So far in this series we have focused on Luke’s Gospel, but as we are taking events in chronological order, we will need to shift to Matthew for this article. Luke has given us Mary’s perspective of the infancy narrative; Matthew shares what was going on from Joseph’s standpoint. He was struggling with the news about Mary and wondering what he should do next. But one night, in a dream, Joseph learned that Mary’s child, although not his, was conceived of the Holy Spirit, that this son would save His people from their sins, that Scripture regarding the Messiah from Isaiah’s prophecy was being fulfilled, and that the child would actually be Emmanuel, God with us. What Joseph heard in his sleep was really the stuff of dreams. But the stuff in Joseph’s dreams was all true.
Shattered Dreams
“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” (Mat 1:18 ESV). Of course, Joseph did not know the rest of verse 18: “she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.” However, it is likely that Mary told Joseph about Gabriel’s appearance to her, including this detail. If so, he obviously did not believe her report. It soon became apparent to him and everyone else that Mary was expecting a child. All Joseph knew was that the soon-to-be-born baby was definitely not his. And he was right. Just like that, all his dreams of the life they had planned together were shattered. The carpenter Joseph had been working on their new modest dwelling, hoping that the years ahead would be filled with pleasant memories inside it. But now everything had changed. Joseph needed a new plan, or so he thought.
Dreaming Up a Plan
“And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly” (v19 ESV). Under Old Testament law, the penalty for unfaithfulness before marriage was stoning (Deu 22:20-21), but by Joseph and Mary’s time, divorce, based on Deuteronomy 24:1, was the norm.1 Notice that even though their marriage was not complete, a divorce was still required to terminate their relationship. The betrothal stage in Jewish law was considered binding. Once “betrothed” (v18), the man was already the “husband” (v19) and the woman was called his “wife” (vv20,24). The marriage would be completed once the husband took his betrothed to his home in a public ceremony (cf. 25:1-13).
But Joseph was not interested in moving forward, but rather backward. Since news of Mary’s pregnancy began to spread, he decided for the alternative: a private divorce before two or three witnesses. A public trial was required if he filed a formal accusation of adultery. So he decided to spare putting Mary in the spotlight and the shame it would bring upon her. His decision would be both lawful and compassionate; at this point, he did not realize that it would also be wrong in the divine plan.
Dream Child
“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream” (1:20).2 This is the first of many dreams in the infancy narratives and all but one were given to guide Joseph (2:12-13,19,22). The main feature of this dream, and all that would follow, was the spoken message: “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 Spirit” (v20).
First, note that Joseph is called “son of David.”3 Matthew wants us to see the connection with verse 1 – “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Joseph needed to move forward with completing the marriage to establish the Lord Jesus’ legal Davidic lineage.
Second, note that this angel confirms what Matthew stated in verse 18 and what Mary herself heard from Gabriel in Luke 1:35: this was a special Child, a Child conceived by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, not Joseph, was the agent in the conception of the Lord Jesus. Matthew makes this clear in the genealogy earlier in the chapter. He uses the verb “begat” 39 times and in the active voice. But when he comes to verse 16, there is a noticeable change. Matthew uses the same verb but now in the passive voice: “Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus.” Joseph did not “beget” Jesus. Rather, He was born of Mary in the supernatural way described by the angel.
The role of the Holy Spirit in the conception of Christ is a deep mystery and we need to exercise great care not to probe too deeply. But we can at least say this: the birth of Christ was not the beginning of Christ. True, the word “birth” in verse 18 is the Greek word gennesis, which means “beginning.” But Matthew is not describing for us the beginning of God’s eternal Son, but the beginning of the Spirit’s work in bringing Him into our world with flesh and blood. “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me” (Heb 10:5). And just as the Holy Spirit hovered over the face of the waters at creation (Gen 1:2), so He overshadowed Mary’s womb, making God’s Son like unto us, to bring about a glorious new creation.
The angel had more to say about this dream Child, telling Joseph that Mary would “bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Mat 1:21). Notice the salvation that is announced here by the angel – salvation from sins. Although it was an Old Testament hope (Isa 53; Jer 31:31-34, etc.), it certainly was not the dominant one. As Israel awaited their Messiah, their main hope was national, political, physical. Yet Matthew begins his Gospel by telling us about a spiritual hope, a hope we can all find fulfilled by this special Child, Jesus. His very name means “Savior” and He came to “save his people from their sins.” If we wonder who “his people” are, we have to admit that Christ first came to save His own people, Israel. But the man who wrote 28:19 had a much wider audience ultimately in mind – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (ESV). This wonderful salvation from sins is available to all since God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1Ti 2:4 NET).
Not all are in agreement about when the angel stopped speaking to Joseph. I happen to think Matthew 1:22-23 are still recording what Joseph heard in his dream, especially given the first words of verse 24. If this is true, then Matthew included this not simply for the benefit of his readers, but to show us that Joseph would have been encouraged by the promise that what was happening was fulfilling Scripture. “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son” (vv22-23). Fulfillment of prophecy is front and center in Matthew’s account of Christ’s birth (see also 2:15,17-18,23). And the particular prophecy fulfilled here is Isaiah 7:14. Much ink has been spilled over the years debating the meaning of “virgin” in Isaiah’s prophecy. Although the Hebrew word alma can indeed mean “a young woman,” it is clear from Matthew’s quotation that he intends us to interpret this word as meaning “virgin,” using the Greek word parthenos. Interestingly, the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) translated alma in Isaiah 7:14 as parthenos. Christ was indeed virgin-born.
Not only was Christ born of a virgin, but He would be called “Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Mat 1:23). These are staggering but true words. We say with the apostle Paul, “Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh” (1Ti 3:16). There has never been a child like this Child!
Living the Dream
“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife” (Mat 1:24). Like his “wife” Mary earlier (Luk 1:38), Joseph was obedient to the message given by the angel. There was no resistance, no argument, just plain submission to the Word of God. Joseph began to live out the details of his dream, and he took the first step by finalizing his marriage to Mary.
“And [Joseph] knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS” (Mat 1:25). The phrase “knew her not till” clearly suggests that Jesus’ earthly brothers and sisters (12:46; 13:55-56) were subsequently born to Joseph and Mary in the usual way. There is no biblical support for the teaching of Mary’s “perpetual virginity.” Also, the last phrase of our chapter is important, for note that Joseph named Jesus. By this action, he accepted legal paternity, formally acknowledging Jesus as his Son, which would also constitute Christ as “Son of David.”
It is striking that we never hear Joseph say a word, not only in this section of Scripture but everywhere else we find him. Even the once-mute Zacharias had more to say than the earthly father of the Savior. But the lesson we learn from his life is powerful: actions speak louder than words, and every time we see Joseph, we see a man submitting to the Word of God! And he was greatly rewarded with the blessing of having Emmanuel in his home and in his life. If our lives are marked by similar obedience, what glorious rewards await us also. And it won’t be a dream!
1 R.T. France, Matthew: Tyndale New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1985), 77.
2 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV unless otherwise noted.
3 This is the only occasion in Matthew where “son of David” does not refer to the Lord Jesus.
