Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph’s dream and Jesus’s birth

Jewish marriage procedures were different than ours.  When a couple became “engaged” or “betrothed,” they were married but not yet living together.  A man and woman would stay in this stage for up to one year before the formal marriage, not living together but so fully committed that the only way out was divorce.  Mary and Joseph were in that stage of their marriage.

What does verse 18 tell us?

In verse 19, how are Joseph’s character and intentions described?

When Matthew says Joseph is “righteous,” he means he follows the Jewish Law faithfully.  Under the Law, he had a right to formally accuse Mary of unfaithfulness.  She would have been subjected to a test of her virginity, and if she failed the test she would have been stoned to death.  Alternatively, he could have said nothing about her pregnancy but divorced her with a public display of his displeasure, which would make her look bad.

What do you think of Joseph’s plan to divorce her quietly so as not to expose her to public disgrace?

What happens in verse 20?

It appears that Joseph was thinking over his options carefully rather than acting quickly and rashly.  Even if an angel doesn’t appear to us, how might Joseph’s decision to “sleep on it” before taking action be a good model for us?  Has a decision to “sleep on it” every helped you make a good decision?  Explain.

There is scientific evidence that “sleeping on it” can help us make better decisions (John M. Grohol, “Why ‘Sleeping on It’ Helps,” LiveScience, 26 Oct. 2009, https://www.livescience.com/5820-sleeping-helps.html; Steve Calechman, “Sleep to solve a problem,” Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, May 24, 2021, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/sleep-to-solve-a-problem-202105242463; Jared Miller, “Does ‘Sleeping on it’ Really Work?”, WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/does-sleeping-on-it-really-work).

Fr. David Barnes points out that the delay provided by “sleeping on it” can help us avoid acting imprudently out of fear or anxiety.  We don’t have to hope for an angel to speak to us; we can pause, sleep on it, and pray on it.  “Into our silence, God speaks and assures us of his closeness” (Fr. David Barnes, “Sleep on It” (Monday December 18, Monday of the Third Week of Advent), The Magnificat Advent Companion, Advent 2023, p. 56), which might guide us to make good and creative decisions about how to respond to difficult problems.

The angel calls Joseph “son of David.”  Why?  What does that signify?

There are interesting parallels between this Joseph and the Joseph in the Old Testament.  Both were named Joseph; both had a father named Jacob; both received dreams from God; both were righteous; and both saved their family by going to Egypt.  Do you think these parallels are just a coincidence or is Matthew trying to tell us something?

How is Jesus described in verse 21?

Recall that the name Jesus, or Joshua, means “God saves.”  While Jews might have envisioned that name alluding to other kinds of being saved (from invading enemies, etc.), Jews in Jesus’s time also made the connection to salvation from sins.  What does the meaning of Jesus’s name – “God saves” – mean for you in your life?

In verses 22-23, Matthew quotes from Isaiah 7:14.  What does the Old Testament quote mean as interpreted by Matthew?

Note: The Isaiah passage actually says, “a young woman” in Hebrew, although when it was translated into Greek in the Septuagint it was translated as “the virgin.”  In its context, it is thought to be referring to the king’s wife or Isaiah’s wife (more likely Isaiah’s wife – see 8:3), but in context that is not the important question  The child will be named “Immanuel” – “God is with us” – because if King Ahaz follows God’s direction given Isaiah, God will be with them and they will avoid being attacked by the armies camped on Ahaz’s doorstep.  Early Christians focused on the Greek translation “a virgin” and saw the virgin Mary in it. This is the first of at least 10 “fulfillment citations,” where Matthew says that something that happened in Jesus time “fulfilled” what was said in some portion of the Old Testament.

How do you experience Jesus as “Emmanuel” – “God is with us” – in your life?  Explain.

The Virgin Birth is the doctrine proclaimed by most Christian denominations (and considered a dogma by the Catholic Church) that Jesus was conceived by a supernatural, miraculous act of God without Mary having had intercourse with anyone, and that therefore, while Mary was Jesus’s natural mother, he had no natural father.  What is the significance of this teaching for you?

How does Joseph respond to this dream and the word he received from the Lord?

Joseph did what he was commanded to do.  In his response, he is a role model for us.  In your life, where could you be more responsive to God, like Joseph?

When Joseph took Mary as his wife and named him Jesus, he was taking full responsibility to be Jesus’s foster father – step-father, really.  What does this show us about how to embrace God’s plans in our lives?

Matthew does not give us any of Mary’s side of the story.  (Thank God for the Gospel of Luke, which gives us that perspective.)  Matthew only gives us what we read here plus the story of the wise men/magi, which we will look at next time.  He must have thought he was giving us all we needed for the narrative and themes he was developing in his Gospel.  What do you think he wanted us to take from this story of Jesus’s birth?

What do you think it is important to fill in, from Mary’s part of the story as told in Luke, to help give Jesus’s birth and infancy the full and lasting impact it has had for people’s faith?

Verse 25 says that Mary and Joseph had no marital relations “until” she had borne a son.  The Catholic Church teaches that they also did not have sex after Jesus was born, but instead that Mary remained a virgin all her life.  Protestants disagree.  What difference does your understanding of Mary’s virginal status makes in your life?

How can you live a life that is more devoted to God, with Joseph as a role model?

Take a step back and consider this:

Joseph was well chosen to be the foster father of Jesus.  He showed several character traits that we would do well to imitate.

• Consider Isaiah 9:2-7; see verse 7: “there shall be endless peace / for the throne of David and his kingdom.” (NRSV)

• He was dedicated to his faith.  He wanted to do what God wants.

• He believed in thinking before he acted.  He was not impetuous.  He considered his options before taking action.

• He was kind.  He cared that Mary not be put to shame.

• He was open to the guidance of God.

When you put together in one person all of these characteristics of faithfulness, thoughtfulness, kindness, and sensitivity to God, you have a very impressive package.  A person with those characteristics is a person God can work with.

Which of these characteristics of Joseph could use more development in your life?

What would God like you to do about it?

If we are willing to let God keep molding us into the people he wants us to be, he will be able to give us opportunities to make a positive difference in the world around us.  And it is a wonderful feeling when we can make those positive differences.  The first step is to try to be the kind of person, like Joseph, who is seeking to be all that God wants us to be.  It’s a great journey.

What’s your next step?