Joseph: A Just Man
Topical: Christmas • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Has God ever asked you to do something difficult?
God seems to have a way of doing that.
God asked Noah to build a giant ship due to an impending flood, even though it had never rained.
God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son even though the promise was to come through him.
God asked Joseph, Abraham’s great grandson, to endure hardship and false accusations, even though he chose to do right.
God asked Moses to lead His people, even though he was a murderer and the people would rebel against him.
God asked Elijah to stand up against the bloodthirsty Jezebel and Ahab, even though they had made a practice of killing God’s prophets.
God asked Daniel to live righteously even though he was in a land where God was all but forgotten.
And we will see that God asked Joseph, son of Jacob, husband of Mary, to marry and care for Mary, even though she was suddenly with child and would be sought after by a raving lunatic king.
God uses all kinds of people, sometimes asks them to do very difficult things, as he did with Joseph, but the blessings are always greater than the costs.
Joseph is crucial to Christmas, as we will see.
Joseph: A just man who was just a man:
I. A Proper Man (Matt. 1:18)
II. A Compassionate Man (Matt. 1:19)
III. A Pensive Man (Matt. 1:20-23)
IV. A Prudent Man (Matt. 1:24-25)
V. A Protective Man (Matt. 2:13-23)
I. A Proper Man
I. A Proper Man
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
Joseph was a proper Jewish man, who followed the laws and customs of his people in a proper way.
The Jewish betrothal arrangement was different than we have here in America.
The arrangement was made between the parents, usually, and the couple was officially betrothed, or engaged as we might call it, but it was not considered the same as we consider engagement today.
This was a lawfully binding agreement, and could only be ended in divorce.
This typically lasted about a year, with the intention that the purity of the bride would be proven.
The only differences between betrothal and marriage were that the woman continued to live in her father’s home and the marriage was not consummated.
This was the proper way to do things, and Joseph was going to do things the proper way.
Notice that the text says that Mary “was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit”.
This passive voice suggests that the fact of Mary’s pregnancy was known to others - especially to Joseph, from who’s perspective this entire narrative is written.
This was a huge revelation for Joseph. It was during the one year waiting period, and now all the plans for a proper marriage had vanished.
Remember, Joseph is a “proper man”, which the phrase “before they came together” further reveals.
Joseph was committed to purity and keeping intimacy within the bounds of marriage, as God intended. It was the Proper thing to do.
But now his betrothed is found to be with child, but she is claiming to still be a virgin, and that it was God Himself that created the life within her.
But since when does that happen?
Joseph stands as our example to this world in which we live.
A world in which the intimacy of marriage has become a casual affair…we live in a “hook-up culture”...
A culture that has cheapened and degraded that which God designed to be holy, pure, and filled with pleasure within marriage.
We need to remind this world that God’s ways are the best ways - and Joseph, that man always standing next to Mary in the nativity scenes, is a good example for us to follow.
We need a PROPER, biblical view of intimacy.
Joseph was a Proper Man.
II. A Compassionate Man
II. A Compassionate Man
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
The verse uses the word “husband”, but this was still during the betrothal period. It was taken so seriously that they were referred to as husband and wife.
Also, we come to the Bible’s main word used to describe Joseph and perhaps why God chose him to raise the Son of God…Joseph was just.
This quality of justice prohibited him from marrying a non-virgin, but notice how Joseph’s justice is balanced with his compassion…a trait that God shares with us!
He could have made this a publically humiliating and even deadly issue for Mary. That would be just, but Joseph was also compassionate.
It says that he didn’t want “to make her a public example.”
As Mary’s betrothed husband, he had certain rights legally when it came to his betrothed wife being pregnant before they had been intimate.
“If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a husband, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he humbled his neighbor’s wife; so you shall put away the evil from among you.
This was Joseph’s legal right, which he is pondering here in this verse.
Matthew 1:19 (NKJV)
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
The way this is worded suggests that Joseph had all but made up his mind to do this.
This would have been a private legal transaction, behind closed doors, where Joseph would have signed the necessary documents and annulled the betrothal.
Mary would have then stayed living in her father’s home in shame and Joseph would be free to marry another.
Joseph’s sense of righteousness on one hand and his sense of compassion on the other hand and he’s trying to make sense out of all of this.
Mary had told Joseph that it was not an act of adultery that caused her pregnancy.
In verse 18, Matthew clearly states that she was “found to be with child of the Holy Spirit”.
That was Mary’s explanation to Joseph. What would you do with that kind of explanation?
We have the luxury of being able to read this text beginning to end - Joseph was living it in real time!
And his compassion for Mary caused him to pause and consider his situation.
We need more compassion in this world…more compassionate men, women, teens, and children.
One of my sons messaged me this last week with this statement:
“Kind words do not cost much yet they accomplish much.”
Joseph was a Kind, Compassionate Man.
III. A Pensive Man
III. A Pensive Man
Matthew 1:20 (NKJV)
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
Notice that Joseph spent some time thinking about this issue.
The word “thought about” is:
[1445] διενθυμέομαι dienthumeomai 1× to revolve thoroughly in the mind, consider carefully, ponder, reflect,
pen•sive \ˈpen(t)-siv\ adjective
[Middle English pensif, from Anglo-French, from penser to think, from Latin pensare to ponder, frequentative of pendere to weigh—more at PENDANT] 14th century
1: musingly or dreamily thoughtful
2: suggestive of sad thoughtfulness
Matthew 1:20 (NKJV)
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
He resisted the urge to allow his emotions to take control.
He could have taken immediate action and been justified in doing so, at least in the eyes of his fellow man, but he chose to wait.
Joseph chose to be pensive - to take some time to think before taking action.
This is something our world needs to have more of!
It’s something Christians need to make an important part of their lives.
And it was while he was thinking that God stepped in and gave him his instructions.
How often do we react to something, even just assume that certain things are true and act upon that without giving it the proper amount of thought?
When we learn to do this, we give ourselves time listen to what God is saying and see what God is doing in that situation!
Notice that along with Joseph’s pensiveness, there was fear mixed in.
Matthew 1:20 (NKJV)
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
What if Mary was right? What if it really was the Holy Spirit that caused this? What did all this mean? This was certainly not a situation he had ever encountered before. Fear of the unknown was certainly present in Joseph’s mind.
God knew this, which is evidenced in the angel’s message, “do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife...”
And then the confirmation of Mary’s claim: “that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”
Joseph’s thoughtful pensiveness gave way to God’s revelation and instructions for action.
This happened because Joseph was listening! He was STILL.
Also, God’s messenger continued to explain the purpose and mission of this miraculous conception.
And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
The instructions and explanation continued.
The name “Jesus” was a common name at that time, and meant, “Yahweh saves”.
The father was in charge of naming the children in a Jewish home.
And more importantly, by naming the son, Joseph officially accepted the child as one of his own.
But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
This was key, as it placed Jesus in the line of David from both earthly parents.
This was a key truth, as the Jewish Messiah must come down from David’s line.
In fact, the angel reminded Joseph of his own messianic lineage by calling him “Joseph, son of David”:
Matthew 1:20 (NKJV)
20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
If the prophecy was to be fulfilled, Jesus would need to have both earthly parents in the line of David…of which both Joseph and Mary were.
5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
The importance of Joseph’s role in Jesus’ birth and life cannot be understated.
Mary needed a husband and Jesus needed an earthly father to raise Him and train Him to be a proper Jewish Man.
Yes, Jesus was God, but He chose to live out His life on earth just like every other man - from cradle to grave.
And the promise of a Messiah from the Davidic line wasn’t the only promise being fulfilled here:
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Joseph had, no doubt, heard this passage read many times in the synagogue. And now he was getting a front row seat - actually he was now a main player - in experiencing this well-known prophecy happening!
Here, Matthew is cutting away from the action to commentate on the scene and give his readers, who were likely Jews, the necessary background of what was happening.
As far as we know, no one ever called Jesus “Emmanuel”, which is a transliteration of the Hebrew word meaning “God with us”.
“Emmanuel” is not Jesus’ name in the same way that “Jesus” is, but names can be more than just what one is called by - a name is how someone is known…it is their identity.
Matthew is developing a key (possibly THE key) Christological doctrine here: the deity of Jesus Christ.
This text underscores the truth that Jesus in none less than God, and that God has come to live among us!
Joseph is a model of careful, thoughtful, self-controlled pensive-mindedness and God used him greatly!
Joseph was a pensive man.
IV. A Prudent Man
IV. A Prudent Man
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
Notice the immediacy of Joseph’s obedience!
The physical, man-centered mind would have thought it more prudent to separate from Mary and start life fresh without all the baggage of an unwed pregnancy…but Joseph knew better.
For him, the most prudent, wise, and careful choice was to obey God and obey God right away.
The verse states that “he took to him his wife”, meaning that he followed through with the final marriage ceremony, permanently making Mary his wife, bringing her into his home to live with and care for.
He does not wait until the customary one year betrothal period was over. He acts right away.
It was what God had said to do, and it no longer mattered what other people thought. This act was a public acceptance of Mary as his wife.
He knew that this was also the most prudent thing for Mary to be cared and provided for, as well as for the little one growing in her womb.
25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
This again reinforces Mary’s virginity at the time of Jesus’ birth.
This also refutes any claim that Joseph was Jesus’ biological father…it was not possible.
This entire scene is an act of love - the prudent choice.
What would you do?
Will we choose what others think is best, or choose to love those that need our love - those that need care and provision?…that God has commanded us to love?
Loving others is certainly a prudent act - it is exactly what God has done for us.
Joseph once again sets the example of being a man of prudence.
V. A Protective Man
V. A Protective Man
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
Now things get complicated, as if they weren’t already!
Not only are you in charge of raising “God with us”, but now you have to travel out of country to a foreign land and you are running for your life.
Joseph had to step up as protector of his family…he had to take God’s warnings seriously!
And God has asked us to do the same.
God has warned us of danger in His word, and He expects us to take it seriously.
What has God been speaking to you about lately?
Probably not in a dream like Joseph, but He speaks through His word and He impresses things on our hearts and minds…the Holy Spirit convicts us of areas that He knows need to change…do we take these warnings from God as serious as Joseph took warning from God?
When God makes something clear…a change needs to be made…a sin needs to be dealt with…a move needs to be made…we need to understand that it’s for our good and the good of our family…and we need to take action to protect ourselves and those whom we love.
We don’t have a mad king hunting us down…we have someone much worse: Satan is our accuser and he is relentlessly pursuing us, like a roaring lion, seeking whom he might devour.
Much like Joseph and his family, we and our families are prey, hunted, and attacked.
We need to protect ourselves and our families.
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
So Joseph steps up, takes initiative, and fulfills his role as Protector.
Good leaders protect the ones under their care, like a shepherd protecting his flock.
Joseph once again wastes no time in obeying.
He chooses to leave under cover of night, when the darkness could help them stay safe.
19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
As they have lived in Egypt, Joseph has continued protecting his family.
And now it is time to protect them once again as they make the journey back to Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.
Archelaus was the son of Herod the Great, but was no less cruel.
Like his father, he too had ordered a massacre of Jews, as the historian Josephus wrote about.
There had been some uprisings during his reign, and he was seeking to stamp them out by means of violence:
The Works of Josephus: New Updated Edition Chapter 9: How the People Raised a Sedition against Archelaus, and How He Sailed to Rome
Now Archelaus thought there was no way to preserve the entire government, but by cutting off those who made this attempt upon it; so he sent out the whole army upon them, and sent the horsemen to prevent those that had their tents without the temple, from assisting those that were within the temple, and to kill such as ran away from the footmen when they thought themselves out of danger; (218) which horsemen slew three thousand men, while the rest went to the neighboring mountains.
This is why Joseph was not willing to move his family back to Bethlehem, although that might have seemed like home to them by now, and maybe even the opportunity for a fresh start.
Matthew 2:22 (NKJV)
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.
Notice that once again, God speaks to Joseph through a dream. This is the fourth time He has done so.
And, as his protective instincts prove, they return to Galilee.
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
Joseph’s protection of the family was so important to God’s plan.
And Joseph’s obedience made that protection possible.
When God gives us direction and teaching through His word, it is for our protection, and we need to follow Joseph’s example.
CONCLUSION:
What has God been asking YOU to do lately?
Are you willing to obey like Joseph, no matter what others think, or what seems to be the best way from the human perspective?
Is there sin in your life that needs to be dealt with…or something else that has come between you and the Lord?
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Or perhaps you need to understand that that same Jesus born to Mary and raised by Joseph came to save you from your sins - from the penalty of sin, which is death.
We enjoy the Christmas season as gifts are given, even cards and messages of warm wishes and Christmas blessings…but the greatest gift that could ever be given has already been given and is being offered to you right now.
John 3:16 (NKJV)
16 For God so loved the world [that’s you] that He gave His only begotten Son,[Jesus] that whoever [you] believes in Him [Jesus] should not perish but have everlasting life.
If you were to tragically die this year, before Christmas, do you know for sure where you will spend eternity?
You can know for sure by believing in Jesus right now!
