Matthew 1:18-25 (#3 2021.03.21)

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:02

Hi. If you're looking for greater hope, assurance, and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the bible to discover rock solid truth for life and living from the God of the bible. I'm your host, Scott Keffer. Hi, and welcome to today's episode. As always, for a deeper experience, you can go to the show notes and download the blank insight sheet. Fill in the blanks along with the group. Depending on how you're listening to this, there will be a link to the episode website at beholdingbibletruth.com, and a sheet with the answers is included as well. Enjoy today's episode.

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:47

Well, glad you are here today, albeit virtually in this, 2 d world that we've been living in. And we are thankful for the technology, though I miss pressing flesh with, all our brothers and sisters, but glad you are here. Glad you are here. When Annie got a call from her friend, Maria, and she said, she was moving back to Pittsburgh, and she asked Annie if she would, come with her for the drive from California back to, to Pittsburgh, and they decided they would drive by the Grand Canyon. And we said to Annie, be sure be sure that you had the opportunity to go by the Grand Canyon. You should go buy it. How how many been to the Grand Canyon? Anybody on here been to the Grand Canyon? Yeah. As you probably know, it's amazing.

Scott Keffer [: 00:01:43

And you should stop. And if you go there, you should make it to the, rim and look down inside. And if you really can, you should hike down in there because each interaction with the Grand Canyon is completely different. So you could see pictures of it and go, wow. That's pretty amazing, and it is. You go up to the, you stand on the rim and you think, wow. That's even more amazing, and it is. And then when you walk down inside it, you're engulfed into it.

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:11

And so I thought as we we're we're here in the beginning of, Matthew, familiar territory. How how do we go on this journey not just looking at a postcard or a picture of the, the birth of the Lord Jesus. How do we go to the rim, and even more importantly, how do we journey down into the center of this, event, which is, unlike any other event in the history of the world, because we know it. And it's our nature sin's nature is to take that which is glorious and make it pedestrian and ordinary. So I really struggle with that. Everybody knows the story. Everybody knows the details of the story. How do we how do we do that? And it's for sure that we have marinated and been baked in and then educated in the scientific method, and we live in an age when science is, the god of our age.

Scott Keffer [: 00:03:13

And so science has really educated out the awe and the wonder of, that which is supernatural. And so the the very beginning here, the spirit of God through, Matthew is laying the foundation for the proof of the messiah, which is the blank at the very top, the proof of the messiah. From your sheet, Jesus Christ, divine, underline supernatural underline origin. Divine supernatural origin. So I thought, you know, if you look at the characters here in this story, Mary, Joseph, the spirit of God, and the son of God, let's consider it. So I'm gonna read, Matthew 1. Looking at Matthew 1 verse 18 through 25. If we were alive, I'd say stand out of reverence for God's word.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:16

Reading from the New American Standard. Now the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, was as follows. When his mother, Mary, had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through through the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which translated means god with us.

Scott Keffer [: 00:05:14

Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a son, and he called his name Jesus. So what struck me is back in 1st Kings, this whole idea, that that god became man, I put it on there. That asked the question, but will indeed and they were talking about the, the, the temple, but indeed will God dwell on the earth? How can that be? How can that be? The heaven and the highest heavens cannot contain you. That's what they said. How is it that God could dwell on earth? So that's the context here. And so what I feel like we need to do, if we can, is is say to the lord, would you give me fresh eyes to see this? Here we are Sunday morning. Got a busy schedule. We have our watches on.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:14

We're calculating the time. We have a bunch of things we wanna do today. We wanna get to the next thing and the next thing. So try and set aside all of that as well as our scientific mindset, and let's consider consider the players here. So the first is I said, consider Mary. Consider Mary. Mary is betrothed to Joseph. So in that time, there were sort of, there were sort of 3 phases to marriage.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:43

1 was the engagement, which happened when when they were young, most often by parents who engaged a a a young child, a girl and a boy. It became official during when they were betrothed. It was official. They were actually called husband and wife during that time. It could only be broken by a divorce, and it lasted about a year, up to about a year in between. And then the marriage, was called a marriage literally after the wedding. So there were 3 phases, the engagement, the betrothedment, and the marriage. So they were in the middle, of course, of this time.

Scott Keffer [: 00:07:23

She's betrothed. And, she is found with child by the Holy Spirit. Now what's interesting about this is Luke's telling of this is, particularly from Mary's perspective, whereas Matthew's telling is particularly from Joseph's perspective. So goes in a lot more detail in Luke. But if you I just was trying to consider, here's Mary, pregnant by the Holy Spirit. What? What? Wait a minute. I go to my textbook. I go to my, my bio biology textbook and I don't read a part where that they don't cover that.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:11

Not possible. Right? Not possible. So I put in there, and you can underline Mary's obedience because this is inconceivable. And Clark said her situation was the most distressing and humiliating that can be conceived. Nothing but the strongest confidence in god could have supported her. Her reputation, her honor, and her life were at stake. Well, what do you mean her life was at stake? Well, according to if you go according to Deuteronomy 2223, for for this offense, she could have been stoned to death. It was certainly one of Joseph's options.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:56

She could have been stoned to death, could have gone through a public divorce, or numbers 5, there's actually, when when a woman was considered to have committed adultery, or or even if a woman was suspected of that, she could've she could be brought to a priest, and the priest would have her drink a solution which would either, become a curse to her or not so that that God would confirm one way or the other. So Joseph has these options, but it says he was a righteous man. He was a righteous man. He did not wanna disgrace her, and he was going to send her away secretly. So I put on there, Joseph, a righteous man, not wanting to disgrace her, he had a plan. He had a plan. A good plan? I think gracious certainly gracious plan. It was a gracious plan for Mary.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:51

He had a plan. He was going to, he was going to put her away secretly, privately send her away. Somebody read Proverbs 16:9, if they would, please. So does it make sense to plan? Yes. Does it make sense to to seek the lord's will? Yes. Does it make sense to seek his guidance, even as I'm caring about the plan? Yes. So it says in there, Joseph was a righteous man. In verse 20, it says, when he considered this thoughtfully, prayerfully, right, he was a righteous man.

Scott Keffer [: 00:10:23

He sought to do God's will. Don't always know, so he puts a plan together, and God is directing him along the way. And he sends an angel of the lord appears in a dream. Now I can tell you I have had impressions from the Lord. I have had times where he clearly a verse out of scripture has spoken to me, where where I've I've kinda sensed that he's speaking, never a voice. Here, the angel of the an angel of the Lord, not the angel of the Lord, but an angel of the Lord appears and speaks to him. Says Joseph, son of David. So now the holy spirit right? The holy spirit's going to become involved.

Scott Keffer [: 00:11:10

The the angel of the Lord says, Joseph, son of David. So here, we see the connection. It it's the the legal royal line of David through Joseph. We looked at this, last week through the genealogy. Right? So we said, essentially, the Matthew side, it's the legal royal line. And so he connects him back, Joseph, son of David, showing us that Jesus' connection to the to the line of David, goes through his father, the legal, connection. And then he says, before literally, but I love this. He says to him in verse, in verse 20, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:01

Do not be afraid. Now why would he say that? Because there were a lot of reasons to be afraid to take there were consequences for it, both personally, as well as publicly. There were consequences for it. Do I love that. How many times does the the does the Lord say, do not be afraid? And it's not a command like, do not be afraid. It's more of an assurance. Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:32

I have a plan. Do not be afraid. I'm with you. Do not be afraid. I've not left you alone. Do not be afraid. You are not on your own. Do not be afraid.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:45

So here's a question. Do you have something right now that you need god's assurance for? Do not be afraid. There doesn't seem to be any earthly answer to it. You're not sure how it's gonna work out. You're not sure what the next step is. He says, do not be afraid. Here's Joseph. Here's Mary.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:06

Like, what? Here's Joseph and Mary together. What? Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid. I believe the Lord saying the same thing to you. Do not be afraid. I'm not sure how he'll take care of it, but you plan your ways, he will direct your steps. He says, be strong and courageous to Joshua. Do not tremble nor be dismayed, for the lord your god is with you wherever you go.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:34

Where? Wherever you go, The lord your god is with you. So whatever your situation is whatever your situation is, maybe your reputation's at stake. Mary's was, so is Joseph's. Maybe your honor's at stake. Mary's was, so is Joseph's. Maybe your life is literally at stake. So is Mary's, so was Mary's. So do not be afraid.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:04

Whatever the situation is, go ahead and put it down there. Write it down. And he says, before they came together underline before in your notes. Before they came together before they came together. No sexual relationship, and she was with child by the holy spirit. What? What? So the blank there is the virgin birth. The virgin birth. The virgin birth does not stand alone as a biblical irreducible part of the biblical revelation.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:48

With it, the gospel stands or falls. Because we always say Jack always talks about, you know, the the resurrection and the resurrection as the, how do you phrase the resurrection, Jack? Could you you you always talk about how critical it is.

Speaker C [: 00:15:08

Oh, yeah. It's the, validation of everything Jesus claimed himself to be. And, actually, without the resurrection, there's there'd be no new testament. You know, without that, it would have, we would we wouldn't have the gospel as we know it, and without the resurrection, Jesus, would've just been another martyr, and we might not have even heard about him. And so it's, it's the linchpin of the of the, Christian faith.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:41

So the linchpin, and this is the connection of course, to the linchpin. It's the Virgin birth, right? The resurrection, the Virgin birth, and how they are connected together. And with it, both of them, the gospel stands or falls, but they get so amazing. So we've considered Mary, considered Joseph, considered the Holy Spirit's role, and then he says, you shall call his name. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. Yeshua, Joshua. Now there were a lot of Jesus in his times. There were a lot of Jesus in his times.

Scott Keffer [: 00:16:21

Joshua, Yahweh is salvation. Yahweh is salvation. So we see the connection here, the divine messiah promised in Isaiah 9 and the Davidic messiah in Isaiah 11 come together in the lord Jesus. You shall call his name Jesus, nor the name under heaven by which men may be saved. And he says in here, for he himself, Literally, the Greek is for he himself. If you look at verse 21, she shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus for he himself your version may just say for he will save his people from their sins. It literally for he himself will save his people from their sins. So think about this.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:16

He meets us in our sin, and he saves us from our sins. He meets us in our sin, and he saves us from our sins. Adam Clark said this will be his great business. This will be his great business. The perfection of the gospel system is not that it makes allowances for sin, not that it makes allowances for sin, but that it makes an atonement for it. You can underline atonement, but it makes an atonement for it. Not that it tolerates sins, but it but that it destroys sins. Destroys sins.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:00

He came to seek and to save the lost. So the first Joshua came to save people from their enemies. The second Joshua saves people from their sins. The first Joshua, the second Joshua. And if you go to Hebrews chapter 4 verse 8, it says if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken of another day after that. For there remains a Sabbath rest, a Sabbath shalom, a Sabbath peace for the people of God. For the one who has entered his rest has himself rested from his works as God did from his. Therefore, be diligent to enter this rest.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:50

So the first Joshua saved them from their enemies. The second Joshua saves his people from their sins. He said he came to save them from their sins. Who? His people. His people. You'll see in John, for my my sheep know my voice. My sheep know my voice. So here's the question.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:14

Who do you think they were looking for at the time when he shows up? Who do you think they're looking for? The first Joshua or the second? The one who had saved them from their oppression or saved them from their sins. So think about that. Right? They were looking for another the the same. They were looking for a Joshua. And I wonder about the the the the church today. What are we looking for? The one to save us from our oppressors, to save us from oppression, or to save us from our sins and to save others from their sins. So we look at Mary, amazing obedience. We look at Joseph, amazing obedience.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:02

And I think about the unity of their commitment to obey together, the unity of their commitment. And then we see the Holy Spirit, and we see the Lord Jesus himself, Yahweh is salvation, and we see the father, god the father, god the son, god the holy spirit. And one thing about this. Amazing Mary Joseph obedience. How about the obedience of the son? How about the obedience of the son of god and the unity of the plan and purpose of god the father, god the son, and god the holy spirit in eternity in eternity to birth and to carry out this plan to save his people from their sins. So I put it in there, worship god. Worship God. That's the call here.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:56

Worship God in holy awe and wonder. Holy awe and wonder. So John chapter 1 verse 14 says, the word became flesh and tabernacled among us. Underline that, tabernacled among us. How is it? How is it? He says your name is Emmanuel. Call his name not only Jesus, God is our salvation, but call his name Emmanuel, God with us. God with us. Fully god, fully man.

Scott Keffer [: 00:21:31

Fully god, fully man. So stop for a minute. Take a deep breath. Breathe out. Take another deep breath and breathe out. And consider for a moment not the fact of, but the reality that the infinite, the eternal infinite one, stepped into finite the finite creation. That the uncontainable stepped into a container, if you will, and that the inconceivable was conceived. Inconceivable was conceived.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:24

It's beyond comprehension, which is good. It should take our breath away. Colossians says, chapter 2 verse 9, you should write that down. For in him, the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form. The fullness of deity dwells in bodily form. And so we see the father in chapter Colossians chapter 1 verse 19. It was the father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in him. Fully god, fully man.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:57

Fully god, fully man. Augustine said, he through whom time was made was made in time. And he older in eternity than the world itself was younger in age than many of his servants in the world. He who made man was made man. He was given existence by a mother whom he brought into existence. He was carried in hands which he formed. He nursed at breast which he filled. He cried like a babe in the manger in speechless infancy.

Scott Keffer [: 00:23:29

This word, without which human eloquence, is speechless. Let it leave us speechless afresh. CS Lewis said the eternal being who knows everything and created the universe became not only a man, but before that, a baby, and before that, a fetus inside a woman's body. What? I love this. He said, if you wanna get the hang of it, think how it would be like to become a slug. And that doesn't even get close to the inconceivable being conceived. Spurgeon said kings visit their subjects, but they do not think of taking upon themselves their poverty, their sickness, or their sorrow. It was great poverty to Christ to be a man.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:15

Humanity is a poor thing when you said it in comparison with the deity. Philippians talks about the inconceivable. It says in chapter 2 verse 7 that, 6, it says, he existed in the form and as god. He did not regard equality with god and all the rights and the privileges that went with it in eternal unity and eternal fellowship and eternal glory with god the father forever, he set it aside. He he emptied himself, if you will, taking on the form of a bondservant and being made in the likeness of men. The king of kings became a man. Being found in appearance as a man, it says he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. This is to come.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:09

This is why he came, even death on the cross. How do we comprehend that we don't? We ask for the grace to be amazed afresh, to think upon it, to meditate on it, to consider it, to see what he has done afresh. We ask all the questions like, oh god, why do you do it this way? How come things aren't working out the way I want? Why is this happening? Why is that happening? Rather, how is it possible that the inconceivable was conceived? So I put on there, I think in this age of science, in this age where we have marinated in, believing in only what we can see and measure and touch. This question of how supernaturally able is your god. That's the blank. How supernaturally able is your god? Whatever your situation, I'm supernaturally able. Hebrews talks about Abraham, if you go there with me. He, Roman Romans 4 19.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:18

Actually, start in 18. It says in hope against hope, he believed. In hope against hope, he believed. Do you have a situation where it's hope against hope where you have to believe? Hope against hope, he believed. So he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, so shall your descendants be. Without becoming weak in faith, he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a 100 years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb. Do you have a circumstance that's clearly dead? Clearly dead. Yet with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but he grew strong in faith, giving glory to God and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:10

He was able. That's the question. Is our god supernaturally able from the god who parted the Red Sea to allow for the salvation of his people to the god who parted the finite world to to to usher in his son in order to save his people. Yahweh is salvation. Yet with respect, he did not waver in unbelief, it says in verse 22, is credited to him as righteousness. Credited to him. Is your god supernaturally able? What situation are you in that's hope against hope? But here's the question that always comes up in our soul. Right? Yeah.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:54

But what if god doesn't intervene? I've seen people not be healed. I've seen people stuck in their situation. Right? I've seen people where that hasn't happened. Right? What if he doesn't intervene? If you go back to Daniel, I believe we see in these young teenagers what should be our response. Chapter 3 verse 13. Nebuchadnezzar, in rage, anger, gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But then, these men were brought before the king. Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? He says, now if you're ready now if you're ready, the moment you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the tire, the tranagan, the sultry, the bagpipe, all kinds of music, fall down.

Scott Keffer [: 00:28:46

Worship the image that I've made very well. But if you do not, you'll be immediately cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. And what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands? That's the question today. What god is there that can deliver you out of the hands of the world system, out of the hands of whatever situation you're in? It says Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, oh, Nebuchadnezzar. I love this. We do not need to give an answer concerning this matter. In other words, they were fully convinced. They were fully convinced, and they knew the answer.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:24

They said, we don't need to think about this. We've already come to this conclusion in our head. Not that they that that that it wasn't, hard to believe, but they said, if it be so, our god whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire, is able, just like Abraham said, is able. He will deliver us out of your hand, o king. How will he do that? One of many ways. But even if he does not, let it be known to you, oh king, that we are not gonna serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. Fully convinced. Fully convinced.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:06

Their answer was upon right? It was already in their soul. And even if he does not, we're not gonna bow. He is able. He will, even if he does not. I believe that's that's that's what trust looks like. That's what he's calling us to know. Paul said, for I'm convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will separate us from the love of god which is in Christ Jesus. Fully convinced.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:41

What are you fully convinced of even if he doesn't seemingly intervene? Because that's what they were looking for. They were looking for the messiah that would deliver them from all oppression, and he will deliver us from all oppression, not always in the way or the way we think. Because the word became flesh in the fullness of time, according to his time. So I put on there, come to him more. Bring to him more and worship him more. Cast your cares upon him because he cares for you. So he says in Hebrews 4, therefore, since we have a a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the son of God the son of David is not just the son of David. He is the son of God.

Scott Keffer [: 00:31:37

Let us hold fast our confession. We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in always as we have yet without yet without sin. So he says, let us come boldly. Draw near with confidence to the throne of grace so that you may receive mercy. What do you need mercy for? You've sinned and you've fallen. You haven't believed, and grace to help in time of need grace to help in time of need. Again, Spurgeon said kings visit their subjects, but they do not think of taking upon themselves their poverty, their sickness, or their sorrow. It was great poverty for Christ to be a man.

Scott Keffer [: 00:32:20

It says in second Corinthians that though he was rich, he became poor for your sake. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin that through him, we might become the righteousness of god in him. So we see Mary, and we see Joseph. We see a trust a trust in the midst of seemingly impossible to believe divine supernatural intervention in the world. We see the spirit of God, the son of God, and God the father altogether in unity from eternity past, caring about a plan and a purpose and a promise that he'd made. He did not waver. He does not waver. Abraham did not waver.

Scott Keffer [: 00:33:10

Right? Not that he didn't have times of unbelief, but generally, he did not waver. God is calling us to put our trust in him, the one who set in place the plan and purpose, birthed the son of God in order to save his people from their sins, and he is the one who can save you now from whatever situation you're in. So come to him more, bring to him more, and worship him more. Write down an application or insight you got from today. It brings it into, it answers the question, what are we rescued from? Rescued from the wrath to come. So Martin Luther penned these words, all praise to the eternal lord to him, all praise to thee, eternal lord, clothed in a garb garb of flesh and blood, choosing a manger for thy throne, while worlds on worlds are thine alone. Once the disguise before thee bow a virgin's arms contain thee now, Angels who did in thee rejoice, now listen for thine infant voice. Oh, little child, thou art our guest, that weary ones in thee may rest.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:27

Forlorn and lowly is thy birth, that we might rise to heaven from earth. Thou comest in the darkest night to make us children of the light, to make us in the realms divine, like thine own angels round thee shine. All this for us thy love hath done, for this to thee our love is 1. For this, we tune our joyful leis and shout our thanks in ceaseless praise and shout our thanks and ceaseless praise. Worship, wonder, thanksgiving, rejoicing. Roger said, rescued. Jack, rescued from the wrath to come. Yeah.

Scott Keffer [: 00:35:13

Rescued from the wrath to come. And may the god who sent his son to save you from his wrath and to make you his own, may he bless you, may he keep you, May he cause his face to shine upon you. May he lift up his countenance and grant you his shalom, his peace for the weak. And may you see that he is able he is able. Lord bless you and keep you. See you. Thank you.

Scott Keffer [: 00:35:43

Thanks for listening. I hope you have greater hope, assurance, and confidence in your life and a deeper trust in the god of the bible and his son, Jesus Christ. Until next time, may the lord bless you and keep you. May the lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And may the lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace, his shalom in your soul and in your life. Until next time, may God bless you and keep you.