Dr John Peet reminds us of the miracle of Christmas
When we think about the true meaning of Christmas, we realise that the event was impossible, humanly speaking.
Consider the wonder of Christmas. Here are three areas that are worth thinking about.
Firstly: he was the son of David
Our Lord Jesus was a descendant of David and so had a right to be the King of the Jews (2 Samuel 7.16; Jeremiah 3.17). This was God’s promised line of descent through Eve, Abraham, Jacob and David via Solomon.
He was protected from the regal disqualification that resulted from Joseph being a descendant of King Jehoiachin, also referred to as Jeconiah. Compare Jeremiah 22.30 and Matthew 1.12. God’s punishment of Jehoiachin for his sin meant that none of his descendants could become King of Israel. The line was that of the firstborn, and with this in mind Joseph (Mary’s betrothed) might have been a king of Israel!
Had God’s plan gone ‘haywire’? Some say so. But, no. In his book on the Psalms Slogging Along the Paths of Righteousness, Dale Ralph Davis sums it up well: ‘There was a ‘disciplinary clause’ … in the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7.14b). ‘But’, Yahweh assured David, ‘My hesed [faithful love] I will never take away from him as I took it away from Saul’ (v.15). … It may have seemed Yahweh’s covenant had bitten the dust … But then a shoot popped up from the stump of Jesse (Isaiah 11.1) and a Nazareth virgin heard the decree about her son: … he will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of His father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (Luke 1.32-33, ESV).
The genealogy recorded by Matthew is the legal line to Joseph who is the legal father of Jesus though not the biological father. In Matthew 1.16 we have the only generation where ‘begot’ is not used. Similarly, in Luke 3.23, the writer says, ‘as was supposed …’.
‘Adopted’ by Joseph, as the legal heir Christ has the right to the throne. As Joseph was of the royal line and Christ was the legal heir, Jesus was the uncrowned King of the Jews after Joseph’s death. And, of course, since he had no heirs, he was the final and eternal claimant to David’s throne, as promised by the LORD.
Even Pilate acknowledged his royal status: Matthew 27.37 (cf. vs. 29, 42). No Jew disputed this title; his genealogy was established. The priests knew where he would be born (Matthew 2.1-6). Blind men acknowledged him (Matthew 9.27; Mark 10.48; Luke 18.35). The crowd recognised him on Palm Sunday (Mark 11.10).
No wonder Herod was so concerned. A ‘King of the Jews’ born in Bethlehem? This baby was the legitimate heir to the throne’s descendants who had gathered in Bethlehem because of Caesar’s decree. So he killed all the youngsters.
That he is known as the ‘Son of David’ (Matthew 1.1) shows that God’s promise was basically related to David, not to Jehoiachin. Via this route, he may not seem to be ‘Son of David’ genetically, but the Scriptures give a second genealogical history as well.
Luke’s genealogy is that of Mary through Nathan, another son of David – so he was a natural heir of David. As Mary’s son, he is the son of David! This was a title of the Messiah (Matthew 22.42). In his response to the lawyers, Christ takes them back to the Psalms (Matthew 22.43-46) to demonstrate that here was an acknowledgement of him as the Messiah.
Note Gabriel’s statement to Mary (Luke 1.32-33) that God was giving to her son the throne of his father, David. He was fulfilling his promise to David.
A further issue – and indicative of God’s flawless timing – is the fact that under the Jewish law (Torah), and based on Deuteronomy 23.2-3, a curse passed on through ten generations. The ban in Deuteronomy meant that they could not enter the ‘house of God’. But Joseph was the 11th generation after Jehoiachin! Fittingly, of course, Christ came to his temple.
Jehoiachin’s sin was the cause of the problem. It appeared to frustrate the promises of God in this case. But God is greater. God cannot be frustrated in the fulfilment of his word.
Secondly: he was the son of Mary
But, she was unmarried. Again, this was as prophesied (Matthew 1.23, quoting Isaiah 7.14). There were strict rules in the culture about the unmarried state. Mary was subject to stoning under these laws. Joseph was well aware of these risks to her (Matthew 1.20-24). He did marry her, but her son was not Joseph’s, except by adoption.
But also, she was a virgin – so how could she conceive? It was to be by the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1.20; Luke 1.35). From a biological point of view, a virgin conception should have given a daughter. But God, who created male and female, intervened here.
Our Lord could not be the natural son of Joseph because we are sinners and because Adam was our federal head (Romans 15.12-14). His birth had to be miraculous otherwise he was just a man (as the Jews pointed out: Matthew 13.55; Luke 4.22).
Mary was humble. In spite of the implications within her society, she submitted willingly to God’s plan for her and even rejoiced in it. We see God’s topsy turvy world: men despised her, yet God honoured her (Luke 1.28, ‘highly favoured’).
This virgin conception was such a remarkable event that some have tried to describe her as sinless. But, like us, Mary was a sinner (Luke 1.47), yet the Lord humbled himself to come through her. But Mary acknowledges the blessings that are to be hers: ‘God my Saviour’ (Luke 1.47). She is noted by God for her faithfulness (Luke 1.34). Her question is simply, how will this be accomplished?
Mary ‘couldn’t’ be the mother of our Lord by natural reasoning – she was a virgin and a sinner. But God (I love those two words) overshadowed her by his Holy Spirit. What a God we have!
Thirdly: he was the Son of God
The greatest wonder of all: this baby is the Son of God! The Jews accusation against him was that he claimed to be ‘Son of God’ (Matthew 27.43). Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, identified her as the ‘mother of my Lord’ (Luke 1.34), so acknowledging him to be the Messiah.
Here’s the ‘nonsense’ of Christmas. Think of who he was and what he became. The eternal Son, the sinless one, the infinite one, the law-giver and the adored one. And much more. As Charles Wesley put it: ‘Our God contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man’ – even to the single cell zygote.
God was wrapped in human form. The one who hung the stars in space was now to be hung by those he created.
The wonder of Christmas is summed up in the song ‘Mary … Did you know that your baby is heaven’s perfect Lamb? That sleeping child you’re holding is the great ‘I AM’?’ (Mark Lowry).
John 3.16 declares the real Christmas gift. Isaiah 9.6 tells us that ‘Unto us a child is born; unto us a Son is given’.
For you and me
The baby who shouldn’t have been born! But he was born. Why was he born? For you and me! So that we might become sons of God.
How do you react to this? Amazed? What about falling down and worshipping? That’s what the shepherds and the Magi did. It’s what the angels did!
His reward is summed up in Philippians 2.5-11: ‘Therefore God has highly exalted Him.’ That is what we acknowledge this Christmas season yet again.
At breakfast on Christmas Day in Ukraine, the father will say: ‘Christ is born.’ The family respond: ‘Let us glorify him.’ Amen.
