“The Miracle of Christmas” (Matthew 1:18-25)

1. A painful discovery & decision for Joseph (vs. 18-19)

a) Mary was betrothed to Joseph. This was more than our engagement. It lasted about a year where the bride stayed at her home until the groom came to take her to his home in a marriage celebration when the marriage was consummated physically. They were considered husband/wife. It took death or divorce to break it.

b) After Luke 1:38 when the miraculous conception might have happened, Mary traveled ⁓85 miles to visit Elizabeth for 3 months. About the time she returned, her pregnancy was evident. “by the Holy Spirit”- Joseph & the Nazareth community did not know this.

c) Joseph had three options: publicly disgrace her in a trial, get his dowry back & have her stoned to death (Deut. 22:23-24)/ privately divorce her before 2 witnesses & get his dowry back (Duet. 24:1f)/ take her as his wife & take the blame for the guilt.

d) “planned”- to make up his mind after deliberation. Joseph was a righteous man committed to living by God’s standards with mercy, he settled on the second option.

2. An angel redirects Joseph in a dream (vs. 20-23)

a) After making up his mind, an angel appeared to him in a dream. God gave a number of dreams to direct people, especially Joseph, during the early years of Jesus’ life (2:12,13,19,22). “son of David”- God’s is working out His plan/promise through the line of King David. There were no heavenly grounds to fear choosing option 3. This pregnancy was a miracle caused by the Holy Spirit.

b) As Mary was directed (Luke 1:31), Jesus was to name the child Jesus (“the Lord saves”). This would legally take Him as a son & identify why He came- to save His people from their sins.

c) “has taken place” (pf.) could imply the angel is still speaking (or just Matthew pointing it out as throughout the book). This event fulfilled the 700 year-old prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 about a virgin bearing a son. “She” becomes “they” indicating that as people come to Jesus & experience His salvation, they will acknowledge Him as Immanuel, “God is with us.” The miracle of Christmas is that God became a Man to save people from their sins & be with them.

3. Joseph obeyed God’s Will (vs. 24-25)

a) When Joseph awoke from the dream, he immediately obeyed God’s will and ended the betrothal period and took Mary as his wife. Misunderstanding, gossip and social shame went with this decision.

b) Furthermore, he kept Mary as a virgin until after Jesus was born. He would not interfere with the work of God by insisting on his sexual rights as a husband until after this miraculous pregnancy ended.

c) He named the baby boy Jesus, accepting him as a son, & bringing Him into the kingly line of David.

d) Like Joseph, we should be committed to a life that is pleasing to God that is open His redirection, and trusts His ability to do miracles.