Joseph a Righteous Father– Matthew 1:18-25
Introduction: Adoption Agencies look for a good father to care for adopted children. They investigate their criminal background, family history, mental state of being, financial dealings, and so forth. Adoptions agencies look for a man that has honesty, integrity, and good intentions. Similarly, God looked for a good father to care for His one and only son, Jesus. That is why He choose Joseph who is described in Matthew 1 as a “righteous man.”
I. Joseph a Humble Carpenter from Nazareth: “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. “ (Matthew 1:18)
1. Many find it difficult to believe that God would choose a humble carpenter from Nazareth as the foster father as His only Son.
A. A Carpenter
i. The term for carpenter means a general carpenter.
ii. There was much construction work opportunity in the area so it is likely that they were not destitute.
iii. They were poor because at the Temple Joseph and Mary offered the alternative sacrifice permitted to mothers who were too poor to afford a lamb, two turtle-doves or pigeons (Luke 2:24).
B. From Nazareth
i. Like the Disciple Nathaniel (John 1:46) many Jews did not expect anything good to come from Nazareth.
ii. Nazareth was a small, poor, and insignificant town along a trading route.
iii. Jews considered the people of Nazareth as rude, rustic, and irreligious.
iv. Jews scorned the people of Nazareth for mixing with Gentiles.
v. The people in Nazareth rejected Jesus as a prophet because of His humble background.
“54 Coming to his hometown [Nazareth], [Jesus] began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him” (Matthew 13:54-57)
2. Principle: God does not need the rich and powerful to fulfill His plans. In fact God constantly uses the weak and humble to accomplish His plans. God can use any person in his kingdom and for His purposes, no matter what their ethnicity, background, and social economic. Righteousness is what God seeks.
II. Joseph is a Descendant of King David “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.” (Matthew 1:20)
1. God chose Joseph because he was a descendent of David
A. Luke affirms this fact in Luke 2:4: “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.”
2. This is important because God promised a future king from David’s line that will establish and eternal kingdom. The Jews were eagerly anticipating this savior King.
A. Nathan prophesies the following in 2 Samuel 7:12-13 to King David: “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
B. The Angel Gabriel announces to Mary in Luke 1:32-33 that Jesus “will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
3. Principle: God fulfills His promises. He is faith and brings salvation through His son Jesus the descendant of King David. We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the promised descendant of King David.
III. Joseph is a Righteous Man: “19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19)
1. Joseph is a righteous man because he obeyed the Law of God (i.e. requirements of purification)
A. Luke 2:22: “When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took [Jesus] to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
B. Luke 2:39-41: “When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the [Jesus] grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
i. A Child grows strong because he well cared for physically
ii. A Child grows wise because he is well taken care of spiritually and emotionally.
2. I am sure that Joseph must have modeled wisdom and righteousness to Jesus because most children emulate their fathers: “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior.” (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
3. Principle: Fathers are given a great responsibility from God when they are given children. God expects father to care for the child’s physical, educational, emotional, and spiritual needs. Fathers should do every thing in their power to provide their children with physical and spiritual nourishment. Fathers are to model wisdom and righteousness. This includes fathers ensuring that they and their children regularly come to church.
IV. Joseph a Merciful Husband: “19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19)
1. Joseph is engaged to Mary (18)
A. In those days the bride (usually 12 to14 years old) was chosen by groom (usually 18 to 20 years old) and his family.
B. Jewish engagements last one year in order to prove brides purity
C. Dowry Given (50 shekels = $50, possibly some livestock)
2. Mary is Found Pregnant (18)
A. Joseph is merciful. Even though he had the opportunity to extract revenge, he did not.
B. According to Deuteronomy 22:22-24 Joseph could have exposed Mary to public trail, before a magistrate, that could lead to her stoning: If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel. “If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death—the young woman because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you.”
3. Instead Joseph was compassionate and is not willing to allow to Mary to endure public disgrace and possibly death (Matthew 1:19)
4. Principle: Husbands, do you get anger with your wife over trivial and insignificant things then want to extract revenge (scolding, threatening, passive aggressiveness, or the cold shoulder treatment)? We should be like Joseph merciful and compassionate, even though Mary’s perceived offense was not trivial. We need to be merciful with our wives not judgmental. We may be like Joseph and have a false perception of what is really happening [Joseph was not yet informed of Mary’s virgin birth by the angle Gabriel].
V. Joseph the Trusts in God’s Word and obeys God’s commands: “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. (Matthew 1:20)
1. Joseph Believes in the Virgin Birth 20-23
A. How can a child be conceived by the Holy Spirit?
B. The Angel Gabriel answers this question in Luke 1:35, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” This is profound mystery. However, Mary trusts that “with God all things are possible” (Luke 1:37, NIV).
C. Overshadowing symbolizes the divine presence and power of God.
D. God overshadowed the tabernacle when He came upon it God coming upon the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35)
2. Joseph obeys God’s Command: “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 had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (Matthew 1:24)
A. Joseph obeys God’s command and he marries Mary regardless of public reaction of ridicule, and rejection. (i.e. scandalous claim of miraculous virgin birth, marring an unfaithful adulterous woman, Joseph and Mary did not wait until marriage, Joseph is raising another man’s child, was Mary raped?)
3. Principle: Today people who believe in the virgin birth and faithfully obey God’s command are still ridiculed and rejected. However this should not deter us and we should believe that God’s word is true and obey God’s commands
VI. Joseph accepts Jesus as Christ and God “Immanuel” the savior of his sins: “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”).” (Matthew 1:21-23)
1. The name Jesus means, “The Lord is Salvation”
A. Joseph was told that Jesus’ Mission is to save people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)
B. Joseph surely is familiar with the prophecies about the coming king that will save and deliver Israel.
2. Joseph was told that Jesus is the Messiah (in Hebrew) or Christ (in Greek) means, “The Anointed One”
A. In the OT kings, priest, and prophets are anointed in an inauguration ceremony to their office. The anointing symbolizes that they are consecrated (or set apart) for God’s special purposes.
B. Jesus’ will be the ultimate King, Priest , & Prophet of Israel (Matthew 1:1, 18)
3. The name Immanuel, “God is with Us” (Matthew 1:23)
A. This name describes Jesus identity – Jesus is the only 200 percent person. Jesus is fully God and fully Man
B. John 1:14, affirms that God “became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace
4. Principle: Today, we should believe and proclaim the truth of the virgin birth and proclaim that Jesus is God and savior. For, those of you who have not yet accepted Jesus, come and accept Jesus as Christ, God, and the savior of your sins.
