Why JESUS? Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-2,11 December 25, 2005

Sunday School Lesson – Why JESUS? – December 25, 2005

This is our last lesson in this study of “The Manger and the Mission.”

Questions have been asked for each of our studies, “Why?”

This leads us to the ultimate question of “Why JESUS?”

Our background study is Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-12.

Our focus scripture is Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-2, 11.

I want us to begin with Genesis to examine “Why JESUS?”

Genesis 3: 8-15: Sin’s Consequences
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze,[7] Lit at the wind of the day and they hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.[8] Jb 34:22–23 9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard You[9] Lit the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” 11 Then He asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I had commanded you not to eat from?” 12 Then the man replied, “The woman You gave to be with me—she gave me [some fruit]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. from the tree, and I ate.” 13 So the Lord God asked the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “It was the serpent. He deceived me, and I ate.”[10] Rm 7:11; 1 Tm 2:14 14 Then the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than any livestock and more than any wild animal. You will move on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. 15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your • seed and her seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.
Heb 2:14; 1 Jn 3:8
Notice the bold words in verse 15, “her seed and HE will.”
This is the earliest prophecy of the virgin birth of JESUS, as foretold by GOD HIMSELF and the victory that JESUS will have over Satan by conquering death, which was brought into the world by the sin of disobedience.

The scripture states it is the seed of woman that will produce THE ONE who will defeat Satan, not the seed of man. Eve is the one who took the first step and crossed-the-line GOD had drawn. So GOD determined that the solution for the sin that brought death to all mankind would be conquered through the seed of woman. The solution would require a miracle which would give life to the seed of woman. This woman would have to be a virgin so there is no question as to who THE FATHER is.

GOD HIMSELF through THE HOLY SPIRIT provided the DIVINE POWER which gave life to Mary’s egg. So we have the union of 100% GOD with 100% human, thus JESUS is both 100% DIVINE and 100% human.

Contrast this with the miracle of our rebirth when we receive CHRIST as our SAVIOR. THE DIVINE SPERM of GOD through THE HOLY SPIRIT comes into our life and unites with our human spirit. This union of GOD’S SPIRIT with our human spirit results in the miracle of rebirth in our spirit. Our born-again spirit goes to live with GOD the moment our earthly body dies and dwells with GOD in heaven until CHRIST returns at HIS second coming. At this time all Christians receive their new glorified bodies just like CHRIST’S resurrected body.

So the seed of woman being fertilized by THE DIVINE POWER OF GOD produced JESUS, GOD’S ONLY SON. HIS mission is to conquer the sin of death by being the perfect sacrifice for sin, which GOD required.


JESUS was given the final test to ensure HE is sinless and all that needs to be accomplished had been accomplished occurred on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-11). Moses was present on the mountain to represent the law and Elijah was present to represent the prophets. Both were present to meet with JESUS along with GOD THE FATHER. Three (3) disciples are witnesses.

GOD THE FATHER uttered the wonderful words “THIS IS MY SON, WHOM I LOVE; WITH HIM I AM WELL PLEASED. LISTEN TO HIM.”

This means SON, YOU PASSED THE TEST!

No sin has been found in YOU and all that needs to be fulfilled has been accomplished except the ultimate sacrifice of JESUS giving HIS life for the sins of mankind. JESUS fulfilled all of GOD’S requirements. This was JESUS’ permission from THE FATHER to proceed to THE CROSS where HE GAVE HIS life for each of us to satisfy GOD’S requirement for sin.

As CHRIST died upon THE CROSS our sin was poured into HIM and HIS righteousness was poured into us. Our part is to accept what HE did for us. That requires a decision.

Have you made this decision? If not ask JESUS to forgive you of your sins and come into your life now.

The proof of the virgin birth and the fact JESUS is THE SON OF GOD is the resurrection. So let’s examine the birth of JESUS.

Let’s read Matthew 1:18-21
The Nativity of the Messiah
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been • engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus,[9] Jesus is the Gk form of the Hb name “Joshua,” which = “The Lord saves” or “Yahweh saves.” because He will save His people from their sins.”

Matthew gives his account of the birth of JESUS in today’s scripture and Luke gives his account in Luke Chapters 1 and 2.

Matthew 1:1-16, which was written with the Jews in mind, gives us the lineage of JESUS from HIS earthly father’s line. Luke 3:23-37, which was written with the Gentiles in mind, gives us HIS lineage by tracing HIS mother’s line. Both ancestral lines trace back to King David because THE MESSIAH would come from King David’s lineage.

Verse 18 tells us that Mary was engaged to Joseph. In that day the Jews had a three (3) step process in marriage:
1. There is the engagement, generally made by the parents or a matchmaker.
2. Then there is the betrothal. At this stage the girl could break the engagement if she decided not to go through with the marriage. If she accepted this step in the process, it became binding. The betrothal lasted one (1) year. The betrothed couple was considered man and wife but did not live together as husband and wife. The girl lived with her parent’s for this year. No sex! Once the girl accepted this stage, it required a divorce to break it. If the girl had an illicit relationship it was considered adultery and she was subject to death. This is the stage Mary and Joseph are in.
3. The third stage is the actual marriage ceremony at the end of the year.

So what do you do when, as a man, you are told by your wife to be that she is pregnant? Joseph being a righteous man had a plan to quietly, secretly and discreetly divorce Mary. This shows Joseph loved Mary very much and did not want her subjected to public ridicule.

THE LORD sends an angel to Joseph to confirm that Mary is being a servant of THE LORD. The angel came to Joseph in a dream. It was common for special messages from GOD be communicated in the form of dreams.

Joseph shows his trust and confidence in GOD by obeying THE LORD as instructed, even to the naming the baby, JESUS.

Now think for a minute, Mary just finds out she is pregnant. This is before sonograms’ but both are told the baby will be a boy. Guess what? It is a boy. Another confirmation it is from the LORD.

They are to name their baby, JESUS.

The name JESUS is the Greek form of the Hebrew name “Joshua”. “Joshua” means “Yahweh saves” or “Jehovah saves”. The word “saves” means to “to rescue” or “to deliver.” The word “sin” means “to miss the mark.” It is like an archer shooting an arrow at the bull’s eye of a target and misses.

GOD expects and demands perfection. The Bible tells us that the very best in us as a human or the very best we can do as a human is like dirty, filthy rags to GOD.

This is why we need a SAVIOR, ONE WHO IS perfect in every way and acceptable to GOD. JESUS is THE ONE and ONLY who meets the requirements GOD demands. JESUS is the only provision for the sins of mankind. Accepting CHRIST as our SAVIOR is our guarantee of forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.

I like a sure thing. No guess work. My ticket to heaven is CHRIST. I ride into heaven on HIS credential, not mine.
Why not enjoy the relationship with GOD now on earth by committing your life to CHRIST and getting to know HIM in a more loving and intimate way.

Let’s read Matthew 1:22-25:

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel,[10] Isaiah 7:14 which is translated “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son.[11] Other mss read to her firstborn son And he named Him Jesus.

There are many prophecies about the coming of THE MESSIAH in the Old Testament. Verse 23 is taken from Isaiah 7:14:

14 Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you[3] The pronoun you is pl a sign: The virgin will conceive,[4] Or virgin is pregnant, will have a son, and name him Immanuel.[5] = God With Us; Isa 8:10

GOD confirmed the truth of what was being told to him with scripture. Scripture is one of the ways GOD confirms HIS will to us. Joseph trusted, obeyed and married Mary but no sex until after JESUS was born.

Mary and Joseph did have other children, after JESUS was born, as we find in Matthew 13:54-58:

54 He (JESUS) went to His hometown and began to teach them in their • synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “How did this wisdom and these miracles come to Him? 55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother called Mary, and His brothers James, Joseph,[17] Other mss read Joses; Mk 6:3 Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does He get all these things?” 57 And they were offended by Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his household.” 58 And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

We studied in a recent lesson about JESUS brothers not believing HE was THE MESSIAH until after HIS death, burial and resurrection.

Let’s read Matthew 2:1-2, 11:
Wise Men Seek the King
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King • Herod, • wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east[1] Or star at its rising and have come to worship Him.”[2] Or to pay Him homage
11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him.[6] Or they paid Him homage Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Matthew makes it clear JESUS is born in Bethlehem of Judea and not Bethlehem located about seven (7) miles northwest of Nazareth. Bethlehem of Judea is the ancestral home of King David. Both Mary and Joseph are of the lineage of David, so they had to go to Bethlehem of Judea to register as ordered by Rome.

King Herod ruled over the Roman province of Judea from 37 B.C. to 4 B. C. King Herod was appointed King over that region because he was a builder of public works and was a good diplomat. He was half-Jew and half-Idumean (Gentile). He was mean and ruthless. He murdered members of his family who threatened his throne.
During his reign the wise men came to Jerusalem, the center of the Jewish faith, to inquire about the birth of a king. Surely the religious and political leaders would know where they could find this new born king of the Jews.

The wise men were a combination of priests and astrologers/astronomers. They were cultured and studied the stars. They had seen a special star, HIS star, which led them from the Babylonian or the Persian area to Jerusalem. The trip took from six (6) weeks up to 2 years.

Special note, we are not sure how many wise men came on this trip. It has been assumed there are three (3) because of the three (3) gifts. It could have been two (2) or more. They did not find JESUS in the stable where HE was born. Verse 11 tells us HE was in a house when the wise men saw HIM. This means JESUS was at least six (6) weeks to 2 years old. Nothing says the wise men were kings. It is thought that the link with the wise men being kings comes from the prophecy given in Psalms 72: 10-11:

10 May the kings of Tarshish and the coasts and islands bring tribute,[12] 1 Kg 10:22; Isa 60:9; Ezk 27:15 the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.[13] 1 Kg 10:1–10; Isa 60:6 11 And let all kings bow down to him, all nations serve him.

We know that kings regarded the wise men as counselors, advisors and could predict future events.

We know their visit to Jerusalem and ultimate meeting with King Herod resulted in King Herod having the boy babies two (2) years old and under killed because he wanted to eliminate any threat to his throne.

Since the visit of the wise men occurred during the later part of King Herod’s reign, JESUS was likely born between 7 and 5 B.C. Also since shepherds are in the field at night, JESUS was likely born in the spring of the year not on December 25.

The early Christians chose to celebrate the birth of JESUS on December 25 because Rome had declared a holiday known as Saturnalia, a pagan holiday on December 25. So the Christians thought since we have a day off so let’s celebrate JESUS’ birthday. Thus Christmas is on December 25. This occurred some time after the New Testament period.

The wise men fall to their knees and worship JESUS. They give HIM their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Certainly gifts fit for a king but somewhat strange gifts for a child. Gold certainly is a fit gift for a king. Frankincense is a fragrant gum and is a symbol of prayer. Myrrh is also a gum used as a perfume, spice and a medicine. It is a symbol of suffering and used to embalm the dead.

Some say the gold is the gift for a king, the frankincense is a gift for a priest and myrrh is a gift for someone who is to die, fitting gifts for the mission of JESUS.

The wise men are Gentiles and it is interesting that they received and understood the message of the birth of THE MESSIAH along with the humble Jewish shepherds in the field. GOD wanted the Jews and the Gentiles to know HIS SON had been born. JESUS is THE SAVIOR of the world and is not for a select few. HE is THE SAVIOR of the poor as well as the rich, the lowly and the kings, male and the female, people from all walks of life.

So as we celebrate this Christmas if you have never invited CHRIST into your heart do so right now. If you are a Christian and you do not have an intimate loving relationship with HIM, commit your life to HIM right now.

You might say, “FATHER, I have tried to live my life in my own strength but I want YOU to be THE LORD of my life and I want YOU to help me to have an intimate loving relationship with YOU from this moment forward. Let’s form a partnership right now and I want us to travel through the rest of this life in fellowship with each other.

If you have made either of these commitments I would like to hear from you. An exciting journey awaits you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!