This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. This is howThe phrase "This is how" introduces the narrative with a sense of purpose and clarity. It signals the beginning of a divine account that is not just historical but also theological. The Greek word used here, "houtōs," implies a manner or way, indicating that what follows is a divinely orchestrated event, setting the stage for the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. the birth of Jesus Christ
The term "birth" in Greek is "gennēsis," which can also mean "origin" or "beginning." This emphasizes not just the physical birth but the inception of Jesus' earthly mission. "Jesus" is derived from the Hebrew "Yeshua," meaning "Yahweh is salvation," and "Christ" from the Greek "Christos," meaning "Anointed One." This highlights Jesus' role as the Savior and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah. came about
The phrase "came about" suggests a process or unfolding of events. In the Greek, "ginomai" is used, which means "to become" or "to happen." This indicates that the birth of Jesus was not a random occurrence but a fulfillment of God's sovereign plan, meticulously orchestrated in history. His mother Mary
"Mary" is a name of Hebrew origin, "Miryam," which can mean "beloved" or "bitter." Her role as the mother of Jesus is central to the narrative, and her character is often seen as one of humility and obedience. The mention of "His mother" underscores the human aspect of Jesus' incarnation, emphasizing that He was born of a woman, fully human yet fully divine. was pledged to be married to Joseph
The phrase "pledged to be married" refers to the Jewish betrothal process, which was more binding than modern engagements. The Greek word "mnēsteuō" indicates a formal agreement, often lasting a year, during which the couple was legally bound but did not live together. Joseph, a descendant of David, plays a crucial role in fulfilling the Messianic prophecies concerning Jesus' lineage. but before they came together
This phrase highlights the virgin birth, a cornerstone of Christian doctrine. "Came together" in Greek is "synerchomai," meaning to unite or come together physically. The emphasis here is on the miraculous nature of Jesus' conception, affirming the belief that Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus, fulfilling Isaiah 7:14. she was found to be with child
The phrase "found to be with child" indicates the discovery of Mary's pregnancy. The Greek word "heuriskō" means to find or discover, suggesting that this was a revelation to Joseph and others. This discovery would have been shocking and potentially scandalous, yet it was part of God's divine plan. through the Holy Spirit
The phrase "through the Holy Spirit" is crucial, as it attributes Jesus' conception to divine intervention. The Greek "dia" (through) and "pneuma hagion" (Holy Spirit) emphasize the supernatural aspect of Jesus' birth. This affirms the doctrine of the Trinity and the belief that Jesus is both fully God and fully man, conceived by the Holy Spirit, setting the stage for His redemptive work on earth. Persons / Places / Events 1. Jesus ChristThe central figure of Christianity, whose birth is being described. He is the promised Messiah and Savior. 2. MaryThe mother of Jesus, a young Jewish woman who was chosen by God to bear His Son. Her role is pivotal in the fulfillment of prophecy. 3. JosephThe betrothed husband of Mary, a righteous man from the line of David, who plays a crucial role in the earthly family of Jesus. 4. The Holy SpiritThe third person of the Trinity, who miraculously conceived Jesus in Mary, emphasizing the divine nature of Jesus' birth. 5. BetrothalA formal and legally binding engagement period in Jewish culture, more significant than modern engagements, during which Mary was found to be with child. Teaching Points The Divine Nature of Jesus' BirthThe conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit underscores His divine origin and the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. Faith and ObedienceMary's acceptance of God's will and Joseph's righteous response to the situation demonstrate faith and obedience, serving as models for believers. The Role of the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit's involvement in Jesus' conception highlights His active role in the life of believers, guiding and empowering them. God's Sovereignty and TimingThe birth of Jesus at the appointed time shows God's control over history and His faithfulness to His promises. The Importance of ProphecyThe fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus' birth strengthens our faith in the reliability and truth of Scripture. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the miraculous conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit impact your understanding of His divine nature and mission? 2. In what ways can Mary and Joseph's responses to God's plan inspire you to act in faith and obedience in your own life? 3. How does the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in the birth of Jesus strengthen your confidence in the Bible? 4. What role does the Holy Spirit play in your life today, and how can you be more attentive to His guidance? 5. How can understanding God's perfect timing in the birth of Jesus help you trust His timing in your personal circumstances? Connections to Other Scriptures Isaiah 7:14This prophecy foretells the virgin birth of the Messiah, connecting the miraculous conception of Jesus to Old Testament prophecy. Luke 1:26-38Provides a detailed account of the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary, offering a fuller picture of the events leading to Jesus' birth. Genesis 3:15The first messianic prophecy, which speaks of the seed of the woman, is fulfilled in the virgin birth of Jesus. Galatians 4:4-5Discusses the fullness of time and God's plan for redemption through Jesus, born of a woman, under the law. People Abia, Abihud, Abijah, Abiud, Achaz, Achim, Ahaz, Aminadab, Amminadab, Amon, Amos, Aram, Asa, Azor, Bathsheba, Boaz, Booz, David, Eleazar, Eliakim, Eliud, Emmanuel, Esrom, Ezekias, Hezekiah, Hezron, Immanuel, Isaac, Jacob, Jechonias, Jeconiah, Jehoram, Jehoshaphat, Jesse, Jesus, Joatham, Joram, Josaphat, Joseph, Josiah, Josias, Jotham, Judas, Manasseh, Manasses, Mary, Matthan, Naasson, Nahshon, Obed, Ozias, Perez, Phares, Pharez, Rachab, Rahab, Rehoboam, Roboam, Ruth, Sadoc, Salathiel, Salmon, Shealtiel, Solomon, Tamar, Thamar, Uriah, Urias, Uzziah, Zadok, Zara, Zarah, Zerah, Zerubbabel, ZorobabelPlaces Babylon, BethlehemTopics Betrothed, Birth, Child, Christ, Circumstances, Conceived, Discovery, Engaged, Espoused, Follows, Ghost, Holy, Joseph, Manner, Marriage, Married, Mary, Pledged, Pregnant, Spirit, Thus, United, WiseDictionary of Bible Themes Matthew 1:18 2595 incarnation
3269 Holy Spirit, in Christ
3290 Holy Spirit, life-giver
5720 mothers, examples
5729 one flesh Matthew 1:1-20 2078 Christ, sonship of Matthew 1:18-19 5444 pledges
5677 divorce, among believers Matthew 1:18-20 5654 betrothal
5710 marriage, customs
5910 motives, examples Matthew 1:18-23 5652 babies Matthew 1:18-25 2515 Christ, birth of
5099 Mary, mother of Christ
5663 childbirth
5702 husband
5740 virgin Library Genealogy of Jesus According to Matthew.
^A Matt. I. 1-17. ^a 1 The book of the generation [or genealogy] of Jesus Christ, the son of David [the Messiah was promised to David--II. Sam. vii. 16; John vii. 42], the son of Abraham. [Messiah was also promised to Abraham--Gen. xxii. 18; Gal. iii. 16.] 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judah and his brethren [mentioned here because they were the heads of the tribes for whom especially Matthew wrote his Gospel]; 3 and Judah begat Perez and Zerah [these two were twins] …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold GospelAnnunciation to Joseph of the Birth of Jesus.
(at Nazareth, b.c. 5.) ^A Matt. I. 18-25. ^a 18 Now the birth [The birth of Jesus is to handled with reverential awe. We are not to probe into its mysteries with presumptuous curiosity. The birth of common persons is mysterious enough (Eccl. ix. 5; Ps. cxxxix. 13-16), and we do not well, therefore, if we seek to be wise above what is written as to the birth of the Son of God] of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed [The Jews were usually betrothed ten or twelve months …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Nativity of Jesus the Messiah.
SUCH then was the hope of the promise made of God unto the fathers,' for which the twelve tribes, instantly serving (God) night and day,' longed - with such vividness, that they read it in almost every event and promise; with such earnestness, that it ever was the burden of their prayers; with such intensity, that many and long centuries of disappointment have not quenched it. Its light, comparatively dim in days of sunshine and calm, seemed to burn brightest in the dark and lonely nights of suffering, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah The Annunciation of Jesus the Messiah, and the Birth of his Forerunner.
FROM the Temple to Nazareth! It seems indeed most fitting that the Evangelic story should have taken its beginning within the Sanctuary, and at the time of sacrifice. Despite its outward veneration for them, the Temple, its services, and specially its sacrifices, were, by an inward logical necessity, fast becoming a superfluity for Rabbinism. But the new development, passing over the intruded elements, which were, after all, of rationalistic origin, connected its beginning directly with the Old Testament …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Miracles.
Two means of proof--miracles and the accomplishment of prophecies--could alone, in the opinion of the contemporaries of Jesus, establish a supernatural mission. Jesus, and especially his disciples, employed these two processes of demonstration in perfect good faith. For a long time, Jesus had been convinced that the prophets had written only in reference to him. He recognized himself in their sacred oracles; he regarded himself as the mirror in which all the prophetic spirit of Israel had read the …
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus The Synoptists.
(See the Lit. in § 78.) The Synoptic Problem. The fourth Gospel stands by itself and differs widely from the others in contents and style, as well as in distance of time of composition. There can be no doubt that the author, writing towards the close of the first century, must have known the three older ones. But the first three Gospels present the unique phenomenon of a most striking agreement and an equally striking disagreement both in matter and style, such as is not found among any three …
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I The Perpetual virginity of Blessed Mary.
Against Helvidius. This tract appeared about a.d. 383. The question which gave occasion to it was whether the Mother of our Lord remained a Virgin after His birth. Helvidius maintained that the mention in the Gospels of the "sisters" and "brethren" of our Lord was proof that the Blessed Virgin had subsequent issue, and he supported his opinion by the writings of Tertullian and Victorinus. The outcome of his views was that virginity was ranked below matrimony. Jerome vigorously takes the other side, …
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome Faustus Recurs to the Genealogical Difficulty and Insists that Even According to Matthew Jesus was not Son of God Until his Baptism. Augustin Sets Forth the Catholic view of the Relation of the Divine and the Human in the Person of Christ.
1. Faustus said: On one occasion, when addressing a large audience, I was asked by one of the crowd, Do you believe that Jesus was born of Mary? I replied, Which Jesus do you mean? for in the Hebrew it is the name of several people. One was the son of Nun, the follower of Moses; [971] another was the son of Josedech the high priest; [972] again, another is spoken of as the son of David; [973] and another is the Son of God. [974] Of which of these do you ask whether I believe him to have been …
St. Augustine—writings in connection with the Manichæan controversy The King in Exile
'And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him. 14. When he arose, he took the young child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt; 15. And was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Mary, Future Mother of Jesus, visits Elisabeth, Future Mother of John the Baptist.
(in the Hill Country of Judæa, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 39-56. ^c 39 And Mary arose in these days [within a week or two after the angel appeared to her] and went into the hill country [the district of Judah lying south of Jerusalem, of which the city of Hebron was the center] with haste [she fled to those whom God had inspired, so that they could understand her condition and know her innocence--to those who were as Joseph needed to be inspired, that he might understand--Matt. i. 18-25], into a city …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew's Gospel breaks the long silence that followed the ministry of Malachi the last of the Old Testament prophets. This silence extended for four hundred years, and during that time God was hid from Israel's view. Throughout this period there were no angelic manifestations, no prophet spake for Jehovah, and, though the Chosen People were sorely pressed, yet were there no Divine interpositions on their behalf. For four centuries God shut His people up to His written Word. Again and again had God …
Arthur W. Pink—Why Four Gospels? Christ the Mediator of the Covenant
'Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant,' &c. Heb 12:24. Jesus Christ is the sum and quintessence of the gospel; the wonder of angels; the joy and triumph of saints. The name of Christ is sweet, it is as music in the ear, honey in the mouth, and a cordial at the heart. I shall waive the context, and only speak of that which concerns our present purpose. Having discoursed of the covenant of grace, I shall speak now of the Mediator of the covenant, and the restorer of lapsed sinners, Jesus the Mediator …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Against Jovinianus.
Book I. Jovinianus, concerning whom we know little more than is to be found in the two following books, had published at Rome a Latin treatise containing all, or part of the opinions here controverted, viz. (1) "That a virgin is no better as such than a wife in the sight of God. (2) Abstinence is no better than a thankful partaking of food. (3) A person baptized with the Spirit as well as with water cannot sin. (4) All sins are equal. (5) There is but one grade of punishment and one of reward in …
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus.
(at Nazareth, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 26-38. ^c 26 Now in the sixth month [this is the passage from which we learn that John was six months older than Jesus] the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth [Luke alone tells us where Mary lived before the birth of Jesus. That Nazareth was an unimportant town is shown by the fact that it is mentioned nowhere in the Old Testament, nor in the Talmud, nor in Josephus, who mentions two hundred four towns and cities of Galilee. The …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Immanuel
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name IMMANUEL , God with us. T here is a signature of wisdom and power impressed upon the works of God, which evidently distinguishes them from the feeble imitations of men. Not only the splendour of the sun, but the glimmering light of the glow-worm proclaims His glory. The structure and growth of a blade of grass, are the effects of the same power which produced the fabric of the heavens and the earth. In His Word likewise He is …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 The Tragic Break in the Plan.
The Jerusalem Climate: the contrasting receptions, Luke 2. the music of heaven, Job 38:6, 7. Luke 2:13, 14. pick out the choruses of Revelation, the crowning book.--the after-captivity leaders, see Ezra and Nehemiah--ideals and ideas--present leaders--Herod--the high priest--the faithful few, Luke 2:25, 38. 23:51. The Bethlehem Fog: Matthew 1 and 2. Luke 2. a foggy shadow--suspicion of Mary--a stable cradle--murder of babes--star-students--senate meeting--a troubled city-flight--Galilee. The …
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus The Prophecy of Obadiah.
We need not enter into details regarding the question as to the time when the prophet wrote. By a thorough argumentation, Caspari has proved, that he occupies his right position in the Canon, and hence belongs to the earliest age of written prophecy, i.e., to the time of Jeroboam II. and Uzziah. As bearing conclusively against those who would assign to him a far later date, viz., the time of the exile, there is not only the indirect testimony borne by the place which this prophecy occupies in …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament The Holy Spirit and the Incarnation of the Word. ...
The Holy Spirit and the Incarnation of the Word. We are so familiar with the part assigned in our Creeds to the Holy Spirit in connection with our Lord's birth, that the passage now to be quoted from Justin may at first sight seem very surprising. It may be well to approach it by citing some words from the learned and orthodox Waterland, who in 1734, in his book on The Trinity (c. vi: Works, III, 571: Oxford, 1843), wrote as follows in reference to a passage of St Irenæus: "I may remark by …
Irenæus—The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching A Cloud of Witnesses.
"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was a-dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.... By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about for seven days. By faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them that were disobedient, …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews Commentary on Matthew. Introduction.
According to Eusebius (H. E. vi. 36) the Commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew were written about the same time as the Contra Celsum, when Origen was over sixty years of age, and may therefore be probably assigned to the period 246-248. This statement is confirmed by internal evidence. In the portion here translated, books x.-xiv., he passes by the verses Matt. xviii. 12, 13, and refers for the exposition of them to his Homilies on Luke (book xiii. 29). Elsewhere, he refers his readers for a fuller …
Origen—Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew The Disciple, -- Master, in These Days Some Learned Men and their Followers Regard Thy...
The Disciple,--Master, in these days some learned men and their followers regard Thy atonement and the redemption by blood as meaningless and futile, and say that Christ was only a great teacher and example for our spiritual life, and that salvation and eternal happiness depend on our own efforts and good deeds. The Master,--1. Never forget that spiritual and religious ideas are connected less with the head than with the heart, which is the temple of God, and when the heart is filled with the presence …
Sadhu Sundar Singh—At The Master's Feet The Birth of Jesus.
(at Bethlehem of Judæa, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke II. 1-7. ^c 1 Now it came to pass in those days [the days of the birth of John the Baptist], there went out a decree [a law] from Cæsar Augustus [Octavius, or Augustus, Cæsar was the nephew of and successor to Julius Cæsar. He took the name Augustus in compliment to his own greatness; and our month August is named for him; its old name being Sextilis], that all the world should be enrolled. [This enrollment or census was the first step …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Like one of Us.
"But a body Thou hast prepared Me."-- Heb. x. 5. The completion of the Old Testament did not finish the work that the Holy Spirit undertook for the whole Church. The Scripture may be the instrument whereby to act upon the consciousness of the sinner and to open his eyes to the beauty of the divine life, but it can not impart that life to the Church. Hence it is followed by another work of the Holy Spirit, viz., the preparation of the body of Christ. The well-known words of Psalm xl. 6, 7: "Sacrifice …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit Commencement of the Legends Concerning Jesus --His Own Idea of his Supernatural Character.
Jesus returned to Galilee, having completely lost his Jewish faith, and filled with revolutionary ardor. His ideas are now expressed with perfect clearness. The innocent aphorisms of the first part of his prophetic career, in part borrowed from the Jewish rabbis anterior to him, and the beautiful moral precepts of his second period, are exchanged for a decided policy. The Law would be abolished; and it was to be abolished by him.[1] The Messiah had come, and he was the Messiah. The kingdom of God …
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus Links Matthew 1:18 NIVMatthew 1:18 NLTMatthew 1:18 ESVMatthew 1:18 NASBMatthew 1:18 KJV
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