Who will save?

JASON MARTIN

Jesus in the Gospels / Matthew 1

Matthew’s origin stories

Matthew gives us a small collection of stories to not just understand the past, but also to shed light on the present;

1. Genesis: Read Matthew 1:1.

Matthew 1:1 ESV

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

a. Genealogy - genesis = origin

b. Son of David / Son of Abraham

c. Why does the origin of His descent matter?

i. The Messiah had to be the offspring of Abraham that would bless all the families of the world - and descendant of David, from the kingly line of Judah. Matthew starts by explaining that it’s Jesus who fills these roles.

d. Matthew 1:16: Matthew provides the legal descent of Joseph, husband of Mary. The culture recognized adoption as real sonship. Even though they were not biologically related, the adopted Jesus continued Joseph’s family line.

Matthew 1:16 ESV

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

i. This is a HUGE story line in Scripture. We also are adopted as sons (Ephesians 1:5) and not second-class but joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:15-17).

Romans 8:15–17 ESV

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Ephesians 1:5 ESV

5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

a. Read Matthew 1:18.

Matthew 1:18 ESV

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

i. Birth - genesis = origin

ii. Why does the origin of His birth matter?

1. The Messiah would be born of a virgin..

a. Matthew 1:19: In this culture, and many cultures still today, the families would arrange marriages. It’s likely that Mary and Joseph would have known each other for a long time at this point. Their families would have already worked out the marriage contract by the time they were in their mid to late teens. After a period of engagement or betrothal, the bride would move in with the groom and the marriage would be consummated.

Matthew 1:19 ESV

19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

i. The engagement / betrothal would even require a divorce. It was a permanent covenant relationship nearly equivalent to marriage.

ii. Joseph seems to not initially believe Mary about the Source of the Child

iii. Joseph still wanted to treat Mary kindly and divorce her quietly.

iv. How would this conversation have gone down between Joseph and Mary?

a. Matthew 1:20: Who generated this life inside of Mary?

Matthew 1:20 ESV

20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

i. It says twice that this is a genesis story and twice more that the Holy Spirit is the cause of this conception. Why?

ii. Where else do we find the Holy Spirit working to create and sustain life where there wouldn’t otherwise be life?

1. Read Genesis 1:1-2: The personal Presence of God was there hovering. His Ruah / Breath / Spirit > and through Him, everything that was made - was made. Out of that comes the Garden and life of all kinds spoken out by the Word / Breath / Spirit of God.

Genesis 1:1–2 ESV

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

1. Genesis 2:7 “then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”

Genesis 2:7 ESV

7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

1. Ezekiel 37:1–6 “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.””

Ezekiel 37:1–6 ESV

1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

a. In Genesis, dust becomes a living humanity

b. In Ezekiel, dry bones become a living people

c. In Matthew, the virgin conceives a Son

i. Matthew is presenting Jesus as the beginning of God’s new creation project.

a. Read Matthew 1:21:

Matthew 1:21 ESV

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

i. A father was responsible for naming his son at the time of his circumcision on the eighth day. The angel is requiring Joseph to accept his role as the adopted father.

ii. What will be the Child’s name? Jesus

1. Yehoshua / Yeshua - Hebrew Joshua

2. Yesus / Iesus - Greek Jesus

iii. What’s the meaning of His name? YHWH saves

iv. What’s He going to do? Save

v. Who will save? YHWH saves is going to save (YHWH or YHWH saves?)yes....

vi. The meaning of His name describes both Him and His destiny...

vii. Who is this Son with no earthly father that will save His people? I thought YHWH was going to save His people? Yes..

viii. Who is He going to save? His people..

ix. Who are His people? The people of Israel, the offspring of Abraham (Matt 1:1-17)

1. Galatians 3:29 “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

Galatians 3:29 ESV

29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

x. What is He saving His people from? their sins / moral failures...

1. We have all failed at different points along our lives. The penalty of sin is death - physically and spiritually. He saves His people from Spiritual death and promises new bodies made to exist with Him in eternity.

xi. Jesus gave us good, moral teachings and instructions on how to live a life pleasing to God. But He came to do something for us that we can’t do for ourselves - save us from our failures as the human race and answer the sin problem.

a. Read Matthew 1:22-23: What is Matthew quoting?

Matthew 1:22–23 ESV

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Read Matthew 1:22-23: What is Matthew quoting?

i. Isaiah 7:10-14 - where the LORD is telling Ahaz (a king from the line of David) to be firm in his faith

ii. Another name with another claim is given:

1. Immanuel = God with us

2. Is He YHWH saves, or is He God with us? yes...

a. Who is with us - God or Jesus? Yes...

i. Matthew 10:20 “For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

ii. Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.””

iii. Matthew 28:18–20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

iii. Jesus is how God revealed Himself to and through humanity / mankind. Matthew presents Father, Son, and Spirit as one God that is actively present with and in His people for eternity.

iv. The birth of the Messiah / Christ signified to the people that God had not forgotten or given up on them.

Matthew 1:24–25 ESV

24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Joseph didn’t wait - when he woke up, he did what he was told. The Messiah was here.

But why didn’t that make everything good and perfect right away?

Why do good people still suffer?

God with us doesn’t mean the absence of suffering, it means His presence with us through it. He came to show us how.

Exported from Logos Bible Study, 9:54 AM June 26, 2026.