Matthew 2:1-12 (Sermon for the week of January 7th)

Gospel
Mt 2:1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

SERMON:

This week we reflect and celebrate Epiphany. The word epiphany means appearance or manifestation. The appearance or manifestation described by Matthew in this weeks reading has a supernatural quality to it. Allow me to explain the difference between how man sees manifestation and how God can at any time manifest something. For example, you may manifest a cup of coffee by brewing coffee, grabbing a cup, and then pour coffee into the cup. Or a cup of coffee could be manifested by God; you could be sitting in front of the TV and all of the sudden a cup of coffee manifests itself right before you...hot coffee and all, even with cream and sugar if that's how you like it. I am starting this week's sermon off with this analogy because this weeks reading is full of Divine supernatural activity that is not the workings of witches or magicians. It is full of the work of God himself that would leave any scientist baffled. Epiphany is a time to reflect that God sent His Son to the world and allowed the appearance of His Son and surrounded the birth of His Son with miraculous signs. ALL people, be it Jew, Gentile, or Heathen are to be saved through Him. The early church celebrated 4 holy days...Easter, Pentecost, Epiphany, and later Christmas. This is a week of awe, reflection, and celebration.

Let's begin with the reading:
"When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,
in the days of King Herod,
behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“Where is the newborn king of the Jews?"
We saw his star at its rising
and have come to do him homage.”

We may relate the story of Jesus birth with visits from shepherds and wise men together. The shepherds came from the nearby places surrounding Bethlehem and the wise men or "magi" came from far away. These visits happened at two different times. The wise men's visit probably took place a while after the shepherds had departed. We know that Mary and Joseph remained in the vicinity of Bethlehem and Jerusalem until Jesus had been circumcised and presented in the temple (Luke 2:22-38). Mary also needed to recover from just giving birth. It is presumed that the wise men or "magi" visited them during the time that Mary and Joseph visited Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

There are three interesting portions to discuss in this very first part of the reading.
First, who is this King Herod?

The Herod spoken of in this verse is Herod the Great whom had sons named Herod Archelaus, Herod Phillip, and Herod Antipas. These sons will succeed their father when Herod the Great dies according to Josephus, in 4 BC. Herod was known as a great king in both good and mostly bad ways. He kept the peace, built the Temple, and was sometimes generous. He also murdered his wife, Mariamme, murdered his mother, Alexandria, murdered his oldest son, Antipater, and murdered his sons Alexander and Aristobulous. Augustus, the Roman emperor once said that it was safer to be Herod's pig than Herod's son. When Herod was approaching death, he had a group of elite citizens from Jerusalem arrested and gave orders that the when he died, the citizens were to be killed so that some tears would be shed when he died.

Second, who are the magi?

We know some information but not a lot about the magi. What we do know is interesting.
We are told that the magi are from the East. These magi were Arabs from the land of Babylon or ancient Persia which is modern day Iran / Iraq. They were probably followers of Zoroaster. We have been accustomed to calling these magi, kings, but Matthew calls them magoi or Magi. Calling them kings probably came from Psalm 72:10, which speaks of the kings of Tarshish rendering tribute and Sheba bringing gifts. Isaiah 60:6 speaks of the people of Sheba bringing gold and frankincense which are two of the three gifts the magi bring when they visit Jesus. The word magi or magus has three possible definitions. First, magi are plural and magus is singular. One of the definitions of a magus is: "a member of the Zoroastrian priestly caste of the Medes and Persians". The second definition is: a sorcerer or magician. The third definition comes from the Jews where the "magoi" looked to the stars for answers that LEGITIMATELY COME ONLY FROM GOD. The one definition that does not pertain to this reading is the definition that the magi are sorcerers or magicians. Sorcerers and magicians use astrology, horoscopes, and a religious system that is incompatible with the Christian faith. They work magic using demonic powers. The definition that works best for the "magi" in this verse is a combination of 1 and 2, these magi where probably from Persia and followed Zoroaster, and followed the stars just as the Jewish Magoi did, looking to the stars for revelations that come only from God. God is in control of the stars and can at any time show a star to guide those to Christ. We do not know for sure what the names of the magi were or how many their where. We think that there are three because they give three gifts, and the number three surrounds Christ throughout His life. The names of the magi are not certain, however, a 6 th century mosaic in a church in Ravenna, Italy name them as Melchior, Caspar (or Gaspar), and Balthasar. The most important thing to reflect on is the fact that these magi are GENTILES. The Jewish chief priests who lived less than 5 miles away from Jesus know that a Messiah is to be born, Jesus fits all the prophecies and the time line, as well as receives a star in the sky to point to exactly where He was, and the chief priests refuse to come and acknowledge Him. The Gentile Magi travel from far away and joyfully receive the Messiah and acknowledge Him. The Gentile Magi have a better grasp of Scripture and faith than the chief priests in Jerusalem! Remember the verse: "First to the Jews then to the Gentiles".

Third, How did the magi know that a king was born?
The magi tells us that they observed HIS STAR at it's rising. People have tried to identify the star that led them to Jesus. There has been little agreement to what this star was or is. We do know that this "star" does not behave as stars do, because it "stops" over the place where Jesus is. This is one example of an "epiphany" the supernatural manifestation that occurred here. The star of Bethlehem was a sign of God and God has the power to stop stars in their tracks! The Gentile magi were not the only ones who were aware that a star would rise to show that the King of Kings had been born...but these Gentile Magi not only knew what they were witnessing but also travelled from far away to pay homage.

This is where this portion of the verse ends...with the Gentile Magi giving homage to Jesus.


Next we read:
When King Herod heard this,
he was greatly troubled,
and all Jerusalem with him.

Why would Herod be greatly troubled over a baby? Herod murdered anyone threatening his throne; remember that he murdered members of his own family. Herod is also of Arab descent and rules under Rome's authority. The Jews resent Herod and would rather have a king of their own. Everyone is aware that if the Jews have a chance to overthrow him, they will. Hence, Herod was worried when he hears that a God-ordained king has been born within his jurisdiction. One interesting part of this verse is where it states: "and all Jerusalem". Why would all of Jerusalem be greatly troubled too? It seems to me that Matthew is implicating the Jewish elite, priests, and the Jewish people as opposing Jesus right from the beginning. They will share the guilt of the crucifixion, but Matthew is linking them with Herod even at the early stages of Jesus' life.

Next we read:
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,
for thus it has been written through the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler,
who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

Matthew again seems to be singling out those who deny and oppose Jesus. The chief priests were Annas and Caiaphas which would have been (one or both of them) gathered together and we will see these two again at Jesus' crucifixion. The scribes are "scholars" of the Law. Scribes are in constant conflict with Jesus during his lifetime.

The part of the verse that states, "Bethlehem of Judea" is important to reflect on. It is called "Bethlehem of Judah" (belonging to the tribe of Judah) to distinguish it from the other Bethlehem which was in the North, in the territory of Zebulon (today Beth-Lehem 12km from Nazareth). It was also the birthplace of King David. When God rejected King Saul, Samuel went to Bethlehem where he anointed David as king of Israel. Bethlehem is a small town that is not high on the social ladder. It is ironic and appropriate that the Messiah would be born here, humbly. King David's beginnings were also humble. He served as a shepherd. The Jews were waiting for another "great" King David, and Jesus is the King they are waiting for. It isn't what they expect, but there is no reason to ignore Him.

The part that states, "And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah" comes from Micah 5:2 and 2Samuel 5:2 , and Matthew seems to drive the point that the prophets foretold Jesus' birth in Bethlehem and the Jews, chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees, have the means and the scripture to know without a doubt that the Messiah is coming and yet they do nothing about it.

In the part of the verse that states, "are by no means least among the rulers of Judah" is a purposeful word play that Matthew has done to poke at the Jewish religious establishment. Micah in 5:6 says, "one of the little clans of Judah" and Matthew changes it to "are by no means least among the rulers of Judah". He shows that Bethlehem has and will become the most honored city instead of a "little clan of Judah". Matthew got that right! The point Matthew drives home with these verses is that the chief priest and scribes know the Talmud, but they miss the fact that the Messiah has been born.

Next is:
"Then Herod called the magi secretly
and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search diligently for the child.
When you have found him, bring me word,
that I too may go and do him homage.”

Herod wants the Magi's help in determining the time that the star appeared because this will help him determine how old the baby Jesus is so that he can murder him. As we know from history, Herod decides to kill all children in Bethlehem 2 years old and younger! What an evil man! And to think, if Jesus is just a good and wise teacher and not the Messiah...how this deranged king killed babies because of it! There was reason and the knowledge that the Messiah was born...and these children died because of it at the hands of a man, an unholy man, possessed with power and the material wealth of this world. This type of men murder for vanity...and it is sick. This passage does give us a clue that at this time, Jesus is 2 years or younger. God is always powerful and above all evil...remember that God warned both the wise men and Joseph who later flee to Egypt to protect his family from the wrath of men.
The treachery of this world of man begins in Jesus' infancy...this world owes Him and owes Him big for what mankind did to Him...this world owes Him His life back, and no human can give back someones life.

Next:
After their audience with the king they set out.
And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them,
until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,

Stars do not stop in their orbits, and this is not natural, it is a manifestation from God.
Notice that these Magi, who are Gentiles, are overjoyed. The "chosen people" aren't, Herod isn't, and the chief priest's are "greatly troubled". The Jews who should be ready to receive Christ with great joy are afraid! The Gentile Magi, who are regarded as unworthy to associate with among the Jews, receive Jesus joyfully. The scribes expect to have a handle on things and must provide answers, and Jesus started to twist their human logic around in His infancy.

Finally:
and on entering the house
they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures
and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed for their country by another way.

Notice that the Magi prostrate themselves and pay homage. This is still the practice among Arabs and especially Muslims who adopted practices of ancient Persia. Prostrating is the act of kneeling and then laying ones whole body flat on the floor in complete submission and respect. This practice is still seen today when Muslims pray. The gifts that the Magi bring are expensive and easy to travel with. Some think of the Magi as Kings because of the gifts they bring to Jesus and the verse in Psalm 72:10-11 which states that kings will give "the king" tribute. There is a difference between magi and kings...and this reference to kings visiting Jesus comes from this Old Testament parallel. These gifts would seem inappropriate for a human child...we would expect clothes and toys. These gifts are for a King. Gold is one of the few acceptable gifts for a king. Frankincense is a gift for a priest, and myrrh is used as an anointing oil, and is also used for anointing bodies for burial. Joseph could have used these three gifts later to help pay for the journey to Egypt because they would be easy to trade with or sell.

Look again that the Magi were warned in a dream! Herod cannot even try to stand in the way of God's plan for the salvation of the world. He obviously didn't know what he was dealing with. The Herod's of this world are no match for God and God's people. God sent a dream to these men to expose Herod's treachery and they knew to steer clear of anything having to do with Herod.

Behold! The manifestation of the King of Kings who shall be the path to salvation and eternal life has come! The joy is ours as we each reflect and joyfully accept Jesus into our hearts!
Behold! The Son of God has come, has died, has resurrected, so that we may be broken from the chains of sin and have eternal LIFE! No demon, devil, or Herod could ever or will ever touch us and prevent us from faith"ing" in Our Lord! Now that is the source of true Joy...the Joy of the Kingdom to come.

God Bless you and your families this week of Epiphany.

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Matthew 1:1-25 (Christmass Sermon for the week of December 24th)

Gospel
Mt 1:1-25
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brother sat the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.

Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Christ, fourteen generations.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel,which means “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.

SERMON:

Merry Christmas everyone! This is the time that we celebrate the birth of the Son of God who came down to us in a tent of flesh as 100% God and 100% human in order to conquer death, conquer Hell, and conquer Sin. Death is our price that we are to pay for the sin that we perpetually committ. By being born of the Holy Spirit, the True God-Man was crucified for no just cause by this world, and lived a perfect life being the Son of God in a human tent of flesh. The world owes Jesus His life back, and since Jesus is the "I AM" who is the Creator, who is the One that talked to Moses through the burning bush (and why we have Christmas tress in our home) the world cannot give His life back. Their is no court or no King or Emperor powerful enough to reverse His carried out death sentence. Satan and hell have some abilities but not the ability to give Life. By conquering His own Law by His own death in the hands of this world, Jesus is able to save those souls who do one thing..."FAITH"eth" in Jesus. Faith"eth" is a verb...an action that we do by placing our will and our lives in His care and direction.

Our reward? Eternal life and salvation from Death. Jesus is able to give us Life by His death and resurrection which is the NEW Covenant. His New Covenant is faith"ing" in Him and His ability to grant us Eternal life comes from the fact that the world and Satan killed The Son of God for no reason, and He allowed Himself to be the sacrificed for all those who believe in order to "catch 22" the Law of the world...the same "Law" He has been giving this world a chance to complete...but has failed following.

Over and over, the Chosen People failed..."First to the Jews and then to the Gentiles"...Christmas is our time to reflect on the Gift of Gifts that Our Lord Jesus the Christ has given those who faith"eth", those who choose Him and allow Him to lead their lives. Rejoice for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and YOUR grave has been conquered!

Now let's look at this weeks reading...What are all of these names at he beginning of the reading and why are they there? Well, thankfully Matthew paid attention to the FACT that Jesus by the lineage of Joseph is A DIRECT DESCENDANT of KING DAVID. Remember King David and the prophecy surrounding him? Many prophetic passages speak of a descendant of King David who will rule Israel during the age of perfection. (Isaiah 11:1-9; Jeremiah 23:5-6, 30:7-10, 33:14-16; Ezekiel 34:11-31, 37:21-28; Hosea 3:4-5). According to Jewish sources, the Messiah will be born of human parents and possess normal physical attributes like other people. The Messiah must be descended on his father's side from King David (see Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, 33:17; Ezekiel 34:23-24). Matthew presents the facts as they are...Jesus is a direct descendant of King David on His father's side, through the lineage of Joseph. Jews believe that Jesus is not the Messiah because He was born through a virgin and did not have a bloodline father. Well, the Jews "err for not knowing their own scriptures". Some Jews may think that the Messiah is a human with "god like" qualities...then they do not know the definition of the Messiah. If they believe that the Second Coming (to the Jews the First coming) Messiah will be the Son of God...then how...by the knowledge contained in the Scriptures...would the Son of God / Son of Man be the Messiah AND be born into sin? We all have two parents...and we all are born into sin since we are descendants of Adam and Eve.

Let's look at why Jesus could not have a human bloodline father...

"Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. "

Sin passes through the lineage of the father, and thus in order for Jesus to be born sinless, and to live free from sin, He could not have been conceived by a human father. The Holy Spirit, who is without sin had to conceive Jesus in the womb in order for Jesus to forfeit or cancel out His own commandment from the very beginning of Adam and Eve's fall out of the Garden of Eden as spoken of in:

Romans 5:12
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
"12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— "

Jesus as 100% God and 100% man could not be born into sin--the sin that is inherited from all descendants of Adam. So the blessed Mother of Jesus, Mary, was impregnated with Jesus by the only pure source...the Holy Spirit. Jesus was ADOPTED by Joseph later on as commanded by the Angel. Is an adopted parent still a parent? YES!
Are the Jews looking for a way...THEIR way to discredit Jesus as the Messiah? I understand what Old Testament scripture says about the coming Messiah...and I understand why Jesus was born the way He was.

At the time of Mary's pregnancy, she was engaged to Joseph...and not married to Joseph. Jesus was born into this world and not in the way we are born into to it for a very good reason...HIS (Jesus') REASON AND HIS REASON ALONE. For starters, the Son of God had to be born sinless! But allow me to interject something here: How does man justify questioning the Creator about the way He works? Surely the student isn't the teacher too?! Since Joseph was engaged to Mary, the pregnancy was a troublesome dilemma and probably frightening to Joseph.

Let's look at why...

"Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. "

The Jews follow the Law (imperfectly) but zealously when it comes to adultery. Throughout Jewish history, a woman would be stoned to death for becoming pregnant with someone else's child while engaged. Her sudden and unexplainable pregnancy would make it seem to the Jews to be a case of adultery. In the time of Joseph, the Jews could have stoned her to death as instructed in Deut. 22:23-24, but the verse in Matthew tells us that she would have lived a life in shame. Mary would have been a black sheep...lower in societal worth than a thief and looked upon as prostitutes were looked down upon. It would be a life of constant shame and ridicule...probably physical assault would befall her at some point by a few outraged Jews. It would have destroy her life and would have affected her families lives. Joseph knew what the Law said, and in all of his confusion...decided to divorce her quietly. It makes me think that his plan was to marry Mary quickly and then divorce her quietly, or Joseph planned to contact her father and break off the engagement. The word divorce imply's marriage first...

However, in this messy situation which is all the Lords plan anyway's, it takes a messenger of the Lord called an "Angel" to straighten things out. Joseph receives this angelic message in a dream where he is instructed to take Mary and wed her. This dream must have been a powerful and lucid in order to change the mind of a man who has no idea how his loving wife to be just got pregnant! What would you do? Would you take Mary as your wife? Would an angelic message via your dreams change your mind? I've seen enough in my own life to say..."Yes!"
But it would take an angelic message to diffuse me.

"For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.”

Joseph is told how Mary was impregnated...but this must have seemed "Out of this world" because IT IS! It took an angel to get the message through to Joseph, and it worked. Joseph is also told the name of his son which would be "Jesus" because He will save HIS PEOPLE from their sins. A side note: this is a good time to reflect on this verse...Jesus did not come to save everyone (even though everyone has the opportunity) from their sins...only HIS PEOPLE will be saved from their sins. That is important.

Let's look at the name of the Lord and what it means...Mary's role is to bear a son, and Joseph's role is to adopt Him by naming Him. By naming Him, Joseph makes Jesus his son and brings Him into the House of David. The name Jesus, "is the Greek form of the Hebrew YEHOSUA, which means: "YHVH is Salvation". If you study certain areas of "advanced" Jewish study...YHVH is the unknowable and unnameable "name" (yes it doesn't make sense for a reason) of God. YHVH "Limitless and The Creator". If the Creator is All Knowing then He has the ability to come to us in whatever way He wants. There are reasons for everything and reasons for what He did from the time of the Creation of the world, to Adam and Eve, to Moses, to His coming to walk among us as Savior, to His witness of us now and His coming to be. THERE ARE REASONS, HIS REASONS, FOR EVERYTHING. The name Jesus means, the best I can say it in English is..."I AM SALVATION" or YEHOSUA is salvation.

POWERFUL! Before Jesus was born Joseph and Mary knew this Son would be the Messiah...the Lord Jesus planned it from the foundations of the world!

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel,which means “God is with us.” "

Yes, the Creator who is The Messiah, who lived among us in a tent of flesh with the name Jesus is the One who speaks through the prophets. The Lord spoke through Isaiah in Chapter 7 verse 14 when Isaiah spoke these same words to King Ahaz. Isaiah's prophecy was that a child would be born and that by the time he reached maturity, the threat from the enemy would have passed. Isaiah referred to a young woman and Matthew states that Mary was a virgin. In Hebrew, EL is a short form of Elohim, a name for God. Immanu-EL means,"God with us" a meaning which Matthew spells out for non-Hebrew readers. Emmanuel is not another name Jesus would be called...Jesus is His name and Emmanuel describes His role.

"When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded himand took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus."

An angel appears to Joseph three times. Each time, Joseph obey's the angel's commands without question and with faith"ing". He does as commanded. To be righteous is to obey the Word of God and Joseph's faith"ing" allows Jesus to be ADOPTED as a true Son of David while Mary's role allows Jesus to be born the Son of God. As stated in Holy Scripture, Joseph had no relations with Mary until she gave birth to Jesus. Christians are divided on this issue...some say that there was no need or desire for Mary to have any type of "romantic" relations after giving birth to The Messiah...one would think that this experience and role would be too Holy for Joseph and Mary to even think of such a thing. The other side sees marriage and marital relations as a God given gift because marriage is of God, created by God. The marital relations between a husband and wife is a true gift and is righteous. What's the big deal? I believe that it is natural, and righteous if Mary and Joseph did indeed engage in marital relations AFTER the birth of Jesus because they loved each other and love is the reason why they came together in engagement in the first place. Who in this world would say that having healthy marital relations with one who is your husband or wife is not a gift given and protected by God? There is nothing wrong with that! Romantic relations with one's husband or wife is not dirty or evil...it is a worldly act that was instituted and created by God, and for that reason, it is absolutely fine that Mary and Joseph had marital relations after the birth of Jesus. Holy Scripture says it, and I doubt that the marital "relations" spoken of in Matthew implies that this meant dealings with the finances of the household or who would baby sit Jesus! The Law is clear...have romantic relations with your wife and enjoy...have romantic relations with someone else's wife or a woman who will be someone's wife and you commit adultery. You could be stoned to death for adultery.

In conclusion, Joseph and Mary are blessed people for being the two people who bring the kingship lineage together for the Messiah to be born. The Jews expected and still await a king who will unify and exalt them and the Jewish people...the Messiah chose to come into this world the WAY HE WANTED not the way the Jews wanted Him too. Why rescue the Jews from their oppressors when oppression is of THIS WORLD anyway's? The Kingdom of Heaven is NOT in this present world as we see it, thus the world and it's problems are the dealings of mankind. We need to learn that this life is our time to focus on what is truly important, living our lives in order to build a relationship with the Lord and become tool's of His Good Works. The works of mankind stay with mankind and we must lift up our hearts, mind, and soul to what really counts...and that is eternal life through the salvation of Jesus Christ and acting in Faith in His Word and His Works.

Christ was born, Christ was killed, and Christ has risen! Rejoice for Our Salvation has been sealed in a New Covenant by our faith"ing"!

Hallelujah!

God Bless you and your families this week.

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