Christmas Characters pt3- Joseph

What kind of man is able to parent God’s Son? That is the question I can never stop thinking about this time of year.

Dad’s are important in the life of a child. If you need proof of that, ask someone who grew up without one, or worse, ask someone who grew up with a bad one.

Or you can do the reverse. Ask someone who grew up with a good one, or who had someone step into the role when their dad did not or could not measure up. Dads are vital to our upbringing.

And since Jesus was no ordinary child- and remember He would be subject to the same temptations as us, so a lack of paternal relationship would have the same tempting effects it would have on us- and He would need a dad, and so who would be the kind of man to raise God’s Son?

So I think it is significant that we are introduced to Joseph, before Jesus is born, as we are introduced to Mary.

Go with me to Matthew 1:18-25.

So a little background real quick on 2 points:

The genealogy in the opening verses traces the line of David to Joseph- significant because the Messiah had to be from the line of David according to prophecy.

Joseph and Mary were engaged- viewed from a legal standpoint as married, but not living together or sleeping together. Which is also vital from a prophecy standpoint.

So these opening verses serve a purpose to make the Jewish prophetic connections clear- which makes sense given Matthew’s audience.

Now to Joseph.

v18 drops the bomb that Mary is pregnant- and the kid is not Joseph’s-

Matthew 3. The Virginal Conception: God Becomes Human (1:18–25)

Engagement in ancient Judaism was legally binding and required divorce if it were to be broken, but sexual relations and living together under one roof were not permitted until after the marriage ceremony. Joseph could therefore be spoken of already as Mary’s husband, but Matthew emphasizes this was “before they came together

but it verse 19 and 20 that tell us what kind of man God has chosen to raise His Son

A “just” man

This is a BIG word in the Greek:

law abiding- keeps the Torah

upright in character- known as a man who is moral and kind

obedient to God- He does what God says to do

Matthew 3. The Virginal Conception: God Becomes Human (1:18–25)

He is called a “righteous” man, which for Matthew does not imply sinless perfection but regularly refers to one who is law-abiding, upright in character, and generally obedient and faithful to God’s commandments

“Unwilling to put her to shame”

Joseph could have made a big deal out of this situation- he had a right to a public divorce, legal proceedings- this would have ruined her life and future prospects of marriage- disgraced her family- and most likely destroyed them financially

But his choice is to forgo all of this and make a quiet end to their engagement.

This is the kind of man Joseph is- he puts other, even those he believe has wronged him, ahead of himself.

Matthew 3. The Virginal Conception: God Becomes Human (1:18–25)

Here Joseph’s righteousness leads him to want to spare Mary the disgrace of public divorce and censure and the legal proceedings for a suspected adulteress (m. Sota 1:1, 5). Jewish laws typically required a man to divorce an adulterous wife (m. Sota 5:1), but Joseph proposes to divorce her “quietly,” which is perhaps better translated “privately” (Goodspeed), in the sense of a settlement out of court.

In short, a servant.

And finally, one more characteristic. Look at verse 20- he “considered” these things

Joseph is also patient. He does not make rash decisions. He waits before deciding what to do about Mary.

Can we stop and think on that for a moment. What is Jesus like- He is a just man and a servant. The characteristics we see in His earthly father and His Heavenly Father.

The Son reflects both of His fathers.

Now Joseph is not perfect, like God the Father, but he has the character of the Father Jesus knows.

And we will see that even more on display in the next verses.

But first, God intervenes in the decision.

Look at verses 20-23

God tells Joseph the whole thing, everything that is going on and will occur:

Mary has been faithful

Here is what you will name the baby

Here is why this is happening

and this is the result- Immanuel- God with us

Matthew 3. The Virginal Conception: God Becomes Human (1:18–25)

He reminds Joseph of his messianic lineage by calling him “son of David.” He commands Joseph not only not to divorce Mary but to go ahead and marry her. The child will therefore legally be Joseph’s son and thus legally son of David

Can you imagine having this dream?

And waking up with the weight of this responsibility on your shoulders? To go from, my fiancee cheated on me to I am tasked with raising the Savior of the world.

That is the ultimate 180. And we should all bear in mind, Joseph has a choice to make.

And his decision is in line with his character. Look at verse 24- 25.

He is obedient and righteous

He is patient

Matthew 3. The Virginal Conception: God Becomes Human (1:18–25)

In keeping with his “righteous” character (v. 19), Joseph obeys the Lord’s directives (vv. 24–25b). Verse 25a goes beyond what the angel explicitly commands but further refutes any claim that might be made then or later that Joseph himself was Jesus’ biological father. The grammatical construction translated “until” strongly suggests (but does not prove) that Mary and Joseph proceeded to have normal sexual relations after Jesus’ birth

All this for what? To fulfill what God has said needs to happen to save the world.