Pastor Tom Johnson, December 22, 2013
Mary and Joseph. They are on Christmas cards with Mary on a donkey and Joseph leading her to Bethlehem. In the manger scene, they look adoringly at their infant King. We sing nostalgically about the baby Jesus and his two-parent home. This morning we hear in our Gospel and we confess that Jesus was “conceived by the Holy Spirit.” and “born of the virgin Mary.” We remember that Mary was a young, unmarried woman at this time. She was engaged to Joseph. They still lived with their families. They were both saving themselves for marriage.
When
God called Mary to be the mother of our Lord, he was calling her to walk by
faith not by sight. But He was also calling her to bear a huge burden—to bear potential
shame—and possible rejection—of her family, friends, and future husband. For a woman to be
pregnant and unmarried was scandalous in the first century. It would have
brought shame to her, her family, and her fiancé. Imagine how much more shame
it would bring if her fiancé was not the father. The fact that Jesus
was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary is miraculous;
but it also complicates things. Somehow Joseph finds out that Mary is
pregnant. Maybe she tried to tell him the story of how the angel came to her.
But it may have been too far-fetched of a story for him to believe. Nothing like that has
ever happened before. No one just gets pregnant like that. I imagine Joseph
thought that Mary was either coming up with an elaborate lie to cover herself
or that she was not well mentally.
Our text says that
Joseph was “resolved to dismiss her
quietly.” There was really no alternative but to call off the engagement.
He could not marry someone who seems to have so badly betrayed him. We know the rest of
the story. But Joseph does not at this point. He only knows that his fiancé is
pregnant and that he is not the father. But here is the amazing thing about
Joseph: Joseph still loves Mary. Despite the fact that
it appears that Mary has allegedly broken her promise, he does not want
her to suffer public disgrace or the wrath of those who would call upon Mosaic
Law—this surely would be the death of her.
Joseph gives us a
foretaste of this unborn Child who will one day show the strength of mercy over
the letter of the Law. He shows us how grace surpasses judgment. “He
is unwilling to expose her to public disgrace—unwilling put her to shame.”
He wants her reputation to be untarnished. He will go quietly into the night
and not make a fuss. He will protect her honor as well as his own. Joseph’s love for Mary
is astounding. We know that because our text says that continued to think about
her day to day even while laid there falling asleep with his head on his
pillow. Because, our Scripture says, “as
he considered these things…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.” The angel tells Joseph
to not fear. “Do not fear.” “Don’t
break it off with Mary. She is not pregnant by another man. She is pregnant by
the Holy Spirit.” Joseph is encouraged to go through the marriage and adopt her
infant Son as his own. And that is exactly
what Joseph does. He overcomes his fear. He takes courage. He returns to Mary’s
house. And probably to her amazement, and to the amazement of her parents,
Joseph will take her as his bride.
Not
only is Joseph an amazing example of a husband in this story, he himself
exemplifies and illustrates the love of God—the love that God has for us
in His Son, Jesus Christ, this infant child who is our Bridegroom—our Betrothed—our
Husband. We are the Bride of
Christ. We hope and long for our Husband who comes and prepares the Marriage
Supper of the Lamb in his Kingdom which will have no end. Our wedding day is
draws near. And like Mary, there
is cause to put us to public disgrace and open shame. But unlike Mary, we are
guilty of unfaithfulness. We deserve to be put to open shame. We deserve for
God to go quietly into eternity and leave us behind in our brokenness and
guilt. But like Joseph, God
is unwilling to put us to public disgrace. He still loves us. He knows
we are guilty. But he loves us all the same. That is why Jesus was born—so that
God would be with us, save us from our sin, betroth us, and marry us.
It is that same Babe
born in a manger to Joseph and Mary who comes for us. He not inclined to
abandon us even though we have broken our promises. He is unwilling to expose
us to public disgrace. Instead, he claims us
as his own. He takes us as his Bride. And one day, he will carry us across the
threshold to our heavenly home. And so we pray, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
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