Fear Not - God's Plan Includes Joseph
Introduction
For the past couple of weeks, as we have been studying the Biblical passages that are often associated with the Christmas narrative, we have been focusing on the repeated refrain found in the words “Fear Not.” In Luke chapter 1, and Matthew chapter 1, and Luke chapter 2, this phrase “Fear Not” is found four times.
We find this message declared in a place of barrenness in Luke 1:13…
(Luke 1:13) But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
We’re told here that there is no reason to fear because God Responds To Prayer! This was consolation for a Senior’s Home.
We find this message declared in a place of blessing in Luke 1:30…
(Luke 1:30) And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
We’re told here that there is no reason to fear because God Reaches Out To People! This was consolation for a Solitary Heart.
We find this message declared in a place of battles in Matthew 1:20…
(Matthew 1:20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
We’re told here that there is no reason to fear because God Resolves Problems! This was a consolation for a Struggling Household.
We find this message declared in a place called Bethlehem in Luke 2:10…
(Luke 2:10) And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
We’re told here that there is no reason to fear because God Rescues The Perishing! This was a consolation for the Sum of Humanity.
As I have thought about this repeated message of “Fear Not,” I have thought about a traditional English Christmas carol that was first published in Britain in 1833. The composer of the song is unknown, but the song says…
God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day;
To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.
That is the theme of this series … “Tidings of Comfort and Joy.”
Two weeks ago, in Luke 1:13, we found that Zacharias’ fear was alleviated by the fact that there would be a son named John in God’s plan. Last week, again in Luke chapter 1, we found that Mary’s fears were addressed by the fact that there would be a savior named Jesus in God’s plan.
Today, we find Mary’s espoused husband, and he is struggling with the news that his intended bride is pregnant. The baby is not his, and her story is that the Holy Ghost came upon her, and the power of the Highest overshadowed her. She claimed that the baby that she conceived is actually the Son of God!
This man wants to do the right thing, but he is dealing with frustration and fear. If anyone ever needed a word from God, it was this man at that moment. And thankfully, God did have a message for him. The Lord essentially told him, ‘Fear not, there will not only be a son named John and a savior named Jesus, but there will be a spouse named Joseph in God’s plan.’
The Bible says that…
… while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:20) .
As we study this passage, I want us to look at the sequence of events under three different headings…
1. We Find The Moral Dilemma In Joseph’s Experience (in verses 18-19)
2. We Find The Marvelous Dream In Joseph’s Experience (in verses 20-23)
3. We Find The Matrimonial Details In Joseph’s Experience (in verses 24-25)
I. We Find The Moral Dilemma In Joseph’s Experience
(Matthew 1:18–19)
A. The Bible Tells Us About Joseph’s Circumstances
(Matthew 1:18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Several men named Joseph are mentioned in the New Testament, the most important being the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ (Matthew 1:16). Though we learn in Matthew’s gospel of Joseph’s parentage (Matthew 1:1-16), and his profession as a carpenter (Matthew 13:55), in many ways he lived a life that is veiled in obscurity. Much of what we do know about Joseph is discovered in this first chapter of Matthew. In the first 17 verses, we learn about the patriarchs in his lineage, and then in verses 18 and 19 we are informed of the perplexities in his life.
Herbert Spencer said, “Marriage (is) a word which should be pronounced ‘mirage’.” And Joseph must have felt this way about his own marriage now. Nothing was, as it had seemed to be. I read another appropriate quote for Joseph: “They say that marriages are made in heaven … but so is thunder and lightning.” This certainly reflects the personal storm that he must have been going through.
John MacArthur wrote…
It is possible that both Joseph and Mary were quite young when they were betrothed. Girls were often betrothed as young as twelve or thirteen, and boys when they were several years older than that. By Jewish custom, a betrothal signified more than an engagement in the modern sense. A Hebrew marriage involved two stages, the kiddushin (betrothal) and the huppah (marriage ceremony). The marriage was almost always arranged by the families of the bride and groom, often without consulting them. A contract was made and was sealed by payment of the mohar, the dowry or bride price, which was paid by the groom or his family to the bride’s father. The mohar served to compensate the father for wedding expenses and to provide a type of insurance for the bride in the event the groom became dissatisfied and divorced her. The contract was considered binding as soon as it was made, and the man and woman were considered legally married, even though the marriage ceremony (huppah) and consummation often did not occur until as much as a year later. The betrothal period served as a time of probation and testing of fidelity. During that period the bride and groom usually had little, if any, social contact with each other.
It is written that when Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:18). According to Luke 1:56, Mary had spent about three months in the hill country with her cousin Elisabeth and then returned home. It was possibly upon her return that she told Joseph of her expectant condition. Adam Clarke said, “What conversation passed between her and Joseph, on this discovery, we are not informed; but the issue proves that it was not satisfactory to him.” And as the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary says…
As he brooded over the matter alone, in the stillness of the night, his domestic prospects darkened and his happiness (seemed) blasted for life.
B. The Bible Tells Us About Joseph’s Character
(Matthew 1:19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
just – Greek 1342. dikaios, dik'-ah-yos; from G1349; equitable (in character or act); by impl. innocent, holy (absol. or rel.):--just, meet, right (-eous).
The Thayer’s Greek Lexicon says of this word “just” (NT:1342 – dikaios) that it…
Refers to one who is righteous, observing divine and human laws; one who is such as he ought to be; in a wide sense it means upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God; in Matthew 1:19 the meaning is that it was not consistent with Joseph’s uprightness to expose his betrothed to public reproach; the word refers to one that is innocent, faultless, guiltless; preeminently, of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God, and who therefore needs no rectification in heart or life; one that is acceptable to God.
A. T. Robertson said…
A Righteous Man dikaios. Or just, not benignant (kind and gracious in behavior) or merciful. The same adjective is used of Zacharias and Elizabeth (Luke 1:6) and Simeon (Luke 2:25). “An upright man,” the Braid Scots has it. He had the Jewish conscientiousness for the observance of the law which would have been death by stoning (Deuteronomy 22:23). Though Joseph was upright, he would not do that. “As a good Jew he would have shown his zeal if he had branded her with public disgrace.” Joseph had “a short but tragic struggle between his legal conscience and his love” (McNeile).
Barnes, however, says of the word “just”…
The meaning is that he was kind, tender, merciful; that he was so attached to Mary that he was not willing that she should be exposed to public shame.
This word in this context seems to indicate that his character was moving him to do the right thing by God, and yet also to do the right thing by Mary. As John MacArthur wrote…
Although Joseph and Mary were only betrothed at this time (v. 18), he was considered her husband and she was considered his wife. For the very reason that he was a righteous man, Joseph had a double problem, at least in his own mind. First, because of his righteous moral standards, he knew that he should not go through with the marriage because of Mary’s pregnancy. He knew that he was not the father and assumed, quite naturally, that Mary had had relations with another man. But second, because of his righteous love and kindness, he could not bear the thought of shaming her publicly (a common practice of his day in regard to such an offense), much less of demanding her death, as provided by the law (Deuteronomy 22:23-24). There is no evidence that Joseph felt anger, resentment, or bitterness. He had been shamed (if what he assumed had been true), but his concern was not for his own shame but for Mary’s.
C. The Bible Tells Us About Joseph’s Consideration
(Matthew 1:19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
Marvin Vincent said…
“Not willing” mee theloon- “was minded” ebouleethee. These two words, describing the working of Joseph’s mind, and evidently intended to express different phases of thought, open the question of their distinctive meanings in the New Testament, where they frequently occur.
We see what Joseph was not willing to do, but we also see what he was wishing to do in response to the situation.
A. T. Robertson said…
Matthew makes a distinction here between “willing” theloon and “wishing” ebouleethee, that between purpose (intention) theloo and desire (inclination) boulomai a distinction not always drawn, though present here. It was not his purpose to “make her a public example” deigmatisai, from the root deiknumi (to show). The Latin Vulgate has it as “traducere,” the Old Latin as “divulgare,” Wycliff as “pupplische” (publish), Tyndale as “defame,” Moffatt as “disgrace.”
Albert Barnes said…
[Put her away privily] The law of Moses gave the husband the power of divorce, Deuteronomy 24:1. It was customary in a bill of divorce to specify the causes for which the divorce was made, and witnesses were also present to testify to the divorce. But in this case, it seems, Joseph resolved to put her away WITHOUT specifying the cause; for he was not willing to make her a public example. This is the meaning here of “privily.”
The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary says that…
Betrothal was, in Jewish law, valid marriage. In giving Mary up, therefore, Joseph had to take legal steps to effect the separation.
Craig S. Keener said…
In New Testament times, Joseph would have merely been required to divorce Mary and expose her to shame; the death penalty was rarely if ever executed for this offense. (Betrothals were so binding that if a woman's fiancé died, she was considered a widow; betrothals could otherwise be terminated only by divorce.) But a woman with a child, divorced for such infidelity, would be hard pressed ever to find another husband, leaving her without means of support if her parents died. But because divorces could be effected by a simple document with two witnesses, Joseph could have divorced her without making her shame more widely known. (It was necessary to involve a judge only if the wife were the one requesting that the husband divorce her.)
(From the IVP Bible Background Commentary)
The Bible further tells us in verse 20 that Joseph “thought” on these things.
thought – Greek 1760. enthumeomai, en-thoo-meh'-om-ahee; from a comp. of G1722 and G2372; to be inspirited, i.e. ponder:--think.
II. We Find The Marvelous Dream In Joseph’s Experience
(Matthew 1:20–23)
A. There Is A Phenomenal Word About This Situation
(Matthew 1:20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
While little is revealed about Joseph, some very significant things were revealed to Joseph. Like his Old Testament counterpart, Joseph was a man that God spoke to through dreams, for we find time and again that an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. As Manfred Kober stated, “The first divine directive, given in Nazareth, was to ‘Marry Mary!’ (Matthew 1:20)” “The second angelic command is, ‘Escape to Egypt!’ (Matthew 2:13)” “The third dream occurred upon the death of Herod. The command was, ‘Proceed to Palestine!’ (Matthew 2:19)” “The fourth revelation came in a dream while he was back in Israel. The command came to ‘Go to Galilee!’ (Matthew 2:22)” The first time was when his heart was filled with consternation and concern. At such a time when Joseph needed it most, God sent this revelation of consolation and confirmation to Joseph saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:20).
Matthew Henry said…
When he was at a loss, and had carried the matter as far as he could in his own thoughts, then God came in with advice.
Barnes said…
[Fear not] Do not hesitate, or have any apprehensions about her virtue and purity. Do not fear that she will be unworthy of you, or will disgrace you.
God Settled His Direction fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife
God Settled His Doubts for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost
John MacArthur wrote…
This verse emphasizes the supernatural character of the whole event. To reinforce the encouraging words, as well as to verify Jesus’ royal lineage, the angel addressed Joseph as son of David. Even though He was not the real son of Joseph, Jesus was his legal son. His Father, in actuality, was God, who conceived Him by the Holy Spirit. But His royal right in the Davidic line came by Joseph. The phrase that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit is profound. In those words is the ultimate testimony to the virgin birth. It is the testimony of the holy angel from the Lord God Himself.
Joseph was told that God was working in a miraculous way in this situation.
B. There Is A Particular Word About This Son
(Matthew 1:21) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary states…
And she shall bring forth a son. Observe, it is not said, ‘she shall bear thee a son,’ as was said to Zacharias of his wife Elizabeth (Luke 1:13).
And thou (as his legal father) shalt call his name JESUS, [Ieesoun] - from the Hebrew [Yhowshuwa±, Numbers 13:16; or, as after the captivity it was contracted, Yeeshuwa±, Nehemiah 7:7]; meaning ‘Yahweh the Saviour;’ in Greek JESUS-to the awakened and anxious sinner sweetest and most fragrant of all names, expressing so melodiously and briefly His whole saying office and work!
For he shall save, [autos gar soosei]. The “He” is here emphatic - ‘He it is that shall save:’ He personally, and by personal acts (as Webster and Wilkinson express it).
His people - the lost sheep of the house of Israel, in the first instance; because they were the only people He then had. But, on the breaking down of the middle wall of partition, the saved people embraced the “redeemed unto God by His blood out of every kindred and people and tongue and nation.”
From their sins - in the most comprehensive sense of salvation from sin.
Joseph is given the same instruction that Gabriel gave to Mary regarding the naming of this son…
Jesus – Greek 2424. Iesous, ee-ay-sooce'; of Heb. origin [H3091]; Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Isr.:--Jesus.
Hebrew 3091. Yehowshuwa', yeh-ho-shoo'-ah; or Yehowshu'a, yeh-ho-shoo'-ah; from H3068 and H3467; Jehovah-saved; Jehoshua (i.e. Joshua), the Jewish leader:--Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Joshua.
Jehoshua or Joshua was a compound name comprised of two Hebrew words (H3068 and H3467)…
It Points To The Sovereign
3068. Yehovah, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.
It Points To The Savior
3467. yasha', yaw-shah'; prop. to be open, or free, i.e. (by impl.) to be safe; causat. to free or succor:-- avenging, defend, deliver (-er), help, preserve, rescue, be safe, bring (having) salvation, save (-iour), get victory.
Marvin Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament says that “Jesus” was…
The Greek form of a Hebrew name, which had been borne by two illustrious individuals in former periods of the Jewish history – Joshua, the successor of Moses, and Jeshua, the high priest, who with Zerubbabel took so active a part in the re-establishment of the civil and religious polity of the Jews on their return from Babylon. Its original and full form is Jehoshua, becoming by contraction Joshua or Jeshua. Joshua, the son of Nun, the successor of Moses, was originally named Hoshea (saving), which was altered by Moses into Jehoshua (Jehovah (our) Salvation) (Numbers 13:16). The meaning of the name, therefore, finds expression in the title Saviour, applied to our Lord.
Joseph is told that the key to all of this is Jesus. He is the most important factor in Joseph’s dilemma.
C. There Is A Prophetical Word About This Scenario
(Matthew 1:22-23) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, {23} Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
The words of these verses may or may not have been part of the angel’s message to Joseph. It could be an explanatory word that Matthew added as he wrote the account. Either way, it helps us to understand the connection with Isaiah’s prophecy.
The Barnes’ Notes commentary says…
[Now all this was done] The prophecy here quoted is recorded in Isaiah 7:14. The prophecy was delivered about 740 years before Christ, in the reign of Ahaz, king of Judah. The land of Judea was threatened with an invasion by the united armies of Syria and Israel, under the command of Rezin and Pekah. Ahaz was alarmed, and seems to have contemplated calling in aid from Assyria to defend him. Isaiah was directed, in his consternation, to go to Ahaz, and tell him to ask a sign from God (Isaiah 7:10-11); that is, to look to God rather than to Assyria for aid (2 Kings 7). This he refused to do. He had not confidence in God, but feared that the land would be overrun by the armies of Syria (Matthew 1:12), and relied only on the aid which he hoped to receive from Assyria. Isaiah answered that, in these circumstances, the Lord would himself give a sign, or a pledge, that the land should be delivered. The sign was, that a virgin should have a son, and that before that son would arrive to years of discretion, the land would be forsaken by these hostile kings. The prophecy was therefore designed originally to signify to Ahaz that the land would certainly be delivered from its calamities and dangers, and that the deliverance would not be long delayed. The land of Syria and Israel, united now in confederation, would be deprived of both their kings, and thus the land of Judah would be freed from the threatening danger. This appears to be the literal fulfillment of the passage in Isaiah.
When Ahaz was attacked, he was depending upon Assyria for help. But Isaiah gave him the promise of Immanuel (God with us). Isaiah indicated that the house of David would not be utterly destroyed so that this prophecy would be fulfilled. Joseph, this “son of David,” must have felt like he was under attack from the circumstances. But these circumstances would not utterly destroy him for God was fulfilling the promise of Emmanuel (God with us).
One writer said…
Behold at once the deepest mystery and the richest mercy. By the light of nature we see the eternal as a God above us: by the light of the law we see Him as a God against us; but, by the light of the gospel, we see Him as a God with us, reconciled to us, at peace with us, interested for us, interceding in our behalf. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift! (Attributed to a Dr. Hughes in The Biblical Illustrator)
Joseph is told that this has not taken God by surprise. He has known about it beforehand, and did in fact deliver a prophetical word about this through Isaiah. And the crises that we encounter do not take God by surprise either!
III. We Find The Matrimonial Details In Joseph’s Experience
(Matthew 1:24–25)
A. Joseph Responded To The Message And Acted In A Prompt Way
(Matthew 1:24) Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
Helen Rowland said, “Before marriage, a man will lay down his life for you; after marriage he won’t even lay down his newspaper.” But this certainly wasn’t the case with Joseph. While Joseph’s response did not involve articulation, it did include action. In response to God’s will for his wedding, the Bible says, Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife (Matthew 1:24). Any hesitation and fear that may have found residence in the heart of Joseph was dispelled when the angel informed him that the child’s name would be JESUS, for as Mr. Spurgeon reminds us, “Truly, no name can banish fear like the name of Jesus; it is the beginning of hope, and the end of despair.”
John MacArthur said…
We know nothing of Joseph’s reaction, except that he immediately obeyed, doing as the angel of the Lord commanded him. We can imagine how great his feelings of amazement, relief, and gratitude must have been. Not only would he be able to take his beloved Mary as his wife with honor and righteousness, but he would be given care of God’s own Son while He was growing up. That fact alone would indicate the depth of Joseph’s godliness. It is inconceivable that God would entrust His Son into a family where the father was not totally committed and faithful to Him.
A. T. Robertson said…
The angel had told him not to be afraid to “take to his side” Mary his wife (1:20). So when he awoke from his sleep he promptly obeyed the angel and “took his wife home” (Moffatt). One can only imagine the relief and joy of Mary when Joseph nobly rose to his high duty toward her.
Barnes said…
[Did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him] That is, he took Mary to wife. Probably this was done immediately, since he was now convinced of her innocence, and, by delay, he would not leave any ground of suspicion that he had not confidence in her.
As Matthew Henry wrote, we find…
Joseph’s obedience to the divine precept (v. 24). Being raised from sleep by the impression which the dream made upon him, he did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, though it was contrary to his former sentiments and intentions; he took unto him his wife; he did is speedily, without delay, and cheerfully, without dispute; he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
and took unto him his wife (took) – Greek 3880. paralambano, meaning to receive near, i.e. associate with oneself (in any familiar or intimate act or relation); by analogy to assume an office; figuratively it means to learn; to receive.
This is truly an amazing response on Joseph’s part, especially in light of what Craig Keener said. That…
Mary would have probably been between the ages of twelve and fourteen (sixteen at the oldest), Joseph perhaps between eighteen and twenty. (From the IVP Bible Background Commentary)
B. Joseph Responded To The Message And Acted In A Pure Way
(Matthew 1:25) And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Barnes said…
[Knew her not] The doctrine of the virginity of Mary before the birth of Jesus is a doctrine of the Scriptures, and is very important to be believed. But the Bible does not affirm that she had no children afterward. Indeed, all the accounts in the New Testament lead us to suppose that she DID have them. (Cf. Matthew 13:55-56 where it mentions Jesus’ brethren. Barnes said, “The fair interpretation of this passage is, that these were the sons and daughters of Joseph and Mary.”) The language here evidently implies that she lived as the wife of Joseph AFTER the birth of Jesus.
MacArthur said…
Apparently the marriage ceremony, when Joseph took her as his wife, was held soon after the angel’s announcement. But he kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son. Matthew makes it clear that she remained a virgin until she gave birth, implying that normal marital relations began after that time. The fact that Jesus’ brothers and sisters are spoken of numerous times in the gospels (Matt. 12:46; 13:55-56; Mark 6:3; etc.) prove that Mary did not remain a virgin perpetually, as some claim.
C. Joseph Responded To The Message And Acted In A Personal Way
(Matthew 1:25) And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Marvin Vincent said of the words “thou shalt call his name Jesus” to Joseph in verse 21, that the angel was…
Thus committing the office of a father to Joseph.
In other words, the fact that Joseph named the child is an indication that he claimed the child as his legal descendant. It is one of the only instances that I see in the Bible of a “name it and claim it” situation. He became personally involved in God’s plan.
Conclusion
There are a number of applications that can be drawn from this account. There is the direct application of accepting Jesus as the virgin born savior. There is the domestic application of trusting God with the issues that one may have in their household. We might summarize the lessons of this text like this: Don’t be afraid to give your faith to God. Don’t be afraid to give your family to God. Don’t be afraid to give your future to God.
And know the truth in the words of a song written by Shirley Cantrell, published in 1979. She wrote…
Verse 1
Before I met Jesus, my life was empty and vain
And nothing ahead could I see but sorrow and pain
But then at an altar one night I knelt
I found assurance that never has left
And Jesus was right for what was wrong in my life
Verse 2
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the Word
Just open your Bible, and read it till God’s voice you’ve heard
Then at an altar in repentance kneel
You’ll find assurance you’ll know is real
For Jesus is right for whatever’s wrong in your life
Chorus
Jesus is right for whatever’s wrong in your life
Jesus is right for whatever’s wrong in your life
Just give Him a chance and Jesus will prove
That every promise He made is true
For Jesus is right for whatever’s wrong in your life