A Journey of Love Matthew 1:18-25

Real Love Is… “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10, NLT) The Bible helps us understand what real love is. In fact, the Bible defines it in no uncertain terms by God’s activity in our lives: God loves us. God took the first step toward us. God showed us his love by sending Jesus. God sent Jesus to take away our sin – the guilt and shame of self-rule – so we could be in relationship with him.

“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10, NLT) The Bible helps us understand what real love is. In fact, the Bible defines it in no uncertain terms by God’s activity in our lives: God loves us. God took the first step toward us. God showed us his love by sending Jesus. God sent Jesus to take away our sin – the guilt and shame of self-rule – so we could be in relationship with him.

“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10, NLT) The Bible helps us understand what real love is. In fact, the Bible defines it in no uncertain terms by God’s activity in our lives: God loves us. God took the first step toward us. God showed us his love by sending Jesus. God sent Jesus to take away our sin – the guilt and shame of self-rule – so we could be in relationship with him.

God sent his Son Jesus to show us how much he loves us and how his love can transform our lives. Our lives are transformed when we understand and experience three truths about God’s love that Christmas teaches us: Jesus was sent into a family to make us part of God’s family. Jesus was sent under the Law to save us from the Law.

God Sent Jesus into a Family to Make Us Part of His Family A Journey of Love God Sent Jesus into a Family to Make Us Part of His Family

“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born “This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:18, NLT)

“Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.” (Matthew 1:19, NLT) ““No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 23:3, NLT)

“But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman,” (Galatians 4:4b, NLT) Unified cultural language – Greek Roman transportation, and legal infrastructure

A Common Couple “Jesus the Messiah was born.” “His mother, Mary” “engaged to be married to Joseph.” “Joseph, did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.”

From Orphans and Slaves to Beloved Children “God sent him…so that he could adopt us as his very own children. “And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”” (Galatians 4:5-6, NLT)

The journey of love is a journey to accept the message that Jesus came so we could be part of God’s family.

God Sent Jesus Under the Law to Save Us from the Law A Journey of Love God Sent Jesus Under the Law to Save Us from the Law

“As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20, NLT)

The Law Produces Fear “But suppose he can show that she was not a virgin. The woman must be taken to the door of her father’s home, and there the men of the town must stone her to death,” (Deuteronomy 22:20–21, NLT). “If a man is discovered committing adultery, both he and the woman must die.” (Deuteronomy 22:22, NLT) It’s understandable why Joseph was afraid. We have already seen that he is described as a “righteous man,” (v.19). He knew the law well and dedicated his life to living according to it. The law made it clear that in cases like this, the consequences were definitive, lethal, and unrelenting. Would he be accused? What would happen to Mary? Even if she and the baby were allowed to live, the law demanded that no offspring of an illegitimate child could be admitted into the assembly of God for 10 generations. God took the purity of his people seriously and the law was unclouded as to how God viewed sexual sin and the judgement for it. What Joseph feared ultimately was the punishment that always accompanies sin and the attending guilt. “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” (1 John 4:16–18, NLT)

“As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20, NLT) But this child was different. God was at work in his conception. Just as the Spirit was active in Creation, hovering over the darkness and chaos of the unformed forces of our unformed universe, the Holy Spirit was active in the conception of Jesus in the womb of a young virgin.

“And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”” (Matthew 1:21, NLT)

We Were Bound “And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.” (Galatians 4:3, NLT)

We Were Bound “God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” (Galatians 4:5, NLT)

God’s Love Frees Us “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 7:24–25, NLT)

The journey of love is a journey to believe the truth that God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to free us from our bondage to the law of sin and death.

God Sent Jesus To Show that We Can Trust His Love The Journey of Love God Sent Jesus To Show that We Can Trust His Love

Do I Trust God’s Intentions? “The day will come, says the Lord, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them.” (Jeremiah 33:14, NLT)

“All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ”” (Matthew 1:22–23, NLT)

A Sign of Hope in the Face of Fear “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” (Isaiah 7:14, NLT) “The news had come to the royal court of Judah: “Syria is allied with Israel against us!” So the hearts of the king and his people trembled with fear, like trees shaking in a storm.” (Isaiah 7:2, NLT) “Tell him to stop worrying. Tell him he doesn’t need to fear the fierce anger of those two burned-out embers, King Rezin of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah.” (Isaiah 7:4, NLT) Just as God told Ahaz that there would be a young virgin who would conceive in his time as a sign of God’s love and attentiveness to his people during desperate times, the birth of Jesus to the virgin Mary was the ultimate sign that God not only loves his people, but that he fulfills his promises in ever deepening and dramatic ways.

“All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ”” (Matthew 1:22–23, NLT)

750+ Years Mary Ahaz

Why the Virgin Birth Matters Authenticates the supernatural nature of the life and mission of Jesus. Demonstrates the helplessness of humanity in redeeming ourselves. Illustrates the powerful potential of divine sovereignty and human obedience. Fulfills a promise God made to Israel.

“All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ”” (Matthew 1:22–23, NLT)

“I will make my home among them “I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Ezekiel 37:27, NLT)

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”” (Revelation 21:4–5, NLT)

The journey of love is a journey to trust that just as God kept his promise to send Jesus to save us, the Father will one day send Jesus back to make all things new.