There are 10 more shopping days until Christmas.  It is way too easy for us to get caught up in all the joy of Christmas stress - getting through Christmas - being in survival mode - or going numb - been there done that Christmas on autopilot - and missing out on what God has for done us and what we need to be open to.

Hopefully being here this morning is a breather from all that out there.

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Advent.  We have been intentionally slowing down - taking these 4 Sundays of Advent - to look at just the first chapter of Matthew’s gospel account to focus on the coming of Jesus - His incarnation.  “Incarnation” meaning… in the flesh.  We’re intentionally slowing down to think about what it means for us that Jesus has come “incarne” - in the flesh and blood of humanity.

Going through chapter 1 we’ve looked at Jesus’ genealogy.  We saw God at work in that genealogy.  God’s love and justice and faithfulness.  God Who deeply loves each one of us has chosen us to come to us - to deal justly with our sin - to offer us salvation - chosen to be with us in whatever we’re going through - chosen to be faithful to His promises to us - now and forever. 

We’ve looked at Mary’s response to the astounding reality of Jesus’ conception by the Holy Spirit.  Her response being an example for us.  What God has done for us is astounding…  an indescribable gift which ultimately isn’t about us.  Life is about... God.  Our lives need to be about Him.  Used by God for His glory - to magnify Who He is before others.

This morning we’re again looking at verses 18 to 25 and today focusing on Joseph.  To get these verses rebooted in our minds we’re going to read them out loud together - by groups. 

GROUP 1:  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.  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 

GROUP 2:  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.  She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

GROUP 3:  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:  “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

GROUP 4:  When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him:  he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a Son.  And he called His name Jesus.  

Let’s go back up and do some Unpacking of Joseph.  What God has preserved for us here in this account.

Verse 18 tells us that Mary had been betrothed to Joseph.

We saw last Sunday that betrothal is way more than what we think of today as being engaged.  Betrothal was a legally binding pledge - a legal contract.  Betrothal was a contract that gave the couple permission to prepare for this holy state of marriage - a contract that was seen as binding and as holy as marriage.  Which is why - for example - which is why in verse 19 Joseph is called the husband of Mary.

And which is why infidelity - during betrothal - just as in marriage - was not only shameful - bringing shame on the couple and their families - but infidelity was considered adultery punishable by stoning.  (Deuteronomy 22:23,24)

In the midst of their betrothal Mary is “found” to be with child.  Today, people might say, “So what?  Happens all the time.”  But just like in Mary’s day - even today - admit it or not - children being born outside of marriage is a serious ongoing generational disaster - a result of our own selfishness and sin.  Mary being pregnant is hugely serious.

“Found” means her pregnancy becomes obvious.  “Found” means that Mary knows it.  Joseph knows it.  And pretty soon everyone else is going to know it.  That Mary is pregnant is a life changing tragedy - a disgrace.   

There are a ton of questions here.  We’re told that Mary and Joseph had remained chaste - they had not “come together.”  And Mary’s “The angel told me… it was the Holy Spirit” explanation stretches credibility. 

There are few things in life harder to go through than betrayal by a spouse - someone you’ve trusted with your life - someone you’ve trusted with your heart.  This is gut rearranging stuff.  Getting reamed without seeing it coming.  A deep sense of emptiness - lostness.  Whatever your hopes or dreams and plans - they’re mercilessly ripped away.  Suddenly there’s this feeling of total insecurity - of being alone - shamed.

Who do you turn to?  Your closest companion in life just trashed you.  How do move forward?  If you’ve never been in this position sometime today go hug your spouse and give thanks to God.

Let’s be clear on this.  Joseph has a brutal decision to make.  The clock is ticking.  He can’t let this one slide. 

Verse 19 tells us that Joseph is “a just man” - verse 19.  “A just man” - some versions translate as “a righteous man” - has the idea of someone who is seeking to live rightly before God.  To obey God in every aspect of his or her life.

In other words, when Joseph is confronted with Mary’s pregnancy and this gut wrenching decision that he needs to make, his starting point is to ask, “What would God have me to do?”  He could ask, “What would Jesus do?” - WWJD.  But that would be like some kind of space time anomaly or something.  This is not Star Trek.  That Joseph is “a just man” means that Joseph is seeking to live life and handle this situation by following God.  That’s what a Godly man does.

Joseph - confronted with what could only have been the adultery of his fiancée - who deeply loves Mary - has to decide how to handle all this.

Should he have her stoned?  Call her out publicly and make a huge  issue of all this.  Invoke Mosaic law.  That would save face for Joseph and his family.  But that would get Mary dead.

A legal divorce could break the betrothal.  Which - if Joseph did that publicly - that divorce would save face for Joseph and his family.  But done publically that divorce would be seen by the whole community as shameful - a stigma that would haunt Mary’s reputation for life - dog the reputation of her family maybe for generations - their standing in the community - potentially ruin any future opportunity for marriage.

If he marries Mary then people are going to assume that he’s the father.  That carries its own ongoing disgrace - for Joseph - for Mary - even for the child.

He could divorce her quietly which is what we’re told was what he did decide to do.  The Greek word translated “divorce” has the idea of “setting something free” - “releasing it.”  “Secretly” has the idea of doing something without it being noticed - under the radar.  The opposite of “shame” - which in Greek has the idea of exposure - making someone into a public example - an exhibit for everyone to gawk at.  Which Joseph doesn’t want to do.  To put Mary to shame.

What it seems that Joseph decides is to send Mary away until after the baby is born and in the process - without telling anyone she’s pregnant - to break the betrothal giving publicly whatever reason carries the least amount of shame for Mary.  Maybe even Joseph bearing some shame upon himself as the breaker of the betrothal.

Verse 20 tells us that while Joseph was considering this - tossing and turning on his pallet trying to sleep - while he was pondering the decision he’d come to - an angel - whom we know from Luke’s account was probably the angel Gabriel - while Joseph was sleeping and considering - ruminating and rotating - Gabriel appears to Joseph.

Ever lose sleep over a decision you have to make?  Not many of us get angels sent from God with the answer.

We know the words of Gabriel.  Very familiar:  “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.  She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Fear - in Greek comes from the word “phobos” as in…  “phobia.”  To be seized with fear - terrified.  The proposal - the whole thought of going through with the marriage was terrifying.  The consequences.  The lifelong shame - ridicule.

Look how Gabriel answers Joseph’s fear.  First Gabriel addresses Joseph as the son of David.  That’s the genealogy we looked at in 1:1-17 - that genealogy of Jesus in context.  Joseph, remember you’re in the Messianic line.  Everything that God has been doing since the fall of Adam - through Abraham - the Davidic line - what God has been telling His people He is going to do - the redemptive work of God in history that’s coming down through you - through this child.

Second - Gabriel tells Joseph that the conception is not a result of adultery.  The conception is a work of the Holy Spirit.  This is God at work here.

We talked about this last Sunday.  Conception happens every day around us by the mechanisms and biology of what God has created.  Conception - pregnancy is a God thing.  But its not a miracle.  Just basic God created biological processes taking place.  But what happens here is a unique work of the Holy Spirit tweaking the natural God created processes so that Mary remains a virgin and Joseph - betrothed husband of Mary - is not the biological father.  But Jesus does have the right genealogy.

Third - Gabriel tells Joseph “You are to call His name Jesus” - meaning… Yahweh saves.  The name Yahweh is the personal name of the God of the Covenant - all those promises that God has made - what He will do for His people.  Yahweh - the God who redeems and delivers and saves His people.  Why call Jesus...  Jesus?  Because He - Jesus - will save His people from their sins.

Astounding if like Joseph - if we’re hearing this for the first time.  Saving people from their sins is something only God can do.

We’re told in verses 22 and 23 - Matthew’s clueing us in to what’s going on here - this is the fulfillment of a 700 year old prophecy of Isaiah - given in Isaiah’s day to demonstrate the working of God then - and in the future - now with Mary’s pregnancy.  Fulfilling that sign - Jesus will be called Immanuel - which means, God with us.

What’s in a name?  Yahweh Saves.  God With Us.

The baby Jesus - is born - incarnation - born the child of Mary into the fullness of what it means to be human and yet He’s born without the terminal disease of sin that we all, in our humanity, have suffered with since the fall of Adam.  Which - down the road about 33 years - enables Jesus to fully represent each of us on the cross - dying in our place - fully human.  He’s one of us.

And yet that also means that Jesus is able to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.  That is that Jesus - conceived by the Holy Spirit - son of God and not son of Joseph under the curse of Adam’s sin - Jesus is able to die in our place as our perfect sinless unblemished by sin sacrifice totally acceptable to God.  Because He is fully God Jesus is able to do and be only what God is able to be and do for us.  You and me.  Our Savior.

“Joseph are you processing the enormity of what God is doing here?”  Are we?  “Joseph - being a just man seeking to do what’s right before God - you need to set aside your fear and trust God.  Take Mary as your wife.  When she has the child, call Him Jesus.”

Which we read in verses 24 and 25 that Joseph did.  He obeyed God’s command through Gabriel.  Marries Mary.  Keeps her a virgin until Jesus is born.  Joseph calls His name Jesus.

We’re together?

Processing what God has preserved for us here - thinking about what God may have for each of us this morning - for you - for me - there are three Observations of Joseph that can be hugely helpful for us to focus on.

Observation number one - Joseph’s Background.

Jim Bishop, in a his book “The Day Christ Was Born” - Jim Bishop describes Mary and Joseph this way:

Mary was fifteen.

Most young ladies of the country were betrothed at thirteen and married at fourteen.  A few were not joined in holiness until fifteen or sixteen and these seldom found a choice man and were content to be shepherd’s wives, living in caves in the side hills, raising their children in loneliness, knowing only the great stars of the night lifting over the hills, and the whistle of the shepherd as he turned to lead his flock to a new pasture.  Mary had married a carpenter.  He had been apprenticed by his father at bar mitzvah.  Now he was nineteen and had his own business.

It wasn’t much of a business, even for the Galilean country.  He was young and, even though he was earnest to the point of being humorless, he was untried and prone to mistakes in his calculations.  In all of Judea there was little lumber.  Some stately cedars grew in the powdery alkaline soil, but, other than date palms and fig trees and some fruit orchards, it was a bald, hilly country.  Carpentry was a poor choice.  (1)

We need to make sure we’re clear on this.  Scripture doesn’t give us a whole lot of specifics about Joseph.  Scripture is truth.  What Jim Bishop writes is extrapolating and illustrating based on some well educated deductions from Scripture and what we know was going on in those days.

The point in reading that quote is to help us picture - what is reality - that God chose a humble, gracious young woman engaged to an average Joe - a carpenter in a insignificant little town in a backwater of the Roman Empire.  By the world’s standards there is no way that that choice should have been made.  They’re not influential politically or economically.  They don’t possess some great intelligence or charisma. 

But isn’t that just like God?  There was a vast difference between the lifestyle of Herod the Great and the priestly family of Zaharias and Elizabeth living in the Judean hills.  But God doesn’t choose the king who’s an unrighteous Idumean.  God doesn’t choose the High Priest who we find out has a debased view of God.  Instead God chooses a humble priest who took God’s work seriously and faithfully did what God had commanded him to do.

Joseph and Mary are ordinary.  And they were righteous.  They were honest - honest enough to admit their need for the Savior and humble enough to listen and obey Him.

When God is putting together events that history pivots on - events that center on people and God’s work of redemption - God uses average Joes and Josephines to accomplish His purposes.

People like us.  I may be speaking only for myself.  But this is about as ordinary as it gets.  And Merced - while there are some great things about living in Merced - just as there were great things about living in Nazareth - Merced - like Nazareth is not Jerusalem. 

And yet, God has created us and called us - you and me - to be here in Merced as essential to His working of His plan of redemption - deliverance - salvation - in human history - even here in Merced.

By the world’s standards not one of us would probably get chosen for that.  Most of us probably wouldn’t choose ourselves for that.  But we’re not God.  And God has.  He’s chosen you.  He’s chosen me.  Here we are.

Observation number two:  Joseph’s Heart. 

Mary is integral to God’s fulfilled prophecy - the virgin whom Isaiah predicted would conceive.  Gabriel tells Mary that every generation after her would consider her blessed.  She’s honored - revered.  She’s been upheld for about 2,000 years as an example of Godly womanhood - an influence on generations of women.  Her expression of praise to God - the Magnificat - what we looked at last Sunday - her response to God has been recited and sung.  It’s one of the most well known passages in the Bible.

Joseph’s role in all this is completely different.  His role has not been predicted by prophets.  There’s no statement that his name would ever be called blessed by generations to come.  In fact - after Jesus’ 12th birthday there’s no mention of Joseph anywhere in Scripture.  Looking through Scripture - unlike Mary - there’s absolutely no record of anything Joseph ever said. 

Soon Joseph would gaze into the face of a baby and never see in that face the reflection of his own.

The truth about Joseph being “a just man” is about Joseph seeking to live in obedience to God.  Life isn’t about Joseph.  What Joseph gets out of all this.  Life is about God.  We say that and we struggle to live by that truth.  In Joseph - this just man - we see that truth in real time.

A while back I parked next to a nice new white car.  When I opened my door the wind blew it open and it hit the nice new white car.  As I got out I looked - there was a little mark on the door - an insignificant very tiny black smudge - which I rationalized that I may or may not have caused - and since there was no dent or anything too horrible that I could see I started to walk away.

As I started walking the person in the car got out and said, “That was a pretty hard hit.”  So we came back and looked at his nice new white car and the little insignificant smudge on the door.  And I said, “Did I do that?”  Knowing full well that I must have.  Not one of my finer moments.  As he stood there irritated I bent over and using saliva rubbed and buffed and removed the little mark.

That’s how we think today.  I can do whatever I want as long as I don’t get caught.  And, how I treat others is not important - unless of course it affects how they treat me.  The end justifies the means.  Right and wrong are relative.  Justice and righteousness are not absolutes.

In Joseph’s day - which is not too different than today - in Joseph’s day people were doing whatever it took to fill their own pockets with money.  They didn’t care about what happened to anyone else.  Those in need were being abused and robbed.  Religion had become a profit making business.  The civic and religious leadership - everyone who was in a position to do so was taking bribes.  Justice was for sale to whoever could pay the lawyers or the court the most money. 

Those who know God know that there is a right and a wrong - especially in our relationships with God and others.  Living justly isn’t circumstantial.  Its not based on a sliding scale with what’s hard in life or what benefits us.  It doesn’t depend of if we get our feelings hurt or if we loose something in the deal.  It doesn’t depend on our being popular.  It doesn’t depend on the strangeness of our family.  Or if our betrothed to spouse comes up pregnant and all that that means. 

If we want to know where our heart is we need to look at how we’re treating others - especially when it involves our well being.

Unless we’re totally sold out to God at the heart level we can’t live justly.  Our hearts are continually deceiving us - rationalizing - letting us off easy - bent and clouded by sin.  Only God can transform and enable us to live justly.  If at the heart level we’re sold out to God our view of ourselves and others - and how we treat others in the stuff of life - all that’s gonna change.

Living justly - righteously - comes out of a heart that is totally sold out to God.  That’s Joseph.  That’s something for each of us to cry out to God for.  His grace.  His mercy.  His transforming of us from the heart level out.

Third observation - Joseph’s Choice.

Joseph chooses to do the hard thing.

What if Joseph goes through with the divorce - never marries Mary?  A lot of history changes.  For us.  Yes?

It would be so easy to imagine Joseph - understandable - for Joseph to dismiss the angel’s instructions as just a  dream.  To send Mary away.  To walk away from the whole thing and just go on with his life.  But he obeyed.

Joseph - with all the emotions he was feeling - with all the choices He had - Joseph chose to obey God.  No rationalizing.  No argument.  No discussion.  No hesitation.  Joseph woke up and did what God asked.  He submits his own desires to the will of God.

Which has ongoing consequences.

Some 30 years later - as Jesus is beginning His ministry - He enters the synagogue of His home town of Nazareth.  He’s handed the book of the prophet Isaiah and Jesus reads from Isaiah 61 - and then begins to speak to the congregation about the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophetic words.  The congregation is impressed with how Jesus is speaking to them - this child who grew up in Nazareth.

Among those listening the question is asked, “Is this not Joseph’s Son?” (Luke 4:16-22)  The question is significant because Joseph may have been dead for almost 20 years.  But, Joseph - his character - his reputation - is remembered.  In a very real sense they’re listening to Jesus because of Joseph.

Joseph was a just man with a God transformed loving heart.  He demonstrated that quality in his decision of how to treat Mary.  He put Mary’s life ahead of his own rights.  Joseph cared for His family.  He married Mary to protect her from accusations.  He protected her on the road to Bethlehem.  He protected Mary and Jesus - taking them to Egypt to escape Herod’s massacre of baby boys.

Joseph was submissive to the government.  He went to Bethlehem.  He registered in the census.  Joseph followed God’s law.  He took Jesus to be circumcised and named on the 8th day after His birth.  He took his family to Jerusalem - to the Temple - as required by God’s law.

Joseph obeyed God.  When God’s angel said to take Mary as his wife - he obeyed.  When God’s angel said, “Go to Egypt” - he went.  When God’s angel said go back to Israel - he returned.  He obeyed - submitting his desires to the will of God.

This may be a stretch.  But not too far a stretch.  I wonder if some of this example was in Jesus’ mind - there in the Garden of Gethsemane - when Jesus - wrestling with His own choice to obey God - Jesus prayed, “Not My will Thine.”

Joseph is a tremendous example of a Godly husband and father.  It is within the realm of reality to think that day after day - year after year - in the carpenter shop - Jesus at his side - Joseph worked on wood and shaped the character of Jesus.  Joseph’s fathering influence - his character - is demonstrated in how Jesus conducts Himself.

What would be the ongoing consequences if we chose to obey God?  Joseph being an example for us we have a great opportunity here.

There is a lot of brokenness in Merced.  We know this.  Broken people.  Broken homes.  Broken families.  Broken down people - struggling - wounded - angry - bitter - hopeless - who’ve turned to a number of different ways of trying to cope with their brokenness.  There are broken down people right here in the church.  Every one of us has issues that we deal with maybe personally - or really really close to where we live in our families.

Remember Joshua’s resolution?  “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua’s resolution means choosing to take personal responsibility for how he - Joshua - will live.  Me and my house.  Not, my house and I.  Joshua’s choice isn’t based on an opinion poll.  Its based on taking personal responsibility before God.  I made the choice - no other gods but the God.  I have resolved to serve Him and Him alone.  Obedience.  Period.  (Joshua 24:14,15)

Without quoting a lot of statistics - the vast majority of destructive issues facing our society would not exist if men not only knew how to be Godly men and but resolved to live as Godly men - husbands - and fathers - as Godly leaders in the church and community.

Today we need men who will take personal responsibility to lead their families towards God - by example - by choice - by resolving to themselves faithfully - obediently - exclusively - to serve God regardless of whatever choice anyone else may make or the cost to them personally.

If we men choose to live “justly” - “obediently” then we’ll have what it takes to speak God’s word into the lives of others.  Our marriages will change.  Our families will change.  Our communities will change.  Our culture - our world will change - when men become Godly men.

Obey God.  Expect Godly results.  There is such great potential for each man here.  And - same truth - huge opportunity for each woman.

Most of us - if not all of us - have dreams.  Expectations - hopes - thoughts about our future - the future of our families.  This is a time of the year when we’re especially aware of this.  We cling to the familiar - times with our families - our personal traditions.  What to us is security.

As we go on in life we resist whatever may rock our boat - put things out of balance.  Control is important - predictability - managing our lives.  That isn’t all bad.  God is the God of order and not chaos.

But, there are times when God desires to do something new in us and through us.  Knowing that we have no control over Him and how He would use us - how would we respond if we we’re given the choice given to Joseph?

What would be the consequences if choose to daily take all of our strengths - weaknesses - wounds - desires - securities - whatever - and sacrificially lay all that before God - so that from the core of who we are all that’s left is a passionate desire for God - a total trusting of Him with our lives - so that in God’s timing and in God’s strength - according to God’s plan - God will lead us into the awesomeness of what He has purposed for us to be.

God has brought each of us ordinary people here for a reason.  Each of us lives in this city and travels the paths that we do for a reason.  We know the reality of Jesus’ coming - for a reason.  Do people see Jesus in us?  His love?  His justice?  His righteousness?  What would be the consequences in our homes - our families - our community - in His church - if they did?

_______________

1. Jim Bishop, “The Day Christ Was Born,” HarperCollins, Publishers, 2004, pages 3,4 - cited by Gary Vanderet, “The Wonder of God’s Ways” - 12.21.1986

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.