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An Unexpected Betrayal : Joseph
This document outlines a sermon on the biblical story of Joseph from the book of Matthew. The sermon has three main points: (1) Joseph initially had limited options but God showed him a better way, (2) God gave Joseph clear instructions to marry Mary and name the child Jesus, and (3) Joseph demonstrated thorough obedience to God's commands. The sermon uses this story to teach lessons about seeking God's wisdom in difficult decisions, having faith over fear, and the importance of complete obedience to God.
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An Unexpected Betrayal : Joseph
- 2. Series Outline • AnUnexpected Reversal. • An Unexpected Betrayal. • An Unexpected Invitation. • An Unexpected Reception.
- 3.
- 4. Martin Luther “Each betrayal beginswith trust.”
- 5.
- 6. 18 Now thebirth of Jesus Christ took place in this way… This may be one of the most pro-life verses in the entire Bible!
- 7. Joseph’s Options were Limited •Nosecond chance option. •No way to keep Mary and avoid shame. •Only one way to regain both reputation and resources.
- 8. B.B. Barton God oftenshows us that we have more options than we think. Although Joseph seemed to be doing the right thing by breaking the engagement, God helped him make the best decision. We should always seek God’s wisdom, especially when our decisions affect others.
- 9.
- 10. Clear Instructions 1. Donot “shrink back” from taking Mary as your wife!
- 11. Hebrews 10:39 But weare not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
- 12. Clear Instructions 1. Donot “shrink back” from taking Mary as your wife! 2. You shall call His name Jesus!
- 13. An Unclear butCrucial Comment 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). - Matthew 1:22-23
- 14.
- 15. Some important tensesfor some important theology! 25 but knew her not… Imperfect Tense suggests an ongoing action …until she had given birth to a son. Suggests that a normal sexual relationship ensued after this.
- 16. Some Key Lessonsfrom Joseph 1.Limited options tempt us to choose the lesser of evils. Seek better options by praying to the Limitless God!
- 17. Some Key Lessonsfrom Joseph 2. Fear tempts us to shrink back from hard decisions. Faith calls us to step forward!
- 18. Some Key Lessonsfrom Joseph 3.Delayed obedience is disobedience. Partial obedience is disobedience. Thorough obedience delight’s God’s heart!
Editor's Notes
- #3 Series Outline An Unexpected Reversal. An Unexpected Betrayal. An Unexpected Invitation.
- #4 Joseph: An Unexpected Betrayal Matthew 1:18-25 l
- #5 Martin Luther once said, “Each betrayal begins with trust.”
- #6 First Point Limited Options Matthew 1:18-19 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ[e] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed[f] 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.
- #7 Matthew never describes Jesus’ birth. He deals with Jesus’ virginal conception. This may be one of the most pro-life verses in the entire Bible. Notice that the story of Jesus’ birth begins as the story of His conception.
- #8 Joseph’s Options were Limited Joseph had no option of giving Mary a second chance if guilty of adultery. The law of Moses and later Jewish laws demanded that he put her aside. Joseph had no way to keep Mary and avoid shame. Keeping her was an admission of paternity. Exposing Mary as an adulteress suggested that his family did a bad job finding Joseph a good girl to marry or that Joseph was in some sense inadequate and Mary tried to trade up. Either way, he was shamed. Joseph had only one way to regain both reputation and resources, and that was to expose Mary publicly. Craig Keener makes the following comment: Yet Joseph could have profited by divorcing Mary publicly. By taking her to court, Joseph could have impounded her dowry—the total assets she brought into the marriage—and perhaps recouped the bride price if he had paid one at betrothal. By simply providing her a certificate of divorce in front of two or three witnesses, he would forfeit this economic reimbursement—simply to minimize her public dishonor (see m. Giṭṭin 2:5; 9:3, 4, 8). Even though Jewish tradition ruled that a wife could lose her dowry for infidelity or for as little as scolding her husband (m. Ketubot 7:6), in normal divorces where the wife was not charged, she kept her dowry . Joseph would have to enlist the help of a village scribe or elders to get the money, and this would increase Mary’s public shame.
- #9 B.B. Barton God often shows us that we have more options than we think. Although Joseph seemed to be doing the right thing by breaking the engagement, God helped him make the best decision. We should always seek God’s wisdom, especially when our decisions affect others.
- #10 Second Point Clear Instructions Matthew 1:20-23 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). An angel of the Lord, not The Angel of the Lord. Probably Gabriel, although this angel is not named.
- #11 Clear instructions 1. Do not shrink back from taking Mary as your wife
- #12 Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
- #13 Clear instructions Do not shrink back from taking Mary as your wife You shall call His name Jesus!
- #14 An Unclear but Crucial Comment 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). - Matthew 1:22-23
- #15 Third Point Thorough Obedience Matthew 1:24-25 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.
- #17 Some Key Lessons from Joseph Limited options tempt us to choose the lesser of evils. Seek better options by praying to the Limitless God!
- #18 Fear tempts us to shrink back from hard decisions. Faith calls us to step forward!
- #19 Delayed obedience is disobedience. Partial obedience is disobedience. Thorough obedience delight’s God’s heart!