God’s Promise Fulfilled

Background Scripture: Matthew 1; Isaiah 7
Lesson Scripture: Isaiah 7:14-15; Matthew 1:18-25

Introduction

There are limits to what men can achieve. Physical limitations and scientific laws restrict what we can do. Mankind cannot start life nor stop death; these are mysteries that are exclusively under God’s control. It can be difficult to grasp that the binding laws of nature do not apply to God. He abides by them most of the time, but He can bend them to fulfill his promises to humankind. God’s supernatural intervention in the workings of the natural world are called miracles.

Key Verse

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us (2 Cor. 1:20).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

Jesus Christ was miraculously conceived in the womb of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit, and He was born without sin. Jesus was born in the body of a human in order to fully understand our temptations and weaknesses. Because of this, He was able to become “an high priest . . . [who] was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).

The miracle of Jesus’s birth is called the incarnation, which is a term that means “the act of being made flesh.” It comes from the Latin version of John 1:14, which reads, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” Biblical support for Jesus’s incarnation is extensive. The Gospels report Jesus’s needs included sleep (Luke 8:23), food (Matt. 4:2; 21:18), and physical protection (Matt. 2:13-15; John 10:39). He also perspired (Luke 22:44) and bled (John 19:34). Jesus expressed emotions including joy (John 15:11), sorrow (Matt. 26:37), and anger (Mark 3:5). During his life, Jesus referred to Himself as a man (John 8:40), and after his resurrection, He was still at times referred to as a man (Acts 2:22).

The Son of God miraculously took on human flesh in order to fulfill the Mosaic Law and be the Savior of mankind. It was necessary for Jesus to die for the forgiveness of our sins (Heb. 9:22). A blood sacrifice required a body of flesh and blood. “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me” (Heb. 10:5). Without the incarnation, there would have been no true sacrifice for our sins.

There may be some who question the physical impossibilities that surround the story of Jesus’s birth and life, but this miracle was necessary to prove the divinity of Christ and was meant to remain largely a mystery while we are here among the living. Accepting it as truth is a necessary part of faith.

Practical Truths for Today

God promised a Messiah from the time that Adam and Eve were driven from the garden of Eden. The promise was repeated by various prophets who shared their visions and revelations. This promise was not a secret; in fact, all Jews were aware of it. However, as the years turned to decades and the decades became centuries, many theories were formed as to how the promise would be fulfilled. By the time Jesus was born, most did not recognize the quiet, humble happening as anything that resembled their idea of a divine miracle.

We are inherently inquisitive about how things work, and it can be difficult to resolve that which we do not understand. In this way, we are no different from the Jews at Jesus’s advent despite our understanding of the plan of salvation. Subconsciously, we may also disclaim reality because it does not match up with what we perceive as normal or rational. This is especially true in the time of a disaster or miracle and is sometimes called normalcy bias. This means that we refuse to accept what we are witnessing because we cannot grasp the reality of what is happening. When confronted with something extraordinary, most people continue operating inside the familiar and known boundaries of what is normal to them. The unthinkable reality lies too far outside of what we perceive to be within the limits of credibility.

When Joseph heard that Mary was expecting a child, he was naturally shaken, for he knew that the child could not be his. He loved Mary yet felt that she must not have remained faithful to him. After his initial shock, he concluded that it would be best to quietly break off the engagement. His conclusion was formed by what he perceived to be the reality of the situation. The angel of God came to Joseph three times and explained the situation to him. Joseph, a godly man, did not stay positioned in his own resolution but accepted the unprecedented reality set before him and was obedient.

Joseph must have been an exceptional person. It is not easy to overcome the inertia of the mind and accept change. This admirable ability is cultivated through the practice of being obedient and humble in our daily life. Through the practice of obedience and listening to the Spirit, we realize how we need the Lord in order to decipher reality. The Lord’s ways are wonderful and yet mysterious even in the small things of life. His dealings will always be for our benefit but may not always be typical and predictable.

At times there are things that seem too big or complicated to handle. We may feel that a situation is so difficult that there is no way through, or that we are so sinful that we cannot be forgiven. God promises us that his mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. His arms are ready and willing to lift the broken and sorrowful and restore them. God is not limited by our weakness, and his ability to forgive and heal are not constrained by human reasoning. The fact that we cannot understand how He will pull us through does not mean that there is not a way. The sooner we can overcome the natural tendency of unbelief in our mind, the better we will be able to find peace in difficulty.

Faith is an exercise; it does not remain static. It requires work and diligence to maintain and grow and is honed and strengthened through obedience and acceptance. Faith invokes belief and calls us to place confidence in something outside of ourselves. Sometimes faith requires letting go. Our own way, ideas, and perception must be released in order to accept the help of our heavenly Father. It can sometimes be like stepping blindfolded from a cliff with nothing to go on but assurances from someone we trust that there will be something to catch us.

God did fulfill the promise of a Messiah. Through the millennia, there were surely those who wondered if God had forgotten or questioned whether He had retracted his Word, yet God knew when and how the promise should be completed. As we walk the pathway of life, may we remember that God will never let us down; He will not fail us. It is his will and design that we rely on Him for our needs. This will keep our faith in tune and will cultivate a beautiful relationship between us and our Father. When the dark times of life assail us, we will have an anchor that cannot fail.

Questions

1. How do we come to the place that we do not need to understand in order to obey?
2. Is there a difference between belief and faith? If so, what distinguishes each of them?
3. Why do our minds have such a hard time accepting reality in times of great stress?
4. What happens when faith is not exercised? How can we keep growing in faith?
5. What might be some of God’s promises that are difficult for us to understand or accept today?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).