Matthew, chapter 1, divides itself naturally into two sections - (a) verses 1-17 and (b) verses 18-25. These two sections of the New Testament’s very first chapter contains clear, unambigous rejection of the so-called ‘faith’ of many sophisticated unbelievers. In this post, we look at verses 18-25.
Verses 18-25 make it perfectly clear that we are not to think of the story of jesus as a purely human story. His birth was not ordinary. It was extraordinary. The purpose of His birth was not unknown. It was uniquely specified before His birth. There are many people who say, “Surely, you don’t believe in the Virgin Birth. It’s just an old fairy-tale.” For many people, the Virgin Birth is a stumbling-block - they cannot believe it! They want a “Christianity” without the Virgin Birth. They cannot, however, escape the fact that the New Testament does not present us with such an earthbound “Christianity.” Matthew 1:18 simple tells us, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.” There is no suggestion of “It wasn’t really like this, but this is a nice way of speaking about it and it sounds good.”
If the manner of Jesus’ birth was extraordinary, the purpose of His birth was even more amazing.He did not come only to be a moral example of perfect love. He came to be the Saviour, the One who would save His people from their sins.
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