Today we continue reading the psalms, but we begin our study of the book of Matthew. It will be interesting to have spent the last 50 days of Genesis anticipating the Messiah, and today we fast forward to when he is born. The time in between we will study later, but now we see our Savior's birth. Not only do we see that Jesus is the Savior, but we also see that he is God. What an amazing plan that produces our salvation! May God bless our study.
Read Psalm 48
"The Lord of heaven and earth makes His abode with humankind, where He is a strong fortress that shatters every enemy. He is, therefore, worthy of all praise, and we rightly 'tell the next generation' (v 13) what He has done. What Mount Zion and temple worship were for ancient Israel, Christ's Church at worship is for us - the place where God mercifully dwells to save by His Word." (TLSB, p. 893).
Yes, in this psalm of praise we rejoice that God is pleased to be present with his people in mercy and love. Yes, we praise him for the means of grace, that he is present in Word and Sacraments.
It is interesting also to have this psalm where we proclaim that God is "in the midst of [his] temple," coupled with Matthew chapter 1, where we see the birth of Immanuel. The word is a title, of course, that describes exactly who Jesus is, "God with us." Yes, the Son of God has chosen a temple of human flesh. He is the presence of God, his glory hidden from human sight for just a little while - hidden now for just a little while that he might fulfill his purpose, but not hidden forever.
Read Matthew 1
Let me offer brief comments on lots of things in this chapter:
1) 5 women are mentioned, and they all raise our eyebrows. Would such women ever be expected to be part of the Messianic line? Tamar who poses as a prostitute to be impregnated by her father-in-law; Rahab, a Gentile and a prostitute; Ruth, a Gentile; Bathsheba, an adulteress; Mary, a virgin. Wow! The Savior has descended from quite an interesting list. This shows that God is patient with sinners, and is gracious to work out good (even salvation!) in spite of sin. It also shows that the Savior has come for all people of all kinds.
2) Verse 17 tells us there have been 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the captivity, and 14 from captivity to Jesus. Now the Greek word for "beget" or in the ESV it is translated "became the father of..." does not literally have to mean a literal father/son relationship. It could refer to a grandparent or great-grandparent. So, it is the common belief (especially when compared to other genealogies) that Matthew left some names out to make the theological point that the repeated number of "14 generations" shows God's intentional plan in bringing about our salvation. Please note, however, that Matthew is not being deceptive, and this is not a mistake in the Bible. If we give Matthew room to make his theological point, then we can be content that there were indeed 14 notable generations in each portion of history.
3) Joseph is painted in a very good light by Matthew. Luke focuses on Mary, but here, Matthew shows us that Joseph is righteous, loving, and faithful. He also receives messages from God and follows them. Joseph is an example of faith for all of us.
4) Most importantly, we see that Jesus saves us from our sins, as the angel said. And Jesus is given the name or title "Immanuel." It will be God Himself who will dwell with sinful mankind, and will save them from their sins. Let me rephrase that: Jesus saves me from all my sins. And I have plenty.
This life-giving message fills me with peace and joy. And it makes me look forward to Christmas already at the beginning of November. I love that time of year! God in the flesh, for our salvation!
Ask Yourself:
Do I rejoice that I am able to go to a house of worship and receive good things from God? Do I take this freedom for granted?
Can I take a few moments today to contemplate the mystery of Jesus' incarnation?
What sins to I hand over to my Savior today?
Pray:
"O Holy Spirit, strengthen my faith, and fill me with joy as I reflect on the miracle of Christ's birth" (TLSB, p. 1579).
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
Amen.
Study with me tomorrow,
Pastor Jon
Soli Deo Gloria!
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