In this passage that we have just read, Matthew’s version of the Christmas story, we are faced with three responses to the miracle of the birth of Christ, the coming of the Messiah, that of Herod (the king of the Jews), Some magi (astrologers, astronomers, magicians or wise men, traditionally ‘we three kings’) and Joseph (his legal father).
Joseph
First we have Joseph: Joseph is a carpenter/stone mason. He is from the tribe of Judah and – of course – a famous ancestor of his is King David. Matthew records a few things about Joseph: we are told in our text today that Joseph, Verse 19, is righteous. In our world today when we think of a righteous person… if someone were to tell you that a person is righteous… if someone were to say that a visitor that we have here today is a righteous woman or man, what would we think that they would be like? They would pray, read the Bible, love God and love their neighbour (cf. Luke 10:27). All of the above would probably be true of them and more. This was very much what it would have meant for Joseph too. Joseph served God and for the first century Jews, if one was righteous it meant that one was very good at keeping the religious law of the day.[2]
Matthew tells us also, Verse 1:18, that Joseph is pledged to be married to a girl named Mary.[3] Now, betrothal in the first century is not like it is today. When you are engaged then you are already bound. You are already considered as husband and wife and the union can only be dissolved through death or divorce.[4] But before Mary and Joseph ever ‘know each other’ in the Biblical sense, before they ever come together in THAT way, Mary becomes pregnant.
Imagine this scenario with me, if you will – men in particular: you are engaged, you have not had relations with your fiancée and all of a sudden you find out that she is pregnant. What would you do? What would you say? What would you feel? What would you think? What would you think and what would you do if your girlfriend to whom you are engaged becomes pregnant – and not by you? Would you still get married? Joseph, when he finds out that Mary is pregnant, is planning to call off the wedding altogether. Verse 19 says that he wants to do this quietly so as to not bring any disgrace upon Mary. Joseph is a righteous man.
Then something happens. Joseph has a dream. He dreams about an angel and in the dream this angel tells Joseph that he should ‘take Mary home as his wife’, Verse 20, ‘because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’. He then dreams about what to name this child and how this son will save people from even their sins. It is now that Joseph has a number of decisions to make.
1) Does he believe in visions in general and does he believe in this vision in particular?
2) Does he believe that an angel actually has spoken to him and does he believe that what this angel has told him is true?
3) And how will he respond to his belief? Will he ignore his conviction that this vision is from God and press on with the separation/divorce anyway or will he accept the commission given to him from God through a messenger in a dream? What would you do? Do you believe in your dreams?
Joseph does. Joseph is a righteous man. When Joseph awakes from his sleep, Verse 24, he does everything the angel from the Lord tells him to do including taking Mary home as his wife and not having any sexual relations with her until after this child is born. This is Joseph. Joseph is a righteous man. He follows his dream. He follows God.
Joseph
First we have Joseph: Joseph is a carpenter/stone mason. He is from the tribe of Judah and – of course – a famous ancestor of his is King David. Matthew records a few things about Joseph: we are told in our text today that Joseph, Verse 19, is righteous. In our world today when we think of a righteous person… if someone were to tell you that a person is righteous… if someone were to say that a visitor that we have here today is a righteous woman or man, what would we think that they would be like? They would pray, read the Bible, love God and love their neighbour (cf. Luke 10:27). All of the above would probably be true of them and more. This was very much what it would have meant for Joseph too. Joseph served God and for the first century Jews, if one was righteous it meant that one was very good at keeping the religious law of the day.[2]
Matthew tells us also, Verse 1:18, that Joseph is pledged to be married to a girl named Mary.[3] Now, betrothal in the first century is not like it is today. When you are engaged then you are already bound. You are already considered as husband and wife and the union can only be dissolved through death or divorce.[4] But before Mary and Joseph ever ‘know each other’ in the Biblical sense, before they ever come together in THAT way, Mary becomes pregnant.
Imagine this scenario with me, if you will – men in particular: you are engaged, you have not had relations with your fiancée and all of a sudden you find out that she is pregnant. What would you do? What would you say? What would you feel? What would you think? What would you think and what would you do if your girlfriend to whom you are engaged becomes pregnant – and not by you? Would you still get married? Joseph, when he finds out that Mary is pregnant, is planning to call off the wedding altogether. Verse 19 says that he wants to do this quietly so as to not bring any disgrace upon Mary. Joseph is a righteous man.
Then something happens. Joseph has a dream. He dreams about an angel and in the dream this angel tells Joseph that he should ‘take Mary home as his wife’, Verse 20, ‘because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’. He then dreams about what to name this child and how this son will save people from even their sins. It is now that Joseph has a number of decisions to make.
1) Does he believe in visions in general and does he believe in this vision in particular?
2) Does he believe that an angel actually has spoken to him and does he believe that what this angel has told him is true?
3) And how will he respond to his belief? Will he ignore his conviction that this vision is from God and press on with the separation/divorce anyway or will he accept the commission given to him from God through a messenger in a dream? What would you do? Do you believe in your dreams?
Joseph does. Joseph is a righteous man. When Joseph awakes from his sleep, Verse 24, he does everything the angel from the Lord tells him to do including taking Mary home as his wife and not having any sexual relations with her until after this child is born. This is Joseph. Joseph is a righteous man. He follows his dream. He follows God.
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