Joseph Is Told About Jesus Birth

Matthew 1:18-25

Two Jewish families would agree for their daughter and son to marry. The couple would be pledged to be married. There would be no union between them until they were married. After being pledged, a couple would need a divorce if they were to separate, even though they weren't yet married. Adultery within the time of being pledged had very serious consequences, it sometimes even the death sentence.

Mary and Joseph were in this very situation but without any wrong taking place. Joseph would no doubt have been confused as he saw that Mary was pregnant but no doubt believed her as he loved her.

Mary was a virgin. Why did God choose a virgin to birth His Son? Sin is talked about in the Bible like a disease that is passed down from generation to generation through man, starting with Adam. Mary had no union with man and there could be no natural father, or sin would have been present. Jesus entered Mary by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was fully man AND fully God.

Joseph was a poor man, a carpenter. Not a very significant man in human terms. God uses the insignificant to carry out His powerful works. In doing this God shows He is all powerful and man cannot boast.

Joseph was a Jewish man of faith who believed in Gods promises, a righteous man. He was a kind man. He treated Mary with the greatest care in an understandably difficult situation. He kept the matter quiet so as not to disgrace Mary or even worse, to be convicted of adultery. Joseph is a good example of a Christian man.

When the angel spoke to Joseph, he no doubt realised who this child would be as he knew the promises in the Bible. How must it have felt for him to realise that the Bible promises were going to be worked out in his life - the very things that he had read about all his life.

All the Bible promises were coming true. We can read them from beginning to end, but Joseph was seeing them happen little by little in his own life.

Are we like Joseph? Do we believe in Gods word and are we prepared to be obedient to God and be part of his plan? Is He the ruler of our lives and do we look to Him.