Gospel of Matthew

Originally posted at The Calvinist Gadfly.

Q. 18. What are God’s works of providence?

A. God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures; ordering them, and all their actions, to his own glory.

Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

—Matthew 10:29–31

What a comfort this passage is. This surely is not the deist’s god, who watches from a distance while the world runs itself. This is the one true God: the God of the Bible; the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ — our God! Our God is no passive observer. He is personally involved in the smallest, most insignificant events. Take heart! You are not alone. “His eye is on the sparrow,” and you are certainly more precious to him than any number of sparrows.

But the sparrow does fall — this cannot be overlooked. The Lord gives us no promise of earthly comfort or safety. Hard times will come. We will suffer. We will die. Like the sparrow, we will fall. But, as the sparrow flies or falls only by the will and providence of its creator, so we also live, suffer, and die in his hand. He has promised to be with us always (Matthew 28:20), to supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19), to limit our temptations and provide our escape (1 Corinthians 10:13), and to work trials for our good (James 1:2–4). He has promised, in the end, “the crown of righteousness . . . to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

These are God’s works of providence: to carry us through, from beginning to end, in his hand. “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.”

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Matthew 2:23 and the saints’ perseverance:

[Nettleton] once fell in company with two men who were disputing on the doctrine of the Saints’ perseverance. As he came into their presence, one of them said: “I believe this doctrine has been the means of filling hell with Christians.” “Sir,” said Dr. Nettleton, “do you believe that God knows all things ?”—“Certainly I do,” said he. “How, then, do you interpret this text: ‘I never knew you?’” said Dr. Nettleton. After reflecting a moment, he replied : “The meaning must be, I never knew you as Christians.” “Is that the meaning?” said Dr. Nettleton “Yes, it must be,” he replied; “for certainly God knows all things.” “Well,” said Dr. Nettleton, “I presume you are right. Now, this is what our Saviour will say to those who, at the last day, shall say to Him, Lord, Lord, have we not eaten and drunken in thy presence? &c. Now, when Saul, and Judas, and Hymeneus, and Philetus, and Demas, and all who, you suppose, have fallen from grace, shall say to Christ, Lord, Lord! He will say to them, I never knew you—I never knew you as Christians. Where, then, are the Christians that are going to hell?”

—Bennet Tyler, The Life and Labours of Asahel Nettleton (Banner of Truth, 1975), 399–400.

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.

—Matthew 2:2

As with Gladness, Men of Old

As with gladness, men of old
Did the guiding star behold—
As with joy they hailed its light,
Leading onward, beaming bright—
So, most glorious Lord, may we
Evermore be led to Thee.

As with joyful steps they sped
To that lowly manger bed,
There to bend the knee before
Him Whom Heav’n and earth adore;
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek Thy mercy seat.

As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare,
So may we with holy joy,
Pure and free from sin’s alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to Thee, our heav’nly King.

Holy Jesus, every day
Keep us in the narrow way;
And, when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds Thy glory hide.

—Great Hymns of the Faith (Zondervan, 1968).

Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”

—Matthew 1:23

The name Immanuel is the heart of the Christmas story. It is a Hebrew name that means, literally, “God with us.” It is a promise of incarnate deity, a promise that God Himself would appear as a human infant, Immanuel, “God with us.” This baby who was to be born would be God Himself in human form.

If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words: “God with us.” We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Christ, but the greater truth of the holiday is His deity. More astonishing than a baby in the manger is the truth that this promised baby is the omnipotent Creator of the heavens and the earth!

Immanuel, infinitely rich, became poor. He assumed our nature, entered our sin-polluted world, took our guilt on Himself although He was sinless, bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). All of that is wrapped up in “God with us.”

—John MacArthur, God’s Gift of Christmas, (Thomas Nelson, 2006), 20–21.