Canvas 1
“HE SHALL”
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1: 21-23)
FOCUS AND FULFILMENT
Matthew was an artist with words. A Jewish Christian with a key gift of portraying Jesus as the One who fills the giant canvas of God’s purposes in fine detail and clear perspective, using firm lines and pure colour of truth.
Matthew was distinct from the other disciples in that he was a tax-collector and so by reason of his responsible office would be fluent in Greek and highly accurate in keeping records in words and in figures. It is possible he could use shorthand, and so could easily have taken notes of Jesus’ teaching acting as the ‘recorder’ for group of disciples.
Though not a very prominent member of the group, he was a disciple with rich spiritual insight and an immense grip and belief that in Jesus all God’s purposes have come to fulfilment. Everything is related to Jesus for he is the focus and fulfilment of the Old Testament which pointed forward to him; its law is fulfilled in his teachings.
MANGER OF WOOD FROM FAMILY TREES!
Matthew lets the reader know exactly where he is coming from in his opening statement.
Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
To the Jewish people this was a matter of great importance. With them, we find ourselves in a forest of genealogies. However, if we look closely at them, we can understand why. One can see the reason for the manger of Bethlehem among the listed family trees and there are many of them.
Matthew 1:17 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.
FAMOUS NAMES AND A NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES
Jesus is the final name in the forward movement of God’s saving purpose. Our tidy tax-man turned Gospel writer places Jesus fully in line with the history of Israel by organising that history into a regular pattern and design of three groups of fourteen generations. The picture of trees shows the time of preparation is now complete and that in our Lord Jesus Christ the time of fulfilment has arrived.
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Names especially divinely revealed names are full of meaning (Genesis 16:11; 17:19; and Isaiah 7:14) certainly in the actual etymology of the Name of Jesus is the meaning that it is sin which separates man from God’s presence so salvation from sin results in the fact in Jesus was ‘God with us’ He became flesh and dwelt among us that by his life and death on the Cross of Calvary those who believe and accept Him as Saviour are saved from sin. He makes it possible; we are saved through our Lord Jesus Christ
Everything begins, continues, and ends, in this glorious fact that Jesus deals with our sin.
Forgiving its penalty.
Cleansing from its pollution.
Destroying its power in our lives.
Page created 12 October 2005