Anything Considered

I have always been woefully ignorant of the content of the 4 gospel books. It surely is easier to be attracted to the epistles! But while Romans and the like have become almost all-encompassing in how they are used as the sole source for discussion of doctrine, there will always be a sense of incompletion if the basis (the gospels) were not considered as well.

With this in mind I decided to start off post-ORD QT beginning with the basics. I intend to go through the 4 gospels, at no particular time frame or pace - just sequentially would be fine - with reference to the Old Testament where necessary.

Here are some brief scribbles on Matthew 1:

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

GEN 1:1-2 (KJV)

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

MATT 1:1 (KJV)

I found this contrast quite interesting, even if trivial. The Old Testament begins with the creation of the world - this formless, emptiness, dark hollow. And the New Testament begins with the generation of Christ, the Saviour of the World. Or as Matthew Henry comments, "that it begins with the book of the generation of Him that made the world."

Matthew mentions in particular that Jesus is the son of David and the son of Abraham, even though this is clearly evident in the genealogy. I find this significant because it brings into the fore two key characters from the Old Testament, and therefore two central characteristics of Jesus, namely:

a. That Jesus is human, just like all of us, for he is a child of Abraham (the father of many nations)

b. That Jesus is a King, for he is a child of David (King of Israel).

Yet in view of the latter, notice how the pattern in the entire genealogy is distinctly different right at the end. Instead of "A was the father of B", verse 16 presents to us "Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah." This seems to suggest that should Jesus not be the child of Joseph, he does not follow the entire genealogy!

I think Matthew Henry's commentary best discusses this:

The line is brought down, not to Mary the mother of our Lord, but to Joseph the husband of Mary (v. 16); for the Jews always reckoned their genealogies by the males: yet Mary was of the same tribe and family with Joseph, so that, both by his mother and by his supposed father, he was of the house of David; yet his interest in that dignity is derived by Joseph, to whom really according to the flesh he had no relation, to show that the kingdom of the Messiah is not founded in a natural descent from David.

The centre in whom all these lines meet is Jesus, who is called Christ, v. 16. This is he that was so importunately desired, so impatiently expected, and to whom the patriarchs had an eye when they were so desirous of children, that they might have the honour of coming into the sacred line. Blessed be God, we are not now in such a dark and cloudy state of expectation as they were then in, but see clearly what these prophets and kings saw as through a glass darkly. And we may have, if it be not our own fault, a greater honour than that of which they were so ambitious: for they who do the will of God are in a more honourable relation to Christ than those who were akin to him according to the flesh, ch. 12:50. Jesus is called Christ, that is, the Anointed, the same with the Hebrew name Messiah. He is called Messiah the Prince (Dan. 9:25), and often God’s Anointed (Ps. 2:2). Under this character he was expected: Art thou the Christ —the anointed one? David, the king, was anointed (1 Sa. 16:13); so was Aaron, the priest (Lev. 8:12), and Elisha, the prophet (1 Ki. 19:16), and Isaiah, the prophet (Isa. 61:1). Christ, being appointed to, and qualified for, all these offices, is therefore called the Anointed—anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows; and from this name of his, which is as ointment poured forth, all his followers are called Christians, for they also have received the anointing.

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible. Matthew 1:1-17, pts 10-11.

Perhaps this line says the most: "they who do the will of God are in a more honourable relation to Christ than those who were akin to him according to the flesh". What makes him ruler, and what makes him true King, is not his fleshly ancestors, but that he does the will of God and is the chosen one. Even in the very beginning, Jesus shows the break from the law.

In the same way, it doesn't matter that we come from a corrupt species or a fallen generation, or even wrecked families. Because of Jesus' redemption, we become eligible before God, and in believing in Him, we are the chosen ones. The Elect. And for us, the Spirit is our anointing to do His work.

Perhaps Joseph is the first example in the book of obedience to God's will. Imagine being engaged to a virgin woman to find her pregnant! Given the societal circumstances of the day, how would people view both yourself and her? Pre-marital sex, I think, would be criminal in such an age. But Joseph heard the message from the angel, and obeyed.

(On a side-note, I found it very very encouraging to read that Joseph did not want to break the engagement because of any implication on himself, but because he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly. In other words, he wanted to do what was right, but tampered it with grace.)

We are urged to seek the voice of God and obey Him. And almost universally, and controversially, there is the question of, "How do we know it is God?" Perhaps Joseph's example lends some biblical insight.

There is always some debate over general revelation and special revelation, and whether God reveals himself to us, like he did to people in the past, today. I can't say I know much with certainty about these things. But Joseph's case has some distinct characteristics that can be kept in mind in times of doubt.

a. God comes to you in times of distress/fear when you seek to do what is right. Joseph sought not only to follow the law (break the engagement) but also to balance that with grace (not to shame her publicly). It certainly was a dilemma for him. What would he respond if his friends/family asked him what had caused the split?

b. God is faithful to all his promises. In Joseph's dream, the angel speaks of new promises made and old promises fulfilled. And none of it contradicts, or does not follow from, what was made in the past.

c. God intends good for us (Jer 29:11). How can sending us the Immanuel, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of Lords, the one who will dwell with us not be good?

d. His message does not call you to sin. Even after the dream, Joseph did not lie with Mary. He understood that while they were married, she was set apart, and he respected that.

Sometimes we use the Spirit's call to give us license to do what we want/like. But it is not mentioned whether Joseph liked this arrangement or not, or whether he enjoyed any part of it. All we know is that the angel of the Lord commanded, and Joseph obeyed.