Calvary Baptist Church

Studying the Bible is like looking at a fence full of knotholes.  Max Lucado makes this assertion.  Further, we can peak through but not get the whole picture.  We can, indeed, see part of the story but are left with a question.

We can also describe Scripture as looking at a scrapbook capturing people in encounters with God. We do not see the whole picture.

Henry David Thoreau decided to get into the Walden Pond and sink down until the water was at eye level.  He wanted to see the world through frog’s eyes.  God sent His Son to relate to humankind.

Up to this point we could again find ourselves yawning to sleep.  So what?  We have heard it all before.  But this message changes everyone and everything.  In fact, what you do with this message will change eternity for you.

Consider the greatest need of man. Man needs to have a connection with God.  To have that connection something must be done about our sin.

Joseph’s story helps us understand how God meets our greatest need. This blog will follow the pattern established last week. Next the reader will understand the background of Joseph.  It will be necessary to then review the part of the story most known to us, followed by the rest of the story.  Finally, any good study will conclude by seeking application to the lives of the readers.

Understanding Joseph

First, we must note that Joseph is from the line of David.  That is immensely important as we project forward.  He is one of the rightful heirs of the throne of David.  Jesus’ lineage tracing to David is a part of His identity.

Second, we observe that he is from Nazareth.  Those from Nazareth were from the other side of the tracks, considered inferior, sinful, and corrupt.  They were looked down upon by everyone.

Nazareth was a town with a poor reputation.  Looked down upon by the people because of an active merchant trade and a Roman Camp.  Nazareth had become a military camp town with which all manner of sin and corruption were associated.

Because they could only attend worship occasionally, they were considered second class citizens.

He is poor and a man of trade.  His poverty is evidenced by the gift they presented when Jesus was dedicated.  He was a man of trade. He worked with his hands.  This is not a negative then or now, but Joseph was a man whose labor did not make him wealthy.

Finally, we understand that Joseph was betrothed.  Betrothal was a legally binding agreement entered into as early as twelve years old.  Betrothal was the second step in a Jewish marriage. Only death or divorce could break a betrothal.

The first step in the marriage process was engagement.  Engagement occurred when the couple’s families agreed to the union.  They determined if the couple were well suited for one another. This could even happen in childhood.

When a public announcement was made the couple became betrothed.  Betrothal was a public ratification of the relationship. It usually began when the girl was about 12 years old. It was formally made with rejoicing in the house of the bride. Any one of the parties could reject the betrothal up until the public announcement.

Once announced, the betrothal was considered binding and could be broken only be death or divorce.  She was considered his legal wife.  He would give her a piece of money before the witnesses and seal it with the words, "Lo, thou art betrothed to me." This was the equivalent of a civil contract to be wed. 

Marriage finally occurred many months later.  Betrothal was concluded generally at the end of a year when the woman would transfer her residence to the man’s house.

While Mary and Joseph were betrothed, they were not yet married.  They had not started their lives as husband and wife. Betrothal could be broken only by death and divorce.

The Known Part of the Christmas Story

Into that scene we find Joseph wrestling with in enormous, unexpected burden. (Matthew 1:18-19)

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.

Joseph is wrestling with a tremendous, life altering question.  We do not know how it came to His attention, or who bore the news to him.  Was it Mary?  Did she have an incredibly awkward conversation?  “Hey Joseph (with her head bowed and her eyes downcast), I have something to tell you.  I am pregnant.” 

Knowing that he and Mary had not consummated their marriage he would doubtless have been blown away by this news.  How could this be?  What would he do with this news? His head was swimming, his breath short. 

I imagine he had an exceedingly difficult time understanding anything Mary said next as she explained the situation.  “I have not been with a man…the baby is from the Holy Spirit.”  What does a man do with that kind of message? 

Joseph’s choices seem to be two. He can make a public spectacle of Mary.  By bringing her pregnancy to the forefront he sentences her to sudden and painful death.  The men of the community would stone her because she was unfaithful to Joseph.  He does not desire to do that.

He also thought about quietly putting her away.  He could divorce her without fanfare.  She would still be humiliated but she would live, and he would move on. 

If he does not respond like this the humiliation will be on him.  People will do the math and believe that He has acted inappropriately.  As Matthew mentions he is a man concerned with following the law. He does not want his own reputation besmirched. 

Regardless, what he decides he knows that he has the law behind his actions.  But he also has love. He weighs the options as sleep comes to him.

Then Joseph’s world was rocked by the voice of an angel that came to him in a dream.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph’s 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.”

The angel begins, as angels often do with a message not to be afraid.  Yeah Right!  If an angel starts talking my heart and knees start shaking.   This time the do not fear includes the third option.  He does not just have to choose between divorce and death. He can choose to marry her. 

Joseph is told that he could take Mary as his wife.  The angel confirms Mary’s account that the child would be conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

He is called to take the burden on himself.  He will withstand the worst of the sideways glances.  He will carry the weight of this decision.

Notice Joseph’s faith.  He does not ask why or how.  He simply receives the message about the child’s name and mission.

We learn the name of his son. The boy’s name is Jesus.  The name speaks of the Savior.  Jesus is a common name meaning Savior.  A counterpart of the OT names of Joshua and Hosea.  It means "The Lord Saves” The OT name Joshua-who led the people into the promised land.

His name describes His ministry.  This Jesus would lead the people to eternal life. In Jesus' name people were healed, demons were banished, and sins were forgiven. Jesus came to save us because we cannot save ourselves from sin's consequences. No matter how good we are we cannot get rid of the sinful nature.    

His name implies both help and deliverance.  He does not necessarily depose external foes, but provides freedom from the power, guilt, and penalty of sin.  Christians no longer need to be bound by the corrupting power of evil that enslaves and drags people down to eternal destruction. Jesus takes believers out from under the dominion of sin and brings them into the freedom and joy of a life in the Spirit.

Joseph also hears the same message Mary received about the mission of his son. He is the one who saves people from their sins.   He came for that purpose.  Make no mistake about His agenda.  He was a great teacher, a powerful miracle worker, and the ultimate example of following God.  But He did not come for those things.  He came to save people. 

He came to save you from your sin.  That is the collective body of wrong.  He also came to save you from your sins.  The individual sins that drag you down.  He offers you redemption from all of those.

He is the Savior of all humanity, removing the sins of men. 

Who needs salvation?  Everyone.  The only exception would be the person who began day one without sin and completed his or her life without sin.  Any who does not meet these descriptions would be guilty and need a Savior.

Joseph also heard the stunning message that his son’s life would fulfill the prophecies.   (Verses 22-23)

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”).

Doubtless Joseph would have known the words of Isaiah. (Isaiah 7:14, 8:8)

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 8:8 “and sweep on into Judah, swirling over it, passing through it, and reaching up to the neck. Its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, Immanuel!”

Jesus has a new name, fulfilling the Scripture.  His name is Immanuel (Emmanuel).  God with us.  Always with us.  In every situation.  At all times.  He is there right now with you.

Joseph’s decision was quick and powerful.

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.

Amazing, isn’t it?  An eternity changing message and he makes the decision immediately.  He accepts the message of the Angel and the burden it brings.  He takes Mary as his wife. He names the boy just as He was instructed.

He will take her.  He will bear the humiliation.  He knows she will be ridiculed.  But so will Joseph. Joseph acknowledged God’s plan and stepped forward.  He so trusts God’s plan that He will refrain from a physical relationship with her until after Jesus is born.

The Rest of the Story

Six scenes of Joseph’s later life help us understand more about this godly, committed man.

• He presented Jesus at the temple (Luke 2:22-ff)

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”…  ³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. ^[1]

Joseph fulfilled the expectation of presenting his son at the temple. God presented God’s Son to God!  As the leader of his family Joseph fulfilled the law.

 

• Joseph leads his family to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)

Joseph is given the second of four dreams Scripture records.

¹³ When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” ¹⁴ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and left for Egypt, ¹⁵ where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

As with his first dream, Joseph followed God’s direction.  He was willing to obey God’s command and move his family…and then move them back.

 

• Joseph leads them back from Egypt.

¹⁹ After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt ²⁰ and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” ²¹ So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.

Again, Joseph was obedient to the Lord’s leadership, protecting Jesus.

• Joseph moved his family to Nazareth.

²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, ²³ and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

For the fourth time Joseph has a dream.   For the fourth time he is given specific instructions.  And for the fourth time Joseph leads his family according to God’s instructions.

• They take Jesus to the temple (Luke 2:41-50)

Joseph leads his family in spiritual instruction.  When Jesus was twelve years old the Savior makes the annual trip to Jerusalem.  We see Joseph’s carefulness to lead Jesus according to the law that governed his life.

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” ^{d 50} But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. ^[2]

 

After this trip Luke records that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.  Joseph clearly continued to lead and teach Jesus.  The lessons learned from Joseph caused Jesus’ continued growth.

 

• Joseph trained Jesus in the ways of God and the ways of a carpenter.

Mark 6:3 ³ Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. ^[3]

Matthew 13:55-56 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?”^[4]

Lessons for Living

I offer two challenges as we consider the life of Joseph.

First, copy his character.

• • His thoughtfulness: “After he thought about what to do.”
  • His obedience: “Did as he was told.”
  • His discipline: Took great effort to take care of Mary and Jesus.
  • His love: frantic search for Jesus and his tender care for his son.

Second, respond to his son, Jesus!

I have a question for all who read this blog? Have you accepted the witness of Joseph, have you received the offer of His Son Jesus?

He offers you forgiveness.  You must accept it.  Confess your sin to Him.  Declare your belief in His Son’s death and resurrection.  Ask Him to establish a relationship with you.

Once you have accepted Him, believe Him for His presence.  He is there with you, just as He promised.  He is still Immanuel. He walks with you.  ALWAYS.