Matthew 1:18-35 Joseph, An Example of Godliness

Here is the link for the audio of a sermon I preached at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church earlier in 2012.  I pray that you are encouraged.

Matthew 1:24-25 “God’s Revelation/Joseph’s Response” Part 3

The short version of this Bible study is that Joseph responded to God’s revelation by obeying His command. However, I believe a closer look at the scripture will provide many practical observations that we can apply to our daily lives.

First of all, upon being aroused from sleep where he had received a heavenly dream with instructions from God on what to do about the situation with Mary, Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. We must assume, then, that he believed this message came from God. Taking advice from people in difficult situations is one thing. However, what he had been ordered to do in this supernaturally delivered dream was to trust God completely for his and Mary’s safety. Since Mary was now pregnant through supernatural means, people would assume that he and Mary had consummated the marriage before the wedding ceremony. By marrying her, people would have assumed that he was admitting guilt of sin. However, because he believed the message to have been from God Himself, he obeyed. We see his faith in God is proved here by his obedience. As James records in the 22nd verse of chapter one of his epistle, we should be “Doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving [our] selves.”

Now, of course, God doesn’t speak in dreams like this anymore. He has completely revealed Himself in a Book. The Bible contains God’s complete message to man and if we want to know about God and His will, we should read and study His Word. It is true that God also speaks through His people, circumstances, and the Holy Spirit and there are things He calls us to do that are not in His Word. A call to the mission field or vocational ministry would not be in scripture. When God dealt with me about preaching, there was obviously no verse that said “Joe, go preach.” However, had I not been studying His word, I would never have been sensitive to the call He made on my life. Some people want a supernatural call on their lives before they will obey the voice of God. I submit to you that the primary way you will hear God speak is through study of His word. In that way, you will be in close fellowship with Him and be more sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

We see revealed in Joseph’s character an obedient heart, we also see in this scripture that Joseph was able to restrain himself. We are told that Joseph did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son and that Joseph called his name Jesus. When people get married, they consummate the marriage after the ceremony (in private of course). However, even though he obeyed the revelation of God without hesitation, he restrained himself in this matter and Mary remained a virgin until she had given birth. We know it was not due to a fear of sin that he did this because, as Paul notes in 1st Corinthians, the “marriage bed is undefiled”. God did not choose to reveal exactly why Joseph chose this course of action. However, we can admire the fact that he was willing and able to deny himself the opportunity to consummate the marriage and assume that it was due to a conviction of his conscience. We do recognize that they did have normal marital relations after Jesus’ birth. While some teach that Mary remained a virgin perpetually, scripture tells us that Joseph did not know her till Jesus was born. Clearly, that indicates that he did know her afterwards. We also know this to be true from the gospel accounts of Jesus’ brothers and sisters (Matthew 13:55-56, John 7:3). We can be thankful for the obedient life of Joseph and Mary. They set a powerful example for us because they followed God even when the situation appeared difficult.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved

Matthew 1:22-23 “God’s Revelation/Joseph’s Response” Part 2

Hello. If you're here for the first time, I'd like to say welcome. If you've been studying this book of the Bible along with me before today, welcome back. I just thought I'd make a suggestion or two. First of all, if you feel led to leave a comment or ask a question, feel free to do so. I've turned comment moderation on because, since this is the internet, I didn't want to give somebody who is "Kookoo for Cocopuffs" a forum to say something that ought not be said. Secondly, I strongly encourage you to read the scripture in Matthew before you read the Bible study. I just think the study will make more sense to you if you do that. I use the New King James version but, of course, there are other translations that will work as well.

So, without further delay, here we go.

As we observed last week, Joseph was visited by an angel who brought revelation from God Himself regarding the special nature of Mary’s pregnancy. Matthew records here that the supernatural circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ were actually the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. He records that all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet. It is important for us to remember that the ultimate source for all scripture and revelation is the Lord God. As the writer of Hebrews observes in chapter 1 verse one of that book, “God…spoke through the prophets.” They were the intermediaries or heralds and they communicated the message that God sent them to speak (2 Peter 1:21) In this case, we see God as the ultimate source of this prophecy that was given to the people through Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14.

We should also take note of the substance of the revelation. In the book of Isaiah chapter 7, this prophecy is given by Isaiah to King Ahaz. To make a long story somewhat short, the land of Judah was in danger of being destroyed by armies of Israel and Syria. The king was contemplating the idea of calling in reinforcements from his neighbor Assyria. Isaiah was sent, as noted by Albert Barnes, to tell the king to ask God for a sign. In other words, he was told to look to God for help rather than look to his neighbors. Ahaz refused to ask God for a sign so God said he would give a sign for Himself. This sign, as recorded in Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23, was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ. We read that it is introduced with the word idou which is rendered in English as Behold. Back where I come from, we might have said “Look here, boy”. The word is not only used to draw attention to this miracle but also to indicate that it was something unusual and supernatural. The reason it was supernatural was a virgin shall be with child and bear a Son. The word translated virgin is the Greek word parthenos and it can mean a maiden or marriageable daughter in addition to virgin. However, we can be sure that God inspired Matthew to quote this prophecy in Isaiah to reiterate the idea that Mary was a virgin for several reasons. First of all, Matthew here uses the same Greek word that the translators of the Greek version of the Hebrew Old Testament, the Septuagent, used for Isaiah 7:14. In the Hebrew, the word translated virgin is alma. The word could be understood as a young maiden. However, the most reasonable explanation of what God was trying to communicate through Matthew was that this woman would be a virgin. Secondly, there would be nothing miraculous about the birth that is identified as a sign if it was simply that a woman became pregnant. However, if a virgin became pregnant, that would be a miracle. The only way something like that could be explained would be supernatural intervention. In much the same way as Abraham’s wife Sarah’s pregnancy in Genesis could only be explained as a work of God, so Mary became pregnant and bore a Son.

Matthew records the name or title that would be given to this Son by people. He writes that the Messiah would be called Immanuel which meant God with us. The fact that Jesus Christ was God in human flesh is one of the most important truths taught in the New Testament. Jesus Christ was fully human. He had all the same bodily organs and physical needs that you and I have. He got hungry (Matthew 4:3), tired (Mark 4:38), and was tempted in every way you and I are (Hebrews 4:15). However, since His mother was a virgin and, therefore, he had no human father, He did not inherit our sin nature. Sin is passed on from fathers to the next generation (Romans 5:12-14). Evey person born is both a sinner by nature (they were born a sinner) and a sinner by choice (we all choose to disobey). God was able to punish Him for our sins because not only had He never committed a sin willingly, He was also not a sinner by birth as you and I are. As Paul records in 2 Corinthians 5:21 God ”made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”. While Christ was fully man, He was also fully God. The miracles proved that He was God (John 14:8-11). He declared Himself to be God (John 8:57-58). Because He was God, He was able to forgive sin and promise eternal life to the thief on the cross who was crucified beside Him. Matthew was inspired by God to reveal that Jesus Christ was the long awaited Immanuel that had been promised almost 750 years prior by Isaiah. Because He was God in human flesh, He could pay for our sins by dying on the cross. When we repent of our sins (that means to change direction-we stop doing things our way and start doing things His way), ask His forgivness, and trust His death as payment for those sins rather than relying on our goodness to get us to heaven, we become His children. Praise God for His wonderful gift-the gift of Jesus.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 1:20-21 “God’s Revelation/Joseph’s Response” Part 1

Last week we ended on almost a cliffhanger in regards to Joseph and Mary. Joseph had decided to divorce Mary due to her being found pregnant. We can only imagine the emotional turmoil the young couple must have been in due to this crisis. Mary knew she was guilty of no sin. Of course, God had chosen ahead of time to reveal to her that she would become supernaturally pregnant. God, in His providence, decided to delay this revelation to Joseph. We now see Joseph and his response to the revelation of God.

Scripture records that while Joseph was pondering these things an angel of the Lord appeared to him. God often used angels to communicate His message to man. For instance, in the book of Judges, Gideon was visited by an angel and instructed to mount an army to save Israel. The father of John the Baptist was likewise visited by an angel. Before the coming of our Lord (the Living Word) or the writing of Scripture (the written Word) God sometimes spoke in supernatural ways to communicate his message (Hebrews 1:1-2). Here, while Joseph was dreaming, he receives a personal revelation from the Lord.

We should take notice of how the angel addressed him. He calls him “Joseph, son of David.” It is an individual, specific call to Joseph. When God deals with people, He deals with us as individuals. When He calls a person to salvation, He calls them by name. Of course, He does not call them in an audible voice. The call of His Holy Spirit is just as real, however. The angel also addresses him as “son of David.” Every Jew knew that the Messiah would come from the line of David. The angel probably addressed him like this to emphasize the important role that Joseph would now play in the plan to bring the Messiah into the world.

Further, we should observe the advice he gave to Joseph. He tells him to not be afraid to take Mary for a wife. The Greek actually reads “Do not become afraid.” In other words, Joseph is called to make a choice to trust God. A person usually becomes afraid because they do not know the future. However, we know that we serve a God who “works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Even in the middle of unusual or difficult circumstances, we can trust God. However, we have to make the choice. Joseph here is admonished to not become afraid. He, of course, did not have God’s perspective. Therefore, he had to choose to believe what God told him. Basically, he had to take God at His word. Joseph was told not to become afraid to take Mary as his wife. Joseph would likely have been worried about guilt by association. If Mary was pregnant and he married her, to most people that would be an admission that they had consummated the marriage before the actual wedding. They would have, in the eyes of the community, been guilty of sin. Joseph here is told by the angel that Mary was free of any guilt because the baby she was carrying was the result of God’s supernatural power. Only the power of God could explain a virgin being pregnant. Of course, if God had sent a message that Joseph should not fear to take Mary for his bride, we must recognize that God would also be the one who protected them in this situation. In short, God wanted Joseph to know that what was happening was part of His will. Since He had brought this to pass by the power of His Holy Spirit He would see them through whatever difficulties might lie ahead. Joseph’s perspective did not permit him to see everything that would happen or how things would work out. In our lives, often times, we suffer from the same problem. We have to make the same choice Joseph did. Do we obey God and trust His word or do we rely on ourselves and our abilities. Here, Joseph receives a promise from God that he can rely on in this trying circumstance.

Finally, we notice the announcement made to Joseph. He is told the supernatural circumstances surrounding the birth. Also, he is told that Mary would bring forth a Son and that they would name him Jesus. Before the Child was even born, the man who would be His legal father knew the Child’s name. Jesus was a fairly common name but it had a special meaning. Literally, it meant “Jehovah saves.” The Jews knew God to be a saving God. Throughout the history of their nation, God had moved in supernatural ways to save them. Jesus’ name, therefore, was a reflection of the character of God. The angel further announces the kind of salvation that would come through this Messiah. He says the He will save His people from their sins. Those who would place their faith and trust in Him would find the filth of their sin completely cleansed away. Those who reject them would be held responsible for that rejection and spend eternity separated from God the Father. He did not come, therefore, to provide emancipation from Roman rule. He didn’t come to draw people to a religious system in an attempt to earn salvation. He came, as the book of Revelation records, to be the Lamb of God, slain from before the foundations of the world. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, He provided salvation from all sin for everyone who would believe in Him. As the hymn writer Phillip Bliss writes “My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part but the whole is nailed to that cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul.” We, too, should praise God for his precious gift of salvation that He revealed to Joseph in a dream that fateful night.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 1:18-20 "Joseph-A example of godliness"

In verses 18 through 25 of this chapter, Matthew records the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. He does so to provide important points in regards to prophecy that Jesus Christ was the long awaited Messiah of the Hebrew people. While doing so, we also observe Joseph's role in the birth narrative that, although passive, provides us insight into the character of the man who would fill the earthly role of father to Jesus. We can be encouraged by his example and his faithfulness.

Matthew records in verse 18 that Mary and Joseph were betrothed, or as we would say, they were engaged to be married. An engagement in Jewish culture was practically as binding as a marriage. As Albert Barnes notes in his commentary, the property of the woman was considered to be now the property of her soon-to-be husband unless he renounced it. For all intents, they were husband and wife. However, they did not live together and did not consummate the marriage until after the actual wedding ceremony. To become intimately involved during the engagement would be looked on as fornication. Therefore, when Matthew states the Mary was found to be with child…before they came together, we find that Joseph and Mary were in a very real crisis. Matthew removes all doubt of any sin by the two of them by noting that the pregnancy was discovered before they had consummated the marriage. He further adds that the Child she was carrying was of the Holy Ghost. The supernatural circumstances of the conception did not mean, however, that they were not still in a crisis. People would assume one of two things. Either Mary had committed adultery or she and Joseph had committed fornication. The death penalty would have applied to both situations. It would be unlikely that anyone would believe the truth. In short, the young couple faced a real life or death personal crisis.

It is in this crisis that we see the man of God that Joseph is. First of all, Matthew records that Joseph is a just man. That phrase is a Jewish expression for someone who is a true follower of God and who observes the law. In other words, Joseph was neither a godless man who rejected the Lord nor was he a self-righteous legalist like the Pharisees Of course, we should remember what Isaiah the prophet wrote in Isaiah 64:6 that "…all our righteousness is as filthy rags." Joseph was as in need of a savior as you or I, but he did earnestly seek after God. We also notice him to be compassionate and merciful. Matthew records that he was not willing to make her a public example but was minded to put her away quietly. Scripture does not record the conversation between Joseph and Mary or how the pregnancy was discovered exactly. Speculation about such things is fruitless for Bible students since God, in His providence, chose not to inspire the authors to write about it. However, Joseph contemplated a divorce as the solution to this crisis. He could have had her killed. Stoning was the penalty for adultery and that would have been what this appeared to be in the eyes of most people. Certainly Joseph could have thought that because he knew the Child was not his. He chose mercy over the law. The Greek word thelo¯ is translated not willing. This word, according to Vines Expository Dictionary, carries with it the idea of authority to make a decision. The word boulomai is translated was minded. This word has the sense of a preference. In other words, Joseph chose not to do as he had a legal right to but instead preferred to quietly divorce her. He chose not to assert his authority in the matter but instead to suffer loss himself and be merciful. In a sense, our Lord did that when He sent Jesus to be our sacrifice. Because of our sin, God had a legal claim on us. He is just and holy and our sin offended Him. By His righteousness He could have condemned everyone to eternal punishment in Hell. Instead, because He loved us, He chose to be merciful. In Colossians 2:13 &14, Paul writes that God "Has made you alive together with Him [Christ], having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." Joseph chose a godly response and instead of demanding justice, decided to extend mercy. Finally, Matthew records that Joseph thought about these things. He did not immediately take action. He preferred to meditate and, in all likelihood, pray about the decision. Sometimes in churches, people want to see God move in a spontaneous way and assume that is the only way in which God moves. However, as we see with Joseph and other men and women in the Bible, there is something to be said for taking time to pause, reflect, and listen for the voice of God. While certainly God does not speak in an audible voice as He once did, He still speaks through His Word, the Holy Spirit, circumstances, and His church. Let us pray for the wisdom to wait to hear from the Lord as Joseph did. Let us pray for the grace that Joseph had to extend mercy rather than demand justice. Let us finally pray to be true seekers of God's righteousness so we can be declared " just" in the same manner as Joseph.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 1:2-17-"The King's Credentials"

As we observed last time, Matthew was inspired by God to write this gospel as proof to the Hebrew people that Jesus Christ was their long awaited Messiah. As we read this section of Scripture, we notice that the method he was moved by the Holy Spirit to use was a genealogy to prove Jesus had a legal claim to the throne of David. Matthew presents a different genealogy than Luke does in his Gospel. First of all, he begins his listing with Abraham and moves forward in time whereas Luke presents the listing from Jesus and works his way back to the first man, Adam. Secondly, from David onward both genealogies have different people. Bible students have discussed the reason for the discrepancy for years and honestly there doesn't appear to be a "right" answer. Some have suggested that one of the two men made a mistake or copied information that was itself incorrect. Because we know that God's Word is perfect and contains no errors, we can pretty well reject that theory as false. Another theory is that Heli (from Luke's listing) was Mary's father and had adopted Joseph after Joseph and Mary were married because Heli had no legal heir so as to pass his possessions through to Joseph. The most popular theory, however, is that Luke presents Mary's genealogy while Matthew presents Joseph's so that Luke traces Jesus' biological claim to the throne while Matthew traces Jesus' legal claim to the throne of David. In any case, Matthew makes it clear in his Gospel that Jesus is the promised Son of David and is the Messiah promised to the Jewish people. He writes that the people in this listing begat (geunao) their offspring. This word does not mean, however, that the person who was begat was necessarily the child of the person named. In several instances, Matthew skips several generations from the one who begat to the one who was begat. In all likelihood, he did this to provide his readers a memory aid. In verse 17, he lists that his genealogy records three groups of 14 generations covering 3 periods in the history of Israel: the call of the nation (Abraham), the beginning of the Kingdom (David), and the exile to Babylon (Jeconiah). Since written Scripture was rare when Matthew wrote his Gospel, he could have used this common sort of memory aid used by the Jews to help his readers remember this important truth-Jesus is the long awaited Messiah, the King of Israel.

The interpretation of this passage of Scripture, then, is that Matthew wrote to provide proof of who Jesus was. There are other observations that we can make that have valuable application to our lives as well as being a great encouragement to us. First, and most obviously, we can see God at work in history. The genealogy covers about 2,500 years, give or take, of history. Of all the people who lived and died, all the wars, all the good times and bad times that transpired during that time, God was at work to put these people where He wanted them to be to accomplish His will. It is an encouragement for us to remember that, in the end, it's not about us. God was in control before we got here. God will be in control while we are here and after we pass away, God is still in control. We also notice that God is sovereign. In other words, God does what God wants to do and He doesn't have to explain Himself to anyone. We see God choose Abraham. When we read the Genesis account of Abraham's call, we find something interesting about the reason God chose Abraham. It isn't given. We have no clue why God did it. It wasn't because Abraham was more righteous, or smarter, or more religious. Also, out of the 12 children of Jacob, God chose one-Judah. Of Judah's two children, he chose Perez. His sovereignty in all things should cause us to praise Him. Who else has the power to do that? Everyone ultimately answers to someone. Of all the rulers and powerful people in this world, no one has the might, power, and authority that God has. We further notice that God is at work regardless of personal or national circumstances. For instance, there are listed here kings who did right in God's eyes (Hezekiah, Jehosaphat) and those who did not (Joram, Manasseh). Regardless of the good or evil character of these leaders, God was at work and used them. Tamar committed adultery with her father-in-law who, because she disguised herself, though she was a prostitute. David and Bathsheba (she who had been the wife of Uriah) committed adultery. Rahab, before she hid the spies from the nation of Israel who had come in to spy out Cannan in the book of Joshua, was a prostitute. Even through their sin, God was able to use them in his plan to bring the Messiah into the world. We also see people who were not even Jewish included in this birth record. Ruth was from Moab and Rahab lived in Jericho in the land of Cannan when the children of Israel came to invade the land. No matter who we are, what we've done, or what's going on around us, God is at work. If we come to Him in faith, turn from doing things our way to doing things His way, and trust God to forgive us of our sins based on the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son Jesus, He will save us and give us the opportunity to serve Him and join with Him in His work. What a privilege.

We also see one exception in this birth record. As Matthew notes, Joseph did not begat Jesus. Joseph was the husband of Mary. Therefore he was Jesus' father in a legal sense. However, Jesus had no human father As Paul notes in Romans 8:3, Jesus was sent in the "likeness of sinful flesh". In Romans 5:12, Paul records that "sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin." Scripture further records that Eve was deceived but Adam sinned. Therefore, since sin is passed from the father to the next generation but Jesus had no biological human father, He did not inherit our sin nature. Matthew underscores this important truth by pointing out that Joseph was the husband of Mary "of whom was born Jesus, who is called the Christ." By doing so, Matthew teaches us that Jesus was truly the Son of David both through His legal father, Joseph, and his mother, Mary.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 1:1-"Here is your King."

The early church recognized Matthew as the first Gospel. It was the most often quoted book in the early church. The author, Matthew, was originally called Levi and he was a tax collector by trade. Tax collectors, it seems, were able to overcharge the taxpayer on the amount of tax the person owed and keep any extra as a bonus. They were, therefore, esteemed much like our IRS today. Matthew left his tax collection business upon Jesus' call to "Follow me" in Matthew 9:9. He faithfully followed Christ and wrote this record of His ministry under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit sometime before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. His purpose in writing this Gospel was to present Jesus as the long awaited Messiah of the Jewish people. His primary target audience is, therefore, the Hebrew people. However, all Christians will find study of this wonderful evangelistic book to be a blessing.

Matthew records, in verse 1, the book of the genealogy (the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word used for origin or beginning-Genesis) of our Lord and Savior. As the 17th century expositor Matthew Henry noted, one might question why Matthew might include something as common as a birth record in his Gospel narrative. He observes, and we should remember, that the purpose of Matthew's Gospel was to introduce the Jews to their Messiah. The Messiah had to be Jewish (of Abraham) and had to be of the kingly line of the house of David. Therefore, Matthew is not presenting an interesting bit of trivia but was in fact grounding the message of his Gospel on a central theme-Jesus is Messiah. Here to the reader, especially the Jewish reader, Matthew begins to hammer that point home. Through the use of this genealogy and Old Testament quotes, Matthew presents the resume of our Lord for the position of the long awaited Messiah who would reign on the Throne of David.

Furthermore, we should notice the name of this Messiah. Jesus (Ie¯sous) is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua. The name means "Jehovah saves". We are told later in this chapter that Jesus will, in fact, save His people from their sins. With this name is paired the title Christ (Christos) which means anointed. Jesus Christ was God's anointed in several respects. First of all, as the book of Philippians Chapter 2 tells us, He was God's Servant who "became obedient to death, even death on a cross". He came to do the will of His Father in heaven and was specially commissioned for such work. He was also anointed of God by having been given the Holy Spirit without measure, as the Gospel of John records. However, the anointing that Matthew likely has in mind here is the anointing of Kingship. David had been promised a descendant who would reign forever. Matthew here points out that Jesus is the One who was uniquely anointed by God for just that task. Again, in Philippians chapter 2, Paul notes that at the name of Jesus "ever knee shall bow….and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."

As the anointed Christ, Jesus would have to trace his ancestry back to the family of David. In Jeremiah 23:5, the Lord said that " Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.'" The title son of David would have aroused feelings of pride and hope in the heart of the Jewish reader. They knew of the political situation they were in being subjects of Rome and they knew of the promise of God and His faithfulness through the years. In the years surrounding the birth of Jesus, the Jewish people were waiting expectantly for the Messiah. In fact, even people who were not people of faith in God were expecting his arrival (Matt 2:7, Acts 5:35-37). Of course, the Jewish people were expecting immediate emancipation from their Roman rulers and, as such, assumed a military victory. In identifying Jesus as the son of David after His death, burial, and resurrection, Matthew affirms the truth that the Messiah's permanent eternal kingdom is not of this world. While He will reign at some future point in Jerusalem for 1,000 years, the kingdom of which there shall be no end will be in the New Jerusalem.

Matthew next identifies Jesus as the son of Abraham. Jewish people obviously revered Abraham as their father (John 8:39). God made an eternal covenant with Abraham. This covenant had three features: Land (Gen 12:7), Blessing (Gen 12:3), and Seed (Gen 22:18). The land we now know as Palestine was promised to Abraham and his decedents as their possession. When Matthew wrote this gospel, the Jewish people were under the rule of Rome. In fact, since the Babylonian deportation in 476 BC, the land of Israel had been under the control, politically, of another country (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome). They had not taken possession of the land and, therefore, held onto this promise. We know that Jesus, when He comes back at the end of the Tribulation, will set up a Millennial kingdom in Jerusalem where He will reign for 1,000 years. However, Jesus fulfilled the other two parts of the covenant while here on earth. Paul identifies Him as the Seed that God was referring to in His promise to Abraham. In Galatians 3:16, Paul writes, "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ. " Therefore, Christ came into this world as the Seed promised to Abraham. It was through this seed that God would bless the whole world and the specific blessing that he would bring was the salvation promised by God in the Old Testament (Hosea 2:14-20). This salvation was not only for the Jews, but was in fact for all who would place their faith in Jesus Christ (Col 1:6, Romans 2:9-10).

Matthew, in the first verse of his gospel, identifies Jesus as the promised Heir to the throne of David and as the promised Seed of the covenant with Abraham.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.