12 Days of Christmas - The Real Story (Day 2) - The Angel and Joseph
Matthew 1:18-25
Joseph is a most fascinating character study. It’s not that we know much about his personality, or that he has a lot to say, in fact he seems to be a rather quiet person, no doubt diligent in his work. There are two plot twists to the story when we look closer at the life of Joseph, so this becomes a challenging, but fun part of the story to tell.
First, there is a real question about where Joseph is from. We assume as we read the story that he was born and raised in Nazareth. They had to make this big trip you see, from their home in Nazareth to the town of Bethlehem because that’s where Josephs ancestors lived. But is that really the whole story? Does that really fit what the Bible says and what we learn from history?
I see four specific hints in Scripture that indicate it’s possible that Joseph’s home town was Bethlehem, and not Nazareth. Observe:
Luke 2:3 says that everyone went to his “own city” to be taxed. It does not say that everyone went to the city of their heritage or of their fathers to be taxed.
Luke 2:22 when Jesus is 8 days old, they travel to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, but they return to Bethlehem instead of proceeding onward to Nazareth (as evidenced by Matthew 2).
Matthew 2:11 when the wise men arrive in Bethlehem, not only are Mary and Joseph and Jesus still in Bethlehem, but they have a house there. This fact is a strong indication that they had planned to live in Bethlehem for some time.
Matthew 2:21-23 Upon returning from Egypt, Josephs original intention was to return to Bethlehem, or at least to return to Judaea, not to Nazareth. It was the reign of Archelaus that drove him to return to Nazareth instead.
I will point out that my father (a pastor and great Bible teacher) disagrees with this line of reasoning, pointing out as we did yesterday that Nazareth was not a great place to make a life, and so perhaps they wanted to live in Bethlehem because it was a nicer place to make a living.
But, if we grant the possibility that Joseph was from Bethlehem, he would have come into Nazareth for a period of time as he looks to wed his betrothed. It would not have been hard for him to find work while in Nazareth, and he could have spent considerable time there. A young man will go to great lengths for love, you know. And he was no doubt excited about the idea of getting married and starting a life together with Mary.
One day while he is there, it is learned that Mary is pregnant.1 This is devastating news to young Joseph who for the moment believes that his arranged marriage has been violated.
Joseph it seems had a genuine love for Mary, and he was not at all interested in bringing shame to her for what was an obvious act of promiscuity.2 He leaned heavily toward annulling their marriage as quietly as possible.
While he thinks on these things, he has a dream. In his dream, an angel appears to him with some intriguing news. He tells Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, because, he explains, the Baby in her womb was conceived of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit).3
We aren’t given any details about what went through Josephs mind when he hears this news. He doesn’t ask any questions or get any clarification, he simply rose from his sleep and did as the angel had said and proceeded with the marriage, without consummation until after the birth of their firstborn. This would have brought the potential for shame on himself, as there were at least some who knew of Mary’s pregnancy before their marriage. This was a burden that he was apparently fully willing to bear.
The second shift in our thinking about the character of Joseph relates to his occupation as a carpenter. Although Joseph doesn’t talk much and we don’t get much insight into his personality, other than his being quiet and submissive to the leading of the Spirit, we do know his occupation.
Why would God send His Son to be raised in the home of a carpenter? Why not a priest, or a shepherd? There are so many other occupations that He could have chosen. What was a carpenter in those days, and what was it that Joseph did?
The word translated “carpenter” is the word “tekton” in the Greek. This word alone is a very general term, and refers to the work of building or constructing things. There were tektons of stone, tektons of wood, and artisans of metals. But stated as it is the general term, we would best understand this in our modern day as a ‘general contractor’. He would certainly build roofs for homes, make doors and build and assemble shelves and other parts of a home. It’s also possible that his skill as a builder extended in to the more artisan work of building tables and chairs and other furnishings and tools. He could also have extended his work into the very construction of walls and even whole houses.
There is no doubt that Joseph worked with wood, but it’s important to note that the term “tekton” is general enough that it’s likely he worked with other materials in addition to wood. What does it mean that Jesus was born into this home and occupation?
Remember that the expectation was for the son to follow the occupation of the father in those days. The son would apprentice under the father, learning the trade-craft from their youth. This allowed for men to have significant experience with their trade by the time they reached adulthood and needed to begin making a living.
This Carpenter was the one who had carefully and masterfully crafted the world. He was the Tekton that collected uncountable particles into the swirling spiral galaxies, and stars, and planets that hang above us, built the mountains and carved the valleys on this earth and made the countless plants and creatures that dwell here.4 And it was this Master Craftsman that formed man and made the woman who would be the mother of all living.
I know a Carpenter who lived a sinless life. I know a Carpenter who cares about the lives everyone in the world and takes the time to help them if they ask. I know a Carpenter who gave Himself to die on a wooden cross, carrying my sin and your sin with him to the death that I deserved to die. I know a Carpenter who rose again and lives today at the right hand of God.
Do you know this Carpenter too?
Mat 1:18 KJV - 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.
Mat 1:19 KJV - Then Joseph her husband, being a just [man], and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
Mat 1:20 KJV - 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.
Mat 1:21 KJV - And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
This is not at all a reference to flat-earth, just using some poetic verbiage. The Bible makes clear that the earth is a sphere.