God with us
This week we hear the Christmas story as told by Matthew. It is told from Joseph’s point of view (Luke is from Mary’s) and is very different from Luke. Compare them and see if you can work out why they are so different. Matthew works hard to mirror the story of Jesus with that of Moses and of the people of Israel in general. He uses Isaiah 7:14 to explain his name – God is with us! William Loader says, “ ‘God with us’ is the high point of Matthew’s birth stories. It means for the Jews that he is their promised Messiah, it means for the universe that he is its star. He fulfils the promises of old. He represents God’s saving grace which reaches beyond all boundaries. He owes his existence to divine miracle. He embarks on a journey that will lead him through rejection and death beyond Israel to the world. The birth stories in Matthew offer altar panels in which we see reflected the story of the passion to come. And at the same time the stories are like an overture. They set t...