John the Baptist, and the Baptism of Jesus

Continuing a study of the Gospels:

(Matthew 3:1) In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea.

Here "those days" refers to the time of Christ.  Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, wrote that there had not been a prophet since Malachi, some 400 years earlier than the time of Christ.  Indeed, Malachi, in Malachi 3:1, had prophesied the coming of John the Baptist in the days of Jesus:  "Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me, and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in; behold, He shall come, says the LORD of hosts."  Now in Matthew 3:1, here came John the Baptist, preaching:

(2) And saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

John's message was to repent; the original Greek word used was "metanoeo", meaning "to think differently, reconsider (morally to feel compunction)".  The state of the Jews at that time was very corrupt.  Many were righteous in their own eyes and felt they needed no repentance, but here John called all to repent because the kingdom of heaven was at hand.  This kingdom of heaven was not that glorious kingdom of God in another world, heaven, but the kingdom of the Messiah was here.  God was about to erect His kingdom on earth as prophesied by Daniel in Daniel 2:44, "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever."  It was not really a physical kingdom on earth, but rather a spiritual kingdom coming to earth.  The covenant of grace, the opening of the kingdom of heaven to all believers, by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, had come to earth through the birth of Jesus.  This was to be a kingdom of which Christ was sovereign, and all must be the willing, loyal subjects of it, by repentance.  

(3) For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.'"

Matthew explained that this John the Baptist was the one who had been prophesied by Isaiah in Isaiah 40:3, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'"  It was said of John before he was born that he was to prepare the way for the Lord, preparing the people for the coming of their Messiah.

(4) And the same John had his clothing of camel's hair, and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Matthew went on to describe John the Baptist.  He wore clothing of camel's hair, which was surely an undressed camel skin with hair, as later we are told in scripture that he did not wear soft clothing, camel hair that had been softened and dressed or spun into soft wool.  Matthew Henry commented on John's "garb", "The garb in which he appeared, the figure he made, and the manner of his life. They, who expected the Messiah as a temporal prince, would think that his forerunner must come in great pomp and splendour, that his equipage should be very magnificent and gay; but it proves quite contrary; he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, but mean in the eyes of the world..."  Just as 1 Corinthians 1:27-28 told us, "God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are."  I think the significance of his diet was to suggest it was plain and was what was available to him in the wilderness.  Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, took it a step further and declared that, "Among the Greeks the vilest of the people used to eat them (locusts); and the fact that John made his food of them is significant of his great poverty and humble life."  It would also add to the notion that God used the base things and things that are despised.

(5) Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him.

Great multitudes of people from Jerusalem, all parts of Judea, and from all the region around the Jordan River went out to see John the Baptist, and to hear the message he preached.

(6) And were baptized of him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.  

Not only did all these people go out to see and hear him, but they confessed their sins, desiring to repent as John had called them to do, and were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

(7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, "O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"

The Pharisees were a sect of Jews who derived their name from "parash" meaning "to separate".  They separated themselves from the rest of their countrymen, and devoted themselves to a strict interpretation of the law that they felt made them justified in their self-righteousness, and they looked down upon the common people.  The Sadducees took their name from Sadok, who was just as legalistic, but apparently not believing in any future reward or resurrection, just following God's law.  They were deists and materialists who believed there was no spiritual influence of God on His people, and they endeavored to secure worldly rewards, wealth and high office.  When the Pharisees and Sadducees came to John's baptism, it is interesting that he did not greet them with the same offering as the other people to come, repent, and be baptized.  He called them by the same name that Jesus would later use, a generation of vipers, the serpent's seed of their father the devil.  Though they thought themselves to be holy and above reproach, John called out their true character.  Being they were so self-righteous, John asked them who or what could have persuaded them to seek escape from the wrath to come, divine punishment.

(8) “Therefore bring forth fruits worthy of repentance."

John told the Pharisees and Sadducees to show the evidence that they were sincere in their desire to repent.

(9) “And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones."

Furthermore, John warned them not to think just because they were descendants of Abraham, that made them righteous.  That was of small matter in the eyes of God; He could raise up stones to be more worthy descendants of Abraham than those self-righteous, hypocritical descendants.

(10) "And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees; therefore every tree which does not bring forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire."

He told them the axe was laid to the root of the trees, meaning they were about to be cut down; the time was very near.  Every person who did not bring forth the fruit of true repentance would be cut down and cast into an eternal fire, not being good for fruit, but only for fuel. 

(11) “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

John admitted that he baptized people in water upon their repentance, but the One he was preparing the way for, Who would come after him, was mightier than he was.  John said He was so great that he was not worthy to even carry His shoes.  It was He who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.  It was only through Him that real baptism of souls could take place, pouring the Holy Spirit upon His people.  John's baptism with water was only an outward sign that people had repented and desired Christ.  It was through Christ alone and His sending of the Holy Spirit that the souls of people were truly baptized and then led by the Holy Spirit to become anew.

(12) "Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the granary, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Continuing a description of the One who would come after him, John described Him as having a fan, or more precisely, a winnowing fork used to throw or fan the grain in the air to separate the chaff from the grain.  He would thoroughly clean His threshing floor, His floor being the world He came to save.  He would gather His people into safety and everlasting life, but the chaff, those who would reject Him, He would burn with an unquenchable fire, one that could never be extinguished by man.

(13) Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him.

After John had spent some time preaching repentance and baptizing people, Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan River, seeking to be baptized by him.  

(14) But John forbade Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?”

One can only imagine John's surprise at this.  He had stated He was not even worthy enough to carry Jesus's shoes, yet Jesus came to him for baptism.  He opposed this, saying he was in need to be baptized by Jesus, and it didn't make sense to him that Jesus would come to him.

(15) And Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

Jesus, who had no need for repentance or baptism, told John to let it be that way for that moment in time.  Christ was at that time in a state of humiliation; He had emptied Himself and made Himself of no reputation (Philippians 2:7), made in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3).  He would be baptized by John, as if He needed to be washed, and He was made sin for us, though He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Jesus said it was fitting that they should fulfill all God's righteous laws, or perhaps He meant it was proper at that time because the time had not yet come that He baptize with the Holy Spirit.  This reason satisfied John and he baptized Jesus.

(16) And Jesus, when he was baptized, came up immediately out of the water; and lo, the heavens were opened to Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him.

When Jesus was baptized and had come up out of the water, immediately the heavens opened, a visible sign seen by John and upon Jesus, and John saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and light on Jesus.  Luke 3:22 says that the Holy Spirit descended in bodily shape like a dove.  Whether it was actually a dove or not, it was certainly a visible likeness and motion as of a dove that John could see land on Jesus.

(17) And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

At the moment the Holy Spirit lit on Jesus, a voice came from heaven, God declaring that this Jesus was His beloved Son, in Whom He was well pleased.  God had been displeased with His people who all sinned and fell short (Romans 3:23).  God was very pleased with His son of man, in whom His plan of salvation for His people would be fulfilled.  At this moment in time, there was evidence of all three forms of God simultaneously--God the Father in heaven speaking, God the Holy Spirit descending in a visible bodily form, and God the Son, God in human form born of woman.  

The Child Jesus

Continuing a study of the Gospels:

(Matthew 2:1) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, (2) Saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, so called because there was another Bethlehem in the tribe of Zebulon.  This Bethlehem was a small town about six miles south of Jerusalem.  Jesus was born during the reign of Herod, called Herod the Great, the first with that name.  After His birth there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem inquiring about the newborn King of the Jews.  The ancient historians write that during this time there was a prevalent expectation that some remarkable person was about to appear.  The Jews were looking for their Messiah, but they expected Him to arrive as a king who would deliver them from their Roman bondage.  This expectation spread to other countries, so it was natural that these wise men should come looking for a king.  These wise men who came to Jerusalem had seen a remarkable star all the way from where they had been in the east, which they took to mean an extraordinary person had been born in Judea.  They came seeking to worship the newborn King as a king, not as God, but as honoring an earthly king.  It is interesting to note that men came from afar to see this king because they had known the expectation of Him, but the Jews closest to the event did not seem to take much notice.  

(3) When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

When Herod the king heard about these wise men seeing an extraordinary star and coming to see the newborn King of the Jews, he was very much troubled, for he was a foreigner who had taken the kingdom by force.  He would certainly have been alarmed at the news of a remarkable appearance of a star that would prove that indeed a new King was born and would depose him.  All Jerusalem was troubled, as well, Herod's friends and supporters for the same reason Herod was troubled, but the rest of Jerusalem probably just feared what Herod might do that might result in war or some other sort of commotion.

(4) And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

After hearing the news, he gathered all the chief priests, and scribes who were men learned in the law, and demanded they tell him where this Christ was to be born. 

(5) And they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet, (6) 'And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of you shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.'"

The chief priests and scribes told Herod that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem of Judea, referencing the prophecy of Micah, which literally read in Micah 5:2, "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall He come forth to Me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."  The priests and scribes called the coming Christ a Governor, and the word literally meant "leader"; they said He would rule His people, and the word translated as "rule", "poimaino", was a form of the word "shepherd", and literally meant to tend or feed the flock.

(7) Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

Then Herod summoned the wise men who had come from the east seeking the newborn king, and met with them secretly.  He asked them exactly when the star had appeared.  The scripture says he diligently inquired, meaning he must have taken great pains to determine the exact time.

(8) And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child, and when you have found him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship him also.”

Herod then sent the wise men to Bethlehem, where the birth of the newborn king they had originally inquired about, was to have been.  He told them to search diligently for the child, and when they had found him, return to him and tell him where they had found the child, so that he might also go and worship the child; at least that is what he told them.

(9) When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

After meeting with the king and hearing what he had to say, they departed from him, and saw the star they had seen in the east, and it went before them, guiding them to the child.  Whether the star literally moved, or it was just before them and they followed it to the place where it hung over where the child was, it was a precise guide to take them directly to the child.

(10) When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

This seems to suggest that they had lost sight of the star that had led them from the east to Jerusalem.  It seems they had gone as far as they could to Jerusalem when they had to ask for directions to the child, so when they saw that same star again, guiding them, they were overjoyed.

(11) And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented to Him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

When they reached the house that had stood under the star, the wise men went in and found the young Child with His mother, Mary.  They fell down and worshiped him, not as God, but bowing and giving homage as King of the Jews.  They presented Him with gifts, as was the custom in the east when meeting a person of distinction.  They gave Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Frankincense was a very fragrant incense, and myrrh, a spice used in perfumes and medicines.  Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, wrote that some suggested these gifts were emblematic of the divinity, regal office, and manhood of Christ.  They offered incense as to their God, gold as to their king, and myrrh as to a human body.

(12) And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

After seeing the Child and offering Him gifts, the wise men departed to return to their own country.  However, they had been warned in a dream by God not to return to Herod, so they went back another way.

(13) And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."

After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to take the Child and Mary, His mother, and flee to Egypt.  They were to remain there until God brought further word because Herod would be seeking the Child to kill Him. 

(14) When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed into Egypt.

When Joseph awoke and rose up from his dream, he took the Child Jesus and Mary, His mother, apparently still in the night, so he had acted immediately to take them to 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 called My Son."

Joseph, Mary, and Jesus stayed in Egypt until the death of Herod, fulfilling a prophecy spoken of the Lord through the prophet Hosea, that precisely in Hosea 11:1, read, "When Israel was a Child, then I loved Him, and called My Son out of Egypt."  The statement at the time of Hosea speaks of God bringing young Israel out of Egypt under the direction of Moses.  However, by this scripture, we understand that Hosea was actually prophesying that God would call His Son Jesus out of Egypt, and that God bringing His people out of Egypt during the exodus was symbolic of God bringing His Son out of Egypt.  So much of the Old Testament was symbolic of God's plan of sending Jesus from the beginning.

(16) Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all its coasts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

Herod felt he had been mocked by the wise men when they did not return to him, and he was exceedingly angry.  He had all the children two years old and younger in Bethlehem to all its borders killed, choosing that age based on his conversation and the information he had received from the wise men regarding the time of the appearance of the star.

(17) Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, (18) "In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are no more."

Once again there is a fulfillment of prophecy, this time spoken by the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31:15, "Thus says the LORD, 'A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were no more.'"  Ramah was a town in the tribe of Benjamin, very near Bethlehem in the tribe of Judah.  Between these two places, and near to both of them, was the grave of Rachel, and because Ramah belonged to Benjamin, a son of hers, Rachel is here representing all the Jewish women in these parts mourning the loss of their infants in this massacre by Herod.

(19) But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, (20) Saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”

After Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord again spoke to Joseph in a dream, telling him to return to Israel with the Child Jesus and His mother, Mary, because those who had sought to kill Jesus were dead.

(21) And he arose, and took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

Joseph arose from his dream and did just as the angel of the Lord had told him, and took Jesus and His mother Mary back to the land of Israel.

(22) But when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; however, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside to the parts of Galilee.

The angel had first told Joseph just to return to Israel, no specific place.  However, when Joseph went back to Judea from where he had come when he went to Egypt, he found Herod's son Archelaus reigning and he was afraid to stay there.  Evidently, God spoke to him in another dream, guiding him to Galilee.

(23) And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Joseph brought his family to the city of Nazareth, again fulfilling a prophecy, said to be spoken by the prophets, plural, so it seemed to be a common acknowledgment that Jesus would be called a Nazarene.  The closest language of a prophecy to this seems to be before the birth of Samson, when the angel of the Lord prophesied to Samson's barren mother, “For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines” (Judges 13:5).  Again, as with so many Old Testament scriptures, the events were symbolic of the coming Christ.  Most early Biblical scholars believed the prophecy in verse 23 was more of a consensus of many prophets.  Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, wrote:

The character of the people of Nazareth was such that they were proverbially despised and contemned...(he referenced John 1:46 suggesting nothing good came out of Nazareth).  To come from Nazareth, therefore, or to be a Nazarene, was the same as to be despised, or to be esteemed of low birth; to be a root out of dry ground, having no form or comeliness. This was what had been predicted by all the prophets. When Matthew says, therefore, that the prophecies were “fulfilled,” his meaning is, that the predictions of the prophets that he would be of a low and despised condition, and would be rejected, were fully accomplished in his being an inhabitant of Nazareth, and despised as such.

Part 3 of Genealogy of Jesus Christ, and His Birth

Because Blogger only allows twenty labels per post, and all the names of Jesus's ancestors are important to note, I have divided this subject into three posts.  The genealogy began in the below linked posts:

Genealogy of Jesus Christ, Part 1

Genealogy of Jesus Christ, Part 2

Continuing the list of ancestors:

(Matthew 1:12) And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begat Salathiel, and Salathiel begat Zerubbabel.

During the Babylonian captivity, Jeconiah begat Salathiel.  There was a prophecy of Jeremiah that appeared to indicate that Jeconiah was childless, but that was not the case.  What his prophecy actually said was, "Write this man childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days, for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah" (Jeremiah 22:30).  What Jeremiah was actually saying that the Lord had said, was to consider Jeconiah childless for no descendant of his would sit on the throne of David, and in fact, Jeconiah was the last king of Judah until the King Messiah came.  Once again a grandson is called a son, as Salathiel's son was Pedaiah, and Pedaiah begat Zerubbabel.

(13) And Zerubbabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor.

Zerubbabel is said to be the father of Abiud, although in 1 Chronicles 3:19, Abiud is not listed as a son among the list of Zerubbabel's children.  It is believed that Abiud was the same as Meshullam who was among the names in that verse in 1 Chronicles.  Often people went by two different names in Biblical times, and that was definitely seen during the Babylonian captivity as with the case of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 1:7), where they had different names in Babylon than their names in Judea.  Abiud begat Eliakim, and Eliakim begat Azor.

(14) And Azor begat Zadok; and Zadok begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; (15) And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; (16) And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

The descendant line continues down to Joseph, the husband of Mary.  These names are of probably so little note and not otherwise mentioned because they were not kings.  It is interesting that the ancestors of Joseph were said to have produced Jesus, when Jesus was actually not the son of Joseph, but the son of God.  However, Mary was of the same tribe and family as Joseph, so that, both by His mother and by His supposed father, He was of the house of David; and Jews always reckoned their genealogies by the males.  It is also interesting to note that verse 16 does not say "begat" as in all the previous verses.  Jesus was born of Mary, but He was not begotten of natural generation.

(17) So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

Matthew summed up all the generations from Abraham to Jesus into three 14 generation groups.  Although there are in fact, not exactly 14, 14, and 14, especially with some grandsons being called sons, this was Matthew's way of separating the generations into three distinct periods.  From Abraham to David, there was the family of David rising, the patriarchs, prophets, and judges (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Pharez, Hezron, Aram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, and David).  From David to Josiah, the family of David was flourishing as kings (David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah).  From Josiah to Joseph, the family of David declined (Josiah, Jeconiah, Salathiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim, Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob, and Joseph), and dwindled into the family of a poor carpenter, Joseph, and then came Jesus Christ, the glory of His people Israel.

(18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

Upon finishing the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Matthew turned to the events leading up to His birth.  His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but they were not yet married and living together as husband and wife, when Mary was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit.  However, it was not immediately known that the child was of the Holy Spirit.

(19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.

Joseph, Mary's betrothed and called her husband according to Jewish law, was a just man, and not willing to make public her pregnancy, but also apparently not willing to keep her as his wife because he was probably a strict observer of the law, being a just man, and he had planned to divorce her secretly.

(20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. (21) And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins."

While Joseph was pondering what he might do about pregnant Mary, an angel or messenger of the Lord came to him in a dream, calling him a son of David, and told him not to fear taking Mary as his wife, because the child conceived in her was of the Holy Spirit.  That was quite a fantastic thing, so it had to be of the Holy Spirit that Joseph was able to accept that fact.  The angel went on to tell him that he would name the child Jesus, literally Iesous, which in Hebrew was Yehoshua, which meant "Jehovah saved".  The reason He should have that name, the angel explained, was because He would save His people from their sins.

(22) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, (23) "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, 'God with us'."

All this came about to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, in Isaiah 7:14, which was that the Lord Himself would give them a sign when a virgin conceived and bore a son and called Him Immanuel, which literally meant "God with us", a symbolic name indicative of the fact that He would indeed be God with us.  The fact that Matthew stated the child's name was to be Jesus, and Isaiah said it would be Immanuel is not to be considered a contradiction.  Isaiah went on to prophesy that He would have many other names, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.  All these names, including God With Us, are names that are characteristics of Jesus.  "They shall call His name Immanuel" referred to one of many names people would call Jesus, indicating He was God among us in this world.  Shiloh, as discussed previously, was another characteristic name of Jesus.

(24) Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him and took to him his wife, (25) And did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son; and he called His name JESUS.

When Joseph awoke from his dream, he did as the angel of the Lord had told him, and took Mary to be his wife.  However, he did not know her intimately until after she had brought forth her firstborn son.  This act, or lack thereof, also fulfilled the prophecy that a virgin would bring forth a son.  Not only was she a virgin when she conceived, but Mary was a virgin when she brought forth her firstborn son, Jesus.

Genealogy of Jesus Christ, Part 2

Because Blogger only allows twenty labels per post, and all the names of Jesus's ancestors are important to note, I have divided this subject into three posts.  The genealogy began in the below linked post:

Genealogy of Jesus Christ, Part 1

Continuing the list of ancestors:

(Matthew 1:6) And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her who had been the wife of Uriah.

David was the youngest of Jesse's sons, despised by his brothers, yet God chose him and anointed him to be king, and set him on the throne of Israel, which was symbolic of the coming king Messiah.  Other kings are named in this genealogy, but only David is noted as "the king", because to him was given the promise of the kingdom of the Messiah, Who was said to inherit the throne of His father David (Luke 1:32).  David had taken Bathsheba, the wife of another man, Uriah, and committed adultery with her.  The child from that first encounter died, but Bathsheba, as later David's wife, bore Solomon.

(7) And Solomon begat Rehoboam, and Rehoboam begat Abijah, and Abijah begat Asa.

Solomon's son Rehoboam succeeded him as king; then Rehoboam's son Abijah ruled; and Abijah's son was King Asa.  Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, pointed out there was quite a mixture of good and bad in the succession of these kings; wicked Rehoboam begat wicked Abijah, and wicked Abijah begat good Asa, and the good and bad continued down the line.  Henry noted, "Grace does not run in the blood, neither does reigning sin. God's grace is his own, and he gives or withholds it as he pleases."

(8) And Asa begat Jehoshaphat; and Jehoshaphat begat Jehoram; and Jehoram begat Uzziah.

Good king Asa begat good Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat begat wicked Jehoram.  Then there were actually three names left out of the succession--Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah.  As with many instances in scripture, Jehoram said to beget Uzziah simply means Uzziah descended directly from Jehoram, which is all that is necessary to prove the lineage of David to the Messiah.  The commentators I study offer different explanations of this.  One plausible explanation is that they had been purposely omitted from the Jewish registers because of the curse denounced on Ahab's family, into which Jehoram married, whose idolatry was punished to the third or fourth generation.  Their omission doesn't change the fact that Uzziah was a direct descendant of Jehoram.

(9) And Uzziah begat Jotham; and Jotham begat Ahaz; and Ahaz begat Hezekiah.

From Uzziah came Jotham, and Jotham begat Ahaz, to whom was given a great prophecy of the coming Messiah, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14).  The son of Ahaz was Hezekiah.

(10) And Hezekiah begat Manasseh, and Manasseh begat Amon, and Amon begat Josiah.

Manasseh, a wicked king, was the son of Hezekiah, and his son was Amon, very wicked, as well.  Amon's son was Josiah, a pious king who had been prophesied of by name hundreds of years before his birth (1 Kings 13:2).

(11) And Josiah begat Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

Jeconiah was actually the grandson of Josiah, his father being Josiah's son Jehoiakim.  His brothers were actually his uncles, sons of Josiah.  As often the case in scripture, because they all directly descended from Josiah, they are called sons.  The Babylonian captivity occurred during the lifetime of Jeconiah and his uncles.

Again because Blogger limits the number of labels per post, I will continue in the next post:

Part 3 of Genealogy of Jesus Christ, and His Birth

Genealogy of Jesus Christ, Part 1

I have been challenged to stop my current chronological Bible study and study only what Jesus said.  Although I feel like God gave us the entire Bible for a reason, and those who pick and choose only the parts they like are "...according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4).  The argument was that Jesus fulfilled the law, meaning there is no more law, and the letters can't be trusted because they were just written by men who were only writing their interpretation of what it was to follow Christ.  Only Jesus's words mattered, and Jesus never said anything about homosexuality or abortion or transgenderism or much of any of today's cultural issues.  (Never mind the fact that men wrote down what Jesus said.)  However, I accepted the challenge.  I know that regardless of any arguments, I will learn a lot from the words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

(Matthew 1:1) The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: 

The first verse of Matthew acts as a sort of title for what was to follow:  The genealogy of Jesus Christ, Son of David, and Son of Abraham.  Jesus came from the line of David and Abraham.  It had been promised to Abraham that the Christ should descend from him, "...in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:3), and, "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice" (Genesis 22:18).  There is only One who could bless every family of every nation on earth, and that is Jesus Christ.  The prophecy was also made to David and by David, "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish His kingdom" (2 Samuel 7:12), and, "The LORD has sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it, 'I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body'" (Psalm 132:11).

(2) Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judah and his brothers.

Abraham's son was Isaac, and from Isaac came Jacob, and from Jacob came Judah.  There were also prophecies about Jesus (Shiloh) being descended from Judah, one being, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be" (Genesis 49:10).  The meaning of Shiloh was "tranquility, safety" and both of those describe the Messiah who would make peace between God and men, and would save men from their sins.  Another prophecy is, "Yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the chief ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s" (1 Chronicles 5:2).  Jesus is called the Lion of Judah:  "And one of the elders said to me, 'Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose its seven seals'" (Revelation 5:5).  Also of note about Judah, as well as other of Jesus's ancestors like Jacob, David, and others, the ancestor was often a younger brother, demonstrating that the preeminence of Christ did not come from the primogeniture of His ancestors, as earthly princes did, but from the will of God.

(3) Judah begat Pharez and Zerah by Tamar, Pharez begat Hezron, and Hezron begat Aram.

Judah had twins Pharez and Zerah by Tamar, his daughter-in-law, and Jesus descended from Pharez through his son Hezron, and Hezron's son Aram, called Ram in the Old Testament.  It is interesting to note that Tamar was actually an adulteress and played a prostitute to seduce her father-in-law, although when you read her entire story, she was deemed more righteous than Judah.  Bathsheba, also in the line of Christ, as David's wife, was an adulteress.  Rahab, also an ancestor of Christ, was a Canaanite harlot.  In Deuteronomy 23, we just learned that descendants of an illegitimate child were forbidden from ever entering "into the congregation of the Lord", yet God sent "His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Romans 8:3). Additionally, Ruth, also in the line of Christ, was a Moabitess, and we were also told in Deuteronomy 23 that a Moabite was forbidden from entering into the congregation of the Lord.  However, there came Jesus Christ, the Messiah, as prophesied in Isaiah 56, through whom God would give to all such imperfect sinful people in His house and within His walls "a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters." 

(4) And Aram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon; and Nahshon begat Salmon.

Aram's son was Amminadab, and Amminadab's son was Nahshon, who was named prince of the tribe of Judah in the book of Numbers.  Nahshon fathered Salmon.

(5) And Salmon begat Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz begat Obed by Ruth, and Obed begat Jesse.

Salmon and Rahab, the Canaanite harlot who was justified by works when she received the Israelite spies into her house and sent them out a secret way (Joshua 2, James 2:25), brought forth Boaz.  Boaz married Ruth, the Moabitess, and they begat Obed, who was the father of Jesse.  John Wesley, in his Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, pointed out that "Salmon, Boaz, and Obed, must each of them have been near a hundred years old, at the birth of his son here recorded."  Wesley suggested that it was owing to "the providence of God (that) was peculiarly shown in this."  However, Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, wrote that "Jesse is thought to be, not the immediate son of Obed, but to be of the fourth generation from him; though no others are mentioned between them in Ruth, any more than here.  A Jewish writer observes, that 'the wise men of the Gentiles say, that there were other generations between them; perhaps,' says he, 'they have taken this from the wise men of Israel, and so it is thought.'"  Even if this were true, Jesse may be said to be begotten by Obed, just as others in scripture are said to be sons when in fact they might have been grandsons or great-grandsons.  We can be sure that Jesse was a direct descendant of Obed.

I will stop this post with this, as Blogger only allows twenty labels per post, and all these names of Jesus's direct ancestors are important to note.  The genealogy of Jesus is continued in the next post:

Genealogy of Jesus Christ, Part 2