Joseph’s Courage (Matthew 1:18-25)

Today we continue with our study of Matthew, and conclude chapter one. Previous posts in this series were – Son of David, Son of Abraham, and also The Cast List.

Let’s read the final verses of chapter one:

A Bible open to the page of Matthew chapter 1

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)

This is part of the Christmas story which we think about each year. Matthew gives us a fairly brief account of how Jesus was born, although goes into further detail in the next chapter.

We learn that Joseph is pledged to be married to a young girl named Mary. “Pledged to be married” in this context means betrothed, and perhaps what we might think of as “engaged.” However, in the culture of the day, our understanding of “engaged” does not go nearly far enough. Couples today can break an engagement by simply deciding to do so. In the culture Matthew is describing, you would need a divorce to break such a betrothal. It was a commitment, and could not be broken.

Before the couple are formally married, and so before they consummate their marriage, Mary is found to be pregnant. This is no small scandal. Either Mary has been unfaithful to Joseph, or else Mary and Joseph have jumped the gun as it were. Neither of these scenarios are true of course, but no one in their community would understand that.

Joseph, of course, knows he has not slept with Mary, and so finding her pregnant leads to only one conclusion. Verse 19 tells us that he is faithful to the law, and therefore he must act. In such cases of adultery, he would not be wrong to insist on the justice of law and condemn Mary to death by stoning. Yet, he does not do this. Instead, he has in mind to divorce her quietly.

Why would he make such a choice? The law allows for him to condemn her, yet he chooses instead to dismiss her as quietly as possible so as to not expose her to public shame. He must care about her, and although must do what is right and just, he does not wish to seek revenge or punishment. An unmarried pregnant girl and then mother in that culture would be punishment enough.

Things do not work out as planned…

Verse 20 tells us that an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, and tells him that Mary will have a son. This Son will not be any old child, but the Messiah and conceived by the Holy Spirit. The angel instructs him to take her home, and to name the child Jesus when He is born.

Verse 24 tells us that when he awoke, Joseph did exactly what the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary home as his wife. We must not underestimate this. How many of us can claim that we have done precisely what God told us? Not many, I’d wager. This obedience is costly too, as it means (in the world’s eyes at least) admitting he and Mary were unfaithful before they were married. You and I know this to be untrue, yet his community would not have. This took tremendous courage for him.

There are a couple of points in this passage worth noting. Firstly, verses 22 and 23 quote the prophet about a virgin conceiving and having a child. It is often Matthew’s habit to quote the prophets and point to Jesus as fulfilling them. There is some debate about the word for “virgin” here, and some say that the original text of the Old Testament uses a word for “maiden” rather than specifically “virgin.” This is typically to argue that the Virgin Birth was not credible.

However, there are two things to point out about this. First off, a maiden aka a girl having a child is not a sign. Women have children all the time all over the world, and it was no different two thousand years ago. It’s hardly a sign! A virgin, however, having a child is something else entirely!

Secondly, the Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament used a very clear term for “virgin.” I think there is little room for doubt here. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin – amazing at it sounds – and so we choose whether to believe it or dismiss the text as untrue. i choose the former.

Another thing to note from this passage is found in verse 25. It says clearly that Joseph did not consummate his marriage with Mary “until after” Jesus had been born. There will be people who tell you Mary remained a virgin for her entire life, yet the biblical text disputes this. The verse says “until” implying she was a virgin for a time, and then not after. Likewise, we know from other texts that Jesus had siblings (half-siblings at least) again showing us that Mary had other children in a more traditional way.

Finally, Joseph names Jesus as he was told to. To give a name is to be someone in authority. I name my children because I am the parent. Joseph here does name Jesus, but only as instructed. This indicates that the authority over Jesus was not in Joseph, but in another… namely the Father.

Matthew chapter one communicates the heritage of Christ. It shows us that He was the descendent of both David and Abraham, and that He entered the world in an extraordinary fashion. Matthew has established that this Jesus was no ordinary man, nor just another Rabbi or teacher. Matthew claims Him to be the long-awaited Messiah.

We often reflect on Mary’s holiness and the miracle of the Virgin Birth. We think of other well known Christmas things, such as Shepherds or Magi or the angelic host. We rarely think of Joseph’s courage. Becoming a father is tough enough in any circumstances, yet for him, he was taking on responsibility for God’s Son. And, as discussed above, he would not have the support of his community to do so. Joseph was something of a hero in my eyes.

Are you willing to obey the Lord, no matter the cost to you or your reputation? I wish I could say a definite yes, but I also know my weaknesses and limitations. I thank God for His patience with me, and for the Son He gave us to fulfil all aspects of the Law on our behalf. Thank God that Jesus came and completed His sacrificial work that you and I might not be trapped forever in our sin.

I pray I may have even half of Joseph’s courage to follow the Lord’s direction whatever it may be.

21st Century Bible Study (RB)

The most important invention in your lifetime is… This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, …

21st Century Bible Study

The Cast List (Matthew 1:2-17)

In my last post – Son of David, Son of Abraham, we began to look at the Gospel according to Matthew. We only covered one verse last time, and so I hope to cover a little more ground this time. In that post, I also encouraged you to take a glance at the list of names found in today’s passage. You will see it reads like a “cast list” and something you might find at the start or end of a movie. The text scrolls and we skim over it, wanting to rush ahead to the action. If we do that though, we miss out on some hidden treasures.

I won’t share all the verses from this passage here, but refer to specific ones as we go. A list of names like this is called a “genealogy” and you can find many examples throughout the Bible. They are important for a variety of reasons. In the Jewish culture of the time, your family heritage was incredibly important, and none more so than if you were claiming to be the long-awaited Messiah!

Like me, when you read these names you might recognise a few of them – particularly at the top. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for instance, are well known to us as key figures from the Old Testament. Similarly, King David, and his son, King Solomon stand out too. Each name however, represents the life of a person, and while we may gloss over them, God does not. He knows each person deeply.

The first thing to note is that Matthew’s genealogy is a list of the ancestors of Jesus through Joseph – his adopted father. The Bible is very careful to never call Joseph Jesus’ father, as Jesus’ true Father is God Himself.

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Matthew 1:16 (NIV)

We see this here in verse 16, where Joseph is described as the husband of Mary, and Mary the mother of Christ. Later on in Matthew 2, when the family flees to Egypt, likewise we will see the angel telling Joseph to take the Child and His mother Mary and not “your” Child (Matthew 2:13).

This is not because Joseph is unimportant – far from it! In fact, he legally adopts Christ in essence and that means that Jesus is a descendent of David in the legal sense.

Luke’s Gospel also presents a genealogy, and yet it is different. Firstly, it is arranged in reverse order and is an ascending genealogy. Secondly, there are a number of different names and it traces a different path up through the family lines. Does that matter? Absolutely it does! Luke’s genealogy is in fact traced through Mary, and is the bloodline of Christ. Matthew’s is the legal line of Christ.

and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

Matthew 1:11 (NIV)

When I asked you to look over the list of names, I wonder if this one stood out to you? Jeconiah. This particular king in David’s line is important, and holds the secret to why there should be a Virgin Birth.

Jeremiah 22 says:

This is what the Lord says:
“Record this man as if childless,
a man who will not prosper in his lifetime,
for none of his offspring will prosper,
none will sit on the throne of David
or rule anymore in Judah.”

Jeremiah 22:30 (NIV)

So awful is this king of Judah, that God curses his bloodline and says that none of his descendants shall ever sit on David’s throne! Did God not just shoot Himself in the foot? If He curses the kingly line, how can the Messiah ever be brought forth? The answer – a virgin shall conceive.

Had Joseph’s blood contributed to Jesus’ lineage, then God’s curse on the bloodline would have applied to Him. What the comparison to Luke’s genealogy shows us is that instead of tracing Mary’s line through David and Solomon, it instead goes via David and another of his son’s – Nathan. This means Jesus carries the blood of the king, and yet avoids the curse. Jesus is both a legal and blood relative of King David, and does so without failing foul of the curse.

Another interesting feature of the genealogy as presented by Matthew is the presence of the following women.

  • Tamar in verse 3
  • Rahab in voice 5
  • Ruth in verse 5
  • Uziah’s Wife – that is, Bathsheba – in verse 6

If you are not too familiar with the Old Testament, then these names might not mean a great deal to you. Tamar’s story is more complex than meets the eye, and having been let down by her father-in-law Judah, she essentially tricks him into sleeping with her and becomes pregnant. Rahab, although served the people of Israel, was a prostitute. Ruth was from a place called Moab, an enemy of Israel. Bathsheba, although likely had little choice in the matter, was an adulteress. All of their stories are complex, and often they were mistreated at the hands of more powerful men. Yet, whichever way you cut it, you find Christ’s heritage is made up of one sinner after another.

The passage concludes with the following:

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah

Matthew 1:17 (NIV)

We see that Matthew’s genealogy is divided into three sections, each with 14 names. It is not the only 7 or multiple of 7 we see in this passage, and in fact, the number 7 crops up time and time again. This is not to say that there is some secret code hidden in the biblical text, but instead infers that there is some kind of design weaved into the generations. For example, I am told that the number of vowels are a multiple of seven. This, alone, may be coincidental, but there are those who believe there are many such things in this genealogy and while any one of them could be a coincidence on its own, taking them together makes the odds astronomically small that this happened by accident. I’ll leave you to study that out for yourself and decide if there’s anything in it.

For us, the key thing is the text itself, not anything subtly underneath. Matthew’s aim here is to demonstrate the heritage of Christ. These records are evidence of who Jesus is, and that He descends from both Abraham and David – as we discussed last time. For the Jewish people today still awaiting their Messiah, no one could demonstrate their ancestral line to any degree as clearly as this.

So, with that in mind, let us press on and find out what else we can learn about Jesus from Matthew’s Gospel.

Son of David, Son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1)

At the beginning of 2024, I set about studying the book of Matthew. I have read it many times, but having preached on the Magi over Christmas, I was hooked on digging into Matthew’s Gospel a bit deeper. I hope to share a few posts on this wonderful book. And, if you are interested, my message on The Magi is here.

An open Bible showing the beginning of Matthews gospel

Matthew’s Gospel begins like this:

This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham

Matthew 1:1 (NLT)

Matthew will go on to list the ancestors of Jesus, which we can think about another day, but he begins with these two – David and Abraham.

Why these two, and why are Jesus’ ancestors important?

Matthew’s Gospel was written to a Jewish audience, and his intention was to convince them that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for. He refers to Jesus in verse one as “Jesus the Messiah.” Matthew is clear from the first line that he is presenting Jesus as the Christ – the Messiah.

The Jewish Messiah must, of course, be Jewish. So, Matthew makes clear that Jesus is a descendent of Abraham – the father of the Jewish nation.

Being a descendent of Abraham was incredibly important to the Jewish people, so much so that they believed it was more than enough to secure them good standing with God. Only two chapters over though, in Matthew 3, we read of John the Baptist who we will think about another time. In his preaching in the wilderness, he points out to the religious folk of the day that being a descendent of Abraham is not enough, but that they ought to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. We will consider that when we get there.

For now, Matthew makes clear that Jesus was descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The Jewish people also expected their Messiah to be a descendent of David. King David, as described in the Old Testament, was their great hero – despite his failings. Anyone claiming to be the Messiah must also demonstrate that they have David as an ancestor.

David was a king, sitting on the Jewish throne, and so would the Messiah. Matthew makes clear Jesus’ Jewish heritage, but also His place in the kingly line from David.

Matthew leaves his readers in no doubt, right from the first verse, that the Jesus he is writing about, is the One they have been waiting for. He will give them many proofs, and he will show them the great things that Jesus did and said. Matthew, more so than the other Gospels, focuses on dialogue, so we have a lot of Jesus’ teaching recorded for us.

I need not labour the point any further, and like Matthew, have stated the truths that Christ was both a descendent of Abraham and of David. As we study Matthew further, we must keep these things in mind. Matthew is writing to Jews, and will quote the Old Testament many times. As we read his words, we must understand how his Jewish audience would have heard them. This will help us understand the impact of the book.

In the next section, Matthew will begin to list the genealogy of Jesus. Before we consider it, give it a read and see how many names you recognise. Such lists can seem rather dry to us, but they reveal some important truths which we will think about.

As you go about your day today, think about who Jesus is. Not the version of Him you create in your mind, but who the Bible depicts Him to be. In the book of Matthew we will see Jesus perform miracles, teach astonishing things, and go to His death for each one of us. Too often, we see Christ the way we want Him to be, and not who He actually is. With fresh eyes, let’s study Matthew and let God reveal His Son to us.

This is a record of the ancestors of #Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham – Matthew 1:1 #Bible

Hears and Delivers – Andy Brown

The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. Psalm 34:17 (WEB)   If you are like me, when you read this verse you ask yourself “Am I righteous?” Or rather, “Am I righteous enough?” You may even start to question whether God hears your prayers, thinking you don’t qualify for…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2019/08/01/hears-and-delivers/

Out with the New – Andy Brown

Whatever has happened, will happen again; whatever has been done, will be done again. There is nothing new on earth. Ecclesiastes 1:9 (ISV) A few years ago, we bought a new car. It was wonderful! Shiny, clean, modern, and full of the latest features. It was a real upgrade on our previous vehicle. While my wife and…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2018/07/26/out-with-the-new/

The Magi

As ever, it was a great privilege to share today’s message at this mornings church service. I spoke about the wisemen from Matthew 2.

I hope you enjoy.

Three… Two… One and Only – Andy Brown

Last Sunday (9th January) was known in some church traditions as Epiphany Sunday. This tradition celebrates the arrival of the Three Kings in Bethlehem to worship the child Jesus. You can read the entire account in Matthew 2, and although I won’t post the entire text in this post, I may refer to particular verses of…
— Read on andy-brown.org/2022/01/13/three-two-one-and-only/

This Sunday at Church: Encourage Someone to read the Old Testament

This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Encourage Someone to read the Old Testament.

This Sunday at Church: Encourage Someone to read the Old Testament

This Sunday at Church: Praying for those who are depressed

This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Praying for those who are depressed.

This Sunday at Church: Praying for those who are depressed

This Sunday at Church: Encourage the Media Team

For this Sunday here’s what you can do: Encourage the Media Team. If your church has someone do audio visual matters you should be grateful for them.…

This Sunday at Church: Encourage the Media Team

Humility, Compassion and Authority

As ever, it was a great pleasure to speak at my church yesterday morning.

We have been studying the book of Luke, and yesterdays passage cover the first 17 verses of Luke 7.

I share below a copy of the recording, which I hope you enjoy. The microphone picked up a fair bit of background noise which I hope does not spoil your enjoyment.