Matthew chose to begin his Gospel with the genealogy of Jesus. In doing so, Matthew makes it clear that he sees the story of Israel (starting from Abraham) leading to Jesus, the Messianic Son of David. Another way Matthew does that is by seeing Jesus and His birth as the fulfillment of specific prophetic oracles.
However, as we shall see, in Matthew, fulfillment of prophecy is neither straightforward nor mechanical. Mary’s virgin pregnancy is seen through the events of Isaiah 7. Back in the eighth century B.C., Isaiah confronted a weak-kneed King of Judah, named Ahaz. Syria and the Northern Kingdom of Israel joined forces to attack Judah, and Jerusalem was filled with fear. Isaiah was given a Word from the LORD to both reassure and confront this faithless, fearful king
14 … The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin (or young maiden) will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God with us). 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. 17 The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.” (NIV)
Matthew sees the events completed in Isaiah’s time as being fulfilled in Jesus. I’m certain that Matthew did not see the birth of the child of the woman in the 8th century B.C. as a virgin birth, in the same way Jesus was born of a virgin. Some of us remember the firestorm that erupted when the old RSV translated Isaiah 7:14 as a “young woman” will conceive. It was claimed that the RSV was denying the virgin birth of Jesus. But it was a perfectly defensible translation of Isaiah regarding a young woman in Isaiah’s time who gave birth in quite the normal way. That original son’s name, Immanuel, should have assured Jerusalem that God was with them. Matthew saw Jesus as the complete fulfillment of Immanuel.
The second prophecy is found in Matthew 2, as part of the wise men and Herod narrative. Herod wanted to know where the rival king would be born. He was told that another 8th century B.C. prophet, Micah, said that the answer was the City of David, Bethlehem. Isaiah had warned of Assyria, while for Micah, Assyria is at the gate. It is in that context that Micah said this:
2 But you, O Bethlehem Eph′rathah (fruitful),
who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days. (NIV)
This is more straightforward, but still must be seen in its original, historical moment. I suspect that Matthew cited this passage not simply for the name of Bethlehem, but also that the coming ruler’s origin (although not cited in Matthew) is from old and from ancient days. For Micah, this may allude to David, but for Matthew this ruler is much more than a descendant of David.
The third prophetic reference may seem the strangest. The holy family’s flight to Egypt draws a quote from yet another 8th century prophet, Hosea:
Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
In Hosea, this is speaking of the past Exodus and God’s love for Israel. How is this a prophecy of a future birth and infancy of Jesus? More about that in a bit.
With Herod’s killing of the innocents, Matthew quotes from Jeremiah 31:15.
Thus says the Lord:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children;
she refuses to be comforted for her children,
because they are not.” (NIV)
Ramah was in the territory of Benjamin and where Rachel was buried, having died in giving birth to Benjamin. Jeremiah pictures her weeping over her children, who were killed or exiled to Babylon. It is an appropriate text to describe the grief of the families whose children were killed by Herod. But the context of Jeremiah 31 speaks of a coming deliverance and an end to the weeping. Matthew sees this passage in the coming of the deliverance Jesus would bring, though for a time, exiled in Egypt.
So how does Matthew see these prophecies fulfilled? It is not mechanical. It is rather that Jesus truly fulfills these past events. Matthew expects his readers, including us, to see these Old Testament passages in their full context. Then we can see that Jesus is, in Himself, the true Immanuel, born of a true virgin. He is the true Ruler from ancient days, coming to save. He is true Israel who came out of Egypt, and unlike the exodus generation, was faithful. Finally, he is the true deliverer who brings an end to our weeping. For Matthew, Jesus is the fulfillment of all scripture, and it begins in His birth. The cry of Israel through the centuries, was “Come, O Come, Immanuel.” Matthew shouts that He has come! Hallelujah!!
Tim Kelley