The Dad: Glory in Obedience
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Week 1 — (Matthew 1:18–25)
Series: Glory in the Ordinary
Series Theme Paragraph
In the first Christmas, God wrapped His glory in the most ordinary things—an unnoticed carpenter, a crowded inn, a distant star, and a newborn baby in a manger. Advent invites us to slow down and see what we often miss: God delights in taking the simple, the overlooked, and the unexpected, and filling them with His glory.
Through Joseph’s obedience, the world’s indifference, heaven’s guiding light, and the humility of the incarnate Son, we discover that God still works powerfully in ordinary lives and ordinary moments.
This Advent, we will open our eyes to see God’s glory breaking into the everyday.
Advent reminds us that God’s greatest works are often hidden in places the world overlooks, and He still delights to reveal His glory through ordinary people who trust Him.
Matthew 1:18–25
Most of us have had moments when life changed with a single piece of news—a phone call, a diagnosis, a confession, a single moment that shakes your entire world.
Joseph had one of those moments. His life seemed simple, predictable, and steady… until Mary told him she was expecting. And then came the devastating detail: the child she carried was not his.
In that moment of shock and pain, God was preparing to shine His glory through an ordinary man’s quiet obedience.
Matthew opens with a genealogy that proves Jesus is the promised Son of David. Immediately after, he introduces us to Joseph—not a king, not a priest, not a scholar.
A carpenter.
A small-town man.
An ordinary believer living an ordinary life.
Yet God chooses him to step into one of the most extraordinary assignments in history: to protect, lead, and raise the Messiah.
God entrusted Joseph with an extraordinary assignment, to be the earthly father who would love, guard, and raise the Savior
A simple, obedient, godly dad. God gets great glory when we walk in the ordinary.
Main Idea: God displays His glory through simple obedience.
God doesn’t need extraordinary people to accomplish His purposes—He delights to use ordinary people who give Him their obedience.”
Joseph shows how God uses everyday people who trust Him and obey Him, even when it hurts, even when it costs, even when your plans are drastically changed!
Joseph teaches us that obedience often begins where our understanding ends.
How does God work through ordinary believers like Joseph and like us?
Matthew highlights three movements in Joseph’s story that show how God weaves extraordinary glory through the everyday obedience of His people.
1. God Uses an Ordinary Man with a Righteous Heart (v. 18-19)
Matthew 1:18–19 (ESV)
18 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. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
The writer of this Gospel, Matthew, also known as Levi, is concerned about giving us an accurate depiction of what took place throughout the incarnate life of Jesus.
Not all the Gospels give us the begining of his life. Only Matthew and Luke.
Matthew chooses to introduce Jesus’ birth not through Mary’s perspective, but through Joseph’s, highlighting the quiet strength and righteousness of an ordinary man God chose to use.
And so Matthew says that Jesus’ birth “took place in this way.”
This is the beginning of the most important story ever told. A story of hope. A story of redemption. A story of peace.
But this story began much differently than one would expect. This story began in salacious scandal.
Nothing about this situation looked holy or divine. To everyone watching, it appeared that Mary had been unfaithful—and that Joseph had been betrayed.
Jesus’ mother, Mary was betrothed to Jospeh.
This 14-15 year old young woman, a woman who would carry the long awaited Messiah, the God/man was betrothed.
To feel the weight of Joseph’s situation, we need to understand what betrothal meant in Jewish culture.
The Betrothal - Kiddushin (קידושין)
This was the legal beginning of marriage.
It was a formal, binding covenant entered before witnesses.
The couple was considered husband and wife, though they did not yet live together or consummate the marriage.
Breaking a betrothal required a formal divorce, not simply canceling plans.
If the man died during betrothal, the woman was considered a widow.
Sexual unfaithfulness during betrothal was considered adultery (Deut 22:23–24).
So when Matthew says Joseph was “betrothed to Mary,” it means:
They were legally married, but not yet physically joined.
This explains why Joseph is called:
“her husband” (Matt 1:19)
why he considers a divorce
why sexual purity is assumed until the final wedding ceremony
This betrothal period typically lasted 12 months.
The Consummation/Wedding — Nissuin (נִשּׂוּאִין)
This was the second stage — when:
The groom took the bride to his home
The marriage was physically consummated
The public celebration (wedding feast) occurred
But the covenant bond existed long before this final step.
Look at verse 18 again…
18 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.
Joseph was a “tekton” — not just a carpenter
The Greek word τέκτων (tekton) refers to a builder, not exclusively a woodworker.
He likely worked with stone, timber, and basic construction materials.
Nazareth was near Sepphoris, a major construction site during Joseph’s lifetime.
Many scholars believe Joseph likely worked there, supporting his family through tough manual labor.
This presents Joseph as a blue-collar, hardworking man — perfect for your theme: Glory in the Ordinary.
Joseph was not a man the world would have chosen for greatness, but he was exactly the kind of man God loves to work through.
Joseph was likely younger than we imagine — 18-20 years old.
The text says, “before they came together” — in other words, before they participated in sexual relations.
And this is the scandal, “she was found to be with child…”
Mary was pregnant! Before their formal marriage! This was not a good situation.
Now, you’ll notice that Matthew states how this pregnancy takes place — through the agency of the Holy Spirit.
He overshadowed Mary and caused her to be pregnant with the Son of God.
Jesus was conceived and Mary remained a virgin.
Now, at first, Joesph didn’t know this tidbit of information.
Mary: “Joseph… I’m pregnant. And God did this.”
Joseph: “Mary, how can that be? What am I supposed to do with this?”
Can you imagine how hurt, devastated and confused Joseph must have been when she told him this?
But what we see here is Joseph’s character in action.
Look at verse 19…
19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
Matthew calls Joseph “a just man” — δίκαιος (dikaios) — Which literally means “righteous.”
When Scripture calls Joseph “just,” or “righteous” it means he seeks what honors God and treats others with compassion.
In Joseph, righteousness and compassion are not at odds. His desire to honor God expresses itself through mercy toward Mary
This word means:
Upright
Devout
God-fearing
Sincere in obedience to God’s Law
Compassionate toward others
This is a heavy theological word in Matthew, often used of people whose faith is genuine.
Joseph is not perfect — but he is a man of real integrity.
He had every cultural right to shame Mary, yet he chooses mercy.
His righteousness shows in private decisions, where character is revealed.
“Character is what a man is in the dark.” - Dwight L. Moody
God consistently delights to use ordinary people with upright hearts: Noah, Ruth, David, Mary, the disciples. Joseph fits this pattern perfectly.
Before Joseph ever received angelic confirmation, he had already resolved to do what was right, treat Mary with dignity even though he believed she had wronged him.
I am so impressed with the character of this young man, Joseph.
Remember that God does not only use the mighty and the visible. We often assume God only uses the impressive or the influential, but Joseph proves otherwise.
As R. C. Sproul once said, “You and I are called to be living images that reflect and communicate the character of God Himself.”
Joseph was one such “living image.” He was ordinary, but pure in heart, and God used his obedience to usher in the Messiah.
I wonder how you might have handled the situation Joseph found himself in?
He demonstrated remarkable character in the midst of a seemingly no-win situation. God eventually told him what was going on, but in the intervening time Joseph handled himself with grace and mercy toward Mary. He could have exposed her publicly. He could have preserved his own reputation at her expense. He could have had her stoned, but instead he chose the most compassionate path available to him.
That’s the kind of man I want to be.
I just want to be an ordinary man with a righteous heart.
So what does an ordinary, righteous heart look like in real life?
What might this look like?
A man who isn’t reactionary.
A man who doesn’t blow up when life gets hard.
A man who responds like Christ—showing mercy instead of retaliation whether life is easy or excruciating.
A man who protects others’ dignity, even when his own feels injured.
A man who chooses obedience when emotions scream for self-preservation.
A man who trusts God’s character even when he does not understand God’s plan.
A man who refuses to weaponize righteousness but instead embodies it quietly.
A man whose private character makes it possible for God to entrust him with something greater.
Joseph shows us that God uses people whose hearts are right even when their circumstances are wrong.
This is the glory of the ordinary. God delights to use simple, faithful, righteous hearts like Joseph’s.
Joseph’s heart was prepared. Now God speaks and calls him to trust.
Now that Joseph’s heart is revealed, God speaks a word that will call him into even deeper obedience.
2. God Calls an Ordinary Man to Trust an Extraordinary Message (vv. 20–21)
From Joseph’s limited perspective he was mulling over the best possible plan forward. However, there was one thing he failed to factor in.
GOD!
Well, God was about to take care of that.
Take a look at the next part of the story…
Matthew 1:20–21 (ESV)
20 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. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Joseph has a visit from the “angel of the Lord” in a dream.
This wasn’t an ordinary dream. This was a divine visitation—clear, vivid, unforgettable. Joseph may have forgotten many dreams in his life, but not this one. The message was unmistakable.
When I dream, I often forget what the dream was about.
Joseph did NOT forget!
What the angel told him came through loud and clear!
What did the angel tell him?
“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.”
Joseph, son of David - this is a very important phrase. As Jesus’ legally adopted father, Jesus would legally qualify as a descendant of David on his father’s side.
Through Joseph’s legal fatherhood, Jesus receives full rights to the Davidic line, fulfilling God’s covenant promises.
Look back up at verse 17 placed at the end of the linage…
So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
And the angel tells Jospeh to not fear taking Mary as his wife.
The prospect of marriage is a fearful thing, but marrying someone who is carrying the creator God of the universe is something entirely different!
Joseph would have a lot to fear about.
Joseph had every reason to fear. He knew taking Mary as his wife would invite public shame and destroy his good name as a righteous man. He risked the loss of his reputation, the loss of business, and even the loss of the support of his own family. He feared raising a child who was not his, facing a community that would never believe the truth. He feared stepping into a future he never planned and a responsibility he never imagined. And beneath it all was the weight of being called a “son of David,” suddenly drawn into God’s unfolding plan for the Messiah.
Joseph’s heart was full of real fear, so when the angel said, ‘Do not fear,’ it wasn’t a gentle suggestion but a divine command to trust God in the middle of overwhelming uncertainty.
But this isn’t just a fearful thing, it is a great and joyful event!
The child in Mary’s womb is from the Holy Spirit.
He is the long-promised Messiah.
He is the Savior who will rescue His people from their sins.
In fact, look at the next verse that speaks the purpose of this baby that Joseph would raise…
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Isaiah and Mikayla just had a gender reveal party. They, through modern science, were able to determine the sex/gender of their baby.
A sweet little girl.
Joseph didn’t need a ultrasound to tell him what Mary was having. God did.
She will bear a son. Not just any son. Not just any child.
She would bear a son with a very special name that identifies a very special purpose.
God commands Joseph to give this child the name Jesus.
Iēsoús (Ἰησοῦς) - God Saves
Isn’t that interesting? Jesus’ name means salvation!
And the angel doesn’t leave us guessing about what kind of salvation this is.
Salvation from what? The wrath of God.
A holy God must judge sin. We have broken His law again and again, and Scripture says the ‘wrath of God remains’ on those who do not believe.
This is terribly bad news. But the good news is this.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus is God’s son.
Jesus is the sacrifice that hung on the cross to absorb the wrath of God so you won’t have to.
And it is by faith in Jesus Christ, believing that He is who the Bible says He is, and repenting and turning from your sin and walking in a new life dedicated to God.
Christians have celebrated this truth for generations, singing of the Savior who rescues His people.
Jesus Saves
We have heard the joyful sound:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Spread the tidings all around:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Bear the news to ev'ry land,
Climb the steeps and cross the waves;
Onward! 'tis our Lord's command;
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
He will save His people from their sins.
His people include both Jews and Gentiles—everyone who trusts in Him from every tribe, tongue, and nation.
Sin brings forth death.
Jesus brings life and brings it abundantly.
Jesus is the most amazing and needed human ever to walk the face of this earth.
And God asks Joseph to marry Mary, the mother of Jesus and raise Him as his own.
God is inviting Joseph to believe that He is doing something supernatural through Joseph’s very ordinary life.
God often interrupts the plans of ordinary people to accomplish eternal purposes. Joseph was not asked to understand everything—he was asked to trust God completely. And this is not new. God has always called His people to walk by faith, not by sight. This is the pattern of Scripture. Noah trusted God in a world that had never seen rain. Abraham trusted God when he was told to leave everything familiar. Moses trusted God when God called him to confront Pharaoh. Mary trusted God when asked to carry the Messiah. None of them understood the full picture. None of them had all the answers. But all of them had God’s Word.
Joseph is in that same line. God steps into Joseph’s fear, confusion, and pain and calls him to a deeper faith than he ever imagined. Joseph learns what every believer must learn: God is not limited by our fears, our plans, or our understanding. His purposes are always bigger than our perspective. His message may seem extraordinary, but His faithfulness is absolutely certain.
When Joseph hears the angel say, “Do not fear,” God is not calling him to pretend the fears aren’t real—He is calling him to believe that God is greater than the things he fears. Joseph’s obedience flows from trust, not clarity; from faith, not sight. And that is exactly how God calls each of us to walk.
Consider the believer who sensed God’s leading into something unfamiliar—adoption, ministry, reconciliation, generosity.
It made no sense at the time, yet God proved faithful through their trust. And maybe that believer is you, standing on the edge of something that feels uncertain, yet knowing God’s Word is clear.
So what does this look like for us?
Just like Joseph, God calls us to trust Him when life breaks our plans—when the path we expected gives way to something confusing, painful, or altogether different.
God calls us to trust Him when obedience is costly.
God calls us to trust Him when the future feels uncertain.
God calls us to trust Him when His plans interrupt ours.
God calls us to trust Him when we don’t have the full picture.
God calls us to trust Him when doing right will be misunderstood.
God calls us to trust Him in the dark—with nothing but His Word in our hands.
And let’s be honest:
Most of our fears arise not because God has changed, but because we forget who He is.
Joseph teaches us that faith is not the absence of fear—it is choosing to trust God in the presence of fear.
Faith means letting God’s Word carry more authority in your life than your emotions or fears.
Faith is believing God is doing something supernatural through your very ordinary life.
So let me ask you:
Where is God interrupting your plans right now?
Where is He asking you to trust Him with something you cannot explain?
Where is He calling you to obedience before understanding?
Where is fear holding you back from faith-filled obedience?
Joseph stepped forward because he believed God’s Word more than he believed his fears.
May God give us that kind of faith today.
Joseph receives an extraordinary message—and chooses to trust.
God displays His glory through ordinary believers who trust Him.
Joseph’s heart is ready. Joseph hears God’s Word. Now Joseph must obey.
Now that Joseph has heard God’s extraordinary message, he must act, and his obedience will reveal the depth of his trust.
3. God Leads an Ordinary Man to Remarkable Obedience (vv. 24–25)
Matthew 1:24–25 (ESV)
24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Joseph wakes from his dream, and without hesitation, he obeys. The text is crystal clear, he wasted no time.
A couple observations.
First, he wastes no time in obedience!
Joseph doesn’t ask for another sign or take days to process. The text simply says, “When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” That is remarkable. Obedience was his reflex. The moment God made His will clear, Joseph stepped into it. No delay. No excuses. He trusted God enough to obey immediately, even though he knew it would cost him socially.
Immediate obedience is rarely convenient, but it is always significant.
Church, immediate obedience is often the doorway to seeing God work. Joseph models a heart ready to move the moment God speaks. So we ask: Where am I hesitating to obey what I already know God wants?
Second, what a conversation that must have been with Mary!
Imagine Joseph walking to Mary’s home with a completely different posture—peace replacing turmoil, confidence replacing confusion. He tells her, “Mary, the angel came to me too. God really did this. I’m taking you as my wife.”
What a moment. Relief. Joy. Worship.
In that moment, Mary’s lonely burden became a shared calling.
Mary, who had carried this miracle alone, is suddenly strengthened by Joseph’s obedience. And Joseph knew exactly what this choice would signal to their community, yet he trusted God more than he feared the whispers. His obedience didn’t just honor God; it blessed Mary, united them in mission, and prepared the way for the Messiah’s birth.
And this prompts reflection: Whose faith might God strengthen because I choose to obey Him? Joseph’s obedience becomes a refuge for Mary and a testimony to everyone watching.
And Joseph’s obedience continues, not just in public decisions, but in private restraint.
And look at the next verse…
25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
We understand that Joseph and Mary completed their betrothal and became husband and wife. Normally, the next step in a Jewish marriage would be to consummate that union. But Matthew tells us Joseph “knew her not” until she had given birth. In other words, he intentionally refrained from sexual relations so that there would be no question—Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born. And when the child was born, Joseph obeyed the angel fully and named Him Jesus.
Joseph was remarkably obedient at a crucial time not only in his life but in the redemptive reality of humanity! His obedience placed him right in the center of God’s saving work.
God consistently calls His people to obey even when obedience brings difficulty. Scripture rarely presents obedience as the easy path. It is often the costly one. Joseph steps into obedience knowing full well that whispers will follow him, reputations will shift, and life will never look the same. He embraces the social cost. He accepts the confusion of not knowing how it will all unfold. He obeys amid uncertainty because he trusts the character of the One commanding him.
Joseph’s obedience is extraordinary not because he was inherently extraordinary, but because the God who spoke to him is extraordinary. What makes obedience remarkable is not the person obeying but the greatness of the God who is obeyed. Joseph’s story reminds us that when God’s Word is clear, our response should be simple: trust and obey.
We see Joseph’s kind of obedience all around us if we pay attention. And in those moments, heaven sees what earth overlooks.
Think of the parent who chooses faithfulness day after day, pouring into their children with consistency even when no applause comes.
Think of the spouse who forgives again, choosing reconciliation over resentment because Christ has forgiven them.
Think of the believer who honors God in private, resisting temptation when no one would notice if they compromised.
None of those feel spectacular in the moment.
They seem ordinary.
But when God is in it, ordinary obedience becomes extraordinary.
It becomes a testimony. It becomes a quiet act of worship.
It becomes a small but powerful picture of Joseph’s own faithful step.
God delights to take unseen obedience and use it to display His glory.
Joseph shows us what prompt, courageous, complete obedience looks like.
He didn’t delay. He didn’t negotiate. He obeyed because he trusted God’s heart.
Obedience begins with a willing heart, one that is ready to say yes before it knows the details.
Here is a simple prayer to pray…
“Lord, help me obey without delay. Give me a heart ready to respond the moment You speak.”
Identify one area where obedience feels difficult right now.
Maybe it’s forgiveness, generosity, purity, reconciliation, courage, prayer, or surrender. Name it.
Bring it to the Lord. And take one faithful, intentional step of obedience this week.
Joseph’s obedience reflects deep trust in God.
God displays His glory through the quiet obedience of ordinary believers.
Joseph has a righteous heart.
Joseph trusts God’s message.
Joseph obeys with courage.
Now Matthew invites us to respond like Joseph.
To trust, to obey, and to offer our ordinary lives to God’s extraordinary purposes.
CONCLUSION
Advent reminds us that God delights to work through ordinary believers who trust Him and obey Him.
Your life may feel ordinary, but God’s glory shines through ordinary faithfulness.
This Advent, choose one area where you will say yes to God—quickly, humbly, and wholeheartedly.
Follow Joseph’s example: walk in righteousness, trust God’s Word, and obey Him even when it is costly.
And here is a promise worth holding as we step into obedience:
“God never gives an instruction without giving the grace to obey it.”- Elisabeth Elliot
“Keep a Quiet Heart,” Servant Publications, 1995, p. 145.
Imagine a church filled with men, women, and students who live with Joseph-like obedience—quietly faithful, sacrificially righteous, joyfully trusting. That is where God’s glory shines brightest: through ordinary people who simply say yes to Him.
Jesus grew up watching Joseph’s quiet, steady obedience—and in His humanity, He lived out perfect obedience to His heavenly Father.
And in perfect obedience, Jesus went to the cross—offering His life to save all who repent and believe. The obedience Joseph modeled in shadows, Jesus fulfilled in full light.
