Welcome to A Journey through the New Testament! In this series, we will systematically journey through every chapter in the New Testament, unveiling the marvelous insights that can be found in the scriptures.
In Matthew 1:18-25, as Matthew continues to provide evidence of Jesus as the Messiah, he refers to a prophecy concerning the birth of the Messiah.
Isaiah 7:14 states, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
This prophecy carries immense significance. How could a virgin conceive and bear a child? Consider Genesis 3:15, where God prophesied to the serpent, saying, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
In nature, it is the male factor that carries the seed, so God was revealing a marvelous work that He would perform in the future - a woman would conceive without the involvement of a man - the child would be "her seed". In simpler terms, God was foretelling that a virgin would become pregnant.
The significance and wonder of this prophecy grow when we realize that after Adam's disobedience, sin and captivity passed to all men. How did it pass? It passed through the seed of man, resulting in everyone being born in sin. For Jesus to be the Savior and deliverer from sin, He had to be born without sin. Therefore, God ensured that Jesus was not born from Joseph's seed; instead, God Himself placed the child in Mary's womb, guaranteeing that the child was born free from the Adamic stain of sin, making Him holy and qualified to be the sacrificial lamb of God.
Although this miraculous event caused some difficulty for Joseph and Mary, the trouble they faced pales in comparison to the blessing of being carriers and stewards of Christ. Do you have challenges in your life? Count yourself blessed to endure such challenges, just as they did, for if Christ resides within you, you too are a carrier and steward of Christ.
Written by Kareem Flowers, Sunrise with Jesus
Write in the comments below some of the things that God has blessed you with.
Christ has blessed me with Him. It's a privilege to know and him and to be known and loved by him. Also my family naturally, spiritually.
Amen hallelujah! God has blessed me with many brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers in Christ whom I love and am loved by. Fellow laborers in Christ who suffer, grow, and rejoice with me!