We look at Matthew’s telling of the Christmas story. We see how, from the very beginning, Matthew is tying everything into the Old Testament. Jesus is not a new thing, but He is the very fulfillment of what God was doing from the start. He was the plan all along. He wasn’t God’s last option. He was what God was doing before the foundation of the world. We read all the Bible looking for Jesus. He is the fulfillment of the promise that God made in the Garden, to Abraham, to Moses, to David, and to all of Israel. Jesus Christ is the very fulfillment of what God said He was going to do. He was God’s plan all along.

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Good morning! It’s a pleasure to be with you on this Friday morning as we continue our reflections on the Christmas story from the Gospels. Yesterday, we explored the cosmic perspective in John’s Gospel, and today, we turn to Matthew. On Christmas morning, we’ll delve into the classic Luke passage.

Matthew, being deeply rooted in the Jewish context, provides a Jewish perspective on the birth of Jesus. Today, we’ll focus on Matthew chapter 1, verses 18-25:

“Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.”

Matthew connects Jesus to Abraham in his genealogy, emphasizing the fulfillment of the Jewish promises. This passage also quotes an Old Testament prophecy from Isaiah about the virgin conceiving and bearing a son, named Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us.”

What’s crucial to understand, as emphasized in Matthew’s Gospel, is that Jesus is not a last-minute solution to the problems of humanity. He is not a surprise or an unexpected twist in God’s plan. Jesus was the plan all along. From Abraham to Moses, from David to the prophets, everything pointed to Jesus. He was the fulfillment of the Old Covenant, not a deviation or a revision.

Often, we may read the Bible as if God is scrambling to find a solution to human sin and disobedience. Yet, from the beginning, God had a plan—a plan centered on Jesus. Even in the messiness of human history and shortcomings, God was working toward the ultimate revelation of His love in the person of Jesus Christ.

As we approach Christmas, let’s remember that Jesus was always the plan. The Old Testament was not a series of failed attempts but a carefully crafted narrative pointing to the arrival of the Messiah. May our hearts be filled with awe and gratitude for the intentional and loving plan of God that culminated in the birth of Jesus.

I wish you a wonderful day and a Merry Christmas Eve. We’ll reconvene on Christmas morning to explore the Luke passage. Enjoy the anticipation of celebrating the birth of our Savior!