Matthew 1:20-23

Introduction

Matthew 1:18–19 (“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.”) provided us the groundwork.

In those two verses, we discovered two important elements to the story. First, Joseph was a righteous man. This meant more than him living an externally separated life from the Roman Empire. A righteous person inwardly loves the LORD. His love for the LORD motivates him to live a life resembling his love for God. It is this very point that Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Scribes of His day. Outwardly, they dotted their i’s and crossed their t’s but inwardly they were unrighteous. Matthew 23:27 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”

Second, Joseph was engaged to be married to the young lady that “was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” The out of this world news that she was pregnant by God’s power was too much for Jospeh the handle. However, his righteous character was governing his route of divorce. He could have made a public spectacle of Mary’s infidelity. Instead, he desired to divorce her privately.

This is where we pick up the narrative of Jesus’ birth from Joseph’s perspective in Matthew 1:20–23: “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

The first word in Matthew 1:20 is “but.” “But” is a game changing word. A word that becomes the turning point in this story.