Swindoll's Living Insights Commentary Matthew 1a - Flipbook - Page 40
Announcement and Arrival of the King (Matthew 1:1–4:25)
— 1:24-25 —
When Joseph awoke from his l ife-changing encounter with an angel,
he knew exactly what he had to do. His mind was made up, his fear
checked, his will submitted to God’s. However, this didn’t make the
days and years ahead of him easier. We can be sure that some of the
more observant neighbors and relatives would have “done the math”
related to the marriage of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus.
Whispered rumors would have spread either about Mary’s premarital infidelity or about Joseph’s inability to keep himself pure prior to
the consummation of their wedding. In fact, Matthew goes out of his
way to mention that Joseph didn’t have sexual relations with Mary as
her husband “until she gave birth” (1:25). So honorable and righteous
was Joseph that he kept Mary sexually pure through the birth of the
Messiah.
Joseph not only behaved as Mary’s faithful protector, but he presumably also took on the role of her advocate. He adjusted his life in a
totally new direction once he realized what God was doing in their lives
and what part he was meant to play. Together Mary and Joseph would
likely bear the brunt of whispered rumors, backbiting gossip, and ugly
condemnation—from friends, family, and especially enemies. But Joseph knew the truth, and he made a tough, l ife-altering decision based
on that truth. Being a righteous man, he did what was right, regardless
of the personal cost.
APPLICATION: MATTHEW 1:18-25
Doing What’s Right, Regardless
As a descendant of David, Joseph’s veins flowed with royal blood; but
he showed his true nobility not in the purity of his pedigree but in the
rightness of his actions. He believed and acted on what he had heard
from the angel, taking Mary as his wife and resolving to serve as her
advocate through the weeks, months, and years ahead of potential ridicule by those who didn’t have the privilege of a heavenly revelation.
In light of Joseph’s courageous actions, I’d like us to consider
three questions to help us identify with him—to put ourselves in his
sandals, as it were. Think through each of these questions carefully,
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