December 2, 2002

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Dec. 15

Though never quoted, his life spoke volumes
___ Luke 1:18­25, 2:13­15, 19­23
___By Rick Willis
___First Baptist Church, Roscoe
___A Christian author once reflected ironically that the miracle of Christmas was both that Mary conceived and that Joseph believed. To put yourself in Joseph's shoes makes you appreciate the tension that comes with faith and obedience. God's grace provides strength and assurance, but we still have to act on that grace.
___Facing crisis with
___habits of the heart
___The first tension in Matthew's account of the Nativity comes before Jesus is born. It is the threat of divorce. The initial result of Mary's role as the mother of Jesus was a strain in her relationship with Joseph, her fiancé. It almost led to the dissolution of their marriage. Later, Jesus would say his coming brings division within households, and so it was from the beginning (Matthew 10:34­36).
___Although Matthew 1:18 declares Jesus was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit, verse 19 picks up the story with Joseph knowing only the fact that Mary was pregnant. Before God revealed the truth to Joseph, he could only conclude Mary had been unchaste.
___The Bible calls Joseph "a righteous man," which shows God already had been preparing Joseph to be the adopted father of Jesus. Mary's fiancé was acquainted with the well-lit pathways of God's will. His response to Mary's apparent adultery suggests personal disappointment and sensitivity to God's standard of sexual purity, but there is no hint of malice.
___The preacher Chrysostom said of Joseph, "Do you not see here a man of exceptional self-restraint, freed from that most tyrannical passion, jealousy?"
___Since engagement was as legally binding as marriage, Joseph decided to give Mary a certificate of divorce discretely and say no more about it (compare Deuteronomy 24:1). Joseph's righteousness surpassed that of the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20). He knew he had the right according to the law to expose Mary to shame (John 8:3­5). But he chose mercy.
___God provides
___the needed extra
___Most of the time, a decision like Joseph's is the best we can do. We wrestle with our dilemma prayerfully. We draw on all we know about God's character and will. With God's help, we overcome the temptations of jealousy and revenge. At best, we choose in favor of righteousness tempered with mercy. Always we can pray for God to correct us when we're wrong.
___In Joseph's case, extraordinary circumstances required an extraordinary revelation. The best solution Joseph could arrive at was not best for Mary and the coming infant, Jesus. On his own, Joseph could not have even dreamed what God was actually doing!
___So God spoke to Joseph through an angel in a dream. He calmed Joseph's fears about doing the wrong thing. The angel called him "Joseph, son of David" (1:20), reminding him of his significant lineage and alluding to God's messianic covenant with David. God vindicated Mary and commissioned Joseph to name the virgin's child Jesus--the Savior (1:20­23).
___The Bible doesn't record any words from Joseph like the Song of Mary (Luke 1:46­55). We don't know if he prophesied like John the Baptist's father (Luke 1:68­79). In fact, Scripture does not record a single word from the lips of Joseph.
___Without further hesitation, Joseph took Mary to be his wife and obeyed the angel's command to name the child Jesus (1:24­25). The Bible's language in these verses and others (Mark 3:32; 6:3; Galatians 1:19) fits best with the conclusion that after Jesus was born, God honored the full marital relationship of Joseph and Mary and blessed them with sons and daughters of their own.
___God's power through
___human obedience
___The second tension in Matthew's account of the Nativity comes after Jesus' birth. It is the mortal threat against the Christ child by the king Herod. The book of Revelation portrays this threat as the very devil at work in vicious opposition to God (Revelation 12:4). It is a sobering reminder that a battle rages, and in every human heart is the potential to become a Joseph or a Herod.
___What a contrast Herod and Joseph provide. Herod was the picture of unbridled ambition. Joseph was the model of patient obedience. Herod's son Archelaus would rule Judea with terror. Joseph's adopted son, Jesus, would rule the universe in grace and truth. Obedience to God is a matter of life, death and history.
___When the Lord's angel warned Joseph in another dream to "Get up" and "escape," Joseph again responded with quick compliance (Luke 2:13­15). The family fled to Egypt until Herod's threat died with him and God instructed Joseph to return home. Quoting from Hosea 11:1, Matthew hinted that Jesus was everything God had called Israel to be (2:15).
___Joseph never said a word recorded in the Scriptures, but his life's message is clear. As one Bible teacher put it, "If we wait and watch for the guidance which God has promised, it will come, and at the right time."
___Questions for discussion
___ Compare Joseph's response to God's call with those of Abraham, Moses and Zechariah.
___ Have you ever felt a clear direction from God? How did you respond?

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