CHURCH

LUTHERAN

Our Savior's of Elderon

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ADVENT 4 (16)                             INI                MATTHEW 1:18-25

                Adam and Eve. Romeo and Juliet. Archie and Edith Bunker. Those are just some of the famous couples throughout history.  Some are more famous or infamous than others.  What makes these people so memorable is that we can relate to them and what they’ve experienced in their lives.  We can understand the joy and sadness they felt and so we can laugh and cry with them.

There is, however, one couple that’s not on this list. That’s Mary and Joseph.  When you stop, and think about it, each of us has a lot in common with this couple.  We relate to their lives every year. Each year we go to Bethlehem and celebrate Christmas with this humble family.   So,  today I invite you to

SEE CHRISTMAS THROUGH JOSEPHS EYES

First, let’s look at Joseph as the husband of Mary, the mother of our Lord.

                Matthew begins his account very simply. He states; 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.

                Mary and Joseph were pledged to each other. That was somewhat like what we call engagement.  Most likely they had stood in front of witnesses and spoken vows to get married. But they didn’t live together yet. This was a time for building a relationship, getting to know each other. It was a time to dream and plan.  This was the custom in those days and then the actual wedding would take place several months later. It was then, after the actual wedding, that they would begin their lives together as one flesh.

                Now, Joseph, being an honorable man, planned to be a good husband.  Most likely, he worked hard, saving what he could, preparing for his new life with Mary.  But then, one day, Mary drops a bombshell on Joseph.  Notice how Matthew records this uncomfortable situation; “before they came together,she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.”   The phrase, “before they came together,” refers to any sexual relationship.

                At this time, there hadn’t been any sexual relationship. Joseph had not taken advantage of his fiancé, yet she was pregnant. Talk about shock and disappointment! Can’t you just imagine the conversation Joseph and Mary had after she told him she was pregnant?    

                Maybe Mary said, “Joseph, dear, I have something to tell you. It’s wonderful news…really, it is. Uh, I’m, uh, going to have a baby. Now, I know what you’re thinking, but that’s not the case. This isn’t an ordinary baby. This is the Messiah whom we’ve been waiting for! Honest!  An angel told me! Isn’t that wonderful? Aren’t you happy?

                But Joseph wasn’t happy.  He felt betrayed. How could he believe such a bogus story? The only conclusion he could come to was that Mary had been unfaithful.  Joseph felt betrayed. He was a jilted lover. He felt that the love of his life had been unfaithful to him. When you think about it, that’s nothing new. People are unfaithful to each other all the time. There are even songs about that. “You’ve done me wrong, and you’re no good.”

                However, Josephs life-story wouldn’t make a good, “jilted lover” song. Yes, Joseph was hurt.  But he still loved Mary.  He didn’t want to hurt her.  He didn’t want to get even.

                In fact, we’re told that he was a righteous man. He was righteous in God’s sight because he had a humble faith in the Lord. He believed in God’s promise of a Savior to come, and he was concerned about the kind of life he lived, He wanted his faith and actions to be in line with one another.

As a believer in the Messiah, Joseph struggled. The ceremonial law said that he should take Mary to the gate of the city and have her stoned to death.  Then his reputation would be restored. But Joseph didn’t want to do that. He didn’t want to hurt or disgrace Mary any further. And so, he decided to quietly divorce her so the two of them could start their lives over.

But then, the Lord intervened. Matthew tells us; 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.”

Most likely it was the angel, Gabriel, the same one that appeared to Mary, that now appeared to Joseph.  But notice how gently God deals with Joseph’s weaknesses? He sends an angel to give Joseph the very same message he gave to Mary.  Mary was telling the truth. She hadn’t cheated on Joseph. What happened to her was the fulfillment of God’s promise.

Next, let’s look at Joseph as a child of God. God gave Joseph a wonderful privilege. He was given the job of naming the child Mary was carrying. He was going to be the legal father, and he was to name this child, Jesus. Now, Jesus was a common name among the Jews.

 It’s a common name today too. I remember several years ago, we were on our way to Arizona to visit our daughter and family. Our vehicle broke down. We got towed to a garage and the mechanic’s name was Jesus and the secretary’s name was Mary and this was just after Christmas. It was interesting anyway.

                But the name Jesus is the same as the Old Testament name, Joshua, which means, God saves. Whenever that name was given to a child it was a reminder of God’s promise of a Savior. In Christ’s case, this name identified him as the one and only Savior.

                However, we also need to keep in mind the kind of Savior the people were looking for. Most people wanted a Messiah who would free them from the Roman government and reestablish a kingdom like David and Solomon. But that’s not what the angel promised. The angel promised a Savior like the one the Old Testament prophets foretold, one that would come to save his people from their sins.

Time and time again God told the prophets of old to speak about the coming Messiah. Thus, the Old Testament prophets foretold virtually every aspect of Jesus life in detail. Matthew reminds us of Isaiah who prophesied regarding the virgin birth. This would only happen once in all of history so that this special child would be recognized as the promised Savior. He is Immanuel, God with us.

The prophets also predicted that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, that he would flee to Egypt, that he would grow up in Nazareth, that he would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver and be crucified, that he would be buried in a borrowed tomb, and that he would rise again from the dead. So many prophecies and every-one is amazingly accurate.

This child is the Son of God, our Savior, who was born to redeem us and make us children of the heavenly Father. The angel appeared to Joseph to remind him of this truth. We can rejoice that God led him to believe. His doubt was turned to faith, his disappointment to joy, Joseph believed in his Lord. He knew the Savior had come. And that’s what led him to love and trust his wife even more.

This was important because life wasn’t always easy for them either.  Imagine the embarrassment and gossip they had to endure. Mary and Joseph lived in a town called Nazareth. We all know how gossip and rumors spread in little towns. Imagine the busybodies sticking their heads out the windows as they walked by; “Mary is 7 months pregnant and they’ve only been married 2 or 3 months!”

Mary and Joseph headed to Bethlehem for the census. Once there, the Baby was born. Then the Lord sent them to Egypt. You might, think, so much for the gossips of Nazareth. But no! Where does the Lord tell Mary and Joseph to go with the baby Jesus?  You got it. He sends them back to Nazareth. And all the while Joseph humbly trusts in God. He takes his family back to the gossipers. Joseph trusted his father in heaven. He believed that he was a child of God and that Jesus was the promised Savior, God himself in human flesh.

Think about the birth of this child. Every couple who has gone through a pregnancy knows that it’s not an easy time. It’s a time of discomfort, trial and testing. Add that to the fact that God sent them from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census. One way this trip was 80 miles. How did they get there? They walked. And when they didn’t walk they rode on a donkey.  Imagine being 9 months’ pregnant and being jostled about on a donkey for miles and miles.

To make matters worse, when they got to Bethlehem they couldn’t even find a decent room. The best Joseph could provide was a stable out behind the Inn. There was no choice. The child was coming so the stable it was. Then the child is born. Joseph wrapped him in strips of cloth and placed him in a manger. It was the only warm, safe place in the barn. Obviously, Mary was exhausted and needed to rest. Everything is quiet for the time being.

Suddenly, there’s a strange noise outside. Who could it be? Robbers? Troublemakers? Joseph open the door and finds shepherds, fellow children of God.  They have come to worship the child the angels had told them about. 

Joseph didn’t chase the visitors away. Instead, he gladly welcomed them. “Yes, the story is true.” The Savior is born. Now go! Tell others, my friends. And off the shepherds went. Joseph must have stood in awe. He had just witnessed God’s faithful love to his children. The Lord had sent a child, his Son, to save his sons and daughters.

This morning we have seen a Scriptural account that bears witness to the love of a man and his wife, and how that love finds fulfillment and purpose in God’s love. This couple’s story is the greatest love story of all. It’s the story of God’s love for his children. It’s the story of the first Christmas. Amen.