JOSEPH’S DREAM

Matthew 1: 18-25

by Rev. Richard Jones

Matthew 1:14-16 (Background)
14  and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud,
15  and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16  and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

JOSEPH’S DILEMMA
Matthew 1:18-19 (ESV)
18  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.
19  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

John 8:39-41 (ESV)
39  They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40  but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.
41  You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”

JOSEPH’S DREAM
Matthew 1:20-23 (ESV)
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).

John 1:1-2 (ESV)
1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2  He was in the beginning with God.

John 1:14 (ESV)
14  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Colossians 2:9 (ESV)
9  For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

Hebrews 4:15 (ESV)
15  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Acts 4:12 (ESV)
12  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

JOSEPH’S DECISION
Matthew 1:24-25 (ESV)
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.