1. Matthew 2:19-23… T he Reading Tonight

2. DECEMBER 23 2007 LESSON # 54

3. The Man From Nazareth …

4. Well, Joseph made his first appearance in the Bible when Matthew gave us his genealogy. Matthew 1:16… 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. Luke 3:23… Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

5. Joseph was from the city of Nazareth. Luke 2:4… Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, Joseph was a carpenter by trade. Matthew 13: 55… Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

6. He is last mentioned in connection with the journey to Jerusalem, when Jesus was twelve years old. It is probable that he died before Jesus entered into his public ministry. This is concluded from the fact that Mary was the only one present at the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee (John 2). His name does not appear in the scenes of the crucifixion along with that of Mary… John 19:25.

7. Being just is a quality or virtue that not too many have. Only those who are willing to walk close to God obtained it.. Matthew 1:19…Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. Remove from your minds the fact that Joseph was just “any other man”. This man was very special for God, and God, set him apart for this. Proverbs 12:5; Hosea 14:9

8. Joseph never doubted the Word of the Lord; he was exactly the man that the Hebrew writer mentions. Hebrews 11:6… 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

9. Matthew 1:20-26… “ 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name J ESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name J ESUS. When he was contemplating the idea of leaving Mary and moving on, God spoke to him and listen to what the Bible says:

10. God punished Zacharias and left him mute for not believing in the Word of The Lord, but that is not the case with Joseph. He did according to what the Angel said. Joseph was obedient. Verse 26 says that he did according to what the Angel commanded him… He never asked questions, never questioned the authority of the angel, and he never thought for a moment: “is this true”? No, he did according to the order from God…

11. Joseph did have a choice in terms of believing the angel or not. He decided to believe. Why? Why are we mentioning that? Well, because in Matthew 1:20-26 the angel spoke and then later in the Bible we see that he got up and obeyed. He did what he was told to do. Matthew 2:1… 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,

12. Do we understand what faith is all about? Joseph, the Husband of Mary, was a man of faith… He did obey. He made that faith work and was justified because of his obedience… God is asking us to do the same when he speaks to us. God is waiting for the same obedience that Joseph showed to him… James 2:14… 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

13. James 2:26…For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Are we learning from this man of faith? I hope so. I believe that there is so much we can learn from this man, not only because of his Righteousness, not only because of his faith, not only because of his obedience, but also…

14. We are talking about in Luke, that when God selects someone for a mission, this someone must be separated and dedicated to God. If you believe that Joseph was a worldly man, think twice because he was not. Joseph was very religious and we can see this in some examples that we have in the Bible. Matthew 2:41… “ 41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.

15. Joseph was always attending all of the Jewish festivities that any faithful Jewish person would attend. The man was noble, he was just, he was obedient. Matthew 2:43-45… 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.

16. Joseph is teaching us a good lesson here. We need to be devoted to God as much as we can in our lives. People do not grasp the lessons we learn from the Bible and we struggle as a congregation to teach mature Christians to copy from these good examples. These men, from the beginning, lived and died for God. Their lives were totally dedicated to the Lord. Numbers 12:7 Numbers 12:7… Then He said, "Hear now My words: "If there is a prophet among you, I, the L ORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. 7 Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house.

17. Moses, like Joseph, dedicated his life to God, to the point that God said: He is faithful in my house. Can the Lord say the same about you and I? Are we faithful in the house of the Lord? Do we understand what it means to be a Christian? Daniel 6:4… 4 So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.

18. Do you see any difference between Joseph and Moses, or Joseph and Daniel? Honestly, I don’t. They are all men of faith and Joseph’s faith makes him equal to the Prophets from the Old Testament. The story of Joseph is short but very concise. The man is mentioned in only two books of the Bible. Matthew and Luke. Joseph was a man of strong beliefs. He not only strived to do what was right, but also strived to do it the right way.

19. Why is Joseph in the sacred records? I do believe that this man was selected by God for being a good man, but there are also more reasons. Let’s see: Joseph was a Just man. Joseph was full of Faith. Joseph Obeyed God’s Orders. Joseph was a very religious man. Can we copy Joseph in his life? It is up to us, if we want to please God.

20. Thank you all And May The Lord Bless Us.