Perhaps what Matthew chapter one is most known for is the account of the birth of Jesus that it contains. Matthew gives us a perspective that is a bit different than that of Luke, and he provides some details that are worth taking a look at, even though we may be very familiar with this Christmas story.

The birth narrative is one of those biblical events that we have become overly familiar with, since we hear it every year around Christmas. As a result, we often gloss over it when we read the Bible, thinking we’ve heard it all. And when we do that, we miss some things that are worth looking at a little more deeply.

In verse 18, Matthew writes, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ…” The word rendered here “birth” is the same in Greek that is translated “genealogy” in verse 1. This is the finishing statement of the genealogy given in the preceding verses, and is the point of the whole chapter. This event is worth taking the time to consider fully and deeply, with reverence and awe. The birth of any child is a wonderful occurrence, but the birth of Jesus is nothing short of a miracle.

Matthew shares the details of the engagement between Mary and Joseph. In Jewish culture, couples were engaged ten to twelve months prior to marriage. So sacred was the engagement that it could only be broken by divorce. Mary and Joseph were engaged, not married. Such a relationship was, from patriarchal times, a formal ceremony (see Genesis 24-25, the servant’s search for Rebekah, Isaac’s wife). It was regarded a binding obligation. Unfaithfulness in engagement was punishable by death (Deuteronomy 22:23-28; Leviticus 20:10).

However, Matthew adds a complicated wrinkle to the narrative. Mary is pregnant, and the two are not yet married. Both Matthew and Luke were careful to mention his miraculous conception (Luke 1:26, 34). This is a critical piece of information, because Christ’s physical nature was “begotten” by the Holy Spirit. Christ is the only example of such a birth in all of history. His birth, like his life and his resurrection, was a miracle. Mary, for the first three months following her visit by the angel to give her this news, was away at Elizabeth’s home (Luke 1:36). It was when she returned to Nazareth that Joseph learned of these circumstances. It must have been devastating to him.

In verse 19, Matthew writes, “Joseph her husband.” according to the law (Deuteronomy 22:24), an engagement was binding, and it made Joseph her husband before marriage. He was a just and righteous man. To put her away publicly was to expose Mary to the penalty of death. No doubt, Mary had tried to explain what the angel had told her, but her story was so incredible that he probably had a difficult time believing it. So his plan was to give her a bill of divorcement (Deuteronomy 24:1), quietly, in order to spare her life.

But God has other plans. Verse 20 tells us that, “An angel of the Lord appeared… in a dream.” The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary (Luke 1:26); however, the name of the angel is not here given. It could have been Gabriel, or some other messenger from God.

This angel speaks very clearly to Joseph, calling him “Joseph, son of David” (Matthew 1:20). It was fitting that he be now reminded that he belonged to the family from which the Messiah was to come. In this brief dream, we can see that God settles the fears of Joseph, and reassures him of Mary’s virtue and purity.

We know very little about Joseph. He went with Mary to Bethlehem, and was with her when Jesus was born (Luke 2:4, 16). He was with Mary when Jesus was presented in the Temple (Luke 2:33). He led their flight to Egypt, and the return to Nazareth (Matthew 2:13, 19-23). He took Jesus up to Jerusalem at the age of twelve (Luke 2:43, 51). He was a carpenter, and the head of a family of at least seven children (Matthew 13:55-56). He must have been a good man to be chosen of God to be the earthly father of God’s own Son. Joseph probably died before Jesus began his public ministry, though that is pure speculation. He was likely dead before Jesus’ crucifixion, or else Jesus would have had no need to entrust the care of his mother to John (John 19:26-27).

By this point, Joseph has a lot of overwhelming information from the angel. However, there is more yet to be heard. “She will bear a son…” (Matthew 1:21). It’s worth noting here what the angel did not say: He didn’t say that Mary shall bear YOU a son, as the angel said to Zachariah concerning John the Baptist (Luke 1:13). Joseph was to take the position of legal father to the child and name it. But the baby was to be the Son of God. And he was to name this child Jesus. The Hebrew form of Jesus is Joshua; the full meaning is “Jehovah’s salvation.” Jesus saves us from the guilt, power, and punishment of sin. His name literally means that he is the Savior.

The angel reminds Joseph that this was predicted long ago, around 740 BC, by the prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah 7:14. In that passage, Isaiah names the child Immanuel, which means “God with us.” What an appropriate title for the man that was God who came to walk among his creation!

Joseph obeyed at once, according to verse 24. Matthew states that Joseph “kept her a virgin.” A Hebrew word is used here for conjugal intercourse. The statement that Joseph did not “know” her until after Jesus was born implies without doubt that he did know her after Jesus was born, that Joseph did cohabit with Mary as man and wife! With several other children named in the New Testament as their children, or brothers and sisters of Jesus, this is certain, and it completely discredits the idea of Mary’s “perpetual virginity.” She had at least six other children (Mark 3:31; Matthew 13:55-56).

There is a lot to unpack in this brief description of the birth of Jesus, and these few items barely scratch the surface. It’s worth remembering that even those passages that we are very familiar with can still contain nuggets of truth for us to learn from, if we take the time to read them carefully.

So, even though Christmas is still six months away, grab your Bible and spend some time digging into Matthew 1, the birth narrative of Jesus. Read it slowly, and carefully, as if you were seeing it for the very first time. You may be surprised at what God decides to point out to you.

Question: Do you tend to glance over familiar passages instead of reading them carefully? What can you do to break yourself of this habit? What stands out to you from this familiar passage the most? You can leave a comment by clicking here.