Yesterday’s study concluded with the name given to Joseph for the son that would be born to Mary. It had both a general and specific application, and we mentioned the general meaning then. Today, we continue by describing the specific application.
Moreover, immediately after having given the child the name Jesus, meaning “Jehovah saves,” the angel goes on to say in reference to the child, “He will save his people from their sins.” God is the author of salvation. So the angel is saying, “He (the child!) is Jehovah.”
This revelation to Joseph is confirmed by Matthew as he continues the narration, for he says that it happened to fulfill what God prophesied through Isaiah: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel,” which, as Matthew points out, means “God with us” (v. 23).
If anyone should know who Mary’s child is, it is certainly the angels, God’s messengers. So let us ask another one. Let us ask the angel who appeared to the shepherds as they were watching their sheep in the fields surrounding Bethlehem. This angel said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
This is one of the most significant texts in the New Testament, for through a small grammatical detail (directed by the Holy Spirit who inspired the biblical writers) two words give the fullest possible testimony to Jesus’ divinity. Let me explain. When the angel says to the shepherds that the child who has been born in Bethlehem is “Christ the Lord,” the Greek words are Christos kyrios. In each case, the ending of the words is masculine and in the nominative case, thus making the words equivalents. If instead of this we had read Christos kyriou, which is a very common way of writing—that is, with the first word in the nominative case and the second in the genitive—the phrase would mean “the Lord’s Christ.” This would be an appropriate way to refer to anyone anointed to serve in Israel as God’s prophet, priest or king. David would be “the Lord’s Christ,” for example. But this is not what the phrase says. Instead of reading “the Lord’s Christ,” we actually read “Christ the Lord,” which means “Christ, who is the Lord.” This sentence means that He, who by this time had already been born of Mary, is not merely the anointed one of God but is actually God now manifest in human form.
Are you getting the picture? Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced that the child was to be God’s Son. The angel who appeared to Joseph said that He would be Jehovah who saves. The angel who told the shepherds of Christ’s birth called Him the Lord. Three angels! Three testimonies! And the testimonies agree!