Matthew1:18-25 (NIV)
The Birth of Jesus Christ
18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins."
22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"[d]—which means, "God with us."
24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
1:18 耶穌基督誕生的經過是這樣的：他的母親馬利亞已經跟約瑟訂了婚，
一、中心內容：
內容：
1>耶穌基督由聖靈藉著馬利亞懷胎並降生。（v18） Jesus Christ was born of Mary through the Holy Spirit. (v18)
2>當馬利亞的未婚夫約瑟得知此事之後，擬暗中休了這門親事。（
An angel appeared to Joseph and told him to take Mary home to be his wife. (v20-22)
4>約瑟順服天使的啟示。（v24）Joseph obeyed the angel’s instruction. (v24)
5>耶穌如預期出生。（v25）Jesus was born as the prophecy had foretold. (v25)
主題：耶穌基督降生。The Birth of Jesus Christ
二、上帝、耶穌基督、聖靈是誰？
1>道成肉身的耶穌基督。（v18）Jesus Christ, the Word becoming flesh. (v18)
2>從聖靈懷胎的耶穌基督。（v18）Jesus Christ was conceived through the Holy Spirit. (v18)
3>投胎降世為人的聖靈。（v18）The Holy Spirit became flesh. (V18)
4>拯救世人的耶穌基督。（v21）Jesus Christ who saves the world.(v21)
5>應驗先知預言的耶穌基督。（v22）Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecy.(V22)
6>以馬內利的耶穌基督。（v23）Jesus Christ is the Immanuel. (v23)
7>與世人同在的上帝。（v23）God is with the world. (v23)
三、給我的教訓（命令、應允、榜樣、責備、警告）是什麼？
1>神的時間最恰當 God’s perfect timing
這段經文談到耶穌基督的降生，有關耶穌基督降生一事，
然而，在耶穌基督出生前三百年，上帝就已經開始作預備，
接著，上帝又興起羅馬帝國興建道路，所謂條條道路通羅馬，
因此，上帝所計劃的時間，總是最適當、最美好的。
This passage tells of the birth of Jesus Christ. God’s plan is always perfectly timed. According to the progression of history, the timing would not be perfect even if the birth of Jesus happened 100 years earlier or later. Languages and transportation are essential when it comes to spreading the gospel. Before the time of Jesus’ birth, both of these two essential elements were not well developed yet.
God started working three hundred years before Jesus’ birth. He raised King Alexander to unify the languages; it made it much easier for Paul to spread the gospel in Greek throughout the Roman kingdom.
In addition, God raised the Roman kingdom to build roads which leads to the saying “Every road leads to Rome.” The infrastructure was well developed under the reign of the Roman Empire. It was helpful to Paul’s missionary work. Therefore, God’s plan and timing is always perfect.
反省：在我個人的生涯當中，是否曾經體會過上帝奇妙的安排？
Reflection: Have I ever experienced God’s wonderful arrangement and timing in my life?
2>慎選使用的器皿 Prudence in selecting a candidate
馬利亞從聖靈懷了耶穌基督，是前所未見的奇特事件，
It was an unprecedented and mysterious that Mary was with child through the Holy Spirit. It was hard for people to believe such a thing. It was considered a tergiversation.
普遍的認定就是：未婚懷孕、未婚生子！這是多麼嚴重的罪名。
It was considered a serious crime to be pregnant before marriage. A woman was to be stoned to death if she slept with a man before marriage. It was shameful to a man if his fiancé committed such a shameful crime. It was a betrayal and an unbearable disgrace.
在這種狀況之下，馬利亞的夫君，人選就必須要慎選，
It took extra prudence in selecting the candidate to be Mary’s husband. It was an unusual role which could not be played by any man. Apparently, Joseph was God’s perfect choice.
因 為在成婚以前，馬利亞知道自己已經由聖 靈懷了孕。
約瑟，不僅為人正直，而且信仰堅定；不僅體貼馬利亞，
Joseph knew that Mary was pregnant through the Holy Spirit, he could not believe nor accept the news. He was a righteous man and did not want to bring Mary to public disgrace. While he was considering to quietly divorce her, the angel appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins." 22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"[d]—which means, "God with us." 24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (see v20-25)
Joseph not only was a righteous man, but he was also strong in faith. He believed the angel’s words and respected Mary. He waited patiently by not sleeping with her until the child’s birth. Therefore, Joseph was God’s perfect choice.
反省：我的信心、我的品格、我在各方面的條件，
Reflection: Are my faith, character and every aspect of my being comply with the selection standards of God?
3>完全順服的榜樣 An example of complete obedience
約瑟與馬利亞這對未婚夫妻，在順服上帝的功課上面，
接著我們看約瑟，當天使告訴他：大衛的後代約瑟，不要怕，
這對未婚夫妻，對上帝使者的吩咐，都是二話不說，
The unmarried couple set a good example of being obedient to God. In Luke 1: 38, we read about Mary’s answer to the angel, "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." In Matthew 1:20-25, the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said to him, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.” 24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
From both biblical accounts, we can see that they obeyed God whole-heatedly. They were good examples to us when it comes to being obedient to God.
反省：從約瑟與馬利亞的身上，我學習到什麼樣的功課？
Refection: What do I learn from their example and will I be as obedient as they were?
4>靈裏敏銳的器皿 Spiritual sharpness
根據經文的描述，我們可以得知，不管馬利亞也好，還是約瑟也好，
From the biblical account, we know that both Joseph and Mary were close to God and were with spiritual sharpness. Thus, they responded immediately to the revelation of God’s messenger. It indicates that God uses people who are sharp in spirit and have an intimate relationship with Him.
反省：我是否與上帝有親密的交通，在靈裏的敏感度如何？
Reflection: Do I have an intimate relationship with God? How is my spiritual sensitivity?
5>認識上帝的使者 Recognizing God’s messengers
從這段聖經當中，我們非常清楚看到天使的工作，
有關天使的工作，僅舉例如下：將上帝的信息傳達給人。（路加福音
Joseph had planned in his heart to quietly divorce Mary, yet it was against God’s will. Thus, the angel appeared to Joseph in his dream and told him about God’s plan. From this passage we can clearly see the tasks of angels. Angels are spiritual beings and they carry out God’s commands. Angels bring God’s messages to humanity. (see Luke 1:26) They protect God’s people. (see Daniel 6:22) They encourage people. (see 2 Samuel 24:16) They watch over the world. (Zechariah 1:9-14) They battle against evil. (see 2 Chronicle 6: 16-18; Revelation 20: 1-2)
反省：我是否相信天使？是否認識天使？是否經歷天使的工作？
Reflection: Do I believe in angels, am I able to recognize one? Have I ever been ministered by them?
6>認識耶穌的屬性 Knowing Jesus’ attributes
根據經文的記載，我們對主耶穌有下列的認識：主耶穌從聖靈投胎、
反省：我對主耶穌有多少認識？我是否倚靠祂而蒙恩典、得救贖？
Reflection: How much do I know about Jesus? Do I rely on Him to receive God’s grace and salvation?
四、我的禱告 / 實際應用
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