18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 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. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[d] (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
In this passage we encounter a very familiar story! It can be easy to glaze over, but this passage offers us so much insight into who Jesus is.
What events occur in this passage?
Why was it important that Joseph accepted Jesus as his son and didn’t divorce Mary? (Refer back to Matthew 1:16)
Why do you think it was important that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, rather than by natural means between Joseph and Mary?
What does Jesus’ name (Jesus = “The LORD saves”) tell us about his identity?
The reference to Isaiah 7 is very interesting. It is very clearly fulfilled in the unique circumstances of Jesus’ birth. However, when looking back at Isaiah 7, the immediate context does not make it clear what the original significance of this prophecy might have been. Isaiah 7 details God’s word to Ahaz, a king of Judah. 1 Kings 16 tells us that Ahaz was not a good king - he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, participating in child sacrifices and offerings to idols, even disassembling parts of God’s temple to use in his idolatry! During his reign, he was besieged by neighboring nations and made an alliance with Assyria (who later went on to destroy the kingdom of Israel for good) to secure Judah from enemies. In Isaiah 7, there are glimpses of a hope of reprieve from attack by these neighboring nations (Isa 7:7, 7:16) alongside this mysterious promise of a boy born of a virgin called “Immanuel” (God with us). Although the OT fulfilment of this prophecy seems vague, we see the reinforcement of Jesus’ identity, predicted long ago through Isaiah - God with His people, saving His people.
What hope does Jesus, God with us, give you?
1. Thank God for sending Jesus as 'God with us' to bring salvation. Pray for faith to trust in the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in your life.
2. Jared & Verena Bradley: Pray for wisdom in supporting struggling refugees and for Noah’s smooth adjustment to kindergarten.
3. Growth Groups: Pray for meaningful discipleship and deepening connections as members gather to study God’s Word, pray, and share life together.