Long ago there happened a wonderful love story.
The kind you read about in story books.
And it had all the traditional clichés that we all know about.
These two grew up in the same small town, have known each other their whole lives.
He has always liked her, and just knew he would marry her one day.
He even said so to his teacher on the first day of kindergarten.
And the thing was back in those days people still participated in arranged marriages
And he had already paid her family some of the bride price, so she really had no choice.
If you think about it, maybe she didn’t want to marry him,
I mean he’s just that same ole boy she has known all her life.
What’s so special about him? Well, the day came for them to make it official.
They were going to get married, but the ceremony would not happen for a while.
Their relationship was more official than modern day engagements.
Legally they were considered married, even though they would not be together for usually a full year.
Separation makes the heart grow fonder
And she did in fact go away for a while.
All he could do was think about her and when she would return.
What does she think? How does she feel?
Is she as excited about this marriage as I am?
She must love me as well?
He couldn’t wait for her to return.
Three long months went by, and finally she made her way back into their small village.
But something was different. She looked different.
Wait…is that what I think it is? Oh no!
His longtime love, the love of his life, has gone off and become pregnant.
And the child is not his. What has she done?
This is such a disgrace.
What shame she will bring to this village, to his family. He can not have this.
She is his responsibility now.
Sure they are not married yet, but she is still in his care.
He must take care of the situation. But how?
I do not want to make a mockery of her.
I love her to much, but I am a just man
I must do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
She deserves to be stoned
But I can not do that. I will put her away privately.
The Jewish Law states that I should obtain a legal divorce in order to dissolve our betrothal.
Joseph found himself in a difficult dilemma. But he was a just man
I. Joseph a just man (Matthew 1:18-19)
Mt 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Mt 1:19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
The previous chapter in Matthew gives us the genealogy of Joseph all the way back to Abraham
Jesus was the 41st generation of the Abrahamic Faith-line
And in verse 18 here begins the explanation of the genealogy which verse 16 states “Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ”
This shows that Jesus was the legitimate legal son of Joseph and heir to David’s throne.
And this verse states that Joseph was a just man
A righteous man
This phrase is saying that he was a true believer in God and therefore had been declared righteous, and who carefully obeyed the law.
He was a just man
A fair, discreet, charitable. Or upright man of moral and ethical integrity
Joseph was in a hard circumstance
He could not overlook an apparent fault in Mary
Yet loving her in spite of her seeming moral infidelity
He did not want to expose her
But wanted to deal tenderly in becoming legally released from his engagement to her.
Was not at all willing to hold her up as a public example.
Not at all resentful of her visible child-expectancy to any point of wanting to humiliate her by bringing public moral charges against her.
A husband could have presented the certificate of divorce in a very public manner
Designed to cause the greatest degree of shame and embarrassment to the woman.
Or quietly cancel the engagement.
In affection he settled on the latter course.
This is all evidence of his righteousness
Of Joseph being a just man
The Greek word Matthew used is Dikaios (dik’-ah-yos)
Which is translated just, righteous or upright
He was a man who wanted to do right
Toward other people and toward God
He wanted to treat Mary in a way that was acceptable to God
Joseph was also a strong man
II. Joseph a strong man he had courage
Think about how he took this news
The woman he intended to marry comes up pregnant
He knows what he needs to do about it
And all of a sudden in a dream an angel appears to him
In verses 20 and 21 Mt 1:20 … Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. Mt 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
And what was Joseph’s reaction?
He stood up like a man and took on his responsibility
Joseph had been chosen for this role just as much as Mary had been
He had to be strong
And he is a great example to us fathers today
To be strong for our families
One evening during a violent thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed
She was just about to turn off the light when he asked in a trembling voice
Mommy can you sleep with me tonight?
His mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug
I can’t dear, she said I have to sleep with your daddy
After a long silence he said “The big sissy”
We must be strong
Not in the traditional macho way that we so often see
But in the important things
Showing your family you truly love them
And that they are the important thing in your life
Willing to do the unthinkable
To go against the crowd like Joseph did
Remember they lived in a small town
Everyone knew each other
And they thought they knew everything that was going on
Some thought she and Joseph had already consummated the marriage
Some thought she had gone away and got pregnant
You know how easy it is for rumors to get started
And its not just you ladies that like to gossip
Joseph knew what this marriage was going to be like
But he pressed on, he didn’t hold back
Because he was strong, and he knew the will of God
Joseph probably thought his life was pretty well planned
His marriage and his vocation were all arranged neatly for him
But then his world came crashing down
Isn’t that how it happens
We think we have everything all figured out
Life is good, really good
We are moving right along on cruise control
And then BAM! God throws in a speed bump
God has plans for our lives that we may never see coming
And we need to be strong enough
Have enough courage to go forward with the plan He has presented us
You must remember Joseph was an ordinary man
Although he came from the royal lineage of David we can easily picture him as a humble man
This brief portrait of him in Scripture suggests he was a quiet, unobtrusive man
Available when needed
Willing to endure hardship and disappointment
His dreams had been crushed
Looking forward to fathering his own child
Joseph was faced with being a step-father to a child not his own
He accepted the humbling circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth
A Sunday school was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn
One boy wanted very much to be Joseph
But when the parts were handed out
A boy he didn’t like was given the part
And he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead
He was pretty upset but didn’t say anything to the director
During the rehearsals he thought what he might do the night of the performance to get even with his rival
Finally the night of the performance
Mary and Joseph came walking across the stage
They knocked on the door of the inn
And the inn-keeper opened the door and asked them gruffly what they wanted
Joseph answered “We’d like to have a room for the night”
Suddenly the inn-keeper threw the door open wide and said
“Great come on in and I’ll give you the best room in the house”
For a few second the poor Joseph didn’t know what to do
Thinking quickly he looked inside the door past the inn-keeper then said
“No wife of mine is going to stay in a dump like this
Come on Mary, let’s go to the barn”
And once again the play was back on track
In all the Christmas pageants performed Joseph doesn’t get a large role
But his part is so important
His task is to watch over Mary and the baby Jesus
He had to be strong for them
I’m sure he went down to the donkey dealer and got the smoothest riding donkey he could find
They had to travel the 80 miles to Bethlehem
That’s a three day trip
There weren’t Motel 6’s along the way
Chances are they spent the night outside
By the campfire
And she was 9 months pregnant
So he had to be strong
You know what they say
“What’s the only thing worse than being pregnant?”
Living with one who is
They were new parents as well
It is believed that Mary was considerably younger then he
And that she was just a teenager
So she must have had to look to Joseph for strength
Their lives had taken a nasty turn
After this long trying journey
They come to the only Inn in Bethlehem
And its all full up
How can this be Joseph must have thought
But my wife is VERY pregnant
We have to stay in a barn?
Talk about nasty
Several of you probably have barns
And what is in there?
Hay, feed, animals and animal umm stuff
Pretty messy
Jesus came to a messy world
In a messy way
And Joseph had to be pained by this
He must have thought
I am responsible for this family now
And I’m not getting off to a good start
Kind of like a certain athletic director that recently was responsible for a head coach search at a fairly large university in this general vicinity
Not off to a good start, but had a good ending
When our lives take a nasty turn
We cry out like Joseph must have cried out
God how can this be
But like Joseph we hear a still small voice from God saying “Trust Me”
God’s ways are not always our ways
His thoughts are higher than out thoughts
And we may never understand everything that God is doing on this side of Heaven
But God says “Trust me, and all things will work together for good”
And that is what Joseph did
He was strong for his family and he was also
III. Joseph a man of Faith
There are certain sayings we associate with fathers
Here are some typical father quotes
Ask your mother
Don’t worry its only blood
Do you think I’m made of money
I’m not sleeping, I was watching that show
A little dirt never hurt anyone: just wipe it off
We’re not lost
No we’re not there yet
We’ll get there when we get there
One thing you may not be aware of is Joseph never says a word
Joseph doesn’t say a single word in the Gospels
He listens and obeys if faith
We might assume his words are recorded
Because we can imagine the conversations he had with Mary and Gabriel
We can “hear” him speaking to the inn-keeper
It just seems right that Joseph said something
But we never once read a recorded word of Joseph
He silently goes about the business of God the Father
He had to have strong faith
His wife was pregnant and an angel tells him she is carrying the Christ child
He takes her to be his wife in accordance to the will of God
He asks no questions
He doesn’t second guess this strange circumstance
A virgin birth?
Reminds me of the story “Round John Virgin”
I mean I’ve read about that in the prophecy from Isaiah 7
But this is how its going to happen?
With me, I don’t know how to raise the Son of God
He goes forward with his amazingly difficult task
Believing God was in control and would go with him
His faith may have been challenged by God’s plan
But that is one way God strengthens our faith
Our faith is challenged when God’s plan seems unreasonable
But the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife”
Our faith is challenged when God’s plan seems unexplainable
Just like when he said “for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit”
We must look at the challenges we face in life not as setbacks or inconveniences
We need to look at them as chance for our faith in God to grow, to grow stronger like Joseph’s
Because his faith was encouraged by God’s plan
God’s plan for His people (Israel)
God’s plan for him personally
God’s plan for mankind
If we keep in mind that God does have a plan for our lives
That he knows exactly what is best for us and for the world around us
We can’t help but be encouraged in our faith
Verse 21 shows Joseph that God’s plan is coming to fruition
And then his faith was confirmed by God’s Word
(22-23)
God’s Word never returns void
This is one of a dozen fulfillments of prophecy recorded by Matthew
God’s Word said it would happen, then it will happen
God’s plan for mankind is revealed in His Word
So this is Joseph a man of Faith
And his faith was tested all along this journey
A journey that lasted long past the 3 day journey to Bethlehem
Lets go back to the stable
That nasty messy barn
Full of animals and flies
Mud and Ooo I don’t think that was mud
You think Joseph may have said a quiet prayer?
Lord, is this part of your plan?
To have the King, the Savior, Messiah
Born in this dump?
And as we read in Luke “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger;
Now if you notice guys, there is no mention of a nurse
Or handmaiden or doctor nothing like that
It was just Mary and Joseph, a carpenter
Hey if it needed to be cut or nailed or sanded he was your man
But this baby birthing stuff, way outta his league
But his faith got him through
Got him through a situation he knew nothing about
Something he had never done before
That can be when our faith is tested the most
When we have to fully rely on God’s direction
And not our own thinking
When God gives you that peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7)
You ever been in a situation where money is so tight that you have nowhere to turn but to God?
You don’t where the money is going to come from to pay your light bill, or the car payment
And you look to God to get you through
But when you have plenty, when you are in no way struggling to pay those bills
Do you still look to God?
Do you still pray for Him to carry you through
You should
But God sometimes takes us through those hard times to strengthen our faith in Him
He will carry us through something we have never faced before to prove He is there and that He does care and that He does have a purpose for our lives
But like I said this journey of faith went well beyond that long path to Bethlehem
How many mothers we have here this morning?
How many of the fathers here remember those first few days after the birth of your youngling?
You and your wife were just tickled to death with the constant flow of visitors that were wanting to see that bundle of joy. Of course not
All you and especially the mother wanted was rest
Well Joseph and Mary had some visitors
And they weren’t even family
Unannounced they just walked right in
These shepherds
Now we all have a mental picture of these shepherds
We see them in the Nativity , often young fair faced men holding a sheep in their hands or slung over their shoulders
But these men were on the lowest level of the social ladder
They were often known as thieves
They couldn’t even testify in court
They were ceremonially unclean, and couldn’t even enter the Temple
They lived with the sheep, slept in the fields with the sheep…They smelled like ah, sheep
Now this isn’t to say that these were not spiritual men.
It is actually believed that these were godly men of faith
Now you can imaging Joseph’s reaction to these strangers walking in on there birthday celebration
This is the last thing they were wanting
They were tired from their trip
She was tired from labor
This was all happening in a barn
And these men are not trustworthy
But they relay the story of the angel
And you can just imagine Joseph’s face lighting up as he hears their story
Lu 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. Lu 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Lu 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Lu 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Lu 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Lu 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
This confirmed what the angel had told them It was indeed true
Joseph’s faith was strengthening
He showed he was a just man
His courage showed he was a strong man
And his obedience showed he was a man of faith
No doubt Joseph knew what faced this child here on earth
The prophecy was clear He came to die
Joseph no doubt had read these prophecies like we read in
Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
He knew the life this little child was about to face
Maybe he sang him a lullaby
Go to sleep my Son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before You
Rest your little head
Can you feel the weight of Your Glory?
Do You understand the price?
Does the Father guard Your heart for now
So you can sleep tonight?
Go to sleep my Son
Go and chase your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace
I believe the story of Heaven
Is lying in my arms tonight
Lord, I ask that He for just this moment
Simply be my child
Go to sleep my Son
Baby, close your eyes
Soon enough You’ll save the day
But for now, dear Child of mine
Oh my Jesus, sleep tight
Joseph is a fine example to all of us
He was vital part of God’s plan
His plan to save mankind
And yet he mysteriously disappears from the story
The account we read in Matthew focus strongly on Joseph
And his point of view on the birth of Jesus
But strangely after the event with Jesus as a young adult in the temple
We never hear of Joseph again
We almost tend to forget about him altogether
And yet without him, this plan could not have been fulfilled
God had a reason for each member cast in this wonderful story
The greatest story ever told
God has a purpose for you and your life
And it have implications beyond what you could ever imagine
Even in tiny little Violet Hill AR
Just like tiny little Nazareth
God may use you in a mighty way
And the world may never give you much credit
May even almost forget about your role
But God knows how important you are to him
Are you known as a Just person?
Are you standing up strong for your family and for your God
Is your faith being strengthened by life’s circumstances?
I pray that these are true about you.
