EVEN IF MATTHEW'S GENEALOGY IS UNDERSTANDABLY OMITTED FROM THE READINGS AT OUR CHRISTMAS SERVICE., THE LIST WILL UNDOUBTEDLY INCLUDE OTHER PORTIONS FROM THE REST OF MATTHEW 1 AND 2, FOR THEY ARE AMONG THE MOST FAMILIAR STORIES. OF THE INFANCY STORIES. MATTHEW WEAVES TOGETHER FIVE SCENES FROM THE CONCEPTION, BIRTH AND EARLY CHILDHOOD OF JESUS. AND THEN PERHAPS FOR THEIR BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO MISSED THE POINT OF HIS GENEALOGY(OR MORE LIKELY SKIPPED IT ALTOGETHER), HE TIES UP EACH OF THOSE FIVE SCENES TO A QUOTATION FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES WHICH, HE CLAIMS, HAS BEEN FULFILLED BY THE EVENT DESCRIBED. THROUGH THE FIVE SCENES FROM JESUS CHILDHOOD, TO WHICH TIES UP THROUGH HEBREW SCRIPTURES WHICH HE CLAIMS, HAS BEEN "FULFILLED" BY THE EVENT DESCRIBED.
1). THE ASSURANCE TO JOSEPH CONCERNING THE CHILD CONCEIVED IN MARY.[1:18-25'] TO FULFILL' ISAIAH 7:14 WHICH WAS THE IMMANUEL SIGN, GIVEN BY ISAIAH TO KING AHAZ.
2). THE FACT THAT JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM: 2:1-12 'TO FULFILL' MICAH 5:2 IN WHICH IT IS PROPHESIED THAT A RULER OF ISRAEL WILL COME FROM BETHLEHEM.
3). THE ESCAPE TO EGYPT, AND THEN THE RETURN FROM THERE: 2: 13-15 'TO FULFILL HOSEA 11:1, WHICH IS A REFERENCE TO GOD HAVING BROUGHT ISRAEL, HIS SON, OUT OF EGYPT, AT THE EXODUS.
4). THE MURDER OF THE BOYS IN BETHLEHEM: :2 :6-18 'TO FULFILL JEREMIAH 31:15, WHICH IS A LAMENT FOR THE ISRAELITES WHO WERE GOING INTO EXILE.
5) THE SETTLEMENT OF JESUS FAMILY IN NAZARETH. THE FIVE SCENES THE COVER THE EARLY LIFE OF JESUS. FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AGO, IN THE FALL OF 1521, DR. MARTIN LUTHER, IN THE SECLUSION OF WARTBURG CASTLE, CONCEIVED THE STUPENDOUS TASK. TO THIS VERY HOUR THE LUTHERAN CHURCH, FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ITS GREAT TEACHER, CHERISHES THE LESSON WHICH LUTHER EXPOUNDED TO THE WORLD. HER MOTTO IS TO THIS DAY: "SOLA SCRIPTURA" BIBLE ALONE. BY THE GRACE OF GOD THE LUTHERAN CHURCH HAS REMAINED THE BIBLE CHURCH. THERE IS NO GREATER TASK OF SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES WHICH SHE PERFORMS.
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