Jesus' Birth according to Matthew

Recently, I heard Jesus' birth recounted in Matthew (1:18-25) spoken about as if it were an object lesson on obedience.

The speaker emphasised the fact that just as Joseph was obedient to the voice of an angel of the Lord in a dream so we also were to be obedient to the direction of the Lord.

Viewing this passage I would have to say that I think it is not primarily about Joseph's obedience at all. It's more about the faithfulness of God in keeping covenant with his people by his sending of a new King, a deliverer who will save his people from their sins.

For firstly consider that the passage is preceded by 17 verses of genealogy that we readers usually ignore to get to the birth story. In doing that we just show how Western we are because we have little knowledge of our ancestors in the way that Middle-Eastern peoples have.

Jesus Christ has an impressive lineage that begins in Matthew's account with Abraham the patriarch but goes through David the King. Jesus comes from the kingly tribe of Judah (1.3). Matthew wants to show that Jesus Christ is the son of David. And not only so but that Jesus Messiah is the fulfilment of the promises made in the covenants with David (and with Abraham).

Secondly, in the next chapter (2:1-12) Jesus is sought as the 'King of the Jews' and worshiped as a king (v11).

The birth story is told without fanfare but shows the amazing circumstances of Jesus' birth for he is born of a virgin!

The great line in this pericope is 'and you shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save [deliver] his people from their sins' (1.21).

According to Matthew, the salvation of God's people from their sins is the mission of Jesus; this being embedded in his very name. Jesus means salvation [from sin].