Matthew 1:18-25

Below are some notes on why this passage is important.

Read Matthew 1:18-25

--Why Joseph?

He was a righteous man. I would also have to believe that God chose Joseph because he was in the genealogical line that was needed, and Joseph was obviously open to God’s direction and His ability to do anything.

--Why Mary?

She was favored by the Lord. You can learn more about the birth of Jesus by reading Luke 1 and 2. She was a virgin, and faithful. Like Joseph, she was obviously open to God’s direction and His ability to do anything.

--What does it mean to “be with child through the Holy Spirit?”

It means Mary was pregnant, and Joseph didn’t do it. The thing is, no other human did either. We see in verse 19 evidence that Joseph presumed that she had been with another man. But that was not the case. The Holy Spirit of God made her pregnant. This does not mean that God had sex with Mary as some assert. Rather, it is an example of how God can cause life to begin. God made Adam and Eve. When we read Genesis 1 and 2, we see that God created life from the dirt in the ground and a bone from a man. If God can make Man and Woman out of dirt and a rib, then He can make a life in the womb of a woman.

--What was Jesus purpose in coming to Earth?

The last statement in v.21 is the answer.

--Why is prophesy so important?

Because is gives credibility to God and his plan. V. 23 refers to Isaiah 7:14, a Jewish scripture that speaks of the coming Messiah. It was written approximately 700 to 900 years before Jesus was born. You see the fulfillment of prophesy throughout the Gospels.

--Why is it important that Mary was a virgin?

It is important because it shows that Jesus was not born from the result of sin, but rather from the will of God. Notice also that in v. 25 it says that Joseph had no union with her UNTIL she gave birth to a son. Some people hold that Mary remained a virgin her entire life. This is not the case. See also Matthew 12:46-50, Matthew 13:55 and John 7:1-10 and you will see references to biological brothers and sisters of Jesus.

--What does this mean to me and the way I live my life?

It means that Jesus came to save you. It means that the Holy Spirit of God was active even then. And it means that God had a plan to save us, even before we were born.