Yuletide Prophecy

Issues – December 2008 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Yuletide Prophecy

“And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7 KJV

His was a humble birth, under the shadow of a distant cross and a rendezvous with death, which fulfilled the expectations and destiny of His ancestral heritage and confirmed the very promises of God which He will one day fulfill completely.

Perhaps at no other time do we turn our thoughts toward family so much as this season of Christmas. It is all the more precious to us when a newborn energizes a renewed spirit of enthusiasm and promise into the festivities. Often as we ponder the possibilities of that infant’s future, we are equally drawn to the significance of the ancestry from which he came, asking ourselves, “What will be his contribution to our heritage in the light of our history?” Such also were the thoughts of the disciple Matthew as he began to transcribe his story of Jesus’ life.

Genealogy Of Jesus
“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; and Judas begat Pharez and Zerah of Tamar; and Pharez begat Hezron; and Hezron begat Ram; and Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon; and Nahshon begat Salmon; and Salmon begat Boaz of Rachab; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; and Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah; and Solomon begat Rehoboam; and Rehoboam begat Abijah; and Abijah begat Asa; and Asa begat Jehoshaphat; and Jehoshaphat begat Jehoram; and Jehoram begat Uzziah; and Uzziah begat Jotham; and Jotham begat Ahaz; and Ahaz begat Hezekiah; and Hezekiah begat Manasseh; and Manasseh begat Amon; and Amon begat Josiah; and Josiah begat Jechoniah and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: and after they were brought to Babylon, Jechoniah begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zerubbabel; and Zerubbabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; and Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; and Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ ... Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” Matthew 1:1-18 KJV

It is tempting to lightly skip over the long lists of “begats” and “begottens” in Scripture, or even to broad-jump them entirely, finding in them more of the menial than of the meaningful. And while they may not fire our imagination quite as much as the big fish in Jonah’s story or roar with the ferocity of the lions in Daniel’s tale, still they are God-breathed. Therefore, we must ask ourselves this question: “What does God want to reveal to us in these verses?” There is meaning and purpose in all Scripture, for “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful” (2 Tim. 3:16 NIV ).

Prophecy Of The Messiah
The time was about 5 BC and it was pregnant with anticipation of the Messiah promised by God, because the 69 weeks of Daniel’s timetable were almost over: “Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens’” (Dan. 9:25).

Seven weeks plus 62 weeks is 69 weeks of years (360 days each) which computes to 483 years from the decree of Artaxerxes. The year was 445 BC. “In the month of Nisan in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes ... the king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’ ... I answered the king, ‘If it pleases the king let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.’ ... And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests” (Neh. 2:1,4,8).

The Messiah was expected to arrive at any moment to save His people from the tyranny of Roman occupation and domination, based on Daniel’s prophecy and Nehemiah’s documentary. Matthew reflected on the rich heritage from which Jesus’ ancestry was rooted and saw in it Jesus’ predestination and His destiny, which was not at all what the people were expecting.

Genealogy In Detail
Matthew’s gospel opens the New Testament with four Greek words which literally mean “the book of genesis of Jesus Christ.” They are the same words used in the creation account in Genesis 2:4, connecting Him with Jewish history as recorded in the first book of Moses, their greatest prophet. This Jewish historical connection is reinforced by Matthew’s immediate reference to Jesus as “the son of David, the son of Abraham,” reminding us of the great stories connected with these Old Testament giants. David was their greatest, most beloved king. Jesus was born “King of the Jews” (Mt. 2:2), destined to wear a crown of thorns. Abraham became the patriarch of their nation, to whom that nation’s promises were given by God Himself, and he was the man whose faith in God was stronger than his reticence to sacrifice Isaac, his only heir. The hope of fulfillment of those promises rests today in Jesus’ second coming, and He became the perfect sacrifice in Isaac’s (and our) place as the Lamb of God on Golgotha. Matthew goes on to mention Jacob, Isaac’s son, whose name God changed to Israel. He is the nation’s namesake, and he led them to Egypt from where Moses would one day lead them out by the power of, and for the glory of God. Jesus will one day lead us out of our sinful natures and into His kingdom in the year of Jubilee to share His glory. And all this is brought to mind in just the first two verses of Matthew’s text!

Prophetic Promises
The litany of Old Testament characters in the next 16 verses of Matthew 1 is fragrant with the remembrances of their stories – all of which are connected to this Infant, who, in swaddling clothes, now lies in a manger in Bethlehem. As we walk down this Jewish memory lane, we begin to feel the weight of this Baby’s heritage and get a hint of His significance as the “Christ” (Mt. 16:16), which means “the Anointed One.” In their minds, the promises God had given to Abraham and the nation of Israel were about to be realized. First, they would be made a great nation: “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you” (Gen. 12:2). Second, they would possess the land forever: “The whole land of Canaan, where you are now alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you” (Gen. 17:8). Third, they would have a special relationship with God as His people: “I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you” (Gen. 17:7). That these promises were not fulfilled by Christ prior to His crucifixion should not be cause for despair, but rather for hope in His return. “Do not think I have come to abolish the law or the prophets: I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Mt. 5:17).

Twist At The End
This long list of Jesus’ ancestors ends with a peculiar twist, however: “Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus” (Mt. 1:16). Why not the usual and expected, “... and Jacob begat Joseph who begat Jesus”? This is one of those little details which point to the amazing accuracy of the inerrant Word of God. Matthew sets us up here for a new revelation in the birth of Christ, which he explains more fully in verse 18 – that Joseph is indeed not the natural father of Jesus, but only His adoptive father: “His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 1:18 NIV).

Matthew hits us right between the eyes with the truth that this Jesus is, in fact, David’s heir who was born of a virgin – truly man, but also “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” “Hear now, you house of David! ... Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isa. 7:13-14). Isaiah later declares, “He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever” (Isa. 9:7).

Jesus is the “Branch” from the “root” of Jesse (Mt. 1:6) which “will bear fruit” (Isa. 11:1). This is a season of joy, hope and celebration, for Jeremiah promises of Him, “‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name He will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness’” (Jer. 23:5-6).

This Newborn, whose Jewish pedigree is declared by Matthew to be impeccable, is not only destined to be the agent through whom God’s promises are to be fulfilled one day, but also the very one whom the Scriptures have foretold and whom God will soon anoint as “King” and “Lord.” Even in His name there is rich history, deep meaning and great significance. “She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name JESUS, because He will save His people from their sins” (Mt. 1:21).

Name Of Jesus
Iesous (Jesus) is Greek for the Hebrew Yehoshua, which was shortened to Yoshua (Joshua) and later evolved into Yeshua (Jesus). Both Yoshua and Yeshua were common first century names, and their similarity and common origin is a hint to discovering another purpose in Jesus’ coming – to bring His people into God’s promised Kingdom, much like Joshua brought God’s people into their Promised Land – a land flowing “with milk and honey” (Num. 13:27).

As we break down the names Yoshua (Joshua) and Yeshua (Jesus) further, we see two separate words joined to reveal the ultimate purpose Matthew proclaims in Jesus’ coming. Yeho, Yo, and Ye are all the abbreviated forms of YHWH, the name of God, so holy that no pious Jew would ever utter it aloud. The Hebrew Shua or the Greek Sous means “cry for help,” which is a similar sounding word to the Hebrew verb Yasha, meaning “to save.” This is a word association not lost on Matthew as he reveals why Jesus is so named: “You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins” (1:21).

Pause And Reflect
As we pause in this busy holiday season to reflect on the “true meaning of Christmas,” perhaps we ought to re-read Matthew 1:1-21. Let the Scriptures remind us of the significance of the ancestry from which He came, and inform us of the prophesies which foreshadowed His birth. Allow the magnitude of those revelations to bring us to our knees in awe, love, gratitude and worship of “the One who has been born King of the Jews.”

Every time we see a Christmas tree, hear a carol, or wrap a gift, we can look at the babe in the manger and see “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). Only then can we rejoice that, regardless of the circumstances of our lives on earth – and thanks only to Christ Jesus – this is a hope-filled and Merry Christmas after all, and He is our most precious gift.

By Daniel Faust