 7:14
was really about - not just a sign to Ahaz, but a sign to
the world!
H. So M & J were caught up in this plan, one so much larger
than any they could have imagined for themselves.
3. So specific was this plan, that even their Son’s name was already chosen for them.
A. “I thought He already had a name: Immanuel.”
(1) More of a title than a proper name.
(2) No one in Scrip ever called Him by this title. - In fact,
occurs only here in NT.
B. 1:21 - “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his
people from their sins.”
‘C. “Jesus” = such a special name for us, that we can’t think of
anyone but the Son of God when we hear it.
(1) Probably none of us would ever think of naming a child
“Jesus” (altho some cultures do - Spanish, “Jesus”).
(2) We sing numerous hymns re the name “Jesus.”
(3) But it was a very common name in ancient Judaism.
a. Jewish historian Josephus says 4 of the high priests
of Isr were named “Jesus.”
b. There are other “Jesuses” in the NT:
1. Lk. 3:29 - Lk’s gen of Jesus contains an ancestor
named“Jesus” (“Joshua” in our translations, but “Jesus” in Grk).
2. Col. 4:11 - P. mentions a Jewish co-worker,
“Jesus, who is called Justus.”
3. Matt 27:16 - In some MSS, “Jesus Barabbas”!
(NEB, REB, NRSV) - Probably correct.
D. So why “Jesus”?
(1) Grk form of Heb name Yehoshua (Joshua) - literally
means “the Lord saves.”
(2) Nothing could have been more fitting for Mary’s son
than that name: “for he will save his people from their
sins.”
(3) Not just a “great leader” like Joshua in OT, but the
Savior of His people - from sin, not just mortal enemies!
(4) Lk 2:11 - Announcement to sheps: “For unto you is
born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord.”
(5) Not just “a” savior, but “the Savior”: Acts 4:12 - “And
there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other
name under heaven given among men by which we
must be saved.”
(6) When Jewish authorities threatened Pet & Jn if they
preached any more in Jesus’ name, said, “We must
obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers
raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a
Tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader &
Savior, to give reopentance to Isr & forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:29-31)
(7) Prchg in syn at Antioch, Paul declared, “Of this man’s
offspring God has brought to Isr a Savior, Jesus, as
he promised.” (Acts 13:23)
4. Now, what does this have to do with Jesus’ “family tree”?
A. Been talking re that genealogy that begins GosMatt, & why
it’s important & what it signifies.
B. Those were “Jesus’ people.” His ancestors, the ones from
whom, physically speaking, He came.
C. And as we saw last wk, they were a real mixed bag of
humanity! Israelites, Canaanites, Moabites, Arameans, men,
women, famous people, unknown people, kings & peasants, good people, rotten people - but every one a sinner.
D. And now, the angel tells Jos, “He will save his people from
their sins.” That whole motley crew of sinners in vs. 1-17.
E. But it gets even better - b/c it turns out that “His people” in-
cludes not just phys descendants of Ab, but ALL of us
sinners who turn to Him in faith.
5. We need this reminder, esp at this time of year.
A. Why especially now? B/c whole idea of Jesus’ birth & coming
into the world tends to get romanticized into a cute story
about a little baby born to a poor Jewish couple, but the
shepherds & Wise Men came to worship Him, so it’s all OK.
B. What we forget is, His coming was all about sin! - Born into a
world of sin & death, in order to save us from both - & to
do so thru His own brual death.
C. That list of sinners in vs. 1-17 is just the beginning of that
story.
D. Just a few vss. after we read that He was named “Jesus”/”The Lord Saves,” we read about a maniacal king who wanted to kill Him, & who, the only time we know of that he got into a Bible study was in order to find out where He had been born so he could have Him executed, & who tried to use those who REALLY wanted to worship Him so they would find Him for him.
E. And when they wouldn’t go along, that king had every baby
boy 2 yrs old & under in Beth put to death, just in hopes he
could kill the right One.
F. Situation was so dangerous that Jos had to take his wife &
baby son & immigrate to a foreign land, just to keep from
getting killed.
G. And all of that same kind of stuff is still going on in the
world: maniacal, egotistical rulers, ruthless for power at any
cost, the cheapness of human life - even the lives of
innocent children if it suits our own purposes, lying &
scheming & using & abusing others, & people being forced to uproot from their homelands & flee just to save their lives.
H. And all of that is Why Jesus Came: “to save His people from
their sins”! - And if we don’t realize just how badly the
world needs saving, we’re just not paying attention!
And just like those people in Jesus’ Family Tree, we’re ALL sinners, lost & in need of saving. And Jesus came for us, too.
“No palace, no jewels, no kingdom to rule, no crown of majesty.
No throne & no robe, no silver, no gold, no courts of royalty. Yet the King of Kings left heaven to become a lowly man. He left all heaven’s glory to fulfill His Father’s plan.
He still came just for me, He still came. Knowing all He would endure, He still came.
Disregarding every cost, from the manger to the Cross,
He still came, just for me. He still came.”
He came to save you - but you have to be willing to BE saved. To repent of sin, serve it no longer. Be baptized into Jesus’ death, & be raised to new life.
That’s why He came. Why not let Him save you today!
Tommy South
Glen Allen Church of Christ
December 19,
2021