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The Good News as Told to Joseph
December 12, 2010
by Samuel E. Ward
Introduction
Information concerning Joseph is scant in the biblical record. This has led many to give him diminished status in church history until recent times. Peter J. Leithart discusses this fact in an article in Biblical Horizons.
During the Middle Ages, Joseph, the husband of Mary, was the butt of many jokes. Medieval theater and art often depicted him as something of a buffoon, decidedly marginal to the gospel story. In part, this was the unfortunate obverse of the exaltation of Mary; any man would suffer by comparison with such a being as Mary was supposed to have been. In modern times, especially among Protestants, the attitude toward Joseph has shifted from mockery to outright indifference. No history of the Church can be written without extensive discussion of the place of Mary in medieval piety, but the same histories scarcely mention her husband.
Yet, it should be obvious that Joseph (as well as Mary) played an absolutely unique role in the history of redemption. Though we know little about Jesus' childhood, it seems incontrovertible that no other man was so directly involved with the early life of our Lord as was Joseph. Joseph's role is especially noted in Matthew's gospel. Luke writes his birth narrative from Mary's viewpoint, recording the annunciation to Mary, her visit to Elizabeth, and her psalm of praise. Joseph is almost completely in the background. Matthew, by contrast, makes Joseph more central in the birth narratives than Mary (though Mary is not absent, of course). Thus, Matthew writes the story of Mary's conception from Joseph's viewpoint, emphasizing Joseph's initial reaction to Mary's conception, and in Matthew Joseph, not Mary, is visited by angels and receives special revelation. (Of course, both Matthew's and Luke's versions are historically accurate.)[1]
Though the information may not be as much as our curiosity about Joseph would hope, nonetheless, careful observation of the facts can lead to a deep appreciation for a man that God chose to be the earthly father of His divine Son; a man described as "righteous" and whose actions show mercy, compassion, and devotion to God. With that understanding we launch into the narrative concerning the good news as told to Joseph.
Joseph and the Good News
I. Matthew's Prologue to the Narrative, Mat 1:18
A. The Subject, Mat 1:18a
(Mat 1:18a NIV) This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about:
The birth of Jesus Christ is historical fact; and though the intention of this study is not to present the historical case for it, the words of biblical scholar F.F. Bruce is noteworthy:
"Some writers may toy with the fancy of a 'Christ-myth,' but they do not do so on the ground of historical evidence. The historicity of Christ is as axiomatic for an unbiased historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar. It is not historians who propagate the 'Christ-myth' theories."[2]
B. The Situation, Mat 1:18b
(Mat 1:18b NIV) His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
II. Joseph's Predicament, Mat 1:19
(Mat 1:19 NIV) Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
A. Joseph Was Not the Father of the Child.
B. Joseph Was Faced with a Dilemma.
1. Joseph's feelings for Mary prevented him from wanting to publicly disgrace Mary.
2. Joseph's devotion to God obligated him to consider a divorce.
3. Joseph's mercy moved him to act discreetly.
C. Joseph Committed Himself to Be a Husband to Mary.
1. He defended her from disgrace.
2. He delivered her from danger.
3. He devoted himself to the divine will.
D. Joseph Committed Himself to be a Father to Jesus.
1. He gave Jesus his name and lineage. (He was of the house and lineage of David.)
2. He gave Jesus security in a dangerous time. (He protected Jesus from King Herod.)
3. He gave Jesus knowledge of Israel's God and history. (It was the father's responsibility to teach his children their spiritual history with God.)
4. He gave Jesus training in a vocation. (Jesus was probably trained as a carpenter as Joseph was.)
We might ask, given the importance of Joseph in Jesus' growth and development, why he does not have a more prominent place in the biblical narrative. Charles Henderson offers this insight. "The memory of Joseph was sacrificed by the early church as a consequence of its belief in the virgin birth."[3]
III. The Angel's Prophetic Message, Mat 1:20-23
A. The Message Begins with an Explanation of the Conception, Mat 1:20.
(Mat 1:20 NIV) 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."
B. The Message Continues with an Explanation of the Purpose, Mat 1:21.
(Mat 1:21 NIV) "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."
1. Isaiah foretold Jesus' dying for man's sin, Isa53:4-6.
Isaiah also prophesied concerning:
2. Jesus' virgin birth, Isa 7:14.
3. Jesus' divinity, ministry, and future kingdom, Isa 9:6-7.
4. Jesus' future reign which will begin with judgment and follow with healing, Isa 35:4-6.
5. Jesus' earthly ministry would be preceded by a messenger Isa 40:1-5, 9.
6. Jesus' salvation will extend to the ends of the earth, Isa 49:6.
7. Jesus' salvation would come at the price of His personal suffering and death, Isa 50:5-6; 53:7, 9, 12.
C. The Message Concludes with the Exposition of a Prophecy, Mat 1:22-23.
(Mat 1:22-23 NIV) All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: {23} "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."
What a promise! It is interesting that the last phrase in Matthew's gospel is the statement of this promise to disciples of all ages.
(Mat 28:20 NIV) "...and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
He is still with us.
IV. Joseph's Prudence
A. His Prudence Is Observed by His Faithful Obedience, Mat 1:24.
(Mat 1:24 NIV) When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
B. His Prudence Is Observed by His Submission to God's Will Over His Own, Mat 1:25
(Mat 1:25 NIV) But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Sometimes our faith demands that we believe that God can do the impossible.
1. This was the angel's message to Mary, Luke 1:37.
(Luke 1:37 NIV) "For nothing is impossible with God."
2. This was Jesus' message to His disciples when Jesus spoke of the near impossibility for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, Luke 18:27.
(Luke 18:27 NIV) Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
3. This was Abraham's belief when asked by God to sacrifice his only son, Heb 11:17-19.
(Heb 11:17-19 NIV) By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, {18} even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." {19} Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
4. This is God's expectation of believers who would desire to please Him, Heb 11:6.
(Heb 11:6 NIV) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Conclusion:
Mary's response to hearing the good news concerning Jesus' coming was to offer herself as God's servant.
Joseph's response to hearing the good news concerning Jesus' was to accept responsibility for being custodian of the object of the good news, Jesus, to protect and nurture Him.
As we continue to study the facts around the telling of the good news to certain groups and individuals and how they responded to it, consider what your own response to the gospel has been. We are discovering that there are a number of different responses possible.
Remember what the writer of Hebrews warned by inspiration of the Holy Spirit:
(Heb 2:3-4 NIV) How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. {4} God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
