A Man of Integrity

Introduction

Every single one of us has driven over a bridge. Most of us drive over bridges of some sort each and every day in our commutes to work, school, home, practices, etc. Some bridges are small and only span a short distance. Some bridges are only a relatively short height off the ground. Other bridges, though, are massive—they are hundreds of feet above the surface of water, a canyon, the ground. Others span a great distance. You’ve probably been on those before—the Bay Bridge connecting Mobile to Spanish Fort and Daphne, for example.

Regardless of how tall, how long, or what design a bridge is, one thing matters more than anything else—its structural integrity. The structural integrity of a bridge is a matter of life and death—safety or catastrophe.

One of the main factors of the structural integrity of a bridge is its load-bearing capacity. Engineers must calculate the maximum weight a bridge can support, including its weight and expected traffic loads. Safety factors are built in (to account for unexpected stresses). These factors ensure the bridge can handle loads beyond normal conditions.

This Advent season, we are doing a deep-dive into the life of the earthly father of Jesus—Joseph. Joseph was a man whose life SUDDENLY came under immense stress and pressure and, as we see in Matthew 1, he was a man whose “structural integrity” was a crucial (yet overlooked) part in the birth story of Jesus.

If you have a copy of God’s Word, join me in Matthew chapter one. If you don’t have a bible this morning, we will have the scripture on the screen so that you can read and follow along, too.

READ SCRIPTURE

>>TRANSITION<<

In the introduction of his Gospel, Matthew gives us the human lineage of Jesus. We went through that, last week, in the first part of chapter one.

Now, Matthew explains Jesus’ divine nature.

Vs 18—“she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”

Remember, Jesus is not simply a good human or a good teacher. He is the God-man. 100% God & 100% man.

This unique circumstance really revealed Joseph’s integrity.

MAIN IDEA Joseph was a man of RIGHTEOUS INTEGRITY.

The Dictionary defines integrity as “the quality of being honest, having strong moral principles, and acting ethically.”

Integrity isn’t just “telling” the truth. It is “living” the truth. Living in such a way that you have nothing to hide//be ashamed of.

One way to define integrity—Integrity is who you are when no one else is watching. The real you.

Joseph was a man of “righteous” integrity.

Righteous integrity is rooted in...

1. Justice and Mercy (vs. 19)

Matthew tells us that Mary had been “betrothed” to Joseph.

Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary (ii. The Origin and Name of Jesus the Messiah (1:18–25))

In Jewish law betrothal, which lasted about one year, was much more than our engagement. It was a binding contract, terminable only by death (which left the betrothed a ‘widow’) or by a divorce as for a full marriage. The man was already the husband (v. 19), but the woman remained in her father’s house. The marriage was completed when the husband took the betrothed to his home in a public ceremony (v. 24; cf. 25:1–13); thus they came together, and sexual intercourse could begin.

Now, notice, Matthew is very specific—“before they came together”—implying in a sexual way. She was a virgin. They were living in accordance with God’s word and were waiting until their marriage was official before having sex.

But, legally, though, Mary was under the authority of Joseph as her “husband.”

And, according to OT law (Deuteronomy 22), a woman found to be unfaithful in marriage was to be put publicly on trial—bringing much shame to her and her family—and even publicly stoned to death. There was no other real option.

So, Joseph, legally, had every right to have Mary put to death. At this point in the story, he didn’t know that the Holy Spirit was the one who conceived this baby in her womb. I mean…if she tried to tell him that up front, how crazy and unbelievable is that?!?!

Let’s think about how WE would react. We’ve just been humiliated. We’ve been hurt. We’ve been betrayed…and, from a financial standpoint, Joseph has been paying her father to buy her hand in marriage…so, he’s out a lot.

But, the key verse: (19)—He was a “just man and unwilling to put her to shame.”

What we see here in Joseph’s character are two primary components of righteous integrity—JUSTICE and MERCY (COMPASSION).

Justice: in right accordance with the law—upholding the law. What she—AND JOSEPH—deserved.

Mercy: not giving (or getting) what the law demands.

Righteousness is a combination of both. It’s not just upholding the law. Biblical righteousness includes mercy. This God’s character—and is what God calls US to.

Micah 6:8 (ESV)

He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

Application

People are going to hurt you. You know, Joseph didn’t know at this point, that the Holy Spirit was responsible for all this.

I can’t even imagine the shock…the pain…the betrayal.

Jumping to conclusions…well, this is what they REALLY think about me…this is who they REALLY ARE.

We like to act swiftly and execute the full extent of the law. We love to be judge, jury, and executioner. We love the justice part…but the “merciful” part?!?!

Righteous integrity is equal parts justice and mercy—even when we’re the one who has been wronged.

And, so, without any insight into what’s actually happened, here, Joseph acts with integrity. It’s easy to have integrity when things are easy. But when the stress and heavy burden of difficulty comes—that’s when your structural integrity really shows itself.

Matthew tells us, in verse 20, that as Joseph was “considering” these things…that word, in Greek, literally gives the picture of someone wrestling/tossing and turning/being heavily weighed down in the heart and even angry over a situation.

And, even though he’s acted with righteous integrity, he’s struggling. He’s angry, he’s confused, he’s hurt…man, he’s struggling. And, right in the midst of his struggle, he’s visited by an angel who says to him (vs. 20)…

Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife…

You see, the second thing that RIGHTEOUS INTEGRITY is rooted in is…

2. Faith that rules over Fear

(vs. 20—24)

Not only would Joseph be dealing with personal pain…he most likely would have been faced with social pressure.

This is an extremely complicated situation for Joseph. From all appearances, Mary had been unfaithful. She had conceived a child with another man out of wedlock. This, again, is most likely what Joseph is assuming, too. It’s the only logical explanation to why she’s pregnant!

In this culture, again, as I explained earlier, sexual infidelity and immorality was taken very seriously. The man was expected to expose the sin of an unfaithful woman. In the eyes of those in this little town of Nazareth, if Joseph didn’t divorce her and execute the full demand of the law, he would be seen as weak and even unfaithful, himself!

By choosing not to shame Mary, Joseph was risking bringing shame on himself.

And, here, in this middle of the night—tossing and turning—sleep, an angel appears to Joseph. And this angel essentially tells him…don’t be afraid…live by faith. And the angel proceeds to drop another bomb on him. Can you imagine? He’s dealing with this devastating reality that his betrothed wife is pregnant—and the baby isn’t his—and now he’s got an angel visiting him in a dream and telling him—“Joseph, you’re right, the baby isn’t yours. It’s God’s. And, on top of that, you need to go through with this because it’s God’s plan. It’s God’s will. It doesn’t make any logical sense. It’s probably going to cost you some things. But are you willing to take God at His word?”

Application

Look. Righteous integrity is rooted in living and obeying God by faith rather than caving to fear.

Are you more worried about what people will think about you/say about you or are you concerned with obeying God/righteousness?

Students/Adults/College—you’re at a party and there is the temptation to drink/over drink…part of that group and people are gossiping, slandering someone…

What are they going to think? What are they going to say about me? How are they going to judge me?

3. A heart that desires please God rather than self.

(vs. 25)

Matthew ends this passage by giving us one more insight into Joseph’s righteous integrity. He tells us in verse 25 that Joseph “knew her not until she had given birth to a son.”

Now, I don’t want to be crass, here but this is a very important point. Mary was already pregnant. No one would have ever known. They were already “betrothed.” They could have consummated their relationship with sex—but they didn’t.

Joseph chose to honor God and honor Mary by putting aside his own pleasure. His own desire.

Application

I just want to say a word of loving truth, here. For a long time, now, our culture has divorced how we view sex and marriage from what God’s Word says. For many couples, it’s more convenient to move in together and live together and live in a sexual relationship together before marriage. Listen…I counsel a lot of young couples in preparation for marriage. Time and time again, I’ve heard couples say “well, from a financial standpoint we need to live together.” Many couples who are in a serious relationship go ahead and move in together and live together—doing everything a married couple does—because “that’s just the way it’s done now” or because “it’s the way we’ve chosen to do it.”

There’s a temptation to look at this text and say “Well, that’s the way they did it in their culture. It’s different now.”

Let me be clear—God’s design for sex and for marriage is not defined by culture or what time period you’re living in or by your own desire or interpretation of scripture. God’s word is clear. Sex is a good gift from God to be enjoyed ONLY in the confines of covenant marriage. Not by boyfriends and girlfriends. Not by live in girlfriends and boyfriends and fiancees.

Do you want to do what’s convenient or do you want to live in obedience to God’s word? If you claim to be a Christian/if you’re saved are you choosing your own personal pleasure over pleasing the One who created you, saved you, and is the designer of sex and marriage? He has a plan and a design that is for His glory and for our greatest good.

I don’t want to limit this area of righteous integrity to just sexual integrity. I said earlier that one of the definitions of integrity is “who you are when no one else is watching.” Are you walking in righteousness? Are you walking in the light—in the decisions you make, in the words, the things that you’re watching, listening to, etc.? It matters.

CONCLUSION

Joseph was a man of righteous integrity who practiced justice and mercy, who lived by faith rather than fear, and who sought to please God rather than himself.

You know, you might be sitting there and you’ve heard God’s Word this morning and the Holy Spirit is convicting you of an area in your life where you aren’t walking/living in righteous integrity. Maybe you aren’t seeking justice and mercy/compassion. Maybe you’ve caved to the fear of what other people will say or think about you rather than trusting and obeying God by faith. Maybe you’ve been living a life of pleasing your own desires rather than pleasing God.

Listen. We don’t always, all the time, live in righteousness. We fall short. In fact, the Bible says, “there are none righteous—no not one.” We cannot live up to God’s righteous standard. And as unrighteous people we deserve the full penalty OF the law.

That’s why we need a Savior…we need rescue. We need the righteousness of another—who is, always has been, and always will be righteous…Jesus.

The angel tells Joseph that this child, this “God-in-the-flesh” human, will be the the one who saves his people from their sins.

Good news—PRAISE GOD THAT HE IS FAITHFUL, MERCIFUL, HE IS FORGIVING AND HE IS JUST WHEN WE FAIL.

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.