Life of Joseph

Matthew 1:18–25 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. 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.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 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.

To get a fuller picture we need to jump over to and see what happens during this betrothal period.

Maybe one of the reasons that we don’t talk about him is because he didn’t talk, at all, we have no words of Joseph in any of the stories that we have in scripture.

Here are some basic personal facts that we know about Joseph.

Joseph was a direct descendant from David.

Joseph was born in Bethlehem but moved to Galilee maybe for work, maybe Nazareth.

(ESV)

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

Joseph was born in Bethlehem but moved to Galilee.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

Joseph was a Carpenter, that is a woodworker. He would have probably made some furniture or farming tools.

We are introduced to Joseph when he is living in Galilee.

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.

So we meet Joseph a carpenter working in Galilee around 3 BC. So a little over 2000 years ago. He has been betrothed to be married to a young lady named Mary. To get a fuller picture we need to jump over to and see what happens during this betrothal period.

(ESV)

Birth of Jesus Foretold

Luke 1:26–38 ESV

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:26–38 (ESV)

Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

So during this betrothal time, Gabriel comes to Mary and informs her that she will become pregnant. She will have a baby.

A word about Mary. She was not that amazing of a person by the world’s standards. She most certainly had accomplished anything in her own right, she had not seen the world or done many things in it. She was probably only a young teenager, maybe 14, 15, 16 years old.

She was most likely quite poor, a peasant, probably illiterate, the only scriptures she knew was what she had memorised from what she had heard in the synagogue.

Preaching the Word: Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth Chapter 3: The Annunciation of Christ

From all indicators, her life would not be extraordinary. She would marry humbly, give birth to numerous poor children, never travel farther than a few miles from home, and one day die like thousands of others before her—a nobody in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.

Don’t miss this truth. That the Greatest news that had ever been spread on earth was going to come to the least of people in most humble of places.

Preaching the Word: Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth Chapter 3: The Annunciation of Christ

“He might have gone to Jerusalem and picked out Caiaphas’s daughter, who was fair, rich, clad in gold embroidered raiment and attended by a retinue of maids in waiting. But God preferred a lowly maid from a mean town.” And if the Incarnation happened today, it would be the same. The Lord would not be born in Jerusalem or Rome or Geneva or Canterbury, but on the ordinary streets of some nameless town.

When we think about Christmas we must remember that the Lord Jesus was born in utter complete humility, and he comes to those people who are humble. Jesus came not to well but those who are sick. Jesus came to those who are in need.

Luke 5:30–32 ESV

30 And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Mary was divinely chosen,

Luke 1:28–30 ESV

28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

God was gracious to Mary in a way that He has not acted toward any other woman. She has been blessed by God more than the billions of other women that every existed. How? She bore the Messiah, and the Messiah bore her.

Have you ever thought about what Jesus looked like? There are all kinds of ideas and opinions. We see all kinds o f interpretations in artwork. But I can tell you what Jesus looked like. He looked like His mother. Of course Jesus was born of Mary while she was a virgin. He did not get any genetic material from Joseph. It came from Mary and it came from the Holy Spirit. So what did Jesus look like? He looked like Mary.

She is truly blessed. She is just a woman, just a girl, a poor humble sinner, who was in need of salvation like anyone else. But God chose her to bring that salvation into the world.

Mary did not respond to the Angel’s presence like Zechariah, earlier in the chapter. But she was more controlled. Maybe the Angel did not show up in the same way.

(ESV)

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

The Angel told to Mary this news and she got it. She would have been familiar with the predictions of the Messiah’s coming.

Preaching the Word: Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth Gabriel’s Annunciation (vv. 30–34)

“You are going to become pregnant; you are going to call your son’s name Salvation, he is going to be the Son of God; and he will be the Messiah.” What an earful! What an incredible heartful!

Mary accepted this. She believed it immediately. She didn’t doubt, she didn’t ask the Lord to find someone else. She asked the next logical question. “Okay, Mr. Gabriel, how is this going to work?”

This was not cynicism this was not doubt. But belief and inquiring for more belief. This was the picture of humble acceptance.

Gabriel continues saying that the Holy spirit is going to overshadow her. God the Holy Spirit would create life in her womb in a miraculous way. God may have done it at that very moment.

Gabriel had successfully delivered this message and now He gave Mary a sign, that her cousin Elizabeth was pregnant in a miraculous way as well.

— Nothing is impossible with God---

We need to give some attention to her reaction here.

Luke 1:38 ESV

38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

This situation must have run through her mind.

Okay I am going to be pregnant....What would Joseph think?

What will the village think. Joseph is going to know that this baby is not His and He is going to deny me in front of everyone.

I will be called an adulteress, I will be a scarlet woman. Adultery was punishable by death even though it was practiced that often in that day. People are always going to doubt me and my story they will ridicule me and I will be forever mocked for this.... So she could have said...

Gabriel, I don’t know it sounds hard can you find someoene else?

No its too much work

No I don’t want to be known for adultery...

Joseph might reject me...

Instead, amazingly, this teenager girl exhibits humble acceptance.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Luke 1:39–44 ESV

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

Gabriel mentioned that Elizabeth was pregnant and she decides to go up to see her straightaway. She didn’t wait. Maybe she tells Joseph she is going to go, maybe her parents. But only a day or two goes by and she heads up into the hill country where Elizabeth has been.

The Hill Country was an area south of Jerusalem. This was probably 80-100 miles away from Nazareth to see Elizabeth who was already 6 months pregnant. This was not some flitty teenage girl. She was mature and focused.

When she arrives we have this scene. John the Baptist as 6 month old leaps for joy because of the contact with the Mary and her baby who was only a few days past conception. Nevertheless even at that age, Jesus was a baby and this other baby knew it.

Luke 1:56 ESV

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

The next several verses are immensely important because it helps us see the faith and theology of a young teenage girl.

Luke 2:1–5 ESV

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

Maybe one of the reasons that we don’t talk about him is because he didn’t talk, at all, we have no words of Joseph in any of the stories that we have in scripture.

Here are some basic personal facts that we know about Joseph.

Joseph was a direct descendant from David.

Joseph was born in Bethlehem but moved to Galilee maybe for work, maybe Nazareth.

(ESV)

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

Joseph was a Carpenter, that is a woodworker. He would have probably made some furniture or farming tools.

We are introduced to Joseph when he is living in Galilee.

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.

So we meet Joseph a carpenter working in Galilee around 3 BC. So a little over 2000 years ago. He has been betrothed to be married to a young lady named Mary.

So now lets talk a bit about Joseph. We actually don’t know too much about Joseph. We often don’t talk about him. We give a lot of attention to Mary, and Jesus, rightly so, but Joseph many times we ignore.

Maybe one of the reasons that we don’t talk about him is because he didn’t talk, at all, we have no words of Joseph in any of the stories that we have in scripture.

Here are some basic personal facts that we know about Joseph.

Joseph was a direct descendant from David.

Joseph was born in Bethlehem but moved to Galilee maybe for work, maybe Nazareth.

(ESV)

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

Joseph was a Carpenter, that is a woodworker. He would have probably made some furniture or farming tools.

19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

Poor Joseph, has resolved to do the best thing that he knows how, he chooses to divorce Mary, although he is going to do it quietly.

Just thinking about the custom of Marriage during this time. There were 3 phrases-

Engagement- This was the days of arranged marriages. The Father’s of the couples would look for a suitable mate for their children, while their children were young. The girl may only be 10 years old or so when this happens. Usually the young man would be a bit older. He may have a bit more to do in the choosing of his mate. During this period the young lady or the young man could break off the engagement if she wished if she didn’t like the arrangement. This phase may last a few years.

Betrothal- Now they are a bit older and they are sure that they want to be married. So they legally ratify the engagement and now by law they are considered married. They would be betrothed for about a year, during this time the bridge-groom would ready a place for his bride and the bride would prepare to move in with her husband. However, by the law and by the other people in their culture they were considered man and wife, they only why out of their marriage at this point was to legally file for divorce. They do not live together at this point.

Final Step is the Marriage Ceremony- Now the marriage is celebrated through the ceremonies and feasts and things.

Here’s what we know so far, Gabriel appears to Mary. Mary immediately leaves to go to visit Elizabeth in Judea, and she is away for 3 months. Now she returns and she is pregnant and her pregnancy is showing.

Poor Joseph,

Here is your bride and she has just returned from a stay with family in southern Israel and she is 3-4 months pregnant. What would you have done?

There is probably great family pressure on both of them. Joseph family telling him to divorce her for infidelity. Mary’s family accusing her of sin and not believing her story.

Notice it says that Joseph was a just man.

That means that God’s standards was his standards. What God said was good Joseph said was good. But what God said was bad, Joseph also said was bad.

So Joseph’s wife turns up pregnant and he knows it is not his baby, so Joseph is thinking she has committed adultery and that he cannot let that sin go unpunished that would not be just.

But on the other side of things, Joseph is compassionate. He does not want to shame Mary, he cares about her. He probably thinks that it would be better that she go and Mary the other person involved. We aren’t told if she tried to convince of him of what happened, or if she just kept quiet.

So Joseph decided to divorce her quietly without a spectacle to be just and also compassionate.

He has resolved to do the best thing that he knows how, he chooses to divorce Mary, although he is going to do it quietly.

Matthew 1:20–25 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.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 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.

Here is the clarification Joseph. God sends an angel, probably Gabriel again. To take this message to Joseph.

God tells Joseph exactly what to do. Joseph take Mary as your wife.

Joseph name the holy child, the child that the Holy Spirit created in the virgin womb of Mary, name that child Jesus.

Here Joseph exemplifies faith. Mary showed her faith through her words but we see Joseph’s faith through his actions. He obeyed God, despite the costs. It would have cost him,

it probably cost him much grief with his family.

It probably cost him business, he would be branded in the little community that they lived as either undisciplined or weak in that he continued to take Mary as his wife.

That means it would have cost him financially.

All of this goes on over a few weeks or a month or so when Joseph is wrestling with these thing until God puts them to rest and Joseph chooses to obey.

Joseph and Mary reconcile and then a few months go by and now Mary is nearly full-term at this point we can look at .

Luke 2:1–7 ESV

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

So Joseph needs to be registered for the Roman tax, the tax was commissioned by Caesar Augustus, who was considered by many of that day to be a god, however now Luke is introducing the true God. The text goes from the seemingly most important person in the world to two of the least important. A carpenter in a no name village in a insignificant country and his teenage heavily pregnant bride.

For this tax, every man must return to the town of his birth. For Joseph this was this was Bethlehem a town 80 miles to the south of Nazareth.

Earlier this week I was convinced that she rode a donkey to Bethlehem. But when we read the text here in there is no mention of a donkey. She could have ridden one, that would have been uncomfortable enough or she could have walked. Either way the journey must have taken at least 4 days maybe even 5. She probably didn’t have to go. It is highly doubtful that she owned property that would need to be taxed. Even if she did her husband’s representation would have sufficed.

This probably would not have been in December, though. There are two factors to think about, later in when it says the shepherds had their flocks in the fields that usually did that from March to October. Then you can do some figuring based on the birth of John the Baptist and maybe Jesus was born in September sometime.

this probably would not have been in December, though. There are two factors to think ao

So why did Mary take this dreary difficult journey? The Bible doesn’t tell us why. It could be that Joseph had already decided that he was going to do his best to act as a surrogate father to the baby and couldn’t risk being apart from Mary if it was her due date. Or maybe, in my opinion, things had become very difficult in Nazareth and Joseph did not want to leave Mary with her family there.

So there they go, on that difficult journey to Bethlehem, they were probably not thinking that this was to fulfil prophecy. - that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem

God used sovereignly rules over the affairs of man. Even when man shakes his fist at God He uses those movements to accomplish his purpose. God used taxes and most probably gossip and vitriol to drive Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem to fulfil His purpose

After days on that dusty trail, probably too hot and then too cold. She probably hated stopping at the dirty inns along the way frequented by single travelling men but most likely never by a girl 9 months pregnant. Probably hungry exhausted, angry, impatient, this humble carpenter and his bride come to Bethlehem. All that walking or bumping on the back of a donkey brought on labor.

I am sure that coming back to Bethlehem that day in the afternoon or evening Joseph may have thought that he could stay with family. He must of have tried that first, but no luck. Maybe they had heard of the scandal that happened up in Nazareth.

Then Joseph turns to the inn, but there is no room. He must have gotten desperate though, saying that he will take anything, anywhere private anywhere to sit. Eventually, someone points him to a animal stall. There he takes his wife in that stall or stable or cave whatever it was Mary gives birth. For Joseph this must have been utterly humiliating. He couldn’t provide anything suitable for his wife, he must have been at a very low place.

Mary must have been terrified, this was her first child, there was no mother to help her, there was no mid-wife, there was no bed to lay upon no bath to wash the newborn. No one to guide her, only Joseph a carpenter with dirty rough hands and he was certainly inexperienced. There among the stinking hay and manure, among animals probably fleas and rats was born her baby. There was nothing glorious about this, there was no light form heaven no peaceful glow. If you are picturing a nice clean barn then you have missed the point. This was cold, ugly, dirty, bloody, stinking and humiliating.

Then verse 7- Jesus was born. She wrapped in swaddling clothes. Knowing that this was a potentiality she may have packed somethings for her journey. She wrapped him up, and she placed in him in a feeding trough. It was the only thing around, she was exhausted and so was Joseph, they just needed to sleep. And there in that among all those dark, dirty, stinky creatures lies the Creator of all things. The one who spoke the planets into existence now lies in that trough quietly not speaking a word.

Initially, there was no fanfare, no welcome, no rejoicing. No party, no grandparents waiting to see the newborn. There was only lack of concern, hostility, rejection, and ignorance. A most poor and humble birth.

This is the great mystery of the birth of God. That although Mary and Joseph lacked everything, the had everything in that little stall with them.

This is the paradox of the World, what the world says are its best things are its biggest mistakes. And what it rejects becomes the world’s the best thing.

Mary and Joseph must have been in a very low place. To think that the Lord of Lords was just born in a cattle shed. God prepares for that.

Luke 2:8–20 ESV

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Angels scare the daylights out of the shepherds as they sit at night in the fields and watch their sheep. Then the shepherds run quickly and find Mary and Joseph and the baby still in a manger in Bethlehem. This must have been a tremendous encouragement to them.

No God had not forgotten about them. They may have been feeling that nobody knows, nobody cares, nobody understands.

There in that stall on that evening, when the Shepherds, again the theme of humility, the least of all people in that world. They would come and see the baby and rejoice and marvel that there was the King of Kings lying in a manger.

Friends again we see this idea.

We won’t go into detail, about the rest of the story, but we know how it goes. They stay in Bethlehem for a little while and then the Lord appears to Joseph and then God has them flee to Egypt.

1 Peter 5:5 ESV

5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Preaching the Word: Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth Chapter 9: The Birth of Christ

Joseph and Mary capsulized the mystery of grace—the King does not come to the proud and powerful but to the poor and powerless.

Jesus came to the ones who were in need. Jesus still does. That was and is His mission today. Jesus comes to help those in need in of salvation.

This must have been the reassurance for them.

Matthew 1:21 ESV

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Luke 1:31–33 ESV

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

They knew the purpose of this baby’s coming. He was coming for salvation. Not salvation from the Romans but salvation from sin. They knew this baby was coming to save them from their sins. They had accepted that.

How could they bear up under such pressure? How could they as a family withstand all this difficulty and still obey God? It was God’s grace, God’s grace flows from God’s truth. They knew the truth of God. They knew that this boy was the Messiah and that he would release them from their sins. They could rejoice in this.

Do you know this truth? Have you accepted this reality?

Matthew records much about Jesus as the Saviour.

This Jesus saves us from sin. How so?

Its penalty, power and its presence.

Jesus would talk much of about the penalty of sin. It is an eternity spent away from God‘s goodness and love in a place of torment and fire. Jesus came to save people from hell. This penalty of sin.

Sometimes we don’t talk much about being saved. Put this is very biblical language. Have you been saved?

John 3:17 ESV

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Jesus came to save souls. Has yours been saved? Do you realise that Jesus came to you who are in need of saving. In our story today he came to the poorest of people in the lowliest of circumstances.

When we become poor in Spirit, acknowledging our situation, that we are sinners and we can’t do anything to save ourselves, no prayer can be prayed, no gift of money given, to church to attend, to sermon to hear, no baptism to do, no work we can do, that we are completely and utterly destitute. That we are in complete and utter need of someone to save us and we call out to Jesus in faith. That is in believing trust, Jesus will come to us. This babe in the manger will take up residence in our cattle stall of a heart.

This meek and humble Saviour grew up to be a man and he took our cross and in the only act more humiliating than his birth Jesus died for me, He was condemned as a common criminal and executed for me. He was born humbly and He died for me humbly as a my Saviour.

Thus friends, to have a merry Christmas you must believe in the purpose of this little baby’s coming. That this babe surrendered his life on Calvary to save us from our sins. Only then can you truly have a Merry Christmas.

Life of Joseph

Introduction: Most wonderful time of the year?

The Announcement

The Scandal-

From Bethlehem to Egypt