Would you look with me this morning
at Matthew's Gospel, chapter 1. This is the account of the
birth of the Christ child, which is relevant to this time, this
day, this time of the year, this so-called holiday, Christmas. And let me say this in the beginning,
I place absolutely no religious significance on this time of
the year called Christmas. Since this is not even the time
when Jesus Christ was born, the actual time of the year, nor
are we told in Scripture to celebrate His birth in a regular way. Nowhere in Scripture do the saints
do that. But we are rather told to worship
daily a living, reigning Lord on a throne, not become just
sentimental over a baby in a manger. Since the thoughts of most people
are on the birth of one named Jesus, it would be good for us
to look at that story as well. Matthew chapter 1 is the account
of the birth of the Christ child. And let me say again that it
is not my intention to preach against Christmas, so-called,
but rather to preach Christ. I am all for spreading joy and
cheer, gathering of families together. giving of gifts and
so forth. I wish that happened more often. I wish it happened year round.
But I do want to dispel some of the false notions regarding
the birth of Christ and to declare the true Christ, who he is and
why he came. Matthew 1 verse 18 reads this
way, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, when as his
mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together. That
is, before they had sexual relations as husband and wife. Before they
were married. She was found, it reads, she
was found with child of the Holy Ghost. She was expecting. She
was pregnant. Now, the birth of Jesus. In Isaiah
9, verse 6, it says this in prophecy of this one, this child that
is the account of which is being told in Matthew. It says in Isaiah
9, verse 6, unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given. And the government, that is the
reign, the rule, the sovereignty, shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called,
in all of these titles, these names are in capital letters,
Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace. This Son, this child born, this
Son given, of which we're reading the account of, is none other
than God, manifest in the flesh. That's right. That's what the
Scripture says in John 1, in the beginning was the Word, the
Word was with God, and the Word was God. And verse 14 says, the
Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. God, without controversy,
God was manifest in the flesh. God became a baby. You say, I don't understand that.
Neither do I. But it's so. A child was born,
but he who was born had no birth. A child was born of a woman,
but the very child born was the father of the mother. Verse 18
says, as his mother Mary was a spouse to Joseph. Mary was
supposed or thought to be his mother. Mary was not the mother
of God. Mary was a vessel chosen by God
to give birth to a baby, to a child. It must be so, and I'll tell
you why in a moment. But Mary was just an instrument,
a borrowed womb, a borrowed vessel. Christ had to be born of a woman,
and Mary was the one chosen. Her name could have easily been
Martha or some other female. Mary was not chosen because she
was a special woman. Scripture says she was chosen
and blessed among women, but not above them. It does not say
she was blessed above them. It does not say she was sinless. But this one born of her, or
in her, not of her, but in her, this one born was sinless. Christ
had to be born of a woman. We are not to worship and adore
or hold Mary in higher esteem than any other. No, Mary was
a sinner like us. Mary was born of sinful parents. Mary was a daughter of Adam and
therefore came from the womb dead in trespasses and sin. And
she called this Christ her Savior. Christ, several times when people
said something about Mary as His mother, several times in
Scriptures, He refuted that. He was never called the Son of
Mary by God. Men and women called Him that. When Mary one time came to talk
to him, he was preaching, they said, your mother is outside.
And he said to them, who is my mother? Another time when Mary
wanted him to give the people wine at the feast, he said, woman.
He didn't call her mother. He said, woman, what have I to
do with thee? When he was a child, 12 years
old, his mother rebuked him. told him that they were upset.
She said, Your father and I, and he did not call her mother,
nor Joseph his father. He said, Wished he not, I must
be about my father's business. Son of God is who he is. And
while hanging on the cross, he did not call her mother. But
he said, Woman, behold thy son. Speaking of John standing near
her. Mary was a virgin. God sovereignly restrained her
sinful passions from being fulfilled before she was married in order
for His Son, God's Son, His only begotten, to be born without
the seed of man. Mary's egg played no part, for
her egg was the seed of man. No, no. Look at verse 20, it
says, verse 21, I'm sorry, verse 20, that which
is conceived in her, it said, is of the Holy Ghost. That which
is begotten in her, not of her, not by her, but in her, put in
her by the Holy Ghost. She is a vessel. Do you know
why Jesus Christ was born of a virgin? If He is the Christ,
He must be. Do you know why? You know there
are many people who deny that, deny the truth. If so, then they
deny the Christ. If so, then Jesus Christ is just
a mere man like the rest of them. Why was Jesus Christ born of
a virgin? Because man is a sinner by nature.
We come forth from the womb speaking lies. We are born in sin. David
said, in sin did my mother conceive me. My father is a sinner. My
mother is a sinner. And so I come forth from them
just like them, a sinner, but not God's Son, Jesus Christ. So in that sense, Mary is not
his mother, just the vessel. Joseph is certainly not his father. The angel said that holy thing
shall be called the Son of God. Born of God? Yes, he is God. Holy without seeing a man. Without
the seed of man. Without the sinful nature of
man. Why? Why? Well, not to show us what we
can be if we try hard. Not to show us how to live in
order for God to take us up to heaven. No, no, no, no. He came
as a substitute. A representative for others. For someone else. Not Himself.
Read on. Verse 20 and 21. And while Mary
thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared
unto him in a dream. Joseph, that is. thought on these
things, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream,
saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary
thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son,
a son, it is really not going to be
her son, someone else's, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall save his people from
their sin. He said that which is conceived
in her, not by her, not of her, not begotten by her, but in her,
begotten of God. Call his name Jesus. Why? It
means something. People used to name their children
with names that actually meant something. God did. God does.
In Scripture, all the names actually mean something. Well, God's Son
has a name. His name, His earthly name, His
human name, the name of His humanity, is Jesus. God said, Name Him
that. Call Him that. Because it means
something. What does it mean? Savior. That's
what the name means. Savior. The Old Testament name
Joshua is the Hebrew name for Jesus. Savior, God our Savior. Call His name Jesus, Savior,
for He shall save. He shall save. That's His name. God said He shall save. That's
what He shall do. That's His name and that's exactly
what He's going to do. The Holy Son of God, named Jesus,
came to save. Not try to save. not to make
salvation possible, then he wouldn't earn the name if he did. If some
for whom he tried to save perished, then he's not rightly named,
is it, Jesus? But God says, call his name Jesus,
for he shall save. Jesus Christ, sent by God, came
down here to save, and that's exactly what he did. Hanging
on the cross, he said, it is finished. It is finished. Scripture says, when he had by
himself purged our sins, he sat down. He finished. He saved his
people. How did he do that? Well, he
came to be a substitute, a sacrifice, a Savior. He was a holy man because
God demands of us to be holy, to glorify Him, to fulfill God's
perfect law. We can't. Nobody ever has. Nobody
ever will. But Jesus Christ did. And He
didn't do it for Himself. toward God and did it on behalf
of his people, God's people, God's chosen people. And God
Almighty charged that perfect life, that sinless perfection
of Jesus Christ, that righteousness it's called, that holiness, to
these people, some persons, not all, but some. If Christ lived
for all, then all will live eternally. Who did he do this for? Verse
21 says, Call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people. Christ called them the elect. Christ did. Yes, he did. You
don't believe election? Well, you're calling Jesus Christ
a liar. That's what he called God's people,
the elect. Shall not God avenge his very
elect? That's what Christ called them.
He called them my sheep. My sheep. He said, All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me. He said, I lay down my life
for these sheep. These sheep. My sheep. God chose
them, gave them to me. I bought them with a price. I
purchased them. I purchased their redemption.
My sheep. Who are they? Who are these sheep,
these elect of God? Well, I don't know. No man knows. One time they argued with Charles
Spurgeon on this account. They said, if you just believe
only elect will be saved, why not just preach the elect? He
said, if I knew who they were, I would. But since I don't, I
preach to all. But I know God Almighty will
call out His elect in this way, a remnant according to the election
of grace. Spurgeon said, if you put a big E on them, I'll preach
to them and them only, because I know that's who they're going
to come. Well, who are they? I don't know, but God sure does.
He chose them. Christ sure does. He had their
names on His hands and in His heart when He lived and died
for them. So the Holy Spirit sure does, because He enters
them and moves upon them and regenerates them. Call His name
Jesus. He shall save His people from
their sin by living for them to make them holy, by dying to
pay for their sins. He paid for their sins, all of
them. All for whom Christ died, their
sins are eternally paid for. That's right. That's His name,
Jesus. Do you know this Jesus Christ
of Scripture? It's the only one there is. I
hope you do. May God reveal Him to you is
my prayer. Amen.