Joseph: Trust in the Middle of Tragedy

Sermon by the Rev. Matt Kennedy

Matthew 1:18-23

The Church of the Good Shepherd

If you've ever been betrayed by someone you love then maybe you can understand how Joseph felt. I can imagine few things more painful to a young man who, over the course of a long engagement, has remained pure and honored the purity of his betrothed, than to hear the news Mary bore on the day she told Joseph that she was “with child”, that she was pregnant.

The word “betrothed” means to pledge or promise to marry. In America, we call this “engagement.” Once you're engaged, it's a pretty serious thing. You don't or you shouldn't go around dating other people. Your time is occupied with your fiancé, wedding plans and arranging your future together.

But there are two major differences between betrothal in first century Palestine and engagement in contemporary America. First, today couples often take a test drive. They live together for awhile to see if marriage is really worth it. I've even heard Christian parents encouraging their kids to live together rather than marry. The practical problem with this is that it doesn't work. Statistically speaking, if you want to make sure your marriage ends in divorce, move in together first. Couples who live together prior to marriage are twice as likely to get a divorce as couples who do not. The moral problem is that couples who live together are often, not always, but often sleeping together too. God is very clear about this. Sex is a gift to be used only within the bounds of marriage. In the scriptures, sex like fire and marriage like a fireplace. Fire is a wonderful thing inside a fireplace. Outside the fireplace, it is devastating. God designed the fire for the fireplace. This was not a problem in Mary and Joseph's day. Both Mary and Joseph would've been closely watched by their parents and by the community. It would've been very difficult to fool around with each other or with other people. This leads me to the second difference.

Betrothal was a legal act pledging absolute fidelity. It was far more formal than our engagement and there were legal penalties for breaking it. Any sort of sexual encounter with someone else during the period of betrothal was not only reason to break off an engagement; it was considered and punished as adultery. Who knows the levitical punishment for adultery? Death by stoning. Betrothal was a serious thing.

Knowing this, let's turn to our text. Open your bibles to Matt 1:18. “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married…” or betrothed, “to Joseph.” They entered into the formal legal period of engagement, “but before they came together,” “coming together” was a modest or euphemistic way, of referring to sex. Before they came together, “she” Mary, was found to be “with child” through the Holy Spirit.

Let's pause here a moment. The scriptures are very clear. Mary was not pregnant “through” a man, Joseph or anyone else. She was pregnant, the text tells us, “through” the Holy Spirit. What does this say about the baby? First we should notice that he is described as a baby, a human child. Mary was found to be pregnant” with child.” He was flesh and blood, fully a human being. But he was not like us.

God created Jesus, at least his human nature, in much the same way that he created Adam. Adam wasn't conceived in the normal way with a mom and a dad. He was created out of the dust. Jesus is created in the womb of Mary using Mary's DNA as the “dust”. Like Adam, Jesus is created directly by the Father out of the stuff of the earth but unlike Adam, Jesus is not just a man. He's also God. Jesus has two natures. His divine nature existed eternally. His human nature was conceived and created through the Holy Spirit in Mary.

Why? First, Jesus had to be like Adam in every way so that he might live Adam's life in reverse, choosing faithfulness rather than rebellion and in so doing reestablish the broken relationship between Creation and the Creator so that all who are found in Christ, can have the relationship with God that Adam and Eve enjoyed in the garden before the fall. So Jesus had to be made like Adam so that he might undo what Adam did. Second, Jesus' mission was not only to undo Adam's sin but it was also to die as a sacrifice to bear the punishment for the sins of the world. He was a sacrificial lamb. If you read levitical law, you'll see that sacrificial lambs must be pure and unblemished. That purity would have been impossible if Jesus were conceived in the normal way because he would've inherited Adam's sin nature from his parents. So God intervened and created a New Adam in Mary's womb conceived without a sin so that he might be the unblemished lamb and die to pay the penalty for your sins and mine.

So Mary was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. You know that. I know that. God knew that. Mary knew that. Joseph did not know that. Can you imagine Mary trying to explain this to Joseph? Mary no doubt reminded Joseph of the prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 found in verse 23, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son.” But what man could believe that? If your fiancé came to you with Mary's story would you believe it? No matter how many tears, no matter how sincerely and passionately she plead her innocence; the fact that she was pregnant was just too glaring, too real.

Joseph, we're told in verse 19, was a righteous man. Last week we said that when the bible calls someone righteous it means two things. First, it means that Joseph had placed his trust in God's promise of the coming Savior in the same way that believers today place their trust in the savior who has come. Joseph was righteous in God's sight through faith in the Savior. Secondly he was righteous in that he was eager and diligent in following the law of God. Joseph knew the scriptures, he knew the Word of God and, though he was a sinner, he applied it to his life and so his life came to be characterized by righteousness. Joseph was faithful.

So set yourself down in Joseph's shoes. You're a believer. You strive to keep the commandments. All your life you seek to be faithful to God. And yet, despite your faithfulness, despite the fact that you go to bible study and church every week, God permits this tragedy. Mary has betrayed you. You're heartbroken. You're humiliated in the eyes of your hometown. You're future is bleak. My temptation at times like this is to say, “God I do this for you. I do that for you. I'm playing by your rules, how could you let this happen?”

God rarely answers that question right away. But he always answers and the answer is always the same. Your hope, your treasure, your life is not to be found in this world. If I seek peace and satisfaction and happiness in the things of this world and if I seek God because I think that in seeking him he'll give me these things, I'll never find the one thing that I really want. God himself is my treasure. He is my reward. If I lost everything else in the world but still had the Lord Jesus Christ in my heart, I would be a rich man. The Lord is your hope. The Lord is your salvation. Seek him first. And then, once you have him, no matter what happens, you'll make it. No matter what you lose or what you gain, you will have the one and only thing you need.

Joseph's beloved had been taken away. But he was not lost. We're told that in his devastation, Joseph was merciful. By law, he could have charged Mary with adultery and had her stoned. Instead he had in mind to divorce her quietly, to send her away to another town, away from accusation and ridicule. Joseph did not demand justice. He didn't need revenge. People seek revenge when they have nothing else. They think that by exacting revenge they'll be able to in some way get back what was lost or stolen or betrayed. Joseph had suffered a great loss. Mary had betrayed him. But the living God was alive in his heart and even in the face of that betrayal, God held fast to him and that proved enough. And believers should have no doubt, God in Jesus Christ will hold fast to you. There is no power on this earth in heaven or in hell, that can separate you from the love of Christ.

To the faithful God shows himself faithful. Likewise to the merciful God shows mercy. Look at verse 20,

“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.”

Joseph had mercy on Mary and now the Lord has mercy on Joseph. “Joseph,” the angel says, “Mary's telling the truth.” God knew the only way Joseph would believe Mary's story would be if it were confirmed by direct revelation. And so, mercifully, God provides direct revelation. And in that revelation God turns Joseph's tragedy on its head.

“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.” (21)

The name Jesus means, “The Lord saves.” This baby will save people from their sins. First, Jesus saves from the consequences of sin. If you surrender your life to him, the eternal wrath that your sins deserve is poured out on and borne by God himself in Jesus and in exchange his righteousness covers you. Like Joseph, you're considered righteous in God's sight. If you trust in Jesus, God saves you from the consequences of sin. Second, Jesus does not save you from the consequences of sin so that you can sin without consequence. You are saved from sin. Sin no longer has the power to enslave you. You can be free of it. You don't have to be bound by drugs, or sex, or anger or hatred or revenge. If you give your heart to him, Jesus saves you out of or from these things which lead to misery so that you can experience peace with God.

So, Mary has not only been faithful, but she's bearing the savior. God works all things, he says through Paul, for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. That promise proved true for Joseph. God redeemed Joseph's tragedy. It's true for you. No matter what has happened or is happening, if you're a believer, the promise of God is that he will some way and somehow turn it to good. Our God brings strength from weakness, joy from suffering, victory from defeat, life from death.