Christmas Now & Always Matthew 1:18-25

Devotional

Day 1: From Promise to Fulfillment: Christmas Now and Always

For centuries, God’s people were handed signposts—prophecies that painted a coming Messiah with surprising precision. From a humble town to a virgin mother, the details were not wishful thinking but a steady drumbeat of God’s faithful intent. Even the staggering odds of fulfillment remind us this story is no accident. Christmas is not a fragile tale; it is the firm arrival of God’s plan. You can rest in the God who keeps His word, because the Child has come just as He said [29:57].

Isaiah 7:14 — The Lord Himself will give a sign: a young woman, untouched, will carry a child and deliver a son; people will call Him Immanuel, meaning that God is truly present with us.

Reflection: Where is one place you feel tired of waiting, and what simple practice could help you trust God’s steady fulfillment this week?

Day 2: Why the Virgin Birth Changes Everything

Some truths are not optional ornaments; they are load-bearing beams. The virgin birth matters because Jesus did not arrive in Adam’s broken line; He came by the Spirit’s conception—holy, unstained, and able to save. If He were merely Joseph’s son, He would share our bondage and need rescue Himself. But as the last Adam, He brings a new beginning—righteousness, life, and a new creation for all who are in Him. This is why Christmas is not sentiment; it is salvation. Receive the One born outside the old ruin so He can bring you into His new life [40:19].

Romans 5:12–19 — Through one man, sin and death entered the world and spread to all. But through the obedience of one Man, Jesus Christ, grace overflowed, and many are set right. Adam’s trespass brought condemnation; Christ’s act of righteousness opens the door to justification and life for all who are joined to Him.

Reflection: How does believing the virgin birth reshape the way you see your need for a Savior who breaks sin’s family line in your life?

Day 3: He Will Save: Certainty at the Manger

The angel did not speak in guesses. He will save His people from their sins—this is Christ’s certain mission. When none of us were truly seeking God, He came seeking us, stepping into our darkness to carry us home. Every sin that accuses you meets a Savior who does not hesitate. The manger announces a rescue already underway. Take heart: the outcome rests on His power, not your performance [44:30].

Matthew 1:21 — She will give birth to a son. Name Him Jesus, because His calling is to deliver His people from the guilt and power of their sins.

Reflection: What is one sin or fear that feels stronger than you, and what honest step of repentance or confession will you take today in response to Jesus’ certain rescue?

Day 4: Emmanuel: God With Us, God Within Us

Emmanuel means God with us, and Jesus made that nearness even deeper by sending the Spirit to dwell in us. The eternal Word took on our humanity, walked our roads, and then promised a presence not limited by time or place. You are not spiritually short-changed by living after Bethlehem; you are spiritually indwelt. In ordinary rooms and weary moments, the Holy Spirit bears witness that you are not alone. Let the name Emmanuel steady your heart today—He is with you and within you [51:32].

John 1:1,14 — Before time began, the Word existed with God and as God. In the fullness of time, the Word became truly human and lived among us, and we saw the radiance of His divine glory.

Reflection: When are you most likely to forget that God is with you, and what simple daily rhythm could help you notice the Spirit’s presence?

Day 5: New Creation Hope: With the Lord Forever

Followers of Jesus do not only look back to a cradle and a cross; we also look forward to a reunion. A day is coming when those who belong to Him will be gathered to meet the Lord and remain with Him forever. This promise comforts us at gravesides and steadies us in our choices. In Adam there is only decay, but in Christ there is new creation and a future that cannot be taken. Let this hope help you live open-handed and courageous today, knowing the story ends in His presence [53:13].

1 Thessalonians 4:17–18 — Those still alive, together with those raised, will be gathered into the clouds to meet the Lord, and from then on we will always be with Him. Use these words to strengthen and comfort one another.

Reflection: As you face grief or uncertainty, how might the promise of being with the Lord forever shape one specific decision you will make this week?

Sermon Summary

I began by widening our view of Christmas. For centuries the people of God stood on the Old Testament side of history, staring through the window of prophecy—Bethlehem, a virgin, a forever‑king, a Prince of Peace—waiting on a Messiah who would actually arrive. To underline the weight of those promises, I borrowed a mathematician’s picture: the odds of one person accidentally fulfilling even ten prophecies is like finding one marked coin in a Texas‑sized, two‑feet‑deep sea of silver dollars while blindfolded. That’s not wishful thinking; that’s God’s precision across centuries.

Then we moved to Matthew 1:18–25, and I asked us to sit with Joseph’s shock. He’s a just man with a shattered plan, ready to quietly end an engagement—until heaven interrupts. The angel makes it plain: what is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit, and the child’s name will be Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. That leads to the first anchor: the Christmas conception. The virgin birth isn’t a footnote; it’s the foundation. If Jesus were born in the line of Adam as we are, He would share Adam’s sin, and a sinner can’t save sinners. The first Adam passes on death; the last Adam absorbs death and passes on life.

Second, Christmas salvation. The angel doesn’t say “He might” or “He could.” He will save His people from their sins. That certainty threads through Scripture—from creation’s “God created” to the Son of Man’s mission to seek and to save the lost. None of us naturally seeks God; Christmas is God seeking us.

Third, the Christmas companion. Emmanuel—God with us. The Word became flesh and moved into our neighborhood, and then Jesus said something even better was coming: the Spirit within us. So yes, it would have been something to stand on that hillside or outside Lazarus’ tomb, but the promise now is deeper and nearer: indwelling presence today and an unbreakable future—caught up to meet the Lord, and so we will always be with the Lord. The Old Testament saints looked forward in hope; we look back at a finished coming and forward to a final coming. And every one of us is represented—either in Adam, old creation and death, or in Christ, new creation and life.

Key Takeaways

1. The virgin birth is non‑negotiable If Jesus stands in Adam’s line as we do, He inherits Adam’s guilt and cannot be our Savior. The virgin birth is God’s way of breaking in from the outside—true humanity without Adam’s corruption. The last Adam starts a new humanity, not by improving the old one, but by birthing it from above. That’s why “born of a virgin” is the scaffolding for “able to save.” [40:19]
2. Salvation rests on Christ’s certainty Heaven doesn’t stutter: “He will save His people from their sins.” The gospel doesn’t hang on our resolve but on His mission and merit. When our confidence wobbles, the text stands firm—His saving purpose is not potential energy but power in motion. Our hope is tethered to His intent, not our intensity. [42:51]
3. God’s nearness is better than nostalgia Emmanuel means more than a memory; it names a Presence. The Word became flesh and then sent the Spirit to indwell, not just to visit. We haven’t missed out by being born later; we’ve been brought inside the very life of God. Nearness is our normal now, and forever with Him is our horizon. [49:32]
4. Prophecy anchors faith, not fantasy Scripture’s promises aren’t vague wishes; they land with historical specificity and staggering odds. God threads precise promises through centuries and fulfills them in Jesus, inviting reason and trust, wonder and worship. We are not leaping into the dark—we are stepping onto well‑lit ground. [27:18]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[25:28] - Prophecy Lens and Christmas Math
[27:18] - Texas Silver Dollars Illustration
[28:59] - How Many Prophecies Pointed to Jesus
[29:57] - Christmas Now and Always: Matthew 1
[33:56] - Joseph’s Crisis and Angel’s Command
[35:32] - The Non‑Negotiable Virgin Birth
[37:57] - Adam and the Last Adam
[42:51] - He Will Save His People
[44:30] - Seeking and Saving the Lost
[49:04] - The Word Became Flesh
[49:32] - Emmanuel: God With Us
[51:32] - Better for the Spirit to Come
[53:13] - Always With the Lord

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Matthew 1:18–25

Observation questions

In Matthew 1:18–25, what was Joseph planning to do at first, and what changed his mind?
What two names are given to the child in this passage, and what do they mean?
Which Old Testament promise is said to be fulfilled here, and how is that promise described in the text?
What everyday picture was used to explain the staggering odds of one person “accidentally” fulfilling multiple prophecies? ([27:18])

Interpretation questions

Why is the virgin birth essential for salvation—not just a detail? How does the “in Adam / in Christ” logic make this clear? ([40:19])
The angel declares, “He will save His people from their sins.” What does that certainty say about where assurance rests—our effort or His mission? ([42:51])
Emmanuel means “God with us.” Why is Jesus’ physical departure actually “better” for believers today, and how does that shape everyday life with the Spirit? ([50:27])
How does fulfilled prophecy invite both reasoned confidence and worshipful awe, rather than blind faith? ([27:18])

Application questions

Where are you currently doubting God’s promises? How could the precision of prophecy steady your trust this week? Name one promise you will hold onto and how you’ll keep it before you. ([27:18])
When your confidence about being forgiven wobbles, what would it look like to anchor your heart in “He will save His people from their sins” instead of your performance? Be specific about what you’ll preach to yourself. ([42:51])
What is one daily practice that helps you live aware of Emmanuel—God with us—through the Spirit (for example, simple breath prayers, short Scripture pauses, inviting the Spirit before a meeting)? Choose one and commit to it this week. ([50:27])
If you’ve felt “I missed out by not seeing Jesus in person,” how would you answer that feeling with the promise of the Spirit’s indwelling? What would living from that nearness change for you tomorrow morning? ([51:32])
In what ways are you still living as if you are “in Adam” (habits, reactions, shame cycles)? What is one concrete step to walk as someone “in Christ” this week (confession, reconciliation, a new pattern)? ([37:57])
Who in your life isn’t seeking God right now? Since the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost, what is one gentle, relational next step you can take with that person this Christmas season? Name the person and the step. ([44:30])
Joseph obeyed in confusion and moved forward on God’s word. What is one act of obedience God is asking of you right now that doesn’t fully make sense yet? What is the next faithful step you will take this week? ([31:01])

Sermon Clips

Whenever you stand up to preach a sermon, you want to make sure that right out of the gate, immediately, you hook the audience. You want to have an introduction that is going to engage people, capture their attention, and assure that they are going to be sitting on the edge of their seats for the remainder of the sermon. [00:24:54] (24 seconds) #HookYourSermon

So for thousands and thousands of years all the people of God heard was this a Messiah will be born. We're going to give you some imagery we're going to give you some foreshadowing of what that's going to look like but ultimately a Messiah is going to be born. All they could do all Old Testament long was look forward in faith to something that would happen. That was Christmas then. [00:29:29] (32 seconds) #WaitingForTheMessiah

really I know what the Bible says I know what Isaiah said I know what Matthew says is it really a big deal is it a deal breaker to say look Jesus might have been born of a virgin or he might not have been is it does this whole thing really hinge on this is this really a big deal is this whole thing going to fall apart if Joseph or some other like a house of cards yes this whole thing goes away if Mary is not a virgin [00:34:58] (39 seconds) #VirginBirthIsEssential

do you know when I read those verses most it's not in a sermon you guys listen to my sermons all the time I don't read those verses all the time do you know when I read them most at the gravesite of a funeral service and I read them as a reminder that what we're doing here is not the end but it is merely the beginnings [00:52:57] (30 seconds) #NotTheEndButBeginning

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Christmas Now & Always Matthew 1:18-25

Devotional

Day 1: From Promise to Fulfillment: Christmas Now and Always

Day 2: Why the Virgin Birth Changes Everything

Day 3: He Will Save: Certainty at the Manger

Day 4: Emmanuel: God With Us, God Within Us

Day 5: New Creation Hope: With the Lord Forever

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Christmas Now & Always Matthew 1:18-25

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