Now let's turn to Matthew chapter 1. If you want to get the chronological order of things established in your mind, when you get home you might want to read Luke's gospel, the latter part of chapter 1 and the first part of chapter 2. because Matthew 1 18 actually picks up after Mary has returned from her visit with her cousin Elizabeth and the child John the Baptist leaped in the womb of Elizabeth with regard to the person of Christ who was in the womb of Mary at that time. And now verse 18 the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise The Spirit of God tells us by Matthew's pen this is how the Savior was born.

This is the manner of it. When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph. Now that word espoused has the idea of engagement but more than an engagement. It was a legal marriage. but the parties had not yet come together as husband and wife. Mary was betrothed to Joseph and legally she was looked upon as his wife, but they had not yet begun to live together as man and wife. When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. than Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.

But while he thought on these things, behold, 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 the 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 Immanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife, and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. The subject of this passage, as I stated, is the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the King, our Savior.

In these eight verses, Matthew, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, declares the deepest, most profound truths of sacred theology. He declares those things which have been wrangled and wrestled and fought over by theologians throughout history, He declares them in simple, childlike terms that anybody can understand who wants to understand them. He doesn't argue about it. He doesn't debate about it.

He just declares the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise. This is how the Son of God came into this world. And he does that deliberately. He tells us that Jesus Christ, the man who was born at Bethlehem, reared in Nazareth and crucified at Calvary 2,000 years ago, is himself God. He tells us that this one who is God assumed our nature and became a man in the most remarkable way by a miraculous supernatural birth.

His mother was a virgin. She never knew a man until after he was born. She was a virgin. Now, this holy mysterious thing that is here declared is the noble object of holy reverence, faith, and adoration. But we cannot, simply cannot explain these things in a way that will cause men and women who do not believe God to receive them. Can't be done.

In preparation for this message this evening, I pulled down some commentaries and theology books and began to read the arguments back and forth concerning the virgin birth and the marvelous conception of God's Son in the womb of the Virgin Mary, not the conception of God's Son, but the conception of our Lord's humanity as the Son of God in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. And as I read those things, I thought to myself, What's the use? What's the purpose?

They're interesting to read, the debates and the wrangling and so forth, but we're talking about things that are more defiled by speculation than anything else. When we come to this passage of Holy Scripture, I think we might be well to look upon ourselves as Moses when he stood before the burning bush and heard the Lord God speak, who said, Put your shoes off of your feet, for the place whereon you stand is holy ground. Here we come to deal with things that are deep, profound, mysterious, holy, awesome. Things to be adored and admired and proclaimed from the housetop. Things to be sung about and give praise for, but not things to be debated. Not things to settle idle questions of curiosity.

These things that are declared here are received, embraced, and delighted in by all who are Christians. And all who deny the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, for whatever reason they deny it, all who deny the virgin birth of Jesus Christ also deny his divinity. And denying his divinity and his virgin birth, they are not Christian but reprobate regardless of what they call themselves. The virgin birth of Christ is not something that's up for debate, but it is rather the evident, declared truth of Holy Scripture, and every believer rejoices in it.

So this evening, I'm not going to try even making an effort at answering the objections of men to the virgin birth. If you have a problem with the virgin birth, the only way you're going to cease to have a problem with it is to bow to God's revelation. That's all. The Word of God declares it in the plainest, most simple terms imaginable.

Jesus Christ, God's eternal Son, came into this world, conceded in His humanity, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, without the aid of a man, that He might come here, the holy, spotless God-Man as our Savior. Hold your hands here and turn to Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 6. Even back here in the prophet when Isaiah spoke of the coming of our Lord. The prophecy was given in such a way as to make a clear distinction between the birth of Christ the man and the coming of Christ who is God. Here in Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 6.

For unto us a child is born. There's our Lord's humanity. As a man in time, he began. As a man in time, his holy being was conceived and formed by the immaculate supernatural power of God the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin. As a man, he came forth from the virgin's womb and was born. Unto us a child is given. He was not born as the Son, or as unto us the Son is given, rather. He was not born as the Son of God. The Son of God is eternal. The Son of God came in human flesh, but He was not born. The Son of God was given in human flesh, but He was not born.

And when we look at Mary, and we speak of her as being the mother of our Lord, we're speaking only of Mary being the mother of our Lord's glorious humanity. Only as being the mother of our Lord's human body and His human soul, we do not in any way imply that Mary is the mother of God. That child who was formed in Mary's womb is also Mary's God who gives birth and life to Mary herself. Jesus Christ, as a man then, was born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus Christ, who is God, came into this world through the womb of the Virgin Mary, but he certainly was not born of the Virgin Mary. Now, in these verses, the Holy Spirit tells us how Christ came into the world and why. He came by divine incarnation through the womb of the Virgin Mary to save his people from their sins.

Now every word and every line in these verses needs to be studied and meditated upon with great care, reverence, and joy, with gratitude, faith, and thanksgiving before God. But I want us this evening simply to take note of five distinct things that are evidently set before us in this passage of Scripture. First, look at verse 18 and give some consideration to the things involved in Mary's pregnancy. Now, the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise. It was after this manner. The Holy Spirit prepared in the womb of the Virgin the body, the holy humanity of the Son of God. Hold your hands here and look in Hebrews chapter 11, or chapter 10 rather, Hebrews chapter 10.

The Apostle Paul is telling us how Christ came into the world. Verse 5. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, but a body hast thou prepared thee. Now there you see both the humanity of our Savior and his eternal deity. The Son of God, the eternal Son of God, our covenant surety is speaking. He says, a body hast thou prepared me and the body that was prepared him was his humanity prepared in the womb of the Virgin. Our Lord Jesus came through the womb of the virgin but without the aid or assistance of a man in order that he might come into this world as the seed of the woman.

Look in Luke chapter 1. Luke the first chapter and verse 35. And this is how the angel explains to Mary what was happening. The angel came to Mary and said, you're going to bear a child. You're gonna have the son who is himself Jesus. He'll come into this world and he shall be great and be called the son of the highest and so on. And Mary said, how can that be seeing I know not a man? And there she identifies herself not only as a young maiden, but as a young maiden who was pure, a virgin, a virgin who had not known a man. And so she says, how can this be? I know not a man.

And the angel said in verse 35, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Now look in Galatians chapter 4. Galatians the fourth chapter.

You remember our Lord Jesus was prophesied in Genesis chapter 3 as that one who would come who would be the seed of woman. The seed of woman so that he might be a man. But the seed of woman born without a natural earthly father, lest he should be tainted. For our Savior must be himself holy as well as divine. Look at what he says in Galatians chapter 4 and verse 4.

When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman. made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. The Lord Jesus then came in humanity, but he came without the aid of a man so that he might not be sinful. And that was the necessity.

In order to be our Savior, the Son of God assumed our nature. but he must be the holy Son of God, holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. And so it was not possible that the Son of God should come into this world and be our Savior in any other way. He must assume a body in which he could satisfy the demands of God's law and justice, and he must do so as a perfect man, as our surety and representative. Our Lord Jesus was born then of the Virgin Mary.

But there are some difficulties here. As you read this passage of scripture, can you begin to imagine what must have gone through Mary's mind and Joseph's mind? By this time now, she has begun to show. And Joseph is aware that Mary is pregnant. But he knows full well he's not the father of the child. He knows that he has not known his wife, Mary. And Mary has heard a word from the angel of the Lord who came, Gabriel, who told her this child that's in her womb is formed by the Holy Spirit.

But who's going to believe that? Who's going to buy that? Who's going to believe that this woman is pregnant by the power of God without having committed any sin as it appears to be? And when Matthew Henry commented on this passage of Scripture, he suggested that there are three lessons to be drawn from verse 18. First he says, those in whom Christ is formed will show it. If Christ is in you, the hope of glory. It'll be evident. It'll be evident. You won't have to demonstrate it. He'll show it.

A little Sunday school girl asked her daddy one day after church, said, Daddy, how big is Jesus? And he said, well, I don't know. I guess he's about my size or size of an average man. Why do you ask? And she said, well, if he was in me, wouldn't he stick out? Indeed He would. Indeed He would. And indeed He does.

If Christ is in you, if Christ is formed in you, as the child Jesus was formed in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and she began to show that He was formed in her, so if Christ is formed in you, it will be evident, for the grace of the Spirit will make it manifest. And secondly, Matthew Henry said, after great and high advancements, Lest we be puffed up with them, we must expect something or other to humble us, some reproach as a thorn in the flesh, as Mary had here. Here she is.

The angel of the Lord came to her and said, Hail Mary, thou art highly favored of women. God chose you. God chose you above all the women in the world. God chose you to be the mother of the Lord's holy humanity. And Mary rejoiced in God her Savior and sang that marvelous song of magnificence recorded in Luke chapter 2. But now she's got a problem. Here Mary is a woman. subject to being scorned both by the man she loves to whom she has given herself and subject to being scorned by all people who themselves worship God Almighty as well as those of the world. And yet Mary pursues with this thing and seems to offer no word of complaints.

And you can be assured, my friends, If God is pleased to distinguish you, me, or us together at any time for any high and holy purpose in his kingdom, if he is pleased to use us in any way, you can bank on it. God will do something to keep us from being highly puffed up and exalted in our own estimation of things. When Paul had ascended up into the third heaven and saw things nobody else could see, God sent him a messenger, Satan, to buffet him, to smash him in the face, lest he be exalted above measure.

And then thirdly, Mr. Henry said, those who take care to keep a good conscience may cheerfully trust God with the keeping of their good names and have reason to hope that He will clear up and not only their integrity, but also their honor as the sun at noonday. In other words, Henry said, don't avenge yourselves. Don't try to clear up your name. Leave that in God's hands. You take care to walk before God with an honest heart, with a good conscience, and God will take care to protect you. You don't have to protect yourself.

Now you can imagine the problem Mary's pregnancy caused Joseph. Here he is engaged to a woman who showed up pregnant and he knew he wasn't the daddy of that child. What's he gonna do? That's the second thing. Let's look at Joseph's behavior in verse 19.

What a remarkable man he was. Then Joseph her husband being a just man Now that word just simply means he was a good man. Good insofar as earthly things are concerned. He was a man who truly sought to do what was right. That's just what it means. Being a just man, one who sought always to do what was right before God and men, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.

Now Joseph had three options. Three options. He could take Mary before the elders and have her stoned to death. He could do that. The law, in the rigor of the law, said this woman was to be stoned if she shows up unfavorable in the eyes of her husband. That is, she shows up not to be what he expected of her, but rather to be impure. And here she stands pregnant. So Joseph could have her stoned or He could choose, as he was thinking about doing, to put her away, just give her a bill of divorcement in a very private manner, just before two or three witnesses, and send her along her way. You can read that in Deuteronomy 22 and in Deuteronomy 24.

Joseph could have just said, all right, now I'm not going to have her killed. I'm going to give consideration to some extenuating circumstances here and just put her away privately. I'll just not marry her. We'll not go through with this thing. Or he could have just decided, well, I'm going to overlook it and marry her. Those were his three options. Now, while Joseph thought about these things, he tried to decide what he ought to do. And he chose not to put her away publicly, making an open example of her. That is, he chose not to have her stoned to death.

Being a man who always sought to do what was right, He thought of his espoused wife and what appeared to him to be her sin, and felt that he simply could not marry her, but chose not to be one who would strictly enforce the rigor of justice and the law against her.

Mr. Spurgeon said, when we have to do a severe thing, and oh what a word this is, When we have to do a severe thing, and sometimes we have to, Lindsay. Sometimes we just have to do things that seem severe. He said, when we have to do a severe thing, let us choose the tenderest manner. And maybe we shall not have to do it at all. That's good advice. Choose always to do things in the tenderest manner possible in dealing with your brethren. And maybe you won't have to do anything. What an example Joseph is to us in his behavior. Having been forgiven, he was willing to forgive. Having reason to suspect the worst, he chose to put it in the best possible light.

You see, the extenuating circumstance in which Joseph might be allowed to just put Mary away and not have her punished in any way was that if a woman who was espoused to a man was raped by a man out in the field, if it could be demonstrated that she cried for help, then the man could just put her away with a bill of divorcement and she was not to be stoned. Now, if she didn't cry for help, then both she and the man who raped her were to be stoned to death. And so here we have this extenuating circumstance being considered by Joseph. He sees Mary and says, here she is with child. She must have been raped and she surely cried out for help.

And so he puts the best gloss upon it that he possibly could without any revelation from God. He simply chose to do that which was most lenient when he considered Mary. What an example. This man who had experienced God's love and grace in his heart demonstrated love and grace to this woman and endeavored to cover that which appeared to be evil in her. That's what love does, Mark. It covers sin. It covers sin. That does not mean love doesn't deal with evil. It does. That doesn't mean love justifies iniquity. It does not. It simply means love chooses not to expose evil. Love chooses to cover it.

You men and women raise your children and you're very much aware of their faults and failures. But loving them, you don't talk much about them. You talk only about their advancements and their good qualities and they're good traits and they're good characteristics. And while you may set the child down and deal with the child concerning its failures and concerning its rebellions and concerning its weaknesses, you don't deal with those things out public.

You cover those things up because you protect the child. And that's what we do if we love each other. I love you, I protect you. Your name, your character, your reputation. And if you love one another, you protect one another's name and character, reputation. Nothing on this earth more clearly demonstrates malice and hatred and godlessness than a vicious tongue and a cruel spirit. Nothing more. Nothing more. In all things, Let us be lenient, as lenient as possible with one another. There's got to be something to explain this. It's just out of character.

I almost picture Joseph. I don't have that kind of grace, I'm afraid, but I hope if I were in that situation, God would give it to me. I almost picture him. He's engaged to Mary. They're espoused. They're legally married, and now she shows up pregnant. And he's trying to figure out some way to understand this. He said, this is out of character for Mary. This is just out of character for her.

And so he wants to deal with her in the most lenient manner possible. Oh God, give us such a heart. In all things be forgiving. This man Joseph had been forgiven and he's willing to forgive. In all things seek what is best for the fallen, erring brother or sister. If your brother or sister be overtaken, understand they're overtaken in a fault. and seek to restore them in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself. In all things, seek the restoration of the fallen, not retribution upon them.

Our tendency is to seek to, let's get in this thing and stir it up and let's get this thing settled, get it settled. Now, don't do that. Don't do that. I deal with things all the time. I thank God we have so little in this regard to have had to deal with in this congregation. But I get calls, churches that got different things going on, and fellas saying, I feel like we ought to do, I feel like we ought to get, I feel like we ought to have.

I say, leave it alone. Just leave it alone, wait. Just leave it alone and wait. God probably will take care of it, you don't have to deal with it. Just leave it alone and wait. And don't seek yourselves to take it upon yourselves to punish folks when they stand or fall before God Almighty. Just don't do it. Don't ever take action against somebody until you have to take action against them. Don't do it. Until your hands are forced and you just have to do it. But rather, just wait. Just wait. As Spurgeon said, take the tenderest action possible and maybe you won't have to take any action at all. In all things, show love and grace, not judgment and condemnation.

I get calls every now and then, somebody called me up and asked me if I will marry a couple of girls pregnant. I say, well, of course I will. Of course I will. Marriage is honorable and all. Be it undefiled, I wish it didn't happen. But it does happen. And yes, marriage is still alright. It's the only right thing to do. Of course I'll do so. And I hope that somehow in ministering to folks, I can persuade them to come hear the gospel of God's grace. This much I know. This much I know.

If they sense from me nothing but judgment and condemnation, they're not likely to walk through those doors and hear the gospel. And if folks sense from you Nothing but judgment and condemnation. They're not likely to come through those doors and hear the gospel.

So love folks and understand they're sinners just like you and me. The only difference between us and other sinners is that we're forgiven and they're not. We're justified and they've not yet experienced God's grace and justification. And sometimes those who are our brothers and sisters and have genuinely experienced God's saving grace, also fall into all manner of evil and sin.

And when they do, love them, forgive them, and deal with them as tenderly as you can. As tenderly as you can. I mean that. God, help us to do that. Maybe, maybe if we had a more caring, sensitive, tender spirit, and expressed ourselves in more caring, sensitive, and tender terms toward men and women, God might entrust to our care some of his sheep who need caring for. Thirdly, look at verses 20 and 21, and let's think about this angel's message for a minute. But while he thought on these things, I expect he prayed. Lord, what am I going to do? God, show me what's right. Show me what's best for your glory. Show me what's best for your call. Show me what's best for Mary. Show me what's best for your people.

While he thought on these things, behold, 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. Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Oh, Joseph's patience was abundantly rewarded. He sought God's will and found it. He sought God's direction and found it. that's always the case. I promise you.

Turn to Proverbs chapter 3. Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. The two things are mutually Contradictory. If you trust God, you don't lean to your reason. If you lean to your reason, you don't trust God. You see that? Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not into your own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.

Here's Joseph. He says, Lord, what am I going to do? What's right? What's right? And God sends his angel in a dream and says, Joseph, this is what's right. This is the thing for you to do. The Lord God addressed Joseph by the word of the angel first and assured him of his royal heritage and said, Joseph, thou son of David. And so doing, he declares to Joseph, don't forget who you are. Don't forget God's promise to David's royal line.

And then he gives this word, fear not, fear not. The angel's message was a message of comfort to Joseph and a message of comfort to Mary when she heard it. What comfort those words must have been to Joseph when he heard the angel of the Lord say, fear not. What relief.

God declares to him here that he was appointed to be the foster father of the Son of God, who as the Son of Man would come into the world through the womb of his espoused wife. Lord, what on earth is going on here? What an embarrassment this is going to be to me and my family. What opportunity this is going to give for folks who despise me and poke fun at me for seeking to worship you. How they're going to laugh now. I've got to marry this woman or else put her away and she's pregnant.

And the Lord said, Joseph, don't you be afraid. That baby in her womb, he's the son of God. And when he comes forth out of her womb, you call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins. I will let you raise him. I will let you train him and feed him and care for him and educate him and watch him grow. He's your boy. You watch over him.

No doubt Mary had great apprehensions. She had this word from the angel. But would Joseph believe her? She had been visited by the angel Gabriel, and she knew what was going on, but would anybody else understand what was going on? No doubt her faith in Christ sustained her, but still she had a great trial for her faith. How relieved she must have been when Joseph said to her, Mary, the angel of the Lord came to me last night, and he told me the same thing you said. I know it so.

But more importantly, the angel's message to Joseph was a message of grace, redemption, and salvation to sinners. She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. That's the same as the Old Testament word Joshua. It means Savior, Deliverer, Redeemer. She shall call his name Jesus, or thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sin.

Now briefly, let me tell you what that means. That means there are some people in this world who are distinctively and peculiarly his people. God has an elect people whom he gave to Christ and the Lord Jesus Christ in the surety of the covenant. When he received those people, he became totally responsible for the saving of those people. That's the second thing clear there. His name should be called Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. And thirdly, he going to save all his people. That's exactly what the text means.

Every one of those who were chosen of God and given to Christ in the covenant of grace, all for whom the Son of God stood in eternity, lived in time, died at Calvary, and intercedes in glory, every one of them He shall save. No ifs, ands, buts, maybes, or what circumstances there are, they come up.

He says He shall save His people from their sins. How does He do it? He saves them from the penalty of their sins by His atoning sacrifice, by the shedding of His blood. He saves them from the dominion of their sins by the regenerating power of God the Holy Spirit. He saves them from the being of their sins when He takes them out of this world and receives them up into glory. And blessed be God one of these days, he will save them from all the consequences of their sins when he raises up their bodies in perfect glorification. Jesus is our Savior's mediatorial name. It is the name by which salvation comes to sinners. There is salvation in none other but in Jesus Christ our Lord. The name of Jesus is so sweet, I love its music to repeat. It makes my joys full and complete, the precious name of Jesus. Jesus, oh, how sweet the name. Jesus, every day the same. Jesus, let all saints proclaim, his worthy praise forever.

Jesus is a name of encouragement and hope for guilty, heavy laden sinners. Sinners now may draw near to God, the Father, by faith in Christ, the Son, who is Jesus, the God man. Trusting his blood and his righteousness, we can come to God and find permanent access and acceptance with him. Jesus is the name of Him who is peculiarly sweet and precious to believers. Unto you, therefore, which believe, He is precious. Thy name is as ointment poured forth. We breathe the Savior's name in prayer and find peace. Don't you? When you find peace nowhere else, you find peace here. When you find comfort nowhere else, you find comfort here. When you find relief nowhere else, you find relief here.

Now look at verses 22 and 23. And notice the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy in these verses. Now, all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet. Let's turn back here to Isaiah 714 before we read the next verse. Isaiah 7, 14. This is where the prophet writes.

Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel. Then in verse 23 of our text, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is God with us. Now let me ask you this.

If you read Isaiah 7.14 for a thousand years without Matthew 1.23, Is there anybody here who would ever imagine that it had reference to the coming of the Son of God? Anybody who would ever imagine it had reference to Jesus Christ of Nazareth? Well, of course not. Of course not. And my point is this.

You and I are so spiritually dull in this body of flesh that before we are capable of understanding prophecy, And I chose my words deliberately. Before we are capable of really understanding prophecy, we have to see it fulfilled. When did Peter understand Joel's prophecy? When did he understand it?

When he stood on the day of Pentecost and saw what the Spirit of God did, he looked back at the book of Joel and said, this is it. This is it. Until that day, nobody understood what Joel's prophecy was about. Nobody did. But when it was fulfilled, Peter understood. When did the disciples understand our Lord's prophetic words concerning His death, His burial, and His resurrection? Not on the very eve when it took. Even when they saw Him dying, they didn't understand it. They did not understand it. But after He was risen, when he ascended up before them. He said, this is what he was talking about. Now they understood.

And I'm telling you that nobody in this body of flesh is capable of understanding prophecy until they see it fulfilled. Nobody. Now, to you who are sitting here tonight, that may not have a great deal of significance. to many who will hear this message on cassette tape or radio or however it goes out. It's going to have a great deal of significance.

You search the scriptures and you will find out that nobody ever in the scriptures understood a prophecy until they saw it fulfilled. didn't happen. They didn't clearly grasp the prophecy until they saw it happen. Even the prophets who spoke the word, as David wrote Psalm 22. Oh, what a prophecy of Christ it was. As Isaiah wrote Isaiah 53. What a prophet, what a prophecy the prophet gave on that occasion. But they did not clearly grasp the meaning of the prophecy. And nobody does until they see it fulfilled.

Now, I stress that also. Because I want you to understand that one of these days when we know as we are known and see all things clearly, we're going to be able to see then perfectly how that all things in this book speak of Him who is the Christ, our Emmanuel. I know it all talks about him. I understand that much of the scriptures, but frankly, I don't know how it all talks about him. I don't see, James Lee, how everything in the book speaks of him, though I know it does. One of these days, we're going to understand the whole thing, exactly how it speaks of him. Now then, the angel said his name, according to the prophet, is going to be Immanuel, which means God with us.

You know how many times that word Emmanuel is used in the Bible? Three times. Three times. Isaiah 7, 14, Isaiah 8, 8, and right here in Matthew 1, 23. Oh, but what a word of comfort and instruction it is for believing hearts. Emmanuel declares the union of God and man in one glorious person. Jesus Christ is Emmanuel, God with us. Emmanuel is salvation. Emmanuel is glory. Emmanuel is help laid upon one who is mighty. Emmanuel is God with us. Our Lord Jesus Christ must be Emmanuel.

He must be God and He must be man, one of us, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, else He could never have saved us. Man could not satisfy, but God could not suffer. But here is Emmanuel, who is God, able to satisfy and man able to suffer. The God-man has both suffered the justice of God and satisfied the justice of God. Therefore, He is able to save all who trust Him. In him, Emmanuel, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead in a body.

In a body. When I was in school, they used to teach us that our Lord, the Son of God, having assumed humanity, is now limited by his humanity. And that is a terrible heresy. Our Lord's human body is limited in the degree that a human body is limited in perfection. But don't forget that one who dwells in that human body, in him resides all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

So that though his body is in heaven, and that's the only place where his body is, his body is in heaven, but he's right here. There's no limitation to him whatsoever. His body is in that fixed place, but he's everywhere present. He knows all things. He has all power, for in him, in his body dwells all the fullness of the triune God. This man who is God, Emmanuel, is able to save all who trust him, all who come to God by faith in him.

Now one last thing, look at verses 24 and 25, just briefly, I won't elaborate on it any, but notice the obedience of Joseph. Then Joseph being raised up from sleep, what did he do? He sought God's will, he sought God's direction, he went to bed, God gave it to him, what did he do next? As soon as he got up, he did what God said to do. Soon as he got up, he was obedient. I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, he might say. Then Joseph being raised up from sleep, dead as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife. Now, he might have said, when I've got this thing from the Lord, and I believe the Lord had me to do it, but I'm going to go ask my daddy about this. Reckon what his daddy would have said to him.

Now, Joseph, son, I know you're a spiritual man, and I know you seek to do what's right and seek to do the will of God, but I got to tell you, boy, there ain't nobody ever come up with anything like this. Now, if I were you, I'd sure put this thing off. Well, I believe I'll go talk to my teacher about this. Well, Joseph, I know the prophet said that, But I never met anybody yet who applied it to a man. I don't know what's going on. But I'd be kind of reluctant to imagine that the angel of the Lord told you to do this.

You must have had something bad to eat last night. But instead, Joseph, being taught of God, got up and did what God told him to do. And that's what we must do. Mary said to the servants at the marriage feast of Cana, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And I say to you, whatever he says to you, do it. Just do it.

He took unto him Mary his wife, and he knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son. That simply means he didn't take her and enjoy the privileges of their conjugal relationship until after the Lord Jesus was born. That does not mean that Mary remained a perpetual virgin. She did not. There is no spirituality, no moral virtue to abstaining from marriage and the privileges of marriage. That's absolute nonsense. Nothing but the doctrine of devils teaches such. But Joseph knew her not until she brought forth her firstborn.

And when he came forth, Joseph said, His name is Jesus. He's the Savior. Trust Him. And I say to you, His name is Jesus. He's Emmanuel. God's with us. Sitting yonder on heaven's throne is a man like us who suffered to put away sin, and He did it for every sinner in the world who trusts Him. Can you trust Him? Can you trust Him? I trust Him and my heart cries thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.