Trusting God in Difficult Decisions
(Matthew 1:18-25)
Sermon Notes
Matthew 1:18–25 (NKJV)
18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
24Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
25and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
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- We all must make decisions.
- The quality of our decisions will determine the quality of our lives.
- Not all decisions are easy.
- Staples, the office supply store had a commercial where they featured something called “THE EASY BUTTON.”
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NOT ALL DECISIONS ARE EASY DECISIONS.
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The fact that Jesus was born to Mary even though she had not had sex with Joseph (as noted in 1:16) needed to be explained to Matthew’s readers. In this section, Matthew relates the story behind Jesus’ birth and how all attempts to thwart God’s plan go awry when God gets involved. We can appreciate God’s miraculous working in both Joseph and Mary. Although God’s actions were beyond their comprehension, and although they may have faced misunderstanding and questioning looks from those around them, Mary and Joseph willingly followed God’s guidance. How willing are we to do what God wants, no matter what? Can we follow God’s guidance without question?[1]
Because Mary and Joseph were pledged to be married, they had not yet had sexual relations (the meaning of the phrase “before they came together”). Yet she was found to be with child. Mary was pledged and pregnant, and Joseph knew that the child was not his own. Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness carried a severe social stigma. According to Jewish civil law, Joseph had the right to divorce her. The law also explained that the penalty for unchastity was death by stoning (Deuteronomy 22:23–24), although this was rarely carried out at this time. That Mary was “found” to be pregnant indicates that she may not have immediately told Joseph but had waited until her condition could be seen. This probably occurred after her return from visiting her pregnant cousin Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist) with whom she had stayed for three months (see Luke 1:39–56).[2]
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TENSION
His fiancée was pregnant by someone else!
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DIVINE PLAN – vs. 1, 16-17
Mathew’s gospel was written to Jews to present Jesus as Israel’s Messiah. In doing so, he had to tie Jesus’ genealogy to King David.
Matthew 1:1 (NKJV)
1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
Matthew 1:16–17 (NKJV)
16And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
- What happened in Joseph’s life was a part of a DIVINE PLAN.
- God had been setting this up for more than 42 generations.
- He had this in mind in Genesis 3:15 when He said:
Genesis 3:15 (NKJV)
15And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
“You are a part of the script that God has written.” – Pastor Billy Johnson
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PERSONAL DILEMMA – vs. 18-19
Matthew 1:18–19 (NKJV)
18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
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JEWISH MARRIAGE
Jesus’ mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph. Modern readers need to understand the traditions involved in ancient Jewish marriages.
- First, the two families would agree to the union and negotiate the betrothal, including a price for the bride that would be paid to the bride’s father.
- Next, a public announcement would be made. At this point, the couple was “pledged.” This is similar to engagement today, except it was much more binding. At this point, even though the couple was not officially married, their relationship could be broken only through death or divorce.
- Sexual relations were not yet permitted. This second step lasted for a year. During that time, the couple would live separately, with their parents. This waiting period would demonstrate the bride’s purity. If she were found to be pregnant during that time, the marriage could be annulled. Otherwise, the couple would be married and begin living together.
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Joseph’s Dilemma forced him to get past:
CONSEQUENCES OF A BETROTHED WOMAN HAVING SEXUAL RELATIONS
Deuteronomy 22:23–24 (NKJV)
23“If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a husband, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her,
24then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he humbled his neighbor’s wife; so you shall put away the evil from among you.
“Life, sometimes, is tough.” – Pastor Billy Johnson
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DIVINE INTERVENTION – vs. 20-21
“Go to sleep.” – Pastor Billy Johnson
Matthew 1:20–21 (NKJV)
20But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
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JOSEPH WAS SHOWN THAT JESUS’ BIRTH WAS TO:
- Fulfill Prophecy (Isaiah 7:14)
- Bring God’s Presence – Immanuel
Matthew 1:22–23 (NKJV)
22So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
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PERSONAL DECISION
Matthew 1:24–25 (NKJV)
24Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
25and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Joseph had to decide to obey the angel’s instruction. To obey the instruction, Joseph had to:
- Ignore his EGO
- Ignore the LAW
- Ignore cultural customs – call his name Jesus.
- Agree to raise someone else’s son as his own.
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JOSEPH’S DIFFICULT DECISION BECAME A DIVINE PROMISE FULFILLED.
A SAVIOR WAS BORN!
[1] Bruce B. Barton, Matthew, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996), 13.
[2] Bruce B. Barton, Matthew, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996), 13–14.
