As we go through the holiday season, we will look at several passages that deal with the events around the birth of Christ. This week our passage tells us about the birth of Christ from the perspective of Joseph. First, let’s review the story briefly.
Matthew tells us that Mary’s pregnancy was due to an activity of the Holy Spirit. Mary was engaged to Joseph. When Joseph finds her pregnant he decides to divorce her quietly. An angel of the Lord visits him in a dream, however, and tells him that what has happened is from the Holy Spirit and that he shouldn’t be afraid to take Mary as his wife. Joseph is also told to name the child Jesus. All this, the angel says, is the fulfillment of God’s word spoken in the prophets and he specifically mentions Isaiah chapter 7.
When Joseph wakes up, he does what had been commanded of him, taking Mary as his wife and naming the child Jesus. There is a lot we can glean from this amazing story but let’s look at three points.
First of all this tea
ches us the certainty of God’s Word. This passage and the genealogy that precedes it in this chapter announce to us that the coming of Jesus into the world was planned. The Old Testament is being fulfilled in his coming because God providentially oversaw all events leading to his coming and birth. What God says will happen is inevitable.
This is bad news and good news. It is bad news for those who think the Bible is a fable. What God says will happen is going to happen. If you are outside of Christ you will be condemned. But it is good news for those who believe, because what God promises will certainly happen, as we see in the birth of Christ.
Secondly, this passage teaches us our greatest need. The passage says his name is Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. The name of Jesus is not very flattering for us. It says that we are depraved by nature. He was called this because we are sinners. Yet, it is very good news that this is his name, because it means he came to rescue us from our sins. The problem for us is that we are not sensitive to this. If we become aware of our sin, then we see the name Jesus in a whole new light.
Being saved from sin is our greatest need. Before Jesus heals the paralytic, he tells him to rejoice because his sins are forgiven. When the disciples are excited about casting out demons and doing other miracles, he tells them to rather rejoice that their names are written in heaven.
In Romans 7, Paul does not say “What a wretched man I am, who will save me from hardship, suffering, having no money, being sick, and such.” Rather, he says, “What a wretched man I am, who will save me from this body of death?” Our sin is our greatest problem and being rescued from it is our greatest need. Thankfully, the Savior is named Jesus.
Third, we learn that Jesus coming into your life is very disruptive. Everything in Joseph’s life was disrupted when he accepted Jesus. He had to submit to God. This is not a bad thing. It is a good thing. It means new life. It means an eternal hope and future.
It is difficult to lay down your life to follow Christ. The struggle with sin continues. It does not mean providence will not sometimes be very difficult, as Joseph learned. Nevertheless, it is where we find joy and peace; life with God.
Joseph is a pattern of every Christian in the sense that everything changes when Christ is revealed to you. Joseph’s broken heart was mended with the truth of Christ. Christ heals our souls with a plaster of his own blood. We can be of good comfort in coming to him because he came to welcome mourners into his presence. Hear the angel’s announcement unto yourself (Luke 2): “Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy.”
