Matthew's gospel, the first chapter, Matthew chapter one. As I indicated this morning, I intend tonight to start a series that we'll go through until Christmas called the cast of Christmas. And I want us to think about some of those people in the story that God wrote, the true story, but the story that God wrote of bringing his son into this world. Tonight I want us to focus on Joseph and his life and what his life would teach us tonight. So I begin reading in Matthew chapter one and verse 18. Now 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. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But 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. And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is translated, God with us. Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. Well, Joseph is one of the characters of the Christmas story that maybe doesn't get a lot of attention. We have a tendency, if we're going to think about the cast of the Christmas story, to think about Mary, think about the angels, think about Jesus, think about the shepherds, think about the wise men. We don't as often think about Joseph. And yet Joseph was an important part of the story. And his life provides for us a great example for us. Well, Matthew's gospel begins with the genealogy of Jesus. And that genealogy goes right straight to Joseph, the husband of Mary. Joseph will become the adopted father of Jesus. And with that status would be the right to Jesus to sit upon the throne of David. Matthew's gospel begins with that note of Jesus as the son of David and the son of Abraham. Or as so many commentators and so many Christians over the years have said, this book of Matthew reminds us that Jesus is the King, son of David, of the Jews, son of Abraham. Well, we are really introduced to Joseph in his actual life experience as we come to verse 18 of chapter one. Now I remember when I got engaged to Sarah. We got engaged and then we were actually apart for an entire year before we were married. We were apart, we saw each other a couple times, but we were far away from each other. Sarah was in Birmingham, Alabama, and I was in Barrie, Ontario, quite a distance between us. But no doubt each of us came into, went through that time period with certain expectations. We were looking forward to our life together, we were looking forward to being One couple, one married couple. Whatever life had to bring us, and of course we had no idea what it would be, but whatever life would bring us, whatever God and his providence would bring us, we would face it together. We had trust in one another. We were separated for many miles, but we trusted one another. There was no thought that one or the other of us would go running around and look trying to find someone else. And obviously Joseph's time was different. It's a different time of history, but no doubt Joseph from the time of his betrothal looked forward to his marriage with Mary and had no thought that she would be unfaithful to him. That would have been unthinkable. Today in our culture where sex and marriage really aren't really thought of in the same context necessarily. You just do whatever you want and eventually if you feel like it you get married. Back then that was unheard of. It was shameful. Think about how shameful it was. Remember the story in John's gospel of the woman caught in adultery. What did they do? They took that woman and dragged her out and they were going to stone her to death. Shows their own hypocrisy, of course, too, because they only brought forth the woman and not the man, but that's another story for another time. But you can see how important it was to be faithful. Especially those people who had vibrant relationships with God, it was thought that those people ought to be faithful. And if you weren't faithful, that was a sign you weren't walking with God. Of course, that is true today, too. Here's a situation. Mary is betrothed to Joseph. This is even stronger than engagement in our time. In our time, engagement can be broken off, and sometimes it is. In this time, betrothal would actually, you would actually have to have almost a writing of divorce to break off a betrothal. It was that, it was that binding. Well, Mary, as we read in scripture, has gone away, and she's been with Elizabeth for some time, And no doubt as she comes back, she is now starting to show signs that she is pregnant. Verse 18 tells us this way, before they came together, she was found with child. Now we read it of the Holy Spirit. We know the story, right? Joseph didn't know that. Perhaps she had told him that, but it sounded almost too impossible to believe. I have not been unfaithful. Here's Joseph, verse 19, he is a just man. He does not want to make her a public example, but he is a just man. Because he is a just man, he believes that he needs to put her away in keeping with the law, but he's also a man of kindness and so he wants to do it secretly because he doesn't want to Shame her and make her a public example. So this is a good, faithful, righteous man. That's what kind of man that Joseph is. And he's actually thinking about these things, verse 20, and falls asleep thinking about them. While he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. We've all had those. issues of life that are so important to us and so taxing upon us, and we're trying to think through them, what am I gonna do about this situation? We've all had those kind of things that invade our sleep, and that's kind of what's going on with Joseph. He's thinking about these things right into his sleep. But while he thought about these things, an angel of the Lord appears to him and tells him, don't be afraid to take to you, marry your wife, For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Now this is an amazing thing for Joseph to hear. We've heard the story so many times that, you know, it's old hat, but Joseph is hearing from an angel that Mary is still a virgin and that the child in her is not conceived by some other man, but by some supernatural act of the Holy Spirit. He's further told that when she brings forth a child, it will be a son. Even more particularly, that son is to be called Jesus, which is Savior, Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Now Joseph, as a just man, as a righteous man, no doubt would have known the Old Testament scriptures, would have known what the scriptures said about Messiah coming. He would have been familiar with passages from the Old Testament, like, I'll turn back to them, or to it, Isaiah chapter 45. Isaiah chapter 45 in verse one. In Isaiah chapter 45 verse one, or sorry, verse 21, the last part of verse 21, it says, and there is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior, there is none besides me. The one who was to be the Savior was God. In Jesus coming to earth, he will save his people from their sins because he is God. Joseph, no doubt, does not know all of what it will entail, how Jesus will save his people from their sins. But Matthew, under the Spirit's inspiration, gives us this editorial note. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, this is Isaiah chapter seven and verse 14, behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel. which is translated God with us. So this child that is within the womb of Mary is God in the flesh, is God who will save his people from their sins. This would have been an incredible thing. It's an incredible thing for us to think about now, but an incredible thing for Joseph to hear. Now how will he respond? For Joseph to obey the words of the angel would have completely turned his life upside down. We maybe don't think of it this way, but he lives in a time where there's an honor culture and a shame culture. For Joseph to take Mary as his wife would doing so would make him to look like either Joseph himself was immoral, because it's obvious that Mary is going to bear a child fewer than nine months after they've been married. So either Joseph will look like he has been sexually immoral and he has He has engaged in activity that God has assigned only for marriage. He is engaged in that activity before marriage, or he'll seem like a fool who believes a silly story. For Joseph to obey the command of the angel, socially speaking, would have left him in a very difficult place. When Mary, actually came to the end of her pregnancy and bore Jesus, people would have thought, okay, well, you know, Joseph, he wasn't quite as just as we thought he was. He wasn't quite as righteous as we thought he was. Or they would think, you know that Mary, she was the one who was immoral. And Joseph's a fool for believing her. Either way, Joseph would have paid an incredible social price to obey the words of the angel, but look what he does. Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, verse 24, and took to him his wife. He obeyed. In spite of what it would cost him, in spite of what it would look like to the world around him, he obeyed. And further than that, Joseph believes and obeys so completely that the scripture tells us in verse 25 that he did not know her until she had brought forth her firstborn son. In other words, Joseph marries her and abstains from any sexual relations until Jesus is born. He obeyed. That was the height of his obedience. Even though that delayed what would have been otherwise a lawful pleasure for him, he delayed that. Understanding just how important this was, that the virgin would bear a child. His obedience continues, doesn't it? He names this child Jesus. When he names this child Jesus, it indicates his faith in the word of God. Because what he is doing, he is naming this infant, Savior. He is naming this infant, this helpless baby, he's naming this baby Savior. It must have seemed incomprehensible almost to Joseph. that this little child was God and Savior, that this little child was Emmanuel, that this little child was the Savior, the one who would save his people from their sins, but he obeys. It's an act of obedience and it's an act of faith, isn't it? He is obeying God and the word of God communicated through the angel, and he is also indicating his own faith in Jesus. by naming Him Savior. Well, that's not all we hear about Joseph, is it? The Scripture tells us in chapter 2 that wise men come from the East. We don't know how many of them, right Mike? We don't know how many for sure, but we know they come bearing gifts. Gifts that indicate the royalty of Jesus, but gifts that also hint that Jesus later sacrifice. They encounter Herod. Herod, of course, wants to retain the power. He wants to rule. He wants his own kingdom to be exalted. He doesn't want anyone else. That would be any challenge to his reign. The wise men depart another way. They don't tell Herod. When that happens in verse 13, when they had departed, chapter two, verse 13, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, arise, take the young child and his mother, flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring you word for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. That's exactly what Herod does. Herod, as we find out in verse 16, He goes and he puts to death all the male children who are in Bethlehem and all of its districts. He puts them to death from two years of age and under. This, by the way, is an indication that Mary and Joseph stayed in Bethlehem and obtained a house and were there for some time after Jesus' birth. The fact that Herod put to death all the children two years of age and under, he's casting a wide loop But once again, when Joseph is told to do this, he obeys. No doubt that at this point, Joseph maybe had some kind of a life that was somewhat normal. He has not returned to Nazareth, which is his hometown, or his town that he was living in. And we know that he and his family are come from Bethlehem, but he had lived in Nazareth prior to this. He doesn't go back there, he settles in Bethlehem, and yet when God says move, he moves. His life was upended by taking Mary as his wife, by receiving her instead of rejecting her, and his life is gonna be upended again when he moves to Egypt. Again, you might put yourself in Joseph's shoes and say, this is supposed to be God, this is supposed to be the savior of the world. This is supposed to be the one who will save his people from their sins. Why are we running to Egypt? Of course, this is all happening in fulfillment of prophecy. And Matthew is very intentional in pointing that out. But he does, he obeys, he flees to Egypt, even though his life had, no doubt, had some kind of normalcy. It's all upended again and he moves to Egypt. and he stays there in Egypt for some time until Herod is dead. In chapter two and verse 19, once again, Angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, and this time he says, take the young child and his mother, go to the land of Israel. Those who sought the young child's life are dead. So how long he stayed in Egypt, we're not 100% sure, but he stayed in Egypt for some time until Herod is dead. And then again, he upends his life to go move back to Israel. He comes back to Israel, he hears verse 22 that Archelios is reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod. He's afraid to go there. And it seems like there is some good reason to. Verse 22 says, being warned by God in a dream, he turns aside to the region of Galilee and he comes and dwells in Nazareth. This is the city that he had come from. Luke chapter two verse four indicates that. He is from Nazareth before he goes to Bethlehem. So he goes back to Israel and he goes back to his hometown. Now again, just put all this together. It's not fun to move. It's not fun. I don't know very many people that like to move unless they really have to. And here's Joseph moving to Egypt. Here's Joseph moving back to Israel. And as if it's not difficult enough to move, where does Joseph move back to? He moves back to Nazareth. Nazareth, no doubt, moving back to Nazareth, no doubt brought him right back into the rumor mills of his home city. And we know that the rumors circulated. I'll give you a hint to that. Look with me at John chapter eight in verse 48. There is an indication that there were rumors that circulated about Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. In John chapter eight in verse 48, the Jews answered and said to him, do we not rightly say that you are a Samaritan? Samaritans were, if you will, half breeds. in a culture where the Jewish people wanted to be able to trace their ancestry directly back to their pure bloodline. To say that someone is a Samaritan is an insult because the Jews hated the Samaritans, John chapter four tells us. But I think there's more than that going on. I think that what they're saying is no, you're not virgin born, you're a Samaritan. Your father, your real father, isn't God. It's a Samaritan. And not only that, you're demon-possessed. Joseph, in moving back to Galilee, moving back to Nazareth, would have brought him back to his hometown, back to where the judgment and the rumors would have circulated. You know, when you have a past in an area, in particular in a small town, It's hard to get over that. Hard to get over that past. Joseph had done nothing wrong, but no doubt they assumed that either he had or Mary had, or both of them had, or he was just plain fool to believe her. And he goes back there. Joseph was a humble man of faithful obedience. Next time that we encounter Joseph, and it's the last time that we encounter Joseph in his earthly life, is actually in Luke chapter two, at the end of Luke chapter two. Luke chapter two, Joseph brings Jesus to Jerusalem. And it's there where Jesus is left behind. You might remember the story. And there he is. listening and asking them questions. They're astonished, the religious leaders are astonished at his understanding and answers. When they finally return to Jerusalem and find him, Mary says, son, why have you done this to us? Look, your father and I have sought you anxiously. And you might remember that Jesus pointedly but respectfully clarifies things, doesn't he? He says, why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my father's business? But even this scene tells us something about Joseph. That Joseph sought to raise Jesus right. that he raised him connected with the faith of Israel, the faith in the true and living God, that he was involved in the religious festivals and the religious observances that were important for an obedient Jew. And even in this scene where Joseph again kind of takes the background spot, even in this, we see this quiet, faithful obedience. And that's the last we hear about Joseph. Joseph's life was a life of humble, faithful obedience. Let me give you four things quickly that I think that Joseph can encourage us, motivate us, Joseph's example can motivate us. First of all, like Joseph, We must trust the plan of God. Joseph's life very vividly illustrates the truth that is told us in Isaiah chapter 55, verses eight and nine, where God says, my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor my ways your ways. No doubt Joseph had a very different life that he was thinking of when he thought about married life with Mary, in the years ahead. God would say, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. And here's where Joseph is such an incredible example for us, and it's important, I think, that we remember and learn from the positive examples of scripture. We know that Joseph wasn't a perfect man, but there are things about his life that encourage us His walk of faith encourages us. Trust the plan of God. All of us right now have our lives upended by the current circumstances. There's not one of us that has been affected in weird ways by what's going on right now. And we may doubt the wisdom of our leaders, and we may doubt the advice of the medical professionals. We may doubt all of that, but let us never ever doubt God. Let us never doubt His plan. He is and will always be the one who works all things after the counsel of His own will. Trust the plan of God. Second, like Joseph, we must believe the word of God. It's fascinating to me that Joseph, in some ways, is kind of like the Joseph of the Old Testament. You think about the Joseph of the Old Testament, what is he known for? Well, he's known for receiving dreams from God. And so it is with Joseph in the New Testament. He is someone who is known for receiving dreams from God. God, of course, does not work in that way normally, even in those times, and he does not work in that way now, because we have his word completed for us. But Joseph really, truly believed, as Hebrews chapter two, verse two says, the word spoken through angels proved steadfast. that this messenger of God was a messenger of God, and he would obey the voice of God. Joseph was someone who believed the word of God. When God said, he'll bring forth the son, call his name Jesus, he'll save his people from their sins, here's his act of faith. He believes, he names him Jesus. When God says the life of Jesus is in danger, move to Egypt, he believes and he moves to Egypt. When God says, Herod is dead, move back to Israel, he does. When God says, don't move there, move back to Galilee, he goes there. He trusts God, he believes the word of God. The words of Psalm 119 and verse 32 could very well be applied to Joseph, I run in the course of your commandments. It seems at least in the first, in the opening scenes of Jesus' life and what we're told of Joseph's life, he's running from one place to the next, but he's doing so because God commands it. He trusts the word of God. Like Joseph, may we believe, may we trust the word of God. Thirdly, like Joseph, may we receive the Word of God. May we receive the Son of God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John chapter 1 verse 14 tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Joseph received the living word of God, the son of God. He received Jesus in a very particular way. He received Jesus. He wouldn't reject Mary and he wouldn't reject Jesus. He received him this Christmas for those who have not received Jesus. This is the time to do so. Now is the day of salvation. We are sinners in need of salvation. Joseph was a sinner in need of salvation. Jesus was the savior even for Joseph. We must turn from our sins to receive Jesus. It's interesting to me how Joseph stands in such contrast to the majority of the people of Israel in that day. John tells us in John chapter one, verses 11 to 13, he came to his own, and what happened? His own received him not. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. It's not, you're not saved because of who you are descended from. You're not saved because of your effort, the will of the flesh. You're not saved even because of your own volition. Ultimately you're saved because of God. It's God's will. You're not urged to sit around and wait to know if it's God's will. What do we do that we might work the works of God? Believe in him whom he sent. Receive Jesus. Joseph, in a very particular way, but in an exemplary way, received Jesus, not just physically, but spiritually, as indicated by the fact that he named him Jesus, Savior. trusting that this child in the manger would indeed save his people from their sins. May we, like Joseph, receive Jesus. But fourthly, like Joseph, may we embrace the reproach of Christ. Joseph would have, in a particular way, received the reproach of Christ. There was a reproach that would come upon Joseph's name. He would be thought either a fool or an immoral man. But he was willing to embrace the shame that came with embracing Christ. Now friends, I don't need to tell you, I think you see it all around you, that we live in an age that is increasingly hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Increasingly hostile to the truth of God's word. We as Christians over the years have had it fairly easy. We haven't been too persecuted, but the day may come very soon in which Christians are persecuted, in which there is a very powerful reproach for receiving Christ, for embracing Christ, for following Christ. Like Joseph, may we embrace that reproach. I don't go out to be an arrogant jerk, but when the reproach of Christ comes, we embrace it. This is the way the author of Hebrews says it in Hebrews 13, verse 13. He says, let us therefore go forth to him. Bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. Go forth to Jesus. Follow Jesus. Go where Jesus is. Obey Jesus. Bear His reproach. Whatever this world might throw at you, you have here no continuing city. but there's one to come. Joseph's life is so powerful in that it reminds us that we must trust the plan of God. We must believe the word of God. We must receive the son of God. We must embrace the reproach of Christ. We don't know exactly when Joseph died, but it's likely that he was dead by the time that Jesus began his public ministry. In Matthew chapter 13, as Jesus ministers in Nazareth and Galilee, people say, is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? They list the names of his brothers. They list his sisters, or they, not by name, but they list sisters. Are they not all with us? It seems that though when they say, are they not all with us? Referring to Mary, Jesus' brothers and his sisters. There's no reference to Joseph in any way that would indicate that Joseph is alive, even at that point. But if you say maybe he was alive then, there's no word to indicate that he was alive after that. He was not there at the foot of the cross like Mary was. We know that he had passed away at that point. He was not on the scene because remember that there at the cross, Jesus would say to John that he was to behold his mother, John that he was to behold his mother and say to Mary, behold your son, that John was the one that was supposed to take care of Mary from that point on because Jesus wouldn't be there. And obviously Joseph wasn't in the picture. Joseph has gone by that time. And he's faded from history with that point. And maybe in many ways he's faded from memory. And today, maybe it's kind of similar, that he has faded from history and he remains all but forgotten, maybe kind of remembered around Christmas time, but even then he's only considered a minor character, not that important in God's plan, not much worth remembering. But you know what? I don't know if that would have really offended Joseph. to not be remembered. Joseph's life was a life of quiet, faithful obedience. I think Joseph would say, you know what? Let my name be forgotten, if Christ's name be remembered. Tonight, let's remember Joseph, that we might remember Christ. Because Joseph's life ultimately points to the greatness of Christ. And so let us remember how great Jesus is. Remember that this season, brothers and sisters. Amen.