Joseph’s Unexpected Journey

Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew 1:18–25 (NLT)

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.

25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

INTRODUCTION:

A- Background

So far in our look at some snapshots of the first Christmas we have looked at:

A Clueless World and Our Compassionate God

An Ordinary Girl Named Mary

Today, we will look at Joseph’s Unexpected Journey.

TS: Let’s examine two things about Joseph’s Unexpected Journey:

I- THE CALL TO TAKE AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

(Matthew 1:18-23)

A- The call comes at an unexpected time.(Matthew 1:18)

Matthew 1:18 (NLT)

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Life from Joseph’s point of view:

Life was continuing as it had always been.

The generations continue (Matthew 1:1-17)

Matthew 1:1–17 (NLT)

1 This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.

3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram.

4 Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon.

5 Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse.

6 Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).

7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asa.

8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram. Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.

9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.

10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amon. Amon was the father of Josiah.

11 Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).

12 After the Babylonian exile: Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.

13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor.

14 Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Akim. Akim was the father of Eliud.

15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob.

16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

17 All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

His life was progressing as it should for a carpenter.

He was in his engagement period with his betrothed, Mary. (Matthew 1:18)

Matthew 1:18 (NLT)

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Life from our point of view:

Everything seems to be going as it has always gone.

The sun rises and sets as it has always done.

Life at home and at work continues in the same patterns as always.

Just as it was for the early disciples:

James and John were looking forward to lives as successful commercial fishermen. (see Luke 5:1-11)

(Luke 5:10-11)

Luke 5:10–11 (NLT)

10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”

11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

Matthew and Zacchaeus were pursuing their goals as Roman tax collectors.

(Luke 19:1-5)

Luke 19:1–5 (NLT)

1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.

2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.

3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.

4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

(Matthew 9:9)

Matthew 9:9 (NLT)

9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

God calls us to an unexpected journey to follow Him in salvation.

It is a journey that requires repentance (Luke 13:3)

Luke 13:3 (NLT)

3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.

It is a journey that requires faith. (Mark 1:15)

Mark 1:15 (NLT)

15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

God calls us to change directions and pursue a particular path of service to Him.

B- The call requires conscious choices. (Matthew 1:19-20)

Matthew 1:19–20 (NLT)

19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

The call came to Joseph through heart-wrenching circumstances.

The one Joseph loved and was engaged to is pregnant- but not by him!

The call required Joseph to make some conscious, calculated choices. (Matthew 1:19-20)

Matthew 1:19–20 (NLT)

19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

The call to make an unexpected journey come to us.

The world that has continued to operate smoothly for so long suddenly changes.

The call to start the unexpected journey demands that we make some conscious, calculated choices.

C- The call promises divine intervention. (Matthew 1:21-23)

Matthew 1:21–23 (NLT)

21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ”

The call that Joseph received was one that promised divine intervention.

Divine intervention that involved Joseph’s participation.

Divine intervention that promised divine direction and empowerment.

The call that you and I receive also promises divine intervention.

Divine intervention in salvation and transformation.

(Romans 10:13)

Romans 10:13 (NLT)

13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Divine intervention promised to direct and empower the journey.

(Matthew 28:18-20)

Matthew 28:18–20 (NLT)

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

(Acts 1:8)

Acts 1:8 (NLT)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

II- THE COMMITMENT REQUIRED TO TAKE AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY (Matthew 1:24-25)

Matthew 1:24–25 (NLT)

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.

25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

A- The commitment requires immediate obedience. (Matthew 1:24)

Matthew 1:24 (NLT)

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.

1- With Joseph, it was imperative that his obedience be immediate.

a. Delayed obedience could have cost the lives of both Mary and Jesus.

Jewish law called for Mary to be stoned to death.

2- For you and I, the time-frame for obedience can be small.

a. Delayed obedience can make the difference between an opportunity seized or opportunity lost.

Opportunity to witness to an individual

Opportunity to encourage a fellow believer

B- The commitment requires continued obedience. (Matthew 1:25)

Matthew 1:25 (NLT)

25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

1- When Joseph made the choice to obey the angel’s command, he was making a lifelong commitment.

a. It was a commitment to carrying out the day-by-day lifestyle to accomplish God’s will.

He needed to live out the day-by-day commitment to fulfill the scriptural prophecy of the virgin birth. (Matthew 1:22-23)

Matthew 1:22–23 (NLT)

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ”

b. It was not just to helping give birth to the Son of God, it was also to raising Him.

Raising Jesus meant teaching Him and leading Him in godliness. This involved circumcision, worship in the temple, etc. (Luke 2:21-24)

Luke 2:21–24 (NLT)

21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.

23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.”

24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

This involved doing what was necessary to protect Jesus from those who wanted to kill him. (Matthew 2:13-18)

Matthew 2:13–18 (NLT)

13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,

15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”

16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.

17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

18 “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”

Note: Joseph was still in the picture when Jesus was 12 years old! (Luke 2:41-50)

Luke 2:41–50 (NLT)

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.

42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual.

43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first,

44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

45 When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there.

46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions.

47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”

49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.

2- For you and I, the call of God is to a lifelong commitment to discipleship and service.

a. We are to offer our lives as living sacrifices. (Romans 12:1-2)

Romans 12:1–2 (NLT)

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

CONCLUSION: