GOD WITH US
- Key Verse
Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord 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.” (Matthew 1:22-23)
READ TODAY'S PASSAGE-
READ THE CHAPTER
Central Truth
The Lord is up to something big!
Reflections
Happy New Year!
Can you believe it is already 2010? I don’t know about you, but I’m excited about what the Lord has in store for our church this year. I wonder who will come to Christ? Which relationships will be restored? Who will He heal? And what other ways will His name be made more famous this year? Why am I so confident great things are in store for the body of Christ at Watermark?
Because on January 1 we read of the Lord’s faithfulness throughout the generations beginning with Abraham, running through the time of David, and culminating with the birth of Jesus. If we learned anything from reading that long list of names, it was that the Lord was up to something big!
Today’s passage is no different. Joseph was heartbroken over Mary’s pregnancy and apparent betrayal. Yet, an angel of the Lord appeared in order to let Joseph in on a secret . . . “Joseph, your soon-to-be wife is carrying God’s Son!” In other words, the angel informed Joseph that the Lord was up to something big! In fact, from the angel’s reciting of Isaiah 7:14, we learn that Mary’s pregnancy had been a part of God’s plan for a very long time:
“Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel . . . .’”
Throughout the Book of Matthew, the idea of Jesus fulfilling Old Testament prophecy is repeated time and again. It serves as a constant reminder that the Lord was and still is up to something big. Tragically, in the same way that many people failed to recognize what God was up to in Jesus’ day, so, too, will many people miss what the Lord is trying to do in and through their lives today.
Matthew 1, like the rest of the book, is full of promise. And so is 2010 for those who believe in Immanuel, God with us!
Discussion Questions
1. What are you praying for the Lord to do in and through you this year? (Think big!)
2. How many times does Matthew speak of Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy? What do you think he is trying to communicate by repeating this idea?
3. Why is the virgin birth so important? What does it teach us about the person of Jesus?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Verse 23 says that “Immanuel” means “God with us.” What did that mean to Mary and Joseph? And what does that mean to us today?
2. Why was Joseph scared to go ahead and marry Mary (verses 19-20)? What did he end up doing and why (verse 24)?
3. What are ways we can obey God today?
Jeff Ward
January 4, 2010 05:44 AM
Love what this passage has to say about Joseph! Even before the visit by the angel, he was taking the "high road" in response to Mary and his perception of her very personal and humiliating betrayal. He could have been very bitter and made things very ugly in a public sort of way, but chose not to... Wonder what I would have done? Thanks Blake and also looking forward to what God has in store for 2010, as we get rid of the "weight" of sin, run with endurance, and keep laser focused on Jesus. Heb. 12:1-2
Jeramon
January 4, 2010 05:45 AM
This is for questions one and three. I can't really answer question one because I'm trying to get back into the loop.As for question three I have no idea,so could you please explain it to me please. I want to know why it is important.
Erik Bailey
January 4, 2010 06:29 AM
Blake, Thanks for your encouraging and upbeat devotion today. Really enjoyed your teaching last night as well. Wrote down some things I am hoping God will do in and through me this year and I did think big!
Will
January 4, 2010 07:48 AM
Blake, thank you for your devotional today - great reminder that Matthew 1 is full of the fulfillment of much promise made hundreds of years before his birth. Besides addressing skeptics by fulfilling hundreds of individual prophecies, Jesus is *the* fulfillment of all of history from Adam’s fall to the sweep of the Old Testament. I was struck in this passage how Joseph was a man faith who responded in action: the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, Joseph awoke, and did as the Lord instructed him. No checking with the opinions of others, thinking of a way to avoid it, no procrastinating. Action. Given the lack of angel appearances today, it’s clear that Scripture is God’s mode of communication. When God reveals something to me in scripture in 2010, I pray I am as responsive as Joseph was.
Jay Burns
January 4, 2010 08:09 AM
Blake, as usual I love your insight. I also thought you knocked yesterday's message out of the park. You are gifted my man....very understandable....very practical...very convicting...just what we all need. thanks for all you do and for doing it with excellence.
Bobby Crotty
January 4, 2010 08:33 AM
Jeramon, thanks for asking about question 3 concerning the Virgin Birth of Christ. I believe that it is important for at least 3 reasons: 1) It stresses the uniqueness of Jesus; 2) It focuses attention on His qualification to be the Messiah; and 3) It fulfills Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah, again furnishing proof that this Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah. The things the Virgin Birth teaches me about Jesus is His qualification to be my King, His uniqueness, and that everything about Him from His birth to His death fulfilled what had been prophesied about the promised Messiah. For each of us today, Jesus' life, death, and resurrection cause us to ask ourselves 2 questions: 1) Do I believe in Him? and 2) Will I obey Him? That is, will I obey Him in the way I make decisions in my daily life? For me, the Christian life is not complicated, but it is hard because He wants me to trust Him enough to give Him control of all I think, say, and do. He is not satisfied with occasional obedience. Hope this helps. Thanks for being on The Journey with us! BC
jo tiller
January 4, 2010 09:07 AM
good morning blake ...what an inspiring question to ponder in thinking about what the Lord has in store for our body at Watermark and each of us individually...i am so thankful for the context you provide in this devotional and also in the sanctuary..most of all for reiterating "God with us"...what a comforting thought to begin the new year..our Lord is so faithful!thank you for leadership that reminds me of this.
liz White
January 4, 2010 09:12 AM
Thanks for encouraging us to "think big" as to what God might do in and through each of us. I am consistently encouraged by your communication of the Word which spurs me on to follow the truth.
Rachel Felts
January 4, 2010 11:27 AM
Hey Blake, thanks for the great reminder that God is still working out His plan and that we are a part of it. I was also really struck by verse 25: "But [Joseph] had no union with [Mary] until she gave birth to a son." We see that he is a righteous man by the way he was going to separate himself from her quietly, but then he submits to God's will, believes that what God says is true, and even more so, for the next nine months, sacrifices what he could have reasoned to be his right as her husband. I'm blown away by how he refused to rely on his own understanding of the whole thing. He accepted the miracle for what it was, and continued to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord after. I'd like to live out my faith more like that in 2010.
Don Morris
January 4, 2010 06:55 PM
I'm new here, but I'm confused by Matthew 1 verse 23 which states: "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." Then in verse 25, it says: ...but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. Thanks
Bobby Crotty
January 4, 2010 08:25 PM
Don, thanks for your comment and for being with us on The Journey! You ask a great question. The angel says to name the Baby "Jesus," and the Old Testament prophecy says, "they shall call his name Immanuel." I am assuming that your question is, "Well, which is it?" The short answer is that it is both. The angel tells Joseph to name the Child "Jesus" in verse 21. The Old Testament prophecy comes from Isaiah 7:14 and says that "a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." Interestingly, Matthew, when quoting the Old Testament passage, changes it slightly to "they shall call his name Immanuel." So Joseph is told one name; the virgin, another; and the people who Jesus will save (verse 21), the same name as the virgin. Many commentators, such as D.A. Carson, think that "Immanuel" is a title or description of Jesus, while Jesus is His name. Something similar occurs in the Old Testament in 2 Samuel 12:24-25. David names his second son by Bathsheba "Solomon," but David also calls his name "Jedidiah," which means "beloved of the Lord," because of God's love for Solomon. There is no other Old Testament reference to Solomon being called "Jedidiah." Similarly, there is no other New Testament reference to Jesus being called "Immanuel," but His life, death, and resurrection underscore that God is with us in an amazing way in the person of Jesus. Hope this helps. If you still have questions, post another comment or shoot me an email at bcrotty@watermark.org. Glad to be on The Journey with you. BC
Cheryl Boyd
January 5, 2010 11:23 AM
Blake, Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and wisdom on this passage. I am, once again, reminded that while we groan and wait for the fulfillment of our hope, God IS with us! He is constantly working. His timing is perfect! I needed to be reminded of that today!