A Life Lived According to the Christmas Truth

Splitting the remainder of the chapter into two parts.

We begin with verse 18 where some context about the birth of Christ is laid out. There are a few facts we should keep in mind. The mother of Jesus, Mary, was betrothed to Joseph. This betrothal was a legally binding agreement and was not just something that could be broken off. It was found out that Mary was pregnant during their engagement. We are also informed that the pregnancy is from the Holy Spirit. A divine miracle where the Son of God is conceived. This plays such an important role as we understand the sinless nature of Jesus, yet fully human physically. This is only something that could have been accomplished by God Himself.

As we look to verse 19, we learn three things about how it is that we ought to live. These are very different things yet vital to living for Christ. First, we should

Live in a Just Way

We can all imagine the devastation that Joseph must have felt. I’m sure that He went through a range of emotions regarding Mary being pregnant that included both sadness and anger. According to Jewish law, Joseph had every right to ridicule Mare and subject her to great punishment. Instead, he decides to divorce her quietly. This was also an option.

Because Joseph was a just man, he did the honorable thing. 1 Peter 2:24 reminds us that because Jesus died on the cross, we must die to ourselves and live to righteousness. I believe that the righteous thing to do is not always the easy thing to do. In the case of Joseph, it would have been easier based on the hurt that he felt to punish Mary for what it seemed like she had done.

In so many areas of life, just because you can doesn’t mean that you should. As followers of Christ, we have been called to live in a manner of holiness that is worthy of being associated with God.

If we think about living in a righteous or just manner, the standard is God. I say that because He has set the standard for what living in a right ways is. Let’s consider our sin, for instance. We have sinned against a holy God, violating His commandments. By the letter of the law, we are deserving of hell. Yet, because our God is merciful, we have been afforded an opportunity to live in heaven with the Father. So, the way that we should live is not just justice by the law but justice according to the nature of God.

We give mercy and grace. We love when the love is not reciprocated. The way that Joseph treated Mary in this difficult situation is an example of that.

Receive Comfort From the Lord

Joseph then is informed in a dream that runs contrary to the plans that he has already made. God steps in and provides information that, while extremely alarming, would have provided him with a great deal of comfort. It mean that Mary did not act in a way that would have needed punishment.

We ought not run from the comfort of the Lord. Even when it seems as though the comfort is even more scary. To accept what was told to him in this dream meant that Joseph would need to be seen in public with his betrothed who was with child. While there are no recorded details of these sorts of interactions, it would seem obvious to me that this would have been awkward for Joseph.

While the explanation gives comfort to Him that Mary had not been unfaithful, the future was uncertain as to how Joseph and Mary would have been viewed in the public. Despite the clear divine intervention here, Joseph could have still determined that he was going to follow through with his plan and divorce Mary because that was the easy thing to do.

Instead, because we know the rest of the story, we know that Joseph cares for Mary and eventually comes to marry her. He is used in the plan of God because he was obedient to the Lord and remained in His will.

With our lives, we will always come into situations that are difficult to wrap our minds around. Yet, we must seek the Lord and His will and then cling to it with every thing that we have because it is everything that we have.

This angel of the Lord gives comfort to Joseph about the current situation and then tells Him about the future of this baby as well as the rest of humanity! Finally this morning, we must

Live Trusting in Freedom From Sin

More information is revealed. Mary will give birth to a son and Joseph is given information as to what the boy should be named. The name Jesus means ‘Yahweh Saves’. So it makes plenty of sense that they boy that is born would be born with the sole purpose of saving people from their sin.

More specifically, it is His people. We should be reminded that God desires to save all people but those who seek the Lord and believe will be saved.

All of what has been told to Joseph up to this point was to comfort him but this is the ultimate comfort for all people. Because without Jesus, we are all in need of saving from our sins. To know that God reached down and sent His son to save our sins ought to give us comfort this morning.

Joseph was comforted in a humiliating situation. The ultimate comfort is found in salvation from the Lord. He was a just man which is why He was used by God. Because you and I have been saved from our sin, we too can live in the same righteousness because of Jesus. While we were sinners, Christ came and lived and died and was raised from the dead so that we might live in that same righteousness.