Lesson #9: Joseph Hears About the Incarnation (Matthew 1:18-25)

Joseph Hears About the Incarnation
Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. 

1:18,19 - Joseph Hears of Mary’s Pregnancy

1. V. 18 - Mary had been betrothed to Joseph - Betrothed – means to promise a person for marriage—to be engaged, to be promised in marriage.’[1] In those days, a couple betrothed was treated as married. Any breach of the betrothment was considered adultery (Deut. 22). Marriages were arranged by the parents, and contracts were negotiated and settled by the parents. Before they came together – Joseph and Mary were not officially living together as a married couple, and therefore, the consummation of the marriage had not yet taken place. Found to be with child from the Holy Spirit – Mary was a virgin (Heb, almah – Isa. 7:14), yet, through the Holy Spirit coming upon her, she would conceive a child without sexual intercourse (see Lk. 1:26-38). Mormons, however, believe that Elohim took on human flesh and had sex with Mary. That is a heretical teaching. Virgin Birth – “Consider the eleven clear gospel assertions of the virgin birth in Jesus’ prenatal record. Mary is specifically referred to as a virgin in Luke 1:27, 27, and Matt 1:23; her virginity is defined in Luke 1:34 and Matt 1:25; it is alluded to in Luke 1:49 and Matt 1:16; the Holy Spirit’s sole responsibility for Jesus’ conception is clearly asserted in Luke 1:31, 35 and Matt 1:20; and the miraculous nature of Jesus’ conception is emphasized in Luke 1:37.”[2]

2. V. 19 – Resolved to divorce her quietly - Upon learning of Mary's pregnancy, Joseph had the right to annul the marriage. They were still in the one-year waiting period leading up to the wedding procession. Instead of publicly humiliating her or having her stoned to death (see Deut. 22:23, 24), Joseph chose to "end" the betrothal in private. This was an attempt to protect her public reputation and her life.

1:20-25 – Joseph’s Dream

1. V. 20 – As he considered these things - As you can imagine, Joseph was having a hard time trying to decide what to do. He was dealing with “adultery,” public disgrace, shock, confusion, jealousy, betrayal. His life, at this moment, was over. Does he obey the Mosaic Law and divorce his wife, or somehow redeem the marriage? Considered – extended, mature, deliberative thought. Dream (GK, onar) – could possibly mean a vision, acting as a supernatural form of communication. Son of David – Joseph came from the line of King David. A phrase often used to refer to Jesus (Matt. 1:1; 9:27) and a fulfillment of prophecy (2 Sam. 7).

2. V. 21 – Call his name Jesus - Upon hearing this miraculous news, Joseph probably thought back to the promise God gave Israel; that He would bring salvation to His people in the New Covenant (see Jer. 31:31-37). Jesus – “Savior,” comes from the Hebrew name, Joshua (“Jehovah is Salvation”). He shall save – This is an emphatic reference that Jesus, Himself, through personal acts, will save His people from their sins (see Romans 5).

3. V. 22 – Spoken by the prophet - This prophecy was given in Isa. 7:14. Top 40 Most Helpful Messianic Prophecies

4. V. 23 – Immanuel - The term “incarnation” is of Latin origin, and carries the meaning to “become in the flesh.”  Though the word is not written in the Bible, the scriptural truth and reality of the incarnation are overwhelmingly covered in the history and fulfillment of Christ. The Christian teaching of the incarnation expresses that Jesus Christ (Second Person of the Trinity) is the Eternal Word who took on humanity (second nature) without diminishing His undiminished divine nature as God.  This doctrinal view has come down uniformly through the church based solely on the acceptance of the literal virginal conception of Christ in the Matthean (back to Abraham) and Lukan (back to Adam) genealogies.  Joseph was told in a dream by an angel, “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. 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 (Matthew 1:20, 21).”  Paul writes in Galatians, “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman (4:4).”  John expressed that Christ “became flesh and dwelt among us (1:14).” Though Christ was sinless, John uses a very crude word “flesh” (egneto) to stress the point that Christ was human. The influential French Theologian, John Calvin, asserted this in regard to the Incarnation of Christ: “When it is said that the Word was made flesh, we must not understand it as if he were either changed into flesh, or confusedly intermingled with flesh, but that he made choice of the Virgin’s womb as a temple in which he might dwell. He who was the Son of God became Son of man, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. For we maintain, that the divinity was so conjoined and united with the humanity, that the entire properties of each nature remain entire, and yet the two natures constitute only one Christ.”[3]
   Calvin observed in his writings that Jesus Christ distinctively had two natures, one divine and one human (a unity of person and a duality of natures). He points out that each uniquely played a role, both separate in the directive of divinity and humanity, but also affirmed the working together of both natures without complete separation and isolation of one another. When Jesus took on “flesh,” He did not cease to be the Eternal Word but released Himself to take on the mode of humanity, without becoming a new being. Peter Lewis makes this comment in his book, The Glory of Christ, "Humanity is what the Word assumed (took up into union with Himself) at the Incarnation: He did not emerge from it, He entered into it; He came, and unlike us He chose to come (John 6:38, 51; 1 Timothy 1:15; Hebrews 10:7)."[4] Charles Ryrie notes, “Though our Lord was not inactive in His preincarnate state, His greatest works necessitated the Incarnation. Nevertheless, He stands magnificent in His person as the eternal God, but, as it were, in the shadows, waiting the spotlight of the Incarnation to reveal His glory and grace (John 1:17; Titus 2:11).”[5] Therefore, the incarnation of Jesus Christ retained the total complexity of both divine and human attributes that essentially made up a perfect human being, and who is now and forever will be composed in this perfect body.

5. V. 24 - Took his wife—After receiving the message from the angel, Joseph moves from fear and contemplation to bold action. He takes his wife into his care and home but doesn’t consummate the marriage until after Jesus is born.

Application:

Joseph undoubtedly had some very difficult decisions to make. However, during his deliberation, he prayed to God for direction (see Psalm 24). Once he received the message from the Lord, it gave him the confidence and assurance to do the right thing.  

Describe a time when you were having difficulty deciding on what to do. What kind of emotions did you feel? Fear? Worry? Anger?

In those difficult times, the Bible tells us not to be anxious but to offer up our prayers to the Lord (Phil. 4:6).

[1] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 456.

[2] M. S. Mills, The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record (Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries, 1999).

[3] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, trans. Henry Beveridge (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008).

[4] Peter Lewis, The Glory of Christ (Chicago: Moody Press, 1997), 152.

[5] Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth, 276.