Isaiah 7:10-16 – 10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign from the Lord your God. Make it as deep as the grave or as high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I won’t ask; I won’t test the Lord.” 13 Then Isaiah said, “Listen, house of David! Isn’t it enough for you to be tiresome for people that you are also tiresome before my God? 14 Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman is pregnant and is about to give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel. 15 He will eat butter and honey, and learn to reject evil and choose good. 16 Before the boy learns to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned.
Matthew 1:18-25 – 18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary, his mother, was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. 20 As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 Now all of this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23 Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, And they will call him, Emmanuel. (Emmanuel means “God with us.”)24 When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he didn’t have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus.
- We are getting close. Only seven more days and it’s Christmas!!!!
- Wednesday December 21st is the shortest day of the year. It’s called the Winter Solstice – which means the shortest day of the year – it occurs at 4:48 PM on Wednesday in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s summer in Australia. By mid-January, the days will begin to get longer.
- So, have you ever thought why Christmas is on December 25th?
- Clearly, theologically Jesus — as the light of the world – overcomes the darkness just as the days begin to get longer after December 21st.
- Back in the 300’s the church in Rome began to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child on the 25th of December.
- This was to supplant the December 21st pagan worship of the coming of the sun – by the sun god — Sol Invictus
- First it was the Christ Mass – then after a while it became Christmas, on the 25th.
- Fast forward 2000 years, and Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus and the world goes wild with being certain that there enough presents under the tree – to match the gifts that the wisemen on Maji brought. I sometimes wonder if Christmas now has become a commercial pagan holiday.
- Enough of this rambling – we celebrate December 25th as the birth of the light of the world – Jesus the Christ. Jesus the Messiah.
- As the Scripture readings show us, today I want to focus on Joseph.
- The Bible should be our source for this, but it does not mention Joseph at all, apart from the extended nativity stories in Matthew and Luke.
- However, tradition has it that Joseph was alive until the time of Jesus mission and perhaps even after the crucifixion.
- Matthew 13:55 says that Jesus was called “the carpenter’s son” during his mission, implying that Joseph the carpenter was still alive or had lived so recently that he was still spoken of as “the carpenter”.
- John 6:42 appears to confirm this, having them say, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?”
- In the present tense, this must mean that Joseph was still alive when Jesus was about 30 and perhaps outlived Jesus.
- Also, there is speculation that Joseph was already an older man when he married Mary and probably died before Jesus began his ministry.
- Again, enough of my rambling.
- Take a look at the sermon slide. It is titled “Joseph the Carpenter. It is a print from a wood carving by Fritz Eichenberg and is dated 1955. His work was published frequently in the Catholic Worker. He is the same artist that prepared the picture in my office – Christ in the breadline.
- A close look at it has Joseph, as an older man, showing the young boy Jesus the cup and the bread is on the boards. Notice the wood construction tools and the image of the cross in the distance. Also notice Mary as she is pondering all the things in her heart. –
- Impressive, isn’t it and it really summarizes the story of Joseph and the boy Jesus.
- In the many elements that compose the Christmas story, the one we are most likely to overlook is Joseph. Certainly, Mary and her special child are at the center of the story, and we love to recall the shepherds in the fields and the wise men bearing gifts. Look at the average nativity scene; Joseph is that guy standing in the back of the scene, looking on while everyone else gathers around the manger.
- Yet Matthew reminds us here that Joseph was a central and essential character in the Christmas drama. The depth of character shown by Joseph serves as a model for each one of us during this time of celebration.
- Let’s unpack these few verses further.
- 18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary, his mother, was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit.
- In the time of Mary and Joseph, engagement meant a commitment to be marriage – and in fact it was part of the fullness of the marriage ceremony. [1]
- A young man and his fiancé would go before the judge where they would sign the marriage declaration. And at that point, they would be officially married.
- But in those years, the betrothal period, they would have to wait a year before they lived together. They would have to wait a year before they slept together.
- Now, from the outside looking in, this is the dumbest thing that has ever been created.
- But in those days, marriage looked a lot different. In those days, the parents of each person would get together and they would decide on a dowry or a bride price.
- Other than the physical side of marriage, when you were betrothed to someone, you were married to them, you were married. So that means this to get a divorce, you had to actually walk through the divorce process. And it had to be something that was spelled out in the law. Joseph would have to had declared that Mary was involved in adultery.
- So, let’s get into Joseph’s head for a minute. From the text we just read. From the text we just read during this waiting time.
- Mary shows up pregnant in this betrothal period.
- Now Joseph knows that baby isn’t his.
- You can imagine how humiliating, how confusing this was for Joseph.
- 19 Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly
- The Bible says he’s faithful to the law. He’s a righteous man.
- He could divorce her quietly, send her on her way quietly, because he really did love her.
- But he also knew that this would also bring her shame and it would bring this baby into poverty. He could divorce quietly. Or, he could marry Mary and he could bring this child into his home as his own.
- Back and forth – what to do! What to do? Ever been down this path.
- 20 As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 Now all of this took place so that what the Lord had spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled: 23 Look! A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, And they will call him, Emmanuel.[a] (Emmanuel means “God with us.”)
- But after he 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.
- Sometimes it is God who shatters our dreams to give us better dreams.
- How well I remember, just several months after Ann and I were married – Ann was back at Western Maryland College and I was at Bendix – trying to figure out what a full-time job meant, when Ann said to me – Guess what sweetheart. You are going to be a father!
- Oh my – our dreams were simple — In two years, Ann could graduate from Western Maryland College. Get a job! – wow! Two incomes – we could finally unload the two ancient cars we had – get a new car and buy a house – the all-American dream – shattered with a few words from Ann.
- Romans 8:28 tells us that, God, we know that all things work together for the good of those who he loves and are called according to his purpose.
- Our plans were not shattered, and neither was Joseph’s.
- God gave Ann and I a special son – David and latter a special daughter Amy. Our shattered dreams became our lives together!
- Nether were Joseph’s dreams shattered: From the other Scripture today from Isaiah 14 Therefore, the Lord will give you a sign. The young woman is pregnant and is about to give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel.
- The prophecy is about to be fulfilled.
- Matthew tells us that. 19 Joseph her husband was a righteous man.
- God selected a special man to serve as the human father and model for Jesus, a man who would demonstrate integrity, honor, and virtue as the boy Jesus grew into a man.
- Just as Fritz Eichenberg shows us in his depiction of Joseph.
- The events described in this text offer one bit of evidence of the kind of man Joseph was. How would you have responded, especially in that culture, when you could certainly have exacted a dramatic measure of punishment for what you thought was betrayal?
- Yet Joseph’s concern was to protect Mary from public ridicule and punishment. Even at a moment in his life when he must have felt deeply hurt, he was anxious to protect the one he thought had hurt him.
- That is a depth of character not often found in his or any other day.
- God could use Joseph because he had a compassionate heart and was a man of honor. Do we seek to demonstrate the kind of character in our lives that will enable God to more effectively use us?
- Imagine having the kind of dream Joseph had that night and learning that the basis for his predicament was actually the work of God, and that the child your future wife is bearing is the Messiah, the “anointed one” of God.
- Yet Joseph’s response was a simple one: 24 When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he didn’t have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. Joseph called him Jesus.
- God isn’t looking for the best and the brightest, the most handsome or beautiful, the most polished or popular. God is looking for men and women who will be responsive to his will; people who are willing to hear and obey. Look at the stories of those men and women who were used by God—people like Abraham and David, Naomi and Ruth, and others like them; their common characteristic is a responsiveness to God. They were willing to do what God told them to do.
- Thanks be to God
Dick
[1] http://www.glenshawvalleychurch.us/