Christmas According to Joseph!

The 4th Sunday of Advent (12-23-07)

Rev. Steven D. Spencer - Pastor

Matthew 1:18-25

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. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 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. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Introduction

As I look around the sanctuary I see a bunch of people who are incurable romantics. But the look on some of your faces, seem to deny that comment. Oh Pastor, you don’t know my spouse. Please let me clarify what I mean. Remember back when you first fell in love with that special someone? There you were, sitting across a dark room from each other; your eyes met then a quiet sigh (ahhhh!), your heart started beating harder, you were in love.

In the western culture we tend to think of love as a verb, its feelings and emotions. We marry someone because we love them. When love is no longer present then the marriage often ends, and bitterly at that. In our culture marriage is usually a three step process. We fall in love, we court (that’s dating for any of you younger people) and then finally we have the wedding ceremony where we declare, to the world, our never-ending love for each another. That’s the western marriage process.

I. East versus the West

In our Gospel lesson today we will be looking at Christmas according to Joseph. Often our western understanding of marriage doesn’t allow us to properly comprehend what Joseph and Mary were experiencing that first Christmas. So let’s clear up a few points.

First, marriage for Mary and Joseph wasn’t about love as we know it.  In our society we fall in love and then marriage. But in the east, pre-anno domini, marriages were arranged by the parents. Mary and Joseph may have never even met when their marriage was being prepared. The parents get together and many questions are asked. What is your genealogy? Can you trace your family lineage back to David or Abraham? After all a royal lineage is good, a salvific birthright is better. The promise of being one of Abraham’s children was believed to be a guarantee of salvation. So show me your genealogy. Both sides would pour over the records making sure that all was in order. This was a huge thing for the nation of Israel. It often was a deal breaker. If you had any relatives with a shady background, even ten generations ago, that might end the discussion. They believed that good birthrights poured forward but also bad ones. So you better have more good that bad. So it wasn’t just about looking at the breeding chart. It was an examination of family history. Once this hurdle was cleared another would take its place.

Do you have a dowry? In all Hebrew marriages, the dowry held an important place. The dowry sealed the betrothal. It took several forms. In the Old Testament the bridegroom presented gifts to the bride. There were dowry gifts to the members of the family as well. These were very old customs that came from a time when a man would purchase his wife. But by the time of Mary and Joseph those customs had become mere tokens and not a true dowry, just simple gifts. On the other hand, the custom of the bride providing a dowry was in full force. The dowry would generally be according to the wealth and standing of the bride or more accurately the bride’s father. Dowries had a very important purpose. We’ll get to that in a moment.

When we think about marriages we think about wedding days. The church, the clothing, the ceremony, the reception, the list goes on and on. But for Mary and Joseph their marriage took place when their parents signed all the necessary documents to make it legal. “They were hitched!” What about a ceremony?  Usually none! The big moment was the reception. “That hasn’t changed much has it?” Some arbitrary date would be chosen for the reception. The groom gathers his groomsmen and the bridesmaids and they process to the brides home. As they walk they are singing songs of joy. Once they reach the bride’s house they will be invited in for some refreshments. Soon they begin the journey back to the groom’s house. The bridal party will accompany with them and continue singing. This is very similar to the old custom of charivari. Once back at the groom’s home the marriage would be consummated. Here’s where the dowry comes into play.

A husband and wife knew God had blessed their union when they had their first child. The first year of marriage was committed to procreation. The dowry allowed an extremely long honeymoon. By the way, receptions or parties for marriage were optional. Not every couple wanted it. Sometimes mom and dad said we don’t have enough money for such frivolities.    

II. Social Implications

Mary and Joseph were married. There is no shame for Mary to have a child. As a matter of fact the people of her day would say, “Wonderful God has already blessed you,” and how right they would have been if they had really known. In our society a young girl, unwed by our standards, there would be a problem. But not in Mary’s day!

According to many scholars Mary and Joseph had not seen each other for a while. Mary had gone to the hill country to be with Elizabeth. For three months Mary visited. Mary and Joseph hadn’t solemnized their marriage yet. Now she returns and no doubt Joseph notices something different about her.    

But there is a problem. Joseph isn’t stupid. Joseph has been raised around enough animals to know where babies come from. And he knows this isn’t his child.  Matthew 1:19 says: “And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” Notice the word divorce. Only married people get divorces. Joseph decides to end it quietly. Maybe because he doesn’t really want to shame her, but perhaps, he doesn’t want the shame himself. Joseph has Mary’s life in his hand. Imagine for a moment what it must have been like. Mary telling Joseph that the child she is having is from the Holy Spirit. Give me a break, whose is it really? Kind of a convenient lie isn’t it. Let’s just march over to the Holy Spirit’s house and ask Him. Oh we can’t do that. 

Judaic law is harsh on revealed adultery. Deuteronomy 22:23-24: "If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor's wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.” Joseph is within his right to have her stoned to death. With the feelings of disappointment, betrayal and maybe rage who would blame him.  But Joseph is a righteous man and instead decides to exercise mercy. He invokes a lesser known passage concerning divorce. Deuteronomy 24:1 "When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house.  This is what Joseph decides to do.

But God had a different plan. Matthew 1:20-23: “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. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

III. Annunciation to Joseph

Joseph’s feelings of disappointment, betrayal and rage give way to the joyous expectation of Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (God with Us).”

Two names are given to Mary’s boy. Jesus which means savior or Yahweh Saves and Immanuel which mean God with us. Both names point to the Messiah.  Both together explain the Messiah. The Yahweh saves by being with us, by becoming one of us. Jesus Christ by the mystery of His holy incarnation and nativity, by His baptism, fasting, and temptation; by His agony and bloody sweat, by His cross and Passion; by His precious death and burial. By His glorious resurrection and ascension saves us.

The message that Joseph received was that of the Messiah. The Messiah, the God with Us, the Yahweh Saves came to save him. According to the world it wasn’t in an extravagant way. Not much fanfare or hoopla.

That’s the way Jesus still comes today, without much fanfare or hoopla. He comes quietly in the waters of baptism; He comes quietly in the Sacrament of the altar. He comes quietly in His word of absolution and confession. But He still comes to save, He comes speaking His words of forgiveness. Therefore know without a doubt that all yours sin are forgiven in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in Jesus amen and amen!