The Angel's Announcement to Joseph

1. Joseph was to be the legal father of Jesus but not the biological father of Jesus.

In the genealogy, Joseph is not described as the father of Jesus, but only Mary’s husband.

Matthew 1:16 NIV

and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Matthew 1:18 NIV

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.

Joseph is encouraged to take Mary as his wife instead of divorcing and disgracing her

Matthew 1:19–20 NIV

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. 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.

After the angel’s message, Joseph obeyed the angel’s instructions

Matthew 1:24 NIV

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

2. Jesus was to be the Savior of the world - Jesus’ Purpose

Matthew 1:21 NIV

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.”

Acts 4:10–12 NIV

then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Jesus would later make the claim to be the only way to God

John 14:6 NIV

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

God’s Plan of Salvation

We are all separated from God by our sins - Isa 59:2

Isaiah 59:2 NIV

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

2. By Christ’s death we have been reconciled to God - Col. 1:20-22

Colossians 1:20–22 NIV

and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—

3. Jesus was to be God with us (Immanuel) - Jesus’ Person

Matthew 1:22–23 NIV

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Quote from Isa 7:14

Jesus was both fully God and fully man

John 1:1–3 NIV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

As fully God, Jesus was the light in a dark world

John 1:4–5 NIV

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:9 NIV

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

Jesus was also fully human

John 1:10–14 NIV

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word 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 and truth.

Because Jesus was both God and man, He could be the perfect mediator

1 Timothy 2:5 NIV

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,

Other Notes:

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Colossians 2:9 NIV

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,

God makes Himself fully known to us through Jesus Christ. He reveals Himself as our Redeemer (1 Peter 1:18–19). Jesus is God with us as Reconciler. Once we were separated from God through sin (Isaiah 59:2), but when Jesus Christ came, He brought God to us: “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19, NLT;