Matthew 1:18-25 - Joseph Accepts Jesus As His Son!
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son
18 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. 19 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.
20 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. 21 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.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Reflection: Today, Matthew relates the wonderful story of Joseph, the legal father of Joseph. We saw in yesterday's passage that Joseph was from the lineage of King David. There is much to be learned from how Joseph handled this situation and became the Father of our Lord. It is less important for us to figure out how Mary got pregnant as even the psalmist reflects on the mystery of how any human being comes into being which though we can understand the rudiments from science still is a gift from God.
We know Joseph is a just man, so rather than making the worst possible construction on Mary's pregnancy, he has in my mind to divorce her quietly. According to the law upon proof of her discretion he could of made things a lot worse for Mary. But instead he staves off jealousy and impulsivity and he thoughtfully thinks of his options, keeping Mary's reputation at the forefront of his mind.
Here is a big lesson for us. When we are privy to a possible downfall of someone else do we judge right away, or be patient and merciful to others as God is merciful to us. This might be a great New Year's resolution. I will make the best possible construction on my neighbors behavior and let God do the judging. So the first virtue we see in Joseph is patience.
By providing for this window of opportunity, God speaks to Joseph in a dream through an angel. God speaks when we are quiet and still. And God sends him a very specific message, "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife as what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."
Joseph hears God's voice through the angel and obeys. He names him Jesus, which means God saves. Jesus was a derivative of the Old Testament name Joshua. There were two Joshua's in the Old Testament. One was a priest the other was a king. Now Jesus is born who will not only be a mediator between God and man like the high priest but He is also the King of kings and will usher in God's kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. But it all starts with Joseph who took the time to be slow to judge and quick to listen to God's still, small voice.
Where do you need to be still and listen for God's voice? Where do you need to make the best possible construction on someone else's behavior and allow God to be the true judge? Maybe this could be your New Year's resolution to wait on God and obey when you have heard from Him. May we all learn from Joseph, who was a faithful father of our Lord in the line of David.
18 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. 19 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.
20 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. 21 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.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Reflection: Today, Matthew relates the wonderful story of Joseph, the legal father of Joseph. We saw in yesterday's passage that Joseph was from the lineage of King David. There is much to be learned from how Joseph handled this situation and became the Father of our Lord. It is less important for us to figure out how Mary got pregnant as even the psalmist reflects on the mystery of how any human being comes into being which though we can understand the rudiments from science still is a gift from God.
We know Joseph is a just man, so rather than making the worst possible construction on Mary's pregnancy, he has in my mind to divorce her quietly. According to the law upon proof of her discretion he could of made things a lot worse for Mary. But instead he staves off jealousy and impulsivity and he thoughtfully thinks of his options, keeping Mary's reputation at the forefront of his mind.
Here is a big lesson for us. When we are privy to a possible downfall of someone else do we judge right away, or be patient and merciful to others as God is merciful to us. This might be a great New Year's resolution. I will make the best possible construction on my neighbors behavior and let God do the judging. So the first virtue we see in Joseph is patience.
By providing for this window of opportunity, God speaks to Joseph in a dream through an angel. God speaks when we are quiet and still. And God sends him a very specific message, "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife as what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."
Joseph hears God's voice through the angel and obeys. He names him Jesus, which means God saves. Jesus was a derivative of the Old Testament name Joshua. There were two Joshua's in the Old Testament. One was a priest the other was a king. Now Jesus is born who will not only be a mediator between God and man like the high priest but He is also the King of kings and will usher in God's kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. But it all starts with Joseph who took the time to be slow to judge and quick to listen to God's still, small voice.
Where do you need to be still and listen for God's voice? Where do you need to make the best possible construction on someone else's behavior and allow God to be the true judge? Maybe this could be your New Year's resolution to wait on God and obey when you have heard from Him. May we all learn from Joseph, who was a faithful father of our Lord in the line of David.
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