Matthew 1:18-25 "You better consider what you're about to do"

“ You better consider what you’re about to do “

Matthew 1:18–25 NIV

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. 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. 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”). 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.

“ You better consider what you’re about to do “

I’m pretty sure

That just about all of us

Have heard those words

Or have even told those words

To someone

Because if you don’t

Consider

What you’re about to do

It’s going to

Change your whole life

And those that’s connected to you

The emphasis on this particular text

in Matthew 1:18-25

Is on & surrounding

the birth of Jesus Christ

But I want to look at this text

From the standpoint and perspective of Joseph

A lot of times

when this story is told

Joseph is overlooked

We feel that

all of the emphasis

and all the attention is on Mary

But I want to suggest

as we look at this particular account

From & thru

the perspective of Joseph

That Joseph played

a major part

And why God chose Mary in the first place

I believe

that God didn't just choose Mary

Because her character was just

But I believe

that God chose Mary

Because she was also

connected to Joseph — [ Joseph considered ]

There's times

that God just won’t bless us

Simply because

Of those who we are

connected to

But when you look at

the life of Mary

God bless Mary

not only because

the Bible stated

That she was highly favored

among the other women

Not just because

she was the only virgin in town

But God bless her

for several reasons

1st. Mary had the right Conduct

2nd. Mary had the right Capacity

3rd. Mary had the right Context

1st. Mary had the right Conduct

Which means She could Have the bless

Note: She had the right ATTITUDE & the right DISPOSITION to be bless

2nd. Mary had the right Capacity

Which means She could Handle the blessing

3rd. Mary had the right Context

Which means She was Hanging around someone

Joseph that is that would not HINDER or HATE on her blessing

Note: Some of you all have not really seen the hand of God because of the people you are connected to

It's important

in having the right connections

And Mary had

the right connection

Mary had

the right man

in her life

at the right time

She had

the kind of person

in her life

That did not

stop God from blessing her ( EXPLAIN )

And when you look at Mary

and Joseph relationship

In order to understand

this text

There’s something

that you must know

about the text

If you just read

verses 18 and 19 in the text

Without getting

a proper understanding

Of what the text

is trying to teach us

You'll walk away

from the text

being biblically confuse

When you look at

verses 18 and 19

It would look like

these two verses

are contradicting each other

In verse 18

it says that Mary was

“ Pledge to be married to Joseph “

And if you compare

verse 18 to verse 19

It would appear

as if the two verses

are contradicting each other

Verse 19

refers to Joseph as her husband

Matthew 1:19 (NIV) 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.

So when you look at

verse 19

It really appears

as if they are already married

But if you look back

at verse 18

The Bible says

she was pledge

to be married to Joseph

So to completely understand

verse 18 and verse 19

You have to understand

their culture

Note: The two verses look like they are contradicting each other but in all reality Joseph is really in the waiting process and some stuff breaks out while he’s in the waiting process.

There was 3 stages in the relationship in their culture

1st. Phase 1 — was called the engagement stage

In the engagement stage

the parents of the boy and the girl

Would make an arrangement

with each other

And they would decide

that they wanted their children

to be married

The bible suggest

in their custom

those two individuals

They would enter into

an engagement point

That engagement

was not based

on the children desire

It was based on

the desire of the parents

But when the relationship grew

beyond that stage

The second phase of the relationship kicked in

1st. Phase 1 — was called the engagement stage

2nd. Phase 2 — was called the Betrothal stage

And the betrothal stage

was when the two children

would meet

When they was about

12 to 13 years old

And what they would do

is they would agree

To the terms

that their parents had agreed to

The betrothal stage

was the most critical and crucial stage

In the relationship

Because in the betrothal stage

The agreement

was considered binding

The boy and the girl

did not live together

But the law stated

that the agreement

in the betrothal

They was considered

to be husband and wife

The woman was pledge

to the man

And in the eyes of the law

they was considered

husband and wife

In fact

the agreement

was so binding

That if the two children

wanted out of the relationship

They had to file

a letter of divorcement

This betrothal relationship

lasted for 12 months

And after the year was over

1st. Phase 1 — was called the engagement stage

2nd. Phase 2 — was called the Betrothal stage

3rd. Phase 3 — was called the ceremonial stage

Now the boy and the girl

could join together

in a ceremony

And the ceremony

would last seven days

And they would live together

as husband and wife

In the betrothal stage

it was a period

that lasted one year

The future husband

and the future wife

Could not come together

for any kind of intimacy or interaction

But when you look at the text

in verse 18

We pick up Mary and Joseph

in the second phase of the relationship

They are in the betrothal stage

Mary & Joseph

have already met

Mary and Joseph

have already agreed to the terms

However the Bible says

in verse 19

That something happened

while Joseph was waiting

While Joseph is waiting

for his wife Mary

Joseph gets word

that Mary is already pregnant

( While Joseph is WAITING )

Note: It’s often times the devil attacks us while we are waiting

And somebody today

is frustrated because you feel

You've been waiting in vain

Joseph must have felt frustrated

And thought he was

the only one waiting

Keep in mind

he was living holy

He was not having sex

And here it is

the woman that he's waiting for

is pregnant

So in Joseph's mind

he feels

That he have been

in this thing

all by himself

There's nobody in the relationship

waiting but Him ( FRUSTRATED ) — you to feel by yourself

And Joseph

is probably thinking

that he has missed God

And it's normal

to think that

we have missed God

When ALL HELL has broken out when we’re waiting on God — ( MISSED GOD )

But what Joseph does

He considers

EVERYTHING at hand

“You better consider what you’re about to do”

1st It might just be the work of The Holy Spirit

Matthew 1:18 (NIV)

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.

You have to consider

What you’re about to do

Because the Holy Spirit

Will go AGAINST

Your Law - Your System - Your Beliefs - Your Rules - Your Will

You have to consider

Because We just don’t know

at times

what the Holy Spirit

could be doing in our life

Note: I used to think that ANYTHING BAD was not of God

Note: That’s why we have to submit to the authority of the Holy Spirit every day over our life

Why?

would God

allow Mary

to become pregnant like this

as if

she has been unfaithful

For her

To be

A public disgrace

And people

Talking behind her back

Also for Joseph

to go thru

the stress

that his wife

has become unfaithful to him

WHY ??

1st God is Sovereign

2nd It’s God’s will

Note: For Jesus to be sinless He had to be born like this

Example: ( Joseph )

Genesis 45:7–8 (NIV) 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.

3rd His ways are not our ways

Isaiah 55:8–9 (NIV) 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Note: The reason why we make some wrong decisions is because we THINK to much

4th To fulfill His promise

Isaiah 7:14–23 (KJV 1900) 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.

“You better consider what you’re about to do”

1st It might just be the work of The Holy Spirit

2nd It has to Honor God

Matthew 1:19–20 (NIV) 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. 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.

Joseph was a Faithful man

He genuinely loved Mary

and yet

the word came

that she was pregnant

His love for her

was demonstrated

by his actions

He chose not to create

a public scandal

by exposing her condition

to the judges at the city gate

Such an act

could have resulted

in Mary’s death by stoning

If Joseph wouldn’t have considered his situation look what would have happen

1st He wouldn’t have Honored God

2nd He would have been outside the Will of God

3rd Mary would have been stone

4th Jesus wouldn’t have been born to die for our sins

Note: Every decision we make, so many people are involved and can be EFFECTED & AFFECTED by our decision

Note: By Joseph considering his situation he kept his FEELINGS & his PERSPECTIVE out of the situation

Note: I believe because of Joseph’s Faithfulness to the Law, God had to HONOR Joseph situation

“You better consider what you’re about to do”

1st It might just be the work of The Holy Spirit

2nd It has to Honor God

3rd You have to Hear from God

Matthew 1:20–21 (NIV) 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. 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.”

Note: God speaks to us thru His Word / His Spirit / People / Circumstances / Possibly dreams

Note: Before we make any decision, we have to get in a place Physically, Mentally & Spiritually to hear from God

Note: Instead of Joseph making an INSTANT DECISION he makes a TIMELY DECISION by just going to sleep [ INSTNT - TIMELY DECISIONS ]

Note: This situation wore Joseph out to where the best thing for him to do is just go to sleep

Note: Never make a decision when you are HALT [ H - Hungry / A - Anger / L- Lonely / T- Tired ]

Note: And I believe that Joseph was at least 3 out of the HALT

Joseph was able

To hear from God

In a dream

By an Angel

There’s 3 different types of Angels

1st— God has Magnifying Angels

2nd—God has Mighty Angels

3rd—God has Ministering Angels

And because

Of Joseph dream now

There would be

misunderstanding in the community

and much gossip

at the well

but Joseph

knew the true story

of Mary’s pregnancy

and God’s will for his life.

“You better consider what you’re about to do”

1st It might just be the work of The Holy Spirit

2nd It has to Honor God

3rd You have to Hear from God

4th You have to Heed God’s word

Matthew 1:24–25 (NIV)

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.