03.02. Believing the Miracle of Virgin Birth- Joseph
Believing the Miracle of the Virgin Birth- Joseph
Matthew 1:18-25 The followng is a True Story submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
Do you believe in miracles? I am not talking about the ordinary unexplainable miracles. I am talking about a divine intervention into the lives of men and women. A miracle that can only be explained in accepting that God truly does exist. One that cannot be explained away as a weather balloon or swamp gas, or refraction of the sun’s rays. What would it take to qualify as one of these miracles? Perhaps it would be a healing of someone of cancer. Perhaps a miracle of another kind. Do you believe in miracles? The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a terrible tempest--a driving rainstorm-- hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus... she missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was white as a sheet.. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again. The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do.. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job. What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn’t leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike. He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.
He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman’s apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine. True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid
Do you believe in miracles? Perhaps we need to look a the Christmas story again with new eyes to see the miracle of Christmas. I have entitled this Believing the Miracle of the Virgin Birth.
I- The Virgin Birth:
Today let us focus on the name by the name of Joseph. He has been called the forgotten man of Christmas. We have no words of Joseph recorded in the Bible. He is silent. There are 15 cities named after him in the US. So let us take a look at the birth of the Messiah through the eyes of Joseph. We might ask the question, did Joseph believe in miracles? I certainly hope so with what he is going to be asked to swallow.
Matthew 1:18-25 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. 19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20But 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. 21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23Behold, 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. 24Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
II- A Difficult Situation:
We do not know anything about the arrangement of the marriage of Mary to Joseph. Jimmy Draper, former president of LifeWay said concerning the betrothal or engagement, "According to Jewish tradition, step one was the consent phase. Consent was usually reached when the girl was 12 or 13 years of age. During this time, the girl continued to live with her parents. However, this was regarded as a legally ratified marriage. The second step the formal transferal of the bride to the husband’s home, where he assumed her support. She was to be taken to his home chaste, a virgin. Between steps one and two Mary was found to be pregnant." (Pulpit Helps, Dec 2006, p 6)
So what was he to do? He could have utilized his rights under the law. Deuteronomy 22:23-24 If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; 24Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.
So what was he to do, again we ask. Notice that God sent His angel with a message. Matthew 1:20-21 "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. 21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
III- Witness of the Virgin Birth:
I asked if you believe in miracles as we started. I also suggested that Joseph had to believe in them. What would be a miracle of the proportion we talked about? A virgin giving birth would certainly qualify.
Not a single word of Joseph, as we have stated, is recorded. Let us notice what his actions say. My I say that he certainly bears witness of the virgin birth and his actions speak loudly.
Matthew 1:19 "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily."
Joseph was not willing to expose the sin of Mary but would deal with it privately. He showed mercy toward her. Joseph however was not going to marry her. The phase put her away was a written bill of divorcement. However God was going to test the belief of Joseph. He would have to believe in a massive miracle. He was going to be asked to believe that Mary was still a virgin and that the child was the child of God. While he thought on these things the angel appeared to him.
Matthew 1:24-25 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
The response of Joseph can be summed up in one word, obedience. He obeyed immediately what was asked. He believed the miracle immediately. His wrestling was over. He believed.
Some today will say that they cannot believe this. However I remind us for something to be a great divine miracle the God of the universe must do it. This was something that God had to do. Notice what else it says in Matthew 1:25. It tells us that Mary remained a virgin until the child was delivered. Notice the original prophecy concerning the virgin birth in Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Conceive as a virgin and bear a son as a virgin. This adds new meaning to he knew her not till she had given birth. Joseph, if he were recorded speaking, would have probably stated for us. I believe, I believe that Mary conceived as a virgin. I believe that the child was sent from God, the Messiah. I know that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to the child. I believe that the baby named Jesus came to" save his people from their sins." Me from my sins, you from your sins. I believe....