Matthew 1:21

| Matt 1 |

21 She will bear a son, and z you shall call his name Jesus, a for he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:23

| Matt 1 |

23 d “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name e Immanuel”

(which means, God f with us).

Matthew 3:17

| Matt 3 |

17 and behold, q a voice from heaven said, r “This is my beloved Son, [1] with whom I am well pleased.”

Hebrews 9:14

| Heb 9 |

14 how much more will q the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit r offered himself without blemish to God, s purify our [2] conscience t from dead works u to serve the living God.

Translation Notes

[1] 3:17 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved
[2] 9:14 Some manuscripts your

My Notes

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Matt. 1:1–2:23 The Arrival in History of Jesus the Messiah. Matthew's introduction echoes the language of Genesis. The word rendered “genealogy” (1:1) is Greek genesis (“beginning, origin, birth, genealogy”), and this is also the title of the Greek translation of Genesis, implying that it is a book of “beginnings.” “The book of the genealogy” appears to function not only as a heading for the genealogy itself (1:2–17) but also as a title for the entire story to follow: a new beginning with the arrival of Jesus the Messiah and the kingdom of God (cf. note on Gen. 2:4).

Matt. 1:18–25 The Angelic Announcement of the Conception of Jesus the Messiah. A new era in Israel's history begins with the story of Jesus' conception in the little town of Nazareth. The angel announces his conception (vv. 18–21), explaining that he is the prophesied Immanuel (vv. 22–23). Joseph immediately obeys the angel's directive (vv. 24–25).

Matt. 1:21 The name Jesus was given to sons as a symbolic hope for the Lord's anticipated sending of salvation through a Messiah who would purify his people and save them from oppression (see note on v. 1). But the angel points to a more important theme: to save his people from their sins. Salvation from sins was a repeated promise in OT prophets (e.g., Isa. 40:2; 53:6; Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:25–27; Dan. 9:24; Zech. 13:1).

Matt. 1:23 the virgin. The Greek word parthenos (“virgin”) corresponds to the Hebrew term ‘almah, which is used in the prophecy of Isa. 7:14 regarding the virgin birth of the coming Savior (see note on Isa. 7:14). The Hebrew word ‘almah (“virgin” or “maiden”) generally denotes an unmarried woman who is a virgin (e.g., Gen. 24:43; Ex. 2:8; Ps. 68:25). The prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 (occasioned by threat of attack on Judah in the time of Isaiah; see notes on Isa. 7:10–17), points to God's enduring promise for the line of David. Matthew thus presents the virgin birth of Jesus as God's miraculous fulfillment of this promise in the person of Jesus the Messiah. This brings further affirmation of the promise that God (Immanuel) will be with his disciples in every age, to empower them in their commission to “make disciples of all nations”—as Jesus reaffirms in the closing words of Matthew's Gospel: “behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (cf. Matt. 28:20).

Matt. 3:1–17 John the Baptist Prepares for the Appearance of the Messianic Kingdom. John now appears, preaching in the Judean desert. It is more than 25 years since Joseph and his family moved back to Nazareth. The focus of Matthew's Gospel now shifts to Jesus' public ministry.

Matt. 3:17 The voice from heaven confirms the eternally existing relationship of divine love that the Son and Father share as well as Jesus' identity as the messianic Son of God (Ps. 2:7). This beloved Son is the triumphant messianic King, yet he is also the humble “servant” into whose hands the Father is well pleased to place the mission to bring salvation to the nations (Isa. 42:1–4).