DrIBEX Ideas

The following sections are five slides from a power point presentation that I give at Christmas. I focus on the way that Matthew develops the four sections of his Nativity account. Maybe it will stimulate your thinking.

I. The Four Sections of Matthew’s Nativity

These four “pericopes” are each anchored by the fulfillment of an OT statement:

Matt. 1:18-25 (Joseph) Isaiah
Matt. 2:1-12 (Magi to Bethlehem) Micah
Matt. 2:13-18 (family to Egypt) Hosea & Jeremiah
Matt. 2:19-23 (to Nazareth) the prophets

II. The Repeated Pattern in Each Section

1. A Temporal Introduction “when” “after”
Matt1:20; 2:1; 2:13; 2:19
2. The word “behold” (ἰδού)
Matt 1:20; 2:1,9; 2:13; 2:19 
3. Appearance of an angel (φαίνω)
Matt 1:20; 2:7, 9; 2:13; 2:19
4. A Command
Matt 1:20; 2:8; 2:13; 2:20
5. Instruction in a “dream” (κατ’ ὄναρ)
Matt 1:20; 2:12; 2:13; 2:19
6. An OT Passage “Fulfilled” (ἵνα πληρωθῆ)
Matt 1:22-23; 2:5-6; 2:15; 17-18; 2:23 (2:5 was a direct fulfillment)

III. Was the Star an Angel? Matt 2:1-12

Parallel with the other angelic “appearances” (Matt 2:7,9)

Stars are often symbolic of angels elsewhere in Scripture
(Job 38:7; Isa. 14:12; Rev. 1:20; 9:1,2; 12:4)

Many church fathers held this view: (Chrysostom, Theophylact, Thomas Aquinas).

Parallels better with Luke 2:8-14

IV. In and Out of Egypt Matthew 2:13-18 

Two “Fulfillments”

“Out of Egypt I called my son” Matt 2:15 / Hosea 11:1 (a typical fulfillment)
“Rachel weeping for her children” Matt 2:18 / Jeremiah 31:15 (an analogical fulfillment)

V. From Egypt to Nazareth Matthew 2:19-23 

One Fulfillment, Many Prophecies Matt 2:23 (a summary fulfillment)

“Nazareth” (Netzerat in Hebrew)
Netzer = “Branch” (Isaiah 11:1; 53:2; Jer 23:5)

Check out John 1:43-51 (“can anything good come from Nazareth?”)

Conclusion. The word “fulfill” means more than it does in a prediction/fulfillment paradigm. It bears the idea of “bring to its full meaning.” See this use in James 2:23.

I included in yesterday’s post a DropBox link to a power point presentation that includes photos of Bethlehem people posing in scenes illustrative of the above events.

(I also wrote a more scholarly article on this subject: “A Discourse Analysis of Matthew’s Nativity Narrative,” Tyndale Bulletin, 58.2, 2007)