(Matthew 1:23)
EMMANUEL
GOD WITH US
For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy and if the root be holy so are the branches Romans 11:16.
By Merle Roseman
Forest Hill, Victoria
AUSTRALIA
I give acknowledgement to those persons who assisted me with this exercise.
The Authorised Version is used throughout this paper
First edition 6.4 89.
Corrected Editions 21.8.92, 30.7.96, 9.6.98, 21.8.98, 25.10.2001, 21.9.2022.
ADJUNCT.
THE BODY OF IMMANUEL WAS PREPARED BY GOD AND MANIFESTED AS THE SON OF MAN….. THE LIFE OF THE FLESH IS IN THE BLOOD thereof (Lev. 17:14)
AND WHEN BLOOD IS SHED A LIFE IS LOST. GOD’S BLOOD WAS ONCE SHED AS THE ATONEMENT FOR THE SIN OF THE WORLD.
(Ref. Rom. 5.11).
GOD SENT FORTH HIS SON (Gal.4: 4).
Marriage. Genesis 2:24.
Ruth, a woman of Moab, was from the generations of Shem, father of the people of Eber (Genesis 10:21), the man who received an acknowledgment from Noah
(Genesis 9:26). The Lord gave Ruth conception and she bore a son, but Naomi nurtured the baby at her breast. It was the local women who named the son Obed and said, “a son has been born to Naomi” (Ruth 4:13-17). Ruth was a legal wife of Boaz before they knew each other even as Eve was Adam’s wife and they were one flesh (Genesis 2:23 & 24, c/f. Matt 19:5), before their first son Cain was born (Genesis 4:1.). The word wife in the Hebrew corresponds to woman, or female.
The betrothal of Mary to Joseph was as a wife (from the verb = to ask in marriage; Luke 2:5). The tense of the verb in this section of Luke is in the perfect passive to represent the state of Mary, now well advanced in pregnancy, as the legal wife of Joseph before he fathered a child i.e., a completed act of the marriage, which occurred in the past. The word in the Greek language refers to a woman or a married woman. In Luke the sense of the indirect object is to state something has happened to Mary i.e. her single status has changed to her being a married woman.
In the gospel of Matthew, Mary was the legal wife of Joseph “before they came together”, and Joseph, her husband was not to fear to take to himself Mary for his wife (Matt.1: 18, 20. She brought forth a son, her first born (Matt.1: 25) under the law (Gal.4:4). The prophets foretold that the birth of the Messiah (Christ=anointed) shall be out of a young woman in a peculiar state (Isaiah 7:14, Jer.31:22). The Hebrew in Isaiah 7:14 is quite clear in expression i.e. “The virgin will conceive and bear a son”.
The virgin denotes in the Hebrew language a young woman (ripe sexually; maid or newly married) and in this passage (Brown, F.1979. P.761) differs from the Hebrew word (Genesis 24:16, Judges 11:38 which in translation is “one living apart in her father’s house as a virgin” (Brown, F. 1979. P.143). Mary had left her father’s house and was living with Joseph as his wife (cf. Matt. 1:19; Luke 2:5). The Scripture explains that Mary was the legal wife of Joseph in every way but Joseph did not beget Jesus Christ (Matt.1;25, Luke 1:34, John 1:14) God did send His Son.
The Incarnation. I am the root and offspring of David (Rev, 22:16)
Jesus Christ partook of humanity by becoming (by a creative act of God) flesh (John 1:14) under the law, nourished by Mary (Gal.4: 4) out of the tribe of Judah (Heb. 7:14) through the lineage of Joseph son of David (Luke 1:27) and Heli, the father-in-law of Joseph (Luke 3:23). His legal standing before God was the same as everyone i.e. for as long as they live (Roms. 7:1), but He was called “the glory that excels” (2Cor. 3:10). He was obedient to the moral law (Roms. 5:19) subject to the civil law (Matt.17: 27; 22:21,) and the ceremonial law (Luke 2:21, cf. Gal.5: 3) (Best, W.E. 1971. P.61). His partaking of flesh and blood (Heb.2: 14b) was an event of sharing (to share; partake in; partaken of,) whereas each one of us has flesh and blood (Heb.2; 14a) by an act in the past under God’s sovereign rule (Genesis 4:1) which continues into the present (to have in common share). Jesus took the flesh that was common to everyone (Phil.2:7)
The Last Adam. (1Cor.15: 45).
The conception of the Messiah was in the fulfilment of God’s promise to Isaiah (Matt.1:23; cf. Is.7:14), to the other prophets (Luke 1:70; Jer.23:5; Zech. 2:10) and to Abraham (Luke 1:73; Genesis 22:18). The Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the power of the Most High who is God (Mark 5:7) by infusion overshadowed her; or shed influence on her (Luke 1:35a). The holy thing born out of Mary was called Son of God (Luke 1:35b).
The phrase in the gospel of Matthew 1:20b aligns the words “for that which in her is begotten, i.e.
“of (the) Spirit (it) is holy.”
… ek pneumatos estin agiou
… εκ πνευματοs eστιν αγιοu
The “ek” denotes origin or source, which in the ablative (Latin ablatus meaning ‘carried away’) expresses the notion of separation; the genitive, agiou is indicating the kind of thing specified, (Wenham, J.W., 1967. P.45) and the words may be read as “it is Holy” which would parallel Luke 1:35b i.e. holy thing i.e. Jesus Christ’s body was genetically structured by the creative act of the Holy Spirit through the power of God even as Adam was formed of the dust from the ground (Genesis 2:7).
In the Fullness of Time (Luke 1:57, cf. Luke 2:6).
Mary was informed by Gabrielle that she shall conceive in her uterus and bring forth a son called Jesus (Luke 1:31). In comparison Elizabeth was to bear a son to Zacharias (Luke 1:13). The word in Greek is active in meaning and signifies: to give birth in the future. The Greek word to bear or bring forth used in reference to Mary and in Hebrew 6:7, “For the ground… produces or yields herbage; and in James 1:15 to the birth of sin. The Scriptures are giving a distinction between the birth of Jesus and John.
This distinction is made clearer in the genealogy of Jesus Christ of Matthew 1:16, where Jesus was born used in the passive voice (to be born, produced) (Matt.1: 16) out of (ek) Mary through the natural birthing process (Matt.1: 25). Whereas Elizabeth bore a son, (i.e. from Elizabeth) and gave birth through the normal birthing process but took an active partnership in the conception. (Luke 1:57; cf. Luke 2:7).
Elizabeth’s Conception
Elizabeth, the wife of Zacharias, conceived and bore a son (Luke 1:24). In her conception (to catch up, to seize, apprehend i.e., to conceive, become pregnant), she was active as the tense, voice and mood in the Greek indicates, whereas in Mary’s conception she was acted upon by the Spirit of God (Luke 1:30). The Greek word here (you shall conceive) indicates a middle voice, which is passive in form but active in meaning (Wenham, J.W. 1967. P.93).
Mary’s Conception.
Mary could not contribute an egg (ovum) in this conception but she delivered a son who was her first born (Matt.1: 23; cf. Matt.1: 25). Through Mary, the subsistence of the body of Jesus Christ was maintained even as the prophet Jeremiah (31:22) foretold; “For the Lord has created a new thing in the land: a woman shall enclose (with protection) a man. The words “a new thing” is in the feminine, genitive and classifies the woman as female (Genesis 1:27). The prediction here is a woman shall surround a mighty one and protect him. Is this not Mary who said, “For the mighty one has done to me great things and holy (is) his name” (Luke 1:49). Her uterus (womb) protected the holy thing or seed, which was nourished through the placental function, like any woman.
A woman possesses the XX chromosomes in her ova and a man possesses the XY chromosomes in his sperm. The Y chromosome dictates the sex of a child to be male. Therefore, a man begets or generates sons or daughters, the woman brings forth and is a recipient by nature and generally conceive in the fallopian tubes. The reference to “her seed” (Genesis 3:15) is the seed of the patriarchs (Brown, F. 1978.P.282) in the Hebrew and is masculine never feminine. Ref. Num. 5:13, = offspring, prosperity. A genealogy is a discourse to disclose the birth kin of a person, the history of the descent or ascendants.
The virgin Mary gave birth to a son who was called Emmanuel, translated as “God with us” in the Greek language, out of the seed (singular) of David (Roms. 1:2, cf. 2Tim.2: 8). He took possession of the Kingship according to the promise cf. Luke 1:55. However his priesthood was “according to the order of Melchisedec” (Heb. 7:21) who assimilated the Son of God (Heb. 7:1-3).
A Body Have you Prepared Me. (Heb. 10:5).
God formed (Gen. 2:7) (created Gen. 1:27) Adam from the dust of the ground, genetically sound and the human race was procreated from Adam. The body of Jesus was prepared by God genetically sound to be nourished in the uterus of Mary (Heb. 10:5) “= but a body you (singular) did prepare me”, = to adjust thoroughly; to knit together; unite completely. Jesus Christ was physically related as he said he was the Son of man when He partook of human flesh (Matt. 9:6; Luke 5:24).
THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON.
In the gospel of John, the apostolic witness states that they saw with their own eyes,
the glory of Jesus Christ,
“as of an only-begotten from a Father”
(John 1:14; c/f. 1John 1:1).
That is God, who has never been seen has been declared by Jesus Christ (John 1:18).
This Greek word = alone &, = offspring or progeny in translation is “only begotten” in respect of peculiar generation (John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1John 4:9). Jesus Christ is declared to have a unique, oneness in relationship to the Father (Cremer, 19 Century); ref. John 10:30; = “I and the Father one are”. Jesus Christ expresses the oneness of the Deity as an indwelling of the Father and himself insofar “He that has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9.c/p Heb: 17).
THE HUMANITY OF JESUS.
So it may be asked what has been manifested in the flesh and what prototype did the Son of God/Son of man possess? Scripture describes a regenerate person as one who is “according to the image of him who created him” (Col.3: 10 cf. 1:15). NB God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and created him in His image male and female (Gen. 1:27). The word “created” is referring to the derived divine nature of Jesus Christ in whom the Deity fully dwelt (Col.2: 9). The appearance of Jesus Christ had “no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2) but the glory seen was greater than of Moses (2Cor.3: 13) being unveiled when Jesus Christ was transfigured as He prayed on the mountain (Matt. 17:2; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:29, 32). The perfection of his character especially His righteousness (Vine, et al. P. 287).
Even though Eve was the mother of all living AND THE BONE OF Adam’s bones and the flesh of Adam’s flesh (Genesis 2:23; 3:20), she through Mary was not the origin of the Son of God/ Son of man. Jesus Christ called Mary (John 2; 4) “Woman” because she was taken out of Adam (Genesis 2:23, John 2:4; 19: 26). Man was formed from the dust of the ground therefore is earthy (Genesis 2:7) just as a potter would form a vase out of clay. Jesus Christ was not earthy but made (= to become, be made) flesh in the likeness of men (Phil.2: 7) through the power of the Holy Spirit (Shekinah= Hebrew term for Holy Spirit).
He who came down from heaven acted according to the promise (Gal.3: 16, Ep.4: 9). By this method Jesus Christ was not born under divine judgement of God (Genesis 3:19) which returned Adam to dust. Nevertheless, he was subject to the ceremonial law and made a curse for us when hung on the tree (cross) to die (Gal. 3:13, 4:4, cf. Deut.21: 23; Matt.3: 17).
Jesus Christ’s body was flesh, bearing the image of the Lord from heaven (1Cor. 15; 47, 48, 49; cf Heb. 1:3). The inheritance for believers is at the last trumpet when an instantaneous change will occur. Our bodies will be raised again indissoluble into the state of eternal life (1Cor.15: 49, 52, 53) to wear the image of Jesus Christ’s indissoluble body. The perpetuation is complete.
This explains the fact that Jesus Christ died, rose again and ascended in his body linked to Adam legally through Joseph and Mary His parents (1Cor. 15:47,48;cf. Phil.2: 7). The blood shed or the life contained was given and is evidence that he physically ceased to live for three days (Phil.2: 8) and rose again therefore no dissolution occurred (John 11:39, Acts 2:27) ascending into heaven (Luke 24:51, Acts 7:56) to live for evermore (Acts 9:5; Rev. 1:18).
The first born out of Mary, was looked upon, touched and recognised as the Messiah by many witnesses after his resurrection. The only Son of God was sent under the Ceremonial Law as the Redeemer of mankind. He was conceived, born and grew up in his nature, the root (God) and offspring of David*, (Rev. 22:16) the Lord and Saviour, the glory of God of whom His kingdom shall have no end. Amen.
*David is used here as a prophetic term just as John the Baptist was called Elijah as quoted by Jesus in Matt 11:10, cp Mal.4:5).
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BEST, W.E. 1971. The Impeccable Christ. Grand Rapids, Sovereign Grace.
BROWN, F 1979. The New Brown Driver Briggs Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon. Indiana Associated Publishers & Authors.
CREMER, 19 Century. Lexicon of the New Testament in leaflet No.58. The only begotten Son. April 1973. Trinitarian Bible Society, 217 Kingston Rd, London, UK SW19 3NN U.K.
GREEN, J.1976. The Interlinear Hebrew/Greek English Bible Delaware. Associated Publishers & Authors.
VINE, W.E, et.al. 1985. Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. New York,
WENHAM, J.W. 1967. The Elements of New Testament Greek. Cambridge, University Press.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
DOUGLAS, J.D. 1986. New Bible Dictionary. 2nd Ed.
FOOT MOORE, G.1960.Judaism. in the First Centuries of the Christian Era. The Age of Tannaim, Massachusetts, USA. Hendrickson.
GROMACKI, R, G. 1984. The Virgin Birth. Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
LIDDON, H.P. (1867) 1978. The Divinity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Minnesota, Klock & Klock Christian Publishers. Minneapolis
MORRIS, H.M. 1987. The Bible has the Answer. Grand Rapids. Baker Book House.
THE ENGLISHMAN’S NEW TESTAMENT. 1877. The Greek text of Stephens 1550, with the various readings of the editions of Elsevier 1624, Griesbach, Lachmann, Tischendorf, Tregelles, Alford, and Wordsworth together with an interlinear literal translation and the authorised version of 1611, London, Samuel Bagster & Sons Ltd.
THOMPSON, F, C, 1964. The Thompson Chain Reference Bible 4th Ed. Indianapolis, Kirkbride Bible Co. King James Version.
WEINGREEN, J. 1963, A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew 2nd Ed. Oxford. Clarendon press.
YOUNG, R. 1967. Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible. 8th Ed. U.K. United Bible Society for Christian literature.
NO KNOWN AUTHOR.
THE ANALYTICAL GREEK LEXICON 1967 London, Samuel Bagster & Sons Ltd.
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The explanation on the Incarnation is never provided by the scriptures to this degree to allow a detailed account of the conception. The word for the Spirit
“overshadowing” Mary at the incarnation, Luke 1:35, is equivalent to the words in Genesis 1:2. ‘Moved upon the face of the waters’ referring to the Spirit’s role there in creation. The latter is the old creation, the former is thus inductive of a creative act also, the beginning of Creation in Christ Jesus. Bringing Mary’s Chromosomes into the equation is not scripture…. not natural generation, but a creative act in her on the part of the Holy Spirit (Abbreviation)
Ref. Dr D.R. Trethewie, retired Histopathologist, a helpful friend of mine. Pastor Reforming Congregational Church, East Geelong. Australia.