December 5
Joseph was not among the elites. He worked with his hands in the skilled trades. He was not a rich man but made a living as a carpenter. For a carpenter, there was always something that needed to be done. He was a man of integrity, referred to as "faithful to the law" (1:18). In Matthew, Joseph's righteousness and obedient faith are emphasized in his unusual role in the divine birth narrative. Joseph was also betrothed.
"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. 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. 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. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 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
In Matthew 1:18-25, Mary was found to be pregnant through a miracle by the Holy Spirit while she was betrothed to Joseph. Matthew's use of "genesis" in this passage (1:18) points to Jesus' divine origins, complementing the ancestral origins provided in the genealogy (1:1-17). The conception by the Holy Spirit (1:20) is central to the narrative.
Betrothal in ancient Israel was much different than being engaged to be married in our culture. The Jewish betrothal involved a legal contract. It could be broken only by an official divorce. Any sexual activity during this period was viewed as adultery and could carry the death penalty. Matthew, however, is not reporting a scandal but God’s intervention into human history. This was no ordinary human conception. God was at work!
The description of the Holy Spirit’s role in the virginal conception is quite different from Greco-Roman parallels. These so-called parallels all depend upon a god having sexual intercourse with a human. There is no hint of this in Matthew.
How would one know that this pregnancy was the result of divine intervention and not of sexual promiscuity, immorality, or rape? Joseph, a man who was just and righteous, likely doubted that Mary was innocent. Matthew records Joseph acting in a way that would reduce her shame and shield her from perhaps deadly consequences of adultery. Joseph planned to divorce her quietly.
But God was at work, revealing his plans to Joseph! Joseph should not fear because the child was a miracle of the Holy Spirit. While not the biological father, Joseph is Jesus's legal and adoptive father, a key role for inheritance and tribal identity. After the child was born, Joseph did what the angel had commanded and gave him the name Jesus. As a disciple, Joseph trusted God and was obedient to God. There was hope.
We can have real hope today by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone who trusts in Jesus and his death for our sins is forgiven. Everyone! Biblical hope is disconnected from circumstances and looks beyond this world and this life to what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ. It looks to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and hope. There is real hope this Christmas.