Matthew 1:18-25

JOSEPH A HUMBLE MAN FOR A HEAVENLY MISSION

Intro: When God moved in time to send His Son Jesus into the world, God chose the perfect
vessel when He chose the virgin named Mary. Of course, since the birth of Jesus was to be a
virgin birth, there would be no need for a human male to father the child. However, because
Jesus was coming into this world as a helpless infant, and since God was sending His Son into
this world to live in poverty and not splendor, there would be a great need for someone to
provide for the needs of this child. Therefore, God chose the man Joseph to be the earthly
caretaker of His heavenly Son.

It would appear that Joseph was no ordinary man. From our text, it is easy to see that
Joseph was a man of compassion, integrity, decency and love. He was a man who honored
God’s will in his life, and was totally committed to doing God’s will. Joseph was a humble man
who was more concerned about what God wanted out of his life than about what he himself
wanted. He was a humble man chosen for a heavenly mission.

As I read this passage, I can see a man who possesses certain characteristics that mark
him as a special man. Joseph was the kind of man we should all strive to be. I am almost sure
that the Lord will not call you and me to go through what Joseph went through. However, I am
also sure that God wants to use your life and mine for His glory, just as He used Joseph.

I would like for us to take a little time this evening to look into this passage. I want to point
out some details of Joseph’s life mark him as a man God could use. I want to preach today on
this thought: Joseph, A Humble Man For A Heavenly Mission.

I. v. 18-19 THE TRAGEDY THAT MARRED HIS LIFE

(Ill. Joseph was a man hand-picked and personally prepared by God for a special mission, his
life was not without its trials and tragedies. In fact, Joseph faced, weathered and overcame
trials that would have derailed many other people. A quick look at what Joseph faced and how
he reacted can help us as we seek to become all the Lord would have us to be.)

A. v. 18 The Tragedy Of Shocking Discoveries – As you know, this man Joseph is

betrothed to a young woman named Mary. The betrothal period was, for all intents and
purposes, just like a marriage, except for the fact that the couple did not live together
and did not engage in physical relations. Both parties were expected to keep
themselves pure for the day they physically came together as husband and wife. It was
common for the betrothal period to last several months or longer.

It was during this period of time that Joseph discovers the Mary is pregnant. No
doubt, she shared with him her side of the story as the phrase “she was found with
child of the Holy Ghost.” But, who had ever heard of such a thing? Joseph knows
where babies come from and to him, this is a shocking discovery!

B. v. 18-19 The Tragedy Of Shattered Dreams – No doubt like most men, Joseph was
looking forward to the day when he and Mary came together to share their lives. He was
 probably preparing the home where they would live. He was busy putting together all
the things they would need as husband and wife. I am sure his days were filled with
work and his nights with dreams about all the future held for Mary, for himself and for the
children they would someday have together.

Then, like a cruel slap in the face, came the news that shattered all his hopes and
his dreams. Mary is pregnant and Joseph is not the father. For a time, it must have felt
like his heart had been ripped from his chest. It must have hurt as every dream he had
came crashing down around him. All of his plans, his hopes and his dreams fell from his
grasp as though they were grains of sand. It was a time of shattered dreams.

C. v. 19 The Tragedy Of Sorrowful Decisions – Now, Joseph is faced with a

dilemma. The Bible says that he was a “just” man. This means that he was “righteous
and one who kept the divine laws.” He knows what the Law says. It is quite
clear! When a woman is found guilty of adultery, she is to be stoned to death, Deut.
22:20-22! But, there is another option. Deut. 24:1 says that he can just give her a bill of
divorcement and send her away. As he meditates, Joseph determines that he does not
want to embarrass Mary publicly; he does not want to see her stoned to death
either. So, to his mind, the best course of action is to deal with the matter privately, and
just divorce her quietly. No doubt the things Joseph pondered broke his heart. It was a
time for sorrowful decisions!

(Note: What a true portrait of the harsh reality of life! We do our best to make our plans and
get things all lined up like they thing they ought to be, then something happens and we see
our hopes, our plans and our dreams come crashing down! When these things happen, it
breaks our hearts because it isn’t what we wanted or what we expected and it looks to us as
though it could be the worst thing possible. But, like Joseph, we are blind to the fact that
God is working behind the scenes. In fact, it was God Who shattered our dreams! The things
that take place in life are not accidents, but are carefully planned and arranged events
designed to help us grow in the Lord. That is hard for us to understand, but it is still the
truth.

You see, our God works out His will in our lives in ways that we cannot even begin to
comprehend, Isa. 55:8-9. His plans for us are not what we would have chosen for
ourselves, Job 1-2. But, His plans are always the best, even when they hurt us
deeply, Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:15-17. We may not like it when the Lord shatters our
dreams, but when everything has been said and done, we will see that His plan was, and is,
the best plan of all!

Ill. Joseph - His path lead him from the place of prominence in his father's house,
through a pit, into Potipher's house and though a prison. In the end, he would sit in the place
of power on the throne of Egypt. It would never have happened had God not first shattered
his dreams and broken his heart, Gen. 50:20!

We might as well face it this evening. If we are going to be used greatly of the Lord,
there will some trials along the way. Elijah had to hide himself by Cherith before he could
stand in power on Carmel. David had to deal with lions and bears in private before he was
 ready to face Goliath in public. It is hard for us to understand, but those God would use
greatly, He often hurts deeply.)

II. v. 20-23 THE TASK THAT MARKED HIS LIFE

(Ill. In the middle of this great tragedy in the life of Joseph, God placed a call upon him. God
assigned Joseph a task that many would have balked at; but it was a task that Joseph
embraced and completed by faith. A great tragedy may have marred his life, but this task
marked his life.)

A. v. 20 The Task Involved Divine Revelations – Joseph is told that the child Mary carries
is no ordinary baby. He finds out that Mary’s child is the Son of God.

B. v. 20-21 The Task Involved Definite Requirements – Joseph is instructed that he is

not to divorce Mary and he is not to have her stoned; but he is to take to himself as his
wife, and he is to embrace her child as if He was his own Son. Joseph is told to name
the Child, thus he is given the responsibility of caring for and of providing for the Baby
Jesus. This man is handed a difficult task.

C. v. 21-23 The Task Involved Delightful Realizations – After hearing what is required in
his task, Joseph learns the amazing truth. The baby Mary carries is to be fulfillment of
the greatest promise God ever gave to man, Gen. 3:15. For thousands of years, the
faithful have been looking down the corridors of time, waiting for the moment when God
would send His Redeemer, His Messiah into the world. Throughout the Old Testament
years, every lamb that was slain pointed ahead to the coming of this One Who was
being formed in the womb of Mary. All the prophets looked ahead to this glorious
moment in time, Isa. 7:14; Isa. 9:6. All of creation groaned for the day when this child
would come and deliver this world from the bondage and blight of sin.

Then, Joseph hears the angel tell him that this child is to be named “Jesus.” Why?
Because He will be the One Who will save His people from their sins. His name will
define His mission, “Jehovah is Salvation.”

I am sure Joseph does not understand everything that is happening. I am certain

that he does not grasp all the importance of the moment. But, if he did, then he would
have understood that God was entering this world through the womb of a virgin. He
would have understood that God, Who is Spirit and fills all things, was coming into this
world in the person of a helpless infant. He would have known that Jehovah was coming
to live in his house, learn his trade, sit on his knee and grow up to die for the sins of
God’s elect. No, Joseph probably did not understand it all, but I believe he got enough
to know that God had just transformed what he thought was his worst nightmare into
what would become his greatest blessing. He understood enough so that he could put
his shoulder to the load God had called him to bear with joy.

(Note: Often the way we look at life is like watching a parade go by while standing between two
tall buildings. All you are able to see of the parade is that portion that is passing directly in front
of you at any given moment. You have a memory of what has already passed, but you have no
idea about what is yet to come. You have to wait until it gets to you. But, if you were to climb on
top of one of those tall buildings, you would be able to see the parade in its entirety. You could
see the beginning, the middle and the end all at the same time. There would be no surprises!

That’s the way we see life, isn’t it? All we can really see is the part that happens to be
passing before our eyes at the present time. We have a blurred memory of that which has gone
before, but we have no idea about what is coming our way. Our God, however, sits above it all.
To Him, there are no surprises! He knows the end from the beginning, because He had planned
it all the way through.

The best thing we can ever learn to do is to simply trust Him to bring the best into our lives
day by day. Even when our dreams are shattered and our hopes are dashed to pieces on the
jagged rocks of reality, we need to trust the truth that our Father is still in control and He will take
care of His children! Despite what you and I may think at times, God does know what is best for
us!

May we never forget that it is from the wreckage of our greatest hurts that God often
builds for us the greatest of blessings! Just because the way is dark, don’t stop holding to
His powerful hand. He may lead you through some dark places, but He will never forsake you in
any of them, Psa. 23:4. Wherever His path leads you, you can count on His provisions to be
sufficient for the need of the hour, 2 Cor. 12:9; Heb. 13:5; Phil. 4:19.

When your dreams lie broken around you; your plans have been destroyed before your
eyes; and your hopes have all been dashed at your feet; remember, it may look bleak from our
perspective, but God is working out His perfect will in your life and mine. So, may we walk
confidently with our hand held safely in His grasp, even when we cannot see the way or
understand the why. Our duty to Him is to walk with Him humbly by faith until He brings us to the
place where He has already placed our provisions. You see, while we are toiling here today, He
has already gone into tomorrow and arranged our path, supplied our need and lifted our burden.
Therefore, just keep walking; just take one step at time. You will arrive at the place where the
questions are answered and the needs are met, in His time!

You see, God has a plan for your life. The task He has for you to fulfill may not be
easy. But, along the way, there will be some times when Heaven will brush up close to the
earth, and God will give us a little glimpse of that which He is doing in our lives. It is those
moments that make the tasks He assigns bearable.)

III. v. 24-25 THE TESTIMONY THAT MEASURED HIS LIFE

(Ill. The real test of maturity is not what a person faces in life, nor is it revealed in what they are
called on to do. The real evidence of the depth of a person’s character is seen in what they do
with what they are handed. It is one thing to be placed in a trial; but it is another thing altogether
to respond to that trial in a proper manner. It is one thing to be called to carry out a task for the
Lord; but it is another thing altogether to do it without question. We have considered the
tragedy that marred this man’s life. We have also looked into the task that marked his life. Let’s
take a moment to think about the testimony that measured his life. For, in Joseph’s response to
the tragedy and to the task; we are given a priceless glimpse of this man’s testimony.)
 A. v. 24 A Testimony Of Unconditional Compliance – Many men would have walked
away from the Lord and from Mary at that moment. But, not Joseph! As soon as he
awoke, he rose and carried out the command of the Lord. There is no doubt but that
people talked about this young couple that had been unable and unwilling to wait until
they were “properly married.” At this moment in Joseph’s life, he was not interested in
what the community thought about him; he simply wanted to carry out the will of the Lord
for his life. In spite of his question, his fears and his concerns, Joseph sets out by faith
to obey the Lord. What a testimony!

B. v. 25 A Testimony Of Unwavering Commitment – Even when he took Mary into his

home, he refrained himself from physical contact with her. He obeyed the Lord and
preserved her virginity until after Jesus had been born. Here is a man willing to bear the
shame and reproach leveled at him from the community, and he is also willing to place
his own desires, needs and rights on the back burner. He wants nothing more than to do
the perfect will of God. Again, I say: What a testimony!

C. v. 25 A Testimony Of Unfailing Completion – When the child was born, Joseph took
the next step of faith and named the child Jesus, just as he had been commanded by the
angel Gabriel. As far as we know, Joseph never faltered as he perfectly carried out the
commands of God for his life. In spite of the fact that he has been called upon to believe
the impossible and to do the incredible, he never wavered. He did what the Lord told
him to do! What a testimony!

(Note: As we move through life, we have already discovered that the Lord has a plan to use
us for His glory. We have also learned that this plan may be very difficult for us to carry
out. There may be some rough places along the way. There may be some significant
bumps in our paths. But, genuine faith in God never seeks the easier road. Faith is willing
to go where God leads it, regardless of the cost and regardless of the consequences. Real
faith says, “On the surface, this looks like the worst thing that I have ever faced. Still, I
know God has gone ahead of me and that He had planned the path I will
take. Therefore, I will not look to the right or to the left, but I will faithfully place my
feet in the footprints He has already left in front of me. I will follow Him wherever He
sends me and I will not turn back, in spite of what I may face. It may look like a
nightmare at this moment; but I know that His plan is the best plan and that He will
take this tragedy and turn it into a triumph. Therefore, I say, ‘Here am I send me, Oh
Lord!’”) What will you do when your dreams become nightmares?

Conc: Did you know that God used Joseph in the life of Jesus in a powerful fashion? No doubt
Joseph was very involved in the life and training of Jesus as a young man. God took a poor,
humble carpenter and used him to carry out an important heavenly mission.

Did you know that he is still looking for special people He can use to carry out His will in the
world today? I am certain that He will never ask you to do what He asked Mary and Joseph to
do. But, I am certain that He has plenty of difficult assignments that need to be fulfilled. He is
looking for people who will follow him in spite of the tragedies life. He is looking for people who
will take of the tasks He assigns them and go for God. He is looking for people who possess
the right kind of testimony, who will go with Him until their assignment is completed.

Are you that kind of person? If so, why not get before Him and say, “Here am I, send
me!” Or, maybe you are one of those people who has watched as your dreams have become
nightmares; you feel overwhelmed by the task you have been assigned. Why don’t you get
before Him and lean on Him for the grace you need to complete your mission. I don’t know your
heart or your need, but I know the God Who will help you with both.