Joseph the Just 2024

Ben Trigsted

Christmas 2024 • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

Matthew 1:18–25

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Introduction

This morning I’m going to do something I don’t often do. I’m going to preach the same text I did last week, but focus on something completely different. Specifically, we will focus on Jesus adopted father, Joseph.

I believe Joseph is one of the truly heroic people in the Bible, although the role he plays is very small.

The Bible says very little about him:

He was a descendent of King David;

He was a craftsman of some sort;

And he was one of the few people in the Bible called “just”.

We don’t know much about his life, his death, or who he was.

Joseph isn’t a main character in the grand scheme of the New Testament, yet we can learn something very important from Joseph’s life.

This morning we will look at what it was about Joseph’s character that made Matthew call him “just.”

In doing this, we will find character traits that we would be wise to copy so we too can be “just” in the eyes of the Lord.

Body: Matthew 1:18-25

Why does Matthew call Joseph “just”?

What does the word “just” mean?

The Greek word translates as “righteous” or “upright.”

A just person, therefore, is in right fellowship with God…enough that God is at work in and through their lives.

At the outset, we will notice that a “righteous” person is someone who God is using for the benefit of others. This doesn’t necessarily mean that that person is going to experience those benefits.

Like we talked about with Joseph in Genesis, the point is to be a conduit of blessing to others.

So, again, why does Matthew call Joseph “just”?

Joseph protected Mary despite potential disgrace.

Matthew 1:18–19 ESV

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

To understand this better, we have to understand a little about betrothal.

The agreement was usually arranged by the parents, often without the knowledge of those getting married.

A contract was made and sealed by the payment of a dowry or bride price; set by the bride’s father.

This helped with wedding expenses, plus was an insurance in case the groom decided to divorce her or became dissatisfied in some other way.

They usually had little to no social contact with each other during the betrothal.

A woman found in adultery during a betrothal would often be killed.

Usually three options...

So, back to the text, how did Joseph protect her from potential disgrace?

He didn’t want her to face the public shame of being caught in adultery, so he was going to divorce her quietly (which probably meant insisting that she was sent away).

I imagine Joseph dealt with two frustrations:

Everyone in town would have assumed he did it.

He knew he wasn’t the father, so she must have been unfaithful.

I’m sure he was humiliated and angry about the situation. Who wouldn’t be?

Yet, we see Joseph ultimately more concerned with Mary being shamed than himself.

“Joseph is, therefore, not a passive, mute figure. Rather, he acts as a strong, thoughtful person whose bold decision at a point of crisis saves the life of the mother and her unborn child.”

Joseph fulfilled his role despite potential fears.

Matthew 1:20–23 ESV

But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

As opposed to Mary, who wasn’t asleep yet, the angel visited Joseph in a dream.

Throughout the Old Testament there were times where God came to people in dreams. Why?

We don’t really know..

Joseph was to take Mary as his wife, despite the challenges that lay before him.

Joseph has a role that God intended him to fulfill...

God makes it plain that this child would save people from their sins.

Yeshua (Jesus) = “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is salvation”

It also fulfilled the OT prophecy that he would be Immanuel, God with us.

But what fears?

The most obvious, the fear that she was unfaithful to him...

People assuming he broke the betrothal and slept with Mary...

People suggesting that Mary was unfaithful to him and the child wasn’t his...

Embracing something as challenging as the virgin birth, which he couldn’t possibly understand...

Being a father so early into the relationship...

Raising the Messiah...

Joseph obeyed the Lord despite potential challenges.

Matthew 1:24–25 ESV

When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Notice that Joseph obeyed without any further question.

Joseph made a huge sacrifice because he knew God was about to do something incredible.

Thus, he simply obeys.

When faced with challenging situations, it can be so easy to talk ourselves out of things. We don’t necessarily disobey, but many of us like to partial obey (“How can I conveniently obey ish enough where I don’t feel guilty, but I’m also not put out very much?”).

We don’t see that in Joseph. He is well aware that a multitude of challenges are ahead, but he obeys God without reservation.

See, Joseph understood something that is often times diminished in our day: life isn’t about seeking personal happiness and satisfaction.

While we all want to be happy and satisfied, life is far more than the quest for personal happiness and satisfaction.

More so, when personal happiness and personal satisfaction become the focal points of our lives, neither are truly experienced long-term.

And, the greatest source of happiness and satisfaction we will experience in life often comes when we fulfill the Great Commandment: To love God with our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love others as ourselves.

One of April’s favorite movies is the movie Mr. Holland’s Opus...

The writers of the movie are probably unaware that the truth shown in that movie goes back to the clear teaching of the Bible: that happiness and satisfaction come as we love God completely and love people correctly. Joseph, while not necessarily able to articulate this, lives this truth out.

So What?

What are you doing to put other people’s needs ahead of your own?

Big or small, when we put other people’s needs before our own we are showing the quality of our faith and our faithfulness to our Lord. “…whatever you’ve done to the least of these you’ve done to me...”