Chad Richard Bresson - The Person of Advent - Matthew 1-18-25

8/3/2019 Chad Richard Bresson - The Person of Advent - Matthew 1-18-25

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Title: The Person of Advent - 1

Text: Matthew 1:18-25

Title: The Person of AdventText: Matthew 1:18-25

Speaker: Pastor Chad Bresson

If you followed along with the Royal Wedding last year, surviving the hours andhours and hours and hours and hours of speculation and drivel of something we(as a nation) swore off in 1776, one of the more superficial discussions amongthose who have nothing better to do with their day had to do with possible babynames for William and Kate's first baby. And then the second baby. It didn't matterthat William and Kate don't have any children and were not expecting a child. Thewedding isn't even off the ground the archbishop of Canterbury hasn't even toldWilliam to kiss his bride and commentators and bloggers are suggesting possiblebaby names for the king and queen to be. These royal wedding are quite thespectacle. And again, we decided as a nation not to pay notice of these things 235years ago.

However, one of the more fascinating things about this discussion about babynames was the thinking of Kate's parents back in 1982 when she arrived on thescene. Kate's full name is Catherine Elizabeth Middleton. The Middletons, it hasbeen well-documented, are not of royal blood. Mom and Dad Middleton were flightattendants for British Airways before founding their own company. Yet in namingCatherine, the Middletons made a decidedly royal decision. Even in royal circles, ithas always been common for parents who had any design on their child having ashot at the throne, especially through marriage , you would give your child a royalname that would fit the crown. The middle-class Middletons like many othercommoners gave their daughter names befitting a queen in the faint hope that oneday she would be. Catherine and Elizabeth are names of royal royal antiquity andan Elizabeth currently occupies the throne.

What's also interesting is that when Charles and Diana had the first of their twosons, they had less names to choose from than did the middle-class Middletons. Ifyou are a son born to a royal, especially if the throne is close enough to touch it asit is these days for the House of Windsor, your name is one of 18-25 to choosefrom, depending on who you ask. William and Henry both are names from theshort list.

Are those the kinds of hopes and dreams that channel their way into your thinkingwhen you give your children names? Names are certainly tied to identity. But for

the most part, here in the West we don't give much thought to destiny when wename our children.

But we are reminded about the relationship between naming a child and destiny aswe think about the Christmas story. The naming of a child is a fundamental pieceof our beloved Christmas story. This is the second in a series on the Advent fromthe book of Matthew. Tonight we consider the Person of Advent. This particularpassage tonight is so tied to the religious Christmas story we rarely hear anymention of this particular passage outside of the holiday season. This passage isamong those passages we read every December 24 at the Bresson household.

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Our passage this evening: Matthew 1:18-25. What we have in our passage thisevening is the naming of a royal child. And of course, it's not any royal child. Butthis is an aspect of our Christmas story we haven't thought much about. When yousee the shepherds and the angels and the manger and Mary and Joseph and thebaby and you sing the carols, does it ever occur to you that the actual naming of

the child is a big deal? In fact, in our passage this evening, Matthew doesn't botherwith the details of the birth itself. He states it so matter-of-factly. What Matthew isinterested in is the nature of the birth. The "why" question seems to be moreimportant than the "what" question.

Let's begin with verse 1, then skip to verse 17.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son ofAbraham.

So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations,

and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, andfrom the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

What we have in the first 17 verses is a genealogy of Jesus. The very first line of itin chapter one functions as a summary statement of the rest of the chapter, and infact, this entire section of Matthew. This particular genealogy establishes thepedigree of Jesus through the royal line of David. Matthew has introduced us toJesus in his gospel as the one who is David's heir, the heir to David's throne.Circle David in the text. Everything that happens from verse 1 onward is somehowconnected to understanding Jesus as the Promised Messiah who is the royal heirto David's throne. Anywhere you go in Matthew, Jesus Christ is being portrayed as

the One who has come to make his claim to David's throne.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the legitimate heir to David'sthrone, a son of Abraham, the patriarch of the gospel through whom all of thenations of the world will be blessed. This is the story of a king who is unlike anykind of a king Israel or the world had ever seen. This is a king nobody wants. Thisis a king born in scandal. This is a king with scandal in his family tree. This is aking who was targeted in a massacre. This is a king who eventually will becrucified as a criminal.

The origins of Jesus Christ, the Promised One of the Old Testament, as these first

17 verses point out, is in line to ascend Davids throne. For that first centurychurch, Matthew is going to paint a picture of a Davidic heir to the throne whosedefining mark of an emerging kingdom is humiliation instead of exaltation. Whichbrings us to verse 18.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.

This phrase connects this section with the previous one. This continues what wasbegun in verse 1. The book of the genealogy (or origins) of Jesus Christ, the SonDavid, the son of Abrahamnow the birth of this heir to Davids throne, thisMessiah, this child of Abraham through whom all nations of the earth will be


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blessed occurred in time and space, in real history, in the following manner. Butas weve noted, Matthew (unlike Luke) doesnt really say much, if anything, aboutthe actual birth.

When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they cametogether she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

OK. Now that's different. The story of the birth that goes along with that genealogyfrom the start is shocking. The Jewish custom of betrothal seems a bit strange tous. Couples would enter an agreement to marry. The agreement would beformalized in celebration. They would exchange gifts and have a ceremony andhave a feast. And then go home. For months. It usually lasted about a year.However, this was more than engagement. This was a contract to marry. Mary andJoseph were considered husband and wife. To break it off required a divorce. Ifthe fianc died, the one left behind was considered a widow. Sex during this timewas considered fornication. With someone else it was considered adultery. Whiledivorce during betrothal was common, being unchaste during this time period was

uncommon. And betrothal was arranged by the parents, usually of the husband.Mary would have been between the ages of 12 and 14. If she were sixteen, shewould have been considered an old maid. Joseph would have been somewherebetween 18 and 20.

So immediately, theres a problem. Mary is still in her betrothal year, theyve hadthe ceremony and exchanged the gifts, and it is learned that she is pregnant.Matthew the narrator clues us in as to the nature of this pregnancy, but keep inmind that Matthew is writing years later. This was a huge no-no in Jewish society.This is scandal. This is a scarlet mark that will stigmatize Mary the rest of her lifeand as the gospels unfold, it is a stigmatism that will dog the child the rest of his

life. Think about that the next time you see a Christmas card with a manger thathas a soft glow and smiling sheep. We know the whole story. Marys family andfriends dont know the whole story, and in fact, some of them assume the worstthe childs entire life.

What Matthew says about the pregnancy is just as shocking. Mary was found tobe with child of the Holy Spirit. Much about the genealogy has been unexpected.And the trend continues. Before they came together. No sex was involved. Theearly church hearing this for the first time had heard the stories. And this phrasesets them up for what comes later. But even in that day, this phrase is a shock.Mary is still a virgin. And pregnant. This is pushing to limits of believability, even in

Matthews day.

Notice the passive tense of the action here: was found to be with child. This isntsomething Mary has done. This isnt something for which Mary is responsible. Thisaction is divine initiative. This is no ordinary child. The implication here is that thechild is divine. The conception of this child, the life of this human being borne byMary, is generated by the Holy Spirit we have echoes here of Genesis 2 theSpirit breath of God, unaided by humanity, has breathed something new in Mary.

19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her toshame, resolved to divorce her quietly.


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If this were a drama, this is what we would say is the dilemma of the story. This isJosephs dilemma. Among the family members that assume the worst and dontknow the whole story is Marys husband, Joseph. Much could be said aboutJosephs righteous motivations here and his compassion and love for Mary.Joseph did not have to resolve such a scandalous bit of news privately and in

secret. This quietly and unwilling to put her to shame not only speaks toJosephs sense of compassion, but also his shock. This is so unlike Mary.

The point here is that Joseph knows that the child is not his. This is the thrust ofwhat unfolds in these verses. His actions are typical of a betrothed husband whofinds out his wife has not been chaste and has been cheating on him during thisinterim year. Joseph aims to divorce Mary because he knows he is not the fatherof the child.

20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lordappeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to

take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the HolySpirit.

Theres nothing typical about this story, is there? Mary is with child during thebetrothal period. Mary is a virgin. And pregnant. This child is not her doing. Thischild is divine. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. This issurprising and unusual. But this twist here now places the story in unfolding dramaof redemptive history for Matthews readers. They are well-versed in the stories oftheir Hebrew Bible of angels paying visits, even in dreams, bringing messages onbehalf of God. Something significant in the storyline of the Bible is being advancedwhen angels appear in the text. These angelic visitations bridge heaven and earth

with divine messages that most often speak to some great event that is unfoldingor is about to unfold that has some great bearing on Israels destiny as the Peopleof God and says something about Israels hope in the coming of One who wouldsave them and rescue them. Like Jacob at Beth-el, Joseph dreams of angels atnight, and probably not lost on Matthews church audience is that what we have inthis unusual birth story, is that there is another Joseph who is a dreamer.

This angel brings the big picture to Joseph. Mary is still chaste. This child is bydivine initiative. And we have a reminder that Joseph and this child are part ofDavids royal line. But Jesus is not the actual son of Joseph, but the son of God.

Not only does an appearance of an angel in a dream place these events in the OldTestament storyline, so too does the angels message. The first part of the angelsmessage is a divine explanation of the event, an explanation that is the basis ofMatthews claim that Mary has been found to be with child of the Holy Spirit. Itsalso an explanation that comes with an announcement of divine will: Mary is avirgin. Mary is pregnant via the Holy Spirit. Dont be afraid to marry Mary. Theexplanation of a divinely initiated pregnancy is the basis of command: dont beafraid. And this command has an intended result: to take Mary as your wife.

The second part of the angels message has this same kind of rhythm divineexplanation that comes loaded with an expected response:


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21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus

This child who is of divine origin is going to be a son. In fact, because you aregoing to marry Mary, this child is going to be a son of David. This child will extendthe royal line. And the angel doesnt stop there. The angel doesnt simply suggest

a baby name. He commands it. And you shall call his name Jesus. Heres thesecond of the commands in the angels message. Dont be afraid to marry Mary.You will call his name Jesus.

It has been pointed out that Jesus was a common name for Jewish boys inJosephs day. And its not a secret that Jesus was the Greek form of the Jewishname Joshua. Jehovah our Savior is the literal meaning. But this isnt simply anyJoshua. This Joshua is unique. This Joshua is exponentially superlative. ThisJoshua is heralded by an angel. This Joshua is born of a virgin. This Joshua is ofdivine origin. There has never been a Joshua like this One, nor will there ever be aJoshua like this one. Just as the appearance of an angel in a dream provides a

backdrop of the Old Testament drama of redemption, so too does the naming of achild who is not of this world, Joshua. The original Joshua, who led the children ofIsrael into the land flowing with milk and honey and conquered Jericho and Godsenemies in taking the land, bears witness to this Joshua. Joseph, that child in yourwifes womb is a New Joshua.

And then we come to the centerpiece of the story. This is where the story lands.This is the thrust of the angels appearance in a dream. This next phrase is wherethe genealogy is taking Matthews original church audience.

for he will save his people from their sins.

This is also shocking and unexpectedat least for those who were expecting thenext David to lead Israel in an overthrow of Rome. This Joshua comes to conquera different kind of enemy and to establish a different kind of kingdom. This Joshuais not a military leader. This one named Jehovah our Savior comes bringingsalvation of a different sort.

The mission of this son is the point of this passage. It colors everything in thispassage. This is the son of Abraham who is coming to save his people from theirsins. This is the heir to the Davidic throne who is coming to save his people fromtheir sins. This is not a Davidic heir who comes in all the glory of the throne. This is

not a Joshua coming in power and might to overthrow Rome. This is Joshuacoming to save his people from their sins.

This is a different kind of a baby story. At the center of this birth story is thehumiliation of Jesus. Before this baby story is over, there will be difficulty. Therewill be suffering. As we mentioned last week, in order to accomplish this kind ofredemption, this one who is raised in the midst of scandal will have to have hisbody broken and his blood poured out for the sins of his people.


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The reason Joseph is to call his son Jesus isnt because this is a nice baby namefor Jewish boys. The son will be called Jesus because of his mission. The missiongives rise to the name. Mission is tied to identity. His name is Jesus preciselybecause of what he does for his people. This child of divine origin is a New Joshua

as an heir to the Davidic throne because of what he does for His people. Themission attached to the name is telling Joseph and the church to whom Matthewwrites that this child will fill out the royal vocation of his lineage, and will exerciserulership over his people by saving his people from their sins.

But theres more. First the angel made the announcement that the child conceivedby Mary is a son who is of divine origin. Now, Matthew the author quotes from theOld Testament, which testifies to the angels announcement.

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his

name Immanuel (which means, God with us).

Matthew understands the angelic announcement of a divine son born of a virgin tobe the fulfillment of an Isaiah passage, Isaiah 7:14:

The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive andbear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

There are three things that are important we should see here. First, the word fulfillmeans to fill up to the fullest measure. And when it is used of the Old Testament, itmeans to fill up the meaning and intention of the Old Testament type or passage

to its fullest and highest measure. This prophecy first given to Ahaz hadimplications not only for Ahaz, but for Joseph, and Mary and Matthew and theearly church to whom Matthew writes. This child which has been conceived by theHoly Spirit in Marys womb brings the meaning and intention of the Isaiah passageto its fullest and highest measure. Even though it had meaning for Ahaz, it is thischild about whom the passage is ultimately speaking.

The second thing we need to see is that the angelic announcement to Joseph inhis dream is a variation on a quote from Isaiah. The language of the angelicannouncement is not an accident. It is an allusion to the Isaiah passage, which iswhy Matthew has quoted it here. But there are some of significant changes. The

words young woman in Isaiah, rendered virgin in our Bibles, is unmistakablyvirgin in the Matthew passage. Im not going to get into the academic argumentshere. But Matthew leaves no wiggle room for interpreting Isaiah and Maryspregnancy as anything but the divine miracle that it is. The other change is thatEmmanuel has been changed to Joshua or Jesus in the angelicannouncement.

It is here that Matthew gives us the big picture in vivid detail. If we miss this, wemiss the meaning of the Christmas story. The angel has used the Isaiah passageand the Old Testament Joshua story to tell us something of the Person of Advent.The New Joshua being carried by Mary, the New Joshua who will be born in


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scandal, is Emmanuel. Emmanuel, who has been divinely conceived in Mary is theNew Joshua. Mary is pregnant with God with us. This son who is causing somuch angst to Joseph is none other than the embodiment of all that God everpromised in the Old Testament regarding his dwelling with man. This is the Onewho called out in the garden, Adam where are you? This is the burning bush. Thisis the torch and firepot. This is the pillar of fire and cloud of Sinai. This is the glory

of the tabernacle. This is the glory of the temple. This is the covenanting Jehovahwho said, I will be there God and they will be my people and I will dwell with mypeople forever. Everything everywhere stated about Gods presence with hispeople lands here Mary is pregnant with God come to dwell with men. NoJoshua in history was ever like this Joshua.

The parallel between you shall call his name Jesus and they will call his nameEmmanuel cannot be overstated. Jesus is this childs personal name, whileEmmanuel is the divine name that defines the essence of this Jesus. And just asthe phrase, he will save his people from their sins colors everything in thispassage, so too it colors Emmanuel. How is it that this Jesus will be God with us

for his people? Jesus will be God with us for his people by saving them from theirsins. Oh the divine erasure. Sin is such an enemy. Sin and God cannot bepresent. Sin cuts off relationship with the Creator. This New Joshua has not comeas in political power or military might. This Emmanuel God with us, deals a fatalblow to sin, and reconciles his people to God so that he may dwell with themforever.

But there is a third change between the Isaiah passage and the Matthew passagethat is so subtle yet so profound its easy to miss. In fact, I never saw this until thisweek. And its right there in front of us. In Isaiah, it says the virgin shall call hisname Emmanuel. Joseph is to call his adopted son Jesus. But notice the way

Matthew quotes the Isaiah passage: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, andthey shall call his name Immanuel. Did you hear it? Did you hear the change thatwould have resonated with Matthews church audience and courses down throughthe ages into our assembly this evening?

Who is it that calls his name Emmanuel? It is they. They shall call his nameEmmanuel. First, it was (the virgin) shall call his name Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14).In the angels announcement to Joseph, it is Joseph who will call his nameJesus. Now, in Matthews interpretation of the angels announcement via the OldTestament, it is they who will call his name Emmanuel. Mary. Joseph. They.

But who is the they? Oh, this is what Matthew wants us to see in the babysfulfillment of the Old Testaments expectations of God come to dwell among apeople whom he has saved from their sins. The they is those whom Emmanuelhas saved from their sins! The baby name for this child with whom Mary ispregnant has moved from Marys lips in the Isaiah passage, to Josephs lips in theangels announcement, to the grand chorus of lips of those for whom this child willdie and with whom He will dwell. Mary is in need of a Savior. Joseph is in need ofa Savior. Matthews church audience is in need of a Savior. The assembled herethis evening need a Savior. And that Savior is none other than the Creator of theuniverse who comes in the scandal of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy to save Hispeople from their sins by having his body broken and pouring out his blood. God


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with Us comes to save His people from their sins, and their grateful, worship-filledresponse is to call his name Jehovah our Savior. The response of a people whohave been saved from their sins is to call their Savior Emmanuel. That is theJesus of Christmas.

Some 33 years later, this same Jesus announced by the angel to Joseph, will dieand rise from the dead for his people, and will stand on a mountain and declare tohis church through the disciples, behold, I am with you always, to the end of theage. Emmanuel goes with and dwells among his redeemed people to the ends ofthe earth, as those kingdom citizens expand the visible kingdom over thecircumference of the globe. Christs mission has become his peoples mission. Asthe kingdom spreads through the establishment of churches among all peoplegroups, the dwelling place of Emmanuel spreads among all people groups.

Emmanuel is with his people to the end of this age and beyond. What is true ofthis age, is true of the age to follow, because this dwelling with His people in the

age to come has already begun in the present age. The very covenantal summarythat pointed to the future in the Old Testament and is now true of the church in theNew Covenant will be true in the New Heavens and New Earth. Revelation 21 and22 tell us that the New Joshua who purchased men for God from every peoplegroup all over the earth will dwell among his people, and He will be their God andthey will be His people. And they shall call his name Emmanuel.

Having been assured that the child in his bride is not his, yet divine, Josephresponds as a faithful participant in the history of redemption:

Verse 24:

24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lordcommanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had givenbirth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Joseph, as the angel had commanded, married Mary, and called the name of hisadopted son Joshua Jesus. Joseph responds in faith. This again is surprising, ifonly he was asked to place his faith and trust in the One residing in his wifeswomb by acquiescing to an unbelievable tale.

What does this mean for tomorrow, and the next day and the next day and the

next day? When we hear this announcement and when we read the response ofJoseph, we are to put ourselves in Josephs shoes. We are to respond in faith tothe heir to the Davidic throne who now occupies that throne as the living andexalted New Joshua.

We are in need of a name; we are in need of a King. We are in need of the NewJoshua-Emmanuel of Advent. Even in the midst of our own scandal, and suffering,and difficulty, we are assured that the same Joshua-Emmanuel born to Mary andJoseph is with us here right now as the one who has saved us from our sins. Thevery same Spirit who conceived the New Joshua in Mary has breathed into


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existence Christs church. We have been given his name. We have his identifyingmark on us as His gathered people.

And it extends beyond these doors. Because he has saved us from our sins, andbecause he now dwells with His New Covenant people, we live our lives in ahostile world as kingdom citizens of another world bearing the name of the One

who bought us: Emmanuel. We carry that name as we go and make disciples,baptizing them and teaching them to observe the commands of King Joshua, ourEmmanuel.

This Jesus, announced to Joseph in the midst of scandal and heartache, is Godwith Us, living and dwelling in His New Covenant temple, the church. The verydwelling presence of God for which Ruth pined, is ever living and ever presentamong those whom he has saved from their sins. This New Joshua is our God,and we are His people. He is Emmanuel among us and for us, forever.

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Chad Richard Bresson - The Person of Advent - Matthew 1-18-25