The Miracle of Jesus’ Birth
Matthew 1:18-25
December 8, 2024
Andrew Boone
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. —Matthew 1:18 ESV
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. —Luke 1:26-29 ESV
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” —Luke 1:30-33 ESV
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy – the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. —Luke 1:34-38 ESV
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. —Romans 5:12 ESV
If Jesus is not conceived of a virgin then He cannot save all of Adam’s descendants because He Himself needs saving.
[Kristof] “Tim, I deeply admire Jesus and his message, but am also skeptical of themes that have been integral to Christianity — the virgin birth, the Resurrection, the miracles and so on. Since this is the Christmas season, let’s start with the virgin birth. Is that an essential belief, or can I mix and match?”
[Keller] “If something is truly integral to a body of thought, you can’t remove it without destabilizing the whole thing. A religion can’t be whatever we desire it to be. If I’m a member of the board of Greenpeace and I come out and say climate change is a hoax, they will ask me to resign. I could call them narrow-minded, but they would rightly say that there have to be some boundaries for dissent or you couldn’t have a cohesive, integrated organization. And they’d be right. It’s the same with any religious faith.”
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. —Hebrews 4:15 ESV
And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. —Matthew 1:19 ESV
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared 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 Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” —Matthew 1:20-21 ESV
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. —Matthew 1:24-25 ESV
“‘Do we believe what we believe we believe?’ In other words, if we understand the central teachings of Christianity and say, we believe them, do our beliefs move us in such a way that confirms we really believe them? Do our beliefs actually influence our lives? Do we live as a people who truly believe that the word became flesh? If he did, then it changes everything, and we had better live like it.” —Albert Mohler
“If you let the secularized Christmas holiday drown out this truth, you will never see the glory of Christmas for what it is; you will stumble through the season, robbed of the spectacular truths God wants you to savor.” —Albert Mohler
“If you lack that longing, remember that Jesus came to restore what sin robbed you of. Pray that God would place longing for him in your heart. God delights when his people want for him, so he delights in answering our prayers for that longing.” —Paul Tripp
“Your body always moves toward what your heart has been longing for.” —Paul Tripp
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Memory Verse: Matthew 1:21 NIV
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
The goal of these questions is to foster meaningful discussion and to encourage participants to reflect on God’s Word to lead to heart transformation. Feel free to modify or expand upon these questions based on the dynamics and needs of your Small Group.
Read Matthew 1:18-25
Joseph initially planned to act one way based on his understanding, but he had a dream that redirected him. How do you discern when God is redirecting your plans today? How can we cultivate a life of faith and attentiveness to God’s guidance in all forms—through His Word, the Holy Spirit, or other means?
Dreams were one way God communicated in biblical times. What are other ways God communicated in the Bible, and how do you see Him communicating with us today? How does Scripture and the counsel of other believers help you confirm whether something is a message from God? In what ways have you experienced God speaking to you personally, whether through Scripture, prayer, circumstances, or other means?
The angel told Joseph not to fear taking Mary as his wife. What fears are holding you back from fully embracing God’s call in your life? How can you address those fears in faith?
God did not give Joseph the details for His entire plan. He just gave him the next thing he should do. How are you at trusting God for what you need one step at a time? When in your life have you hesitated to follow God because you did not feel as though you had enough information?
The virgin birth is a supernatural event. How does this miraculous event point to the unique nature of Jesus Christ? How do you reconcile the mystery of the virgin birth with your own faith? What role does faith play in understanding the unexplainable?
How can you share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, especially those who may be skeptical or resistant to claims like a virgin birth?
The name Immanuel reminds us that God is with us. How does the reality of God’s presence comfort or challenge you in your daily life? What are practical ways you can embody the presence of “God with us” to others this week, especially during a time of need or uncertainty?
Mary and Joseph’s faith and obedience were instrumental in God’s plan. What role do you think God wants you to play in His redemptive story, and how can you step into that calling?