Joseph's Jesus Story

Joseph’s Jesus Story

Matthew 1:18-25

Introduction

What is your picture of the perfect Christmas? Beautiful decorations, lovely family, delicious food, well-selected gifts, and children that know how to behave! How many of us really have a Christmas like that? In reality, Christmas - is not nearly as pretty, much more messy. If any Christmas should have been the perfect Christmas, the FIRST one should have been … but reality interferes.

The New Testament opens by re-emphasizing a theme that runs through the OT: This is God’s story. He’s been writing it since before the beginning. He uses bizarre events, miraculous activity and unlikely people. It always exceeds our expectations and imaginations. The birth of Jesus Christ is multi-layered and filled with mystery.

The details are scandalous and messy. The focus of Matthew’s account is on Joseph’s Jesus story.

Matthew 1:18-25

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

It’s like our real Christmas … not the one we dream of having … but the one that we end up with. Joseph’s Jesus Story is one of relating to us … and that’s where he ends… Immanuel, God With Us. Joseph’s great example teaches us about being driven by the right motives.

1. Driven By Love (Matthew 1:18-19)

Joseph is one of the quiet heroes of the Bible. Little is known. “Joseph is known to us only as a dim figure in the background of the Gospel narratives” (Kerr). Jewish carpenter of Nazareth who disappears early in the account of Christ. He is presented as a righteous man. There are no recorded words of Joseph, there was inner turmoil. He is placed in the decidedly uncomfortable position of having a fiancé with whom he has not slept, tell him she is pregnant. Keener: “Joseph had no option of giving Mary a second chance, even if he wanted to. Jewish and Roman law both demanded that a man divorce his wife if she were guilty of adultery… Roman law actually treated a husband who failed to divorce an unfaithful wife as a panderer exploiting his wife as a prostitute.” He was in love. He did not want to expose her to public disgrace .. he wanted to put her away “quietly.” There was something kind in Joseph. Something that prevented him from an episode of anger and revenge. He loved her. This is a messy, complicated story.

The great love Joseph had is a great example to us. In our families - we love in spite of the flaws and failures. In our commitment to God - he was ‘faithful to the law’. In our grace with others - he did not want to expose her to public disgrace. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." Before the angel told Joseph what was going on, he was a great example of living a life

driven by love.

2. Driven By God’s Guidance (Matthew 1:20-23)

An angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. (20)This is the first of three appearances of angels he would experience. The angel’s message is one of…

Historic Significance. Joseph son of David - “Joseph’s role in the story has to do with his Davidic descent. It also reminds us that the miraculous conception announced to Joseph has to do with Jesus’ Messiahship.” (Hare)

Circumstantial Significance. "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. What is conceived in her is from the

Holy Spirit." “The Holy Spirit is mentioned twice in these three verses and both times, with the same words, the Spirit is called the source …of Jesus inside Mary…the [Spirit] who began the world’s creation…now beings the world’s new creation and definitive salvation.” (Bruner)