Try Standing in Joseph's Sandals, Part 2

Imagine the shock, the awkwardness, when Joseph discovered that his fiancée Mary was carrying a baby.

How would he possibly explain their predicament, friends and family will Joseph didn't cast shame on his beloved in order to shrug his shoulders and walk away from the relationship. As it turns out, Joseph's unwavering commitment to his bride to be is a model of virtue for us all today on Insight for living trucks when doll provides those details in our ongoing study of Matthew chapter 1 titled today's message try standing in Joseph's sample began with prayer. Father, we could not be in this place to do your part in them.

He had his way, we would not be safe, we would not be assembled with an open Bible in our laps, we would not know the joy of going to our homes and enjoying our privacy.

The pleasure of our families and the joy of singing our songs of gratitude for all you have done for us, we would be like the Israelites of old, we would've long since hung our harps on the tree, unable to sing the Lord's song in a foreign land. Thank you for these brave women and men who served many of them, sacrificially in very difficult places and returned without great applause.

Nevertheless, they did what they were called to do reward them for their service reminding them in the quiet moment of the day and night that they did their part. Strengthen them beyond the pains of those memories, especially those who knew battle and lived through it, even though they buried the dead, and grieve their loss, we pause on this day to give you thanks for the United States of America, the country we love, for which we would die keep us free. Guard us from the encroachment of the savages who would take our lives and rape our wipes and kill our children protect us, we pray as you have in the past, though we do not deserve such grace and remind these who stand because of their faithful service. We are able to enjoy the blessings of this day, especially in the food of the things we love so dearly made this particular season bring us to our knees as we acknowledge your good hand which is been upon us.

Now our father we give to you today that the word of God may be disseminated and disbursed to places that have never heard the name of Christ, even to those who don't even have a language with a vocabulary and writing me the truth of your gospel be taken to them faithfully as a result of our gifts and for those in the midst of the field serving you this very day.

Encourage them, pray we commit the gifts to you now as we do our prayers in the name of Christ.

Everyone said amen to search the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.org/study. Today's message is titled, try standing in Joseph's sandals.

Our admiration for Joseph will only grow as we try to walk in his sandals for these next few minutes we will appreciate him, perhaps more than never before because of his willingness to believe and to obey and to follow through with his instructions from the angel even though he would never be able to explain fully for the satisfaction of the critic how his bride became pregnant understand please how blinding the betrothal. Was that is where we find this couple in Matthew chapter 118 through 24 until they are married. Remember this when you read your Bible and you come to a verse like verse 20 as he considered this took time. That led to a number of sleepless nights and struggling days because of Mary the mother of the child betrothed to her yet to be husband though.

She's called wife and he's called husband, but before the marriage ceremony took place. We read while she was still a virgin. She became pregnant. How read it for yourself at the end of verse 18 through the power of the Holy Spirit. That's as close as I can get through the power of the Holy Spirit implanted in the womb of Mary is the embryo that would ultimately nine months later become the promised Messiah. He loves this young woman he's known her since they were children. They talk together about the importance of faithfulness, never, never allowing unfaithfulness to break the bond so he is in the midst of all of this when she breaks the news to him and he begins to consider this, which is my point of staying in verse 20 and asking you to take your time because he is now exhausted in the struggle. What should I do what is best. All of this is occurring is as Joseph falls in bed exhausted alone still alone in his night is interrupted with a nocturnal revelation you see in the days before the Bible was completed, God revealed his will in various ways, sometimes through an audible voice sometime in a vision during the day or in a dream during the night and God would reveal his will, sometime by using an Angel is a messenger, as in this case, as in the case of memory you remember from Luke one when the angel came and told her she would be with child, and she said how can this be, since I'm a Parthenon us.

I am a woman who's never known a man intimately. How can this be, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and will overshadow you. He will cover over you somehow the spirit of God, because the Lord God made your womb you will visit that with an embryo for the first time in all and all of time, God will take on lungs and lips and looked no ahead. A hard hands and feet, arms, legs, the organs of the human body, including the brain and nervous system.

The spine the whole humanity that will become here. Never before was there ever such a one is the God man hyphenated until this one is conceived understand the birth was not miraculous. The conception was miraculous. All of this turning over in his mind and he struggles with what to do now, not look for yourself. Look at the words of the angel that appears in the dream, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream Joseph son of David, the angel said first do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, what, why would he begin like that because in his own imagination. There were a number of things he would have to set aside knowing what the future would hold in a small town is they married. Let's see immediately after she returns after a six months of marriage.

There's a child born in the wagging tongues.

It would accompany that. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to take Mary as your is your wife is a very, very difficult assignment because Joseph only has the words of the angel to go one so he explains why there's no reason to be afraid. And the angel verifies what Mary had said the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit and she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sin.

That alone would cause him fear. You know why I learned in my study that when Jewish couples married and they had their firstborn and he was a son would always be named for the father unless he was illegitimate. So Joseph is being told don't name him after yourself. You have nothing to do with his conception, you name him Jesus, for he is the promised one who will save his people from their sins, putting further distance between him and the conception. Nevertheless, he is to serve if you will, as a surrogate father or whatever name you may choose to call Joseph. He certainly was not the father and look at how Matthew adds in verse 22 since he's writing to choose all of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet. Now he quotes Isaiah 7, 800 years earlier. The prophet had written the virgin will conceive a child she will give birth to a son. They will call him Immanuel whale ale is a word for God and men who with with us, God with us. Which means, as he states here, God with us. It's all spelled out for Joseph in the dream, and he woke up he woke up all of this is ringing in his mind. He's turning it over in his mind. Holy Spirit has just as he hovered over creation. In the Genesis creation account. Somehow the same Holy Spirit is hovered over my beloved betrothed bride to be. And that has made that embryo that fetus within her.

The incarnate son of God.

I believe it. I will do as I'm told, she will ever sign your name him Jesus.

He will save his people from their sins.

Charles Wesley wrote that great Carol would be seeing every Christmas.

One of the stanza says Christ by highest heavens adored Christ, the everlasting reward laid in time behold him, offspring of the virgin's womb veiled in flesh the Godhead see Haley incarnate deity.

Please this man with mid to dwell.

Jesus, our Emmanuelle. Hark the Herald Angels Sing glory to the newborn King. Some of the best theology in the hymnal you will find written in the characters at Christmas time pay attention to them. Each Christmas season you will read great theology as in the case of that that him so it's Joseph now away from the dream and at this point I want to say on his behalf. He now demonstrates what great character he has. This is what drew married to Joseph to begin with. As she grew older and realize more. What a pleasure it would be to be betrothed to this man so grateful. Her parents had called them to be together. The Lord was in it but now look in staccato like fashion. You will read Joseph response Saul in verses 24, 25 look at it when Joseph woke up first. He did as the angel commanded. Second, he took Mary as his wife so there was an actual wedding ceremony performed by by the rabbi for the told him or not, were not told whether they revealed it to their parents or not, were not told, but we are told that he took Mary as his wife. What a treasured thing. It was the secret they have between themselves is now shared deeply and reread on top of taking her as his wife.

He doesn't touch her intimately until after the birth of this first child, and ultimately Joseph does as he was told she may.

He names him.

Jesus think about this outstanding individual Joseph. He fully accepted what he could never later fully explain when any of his friends asked him when I labor Park poked her nose into their business and said some things that were inappropriate.

Joseph could simply say this. This child is of the Holy Spirit.

Can you imagine the eyes that rolled when they heard that you know how scandals are. You don't outgrow scandals. Think about it.

Anyone who has been in a scandal is remembered for that scandal until he dies. Joseph knew that from the moment the word got out that the baby is born so quickly after the marriage he knew what was in front of and people never forgot.

And they never stopped mentioning it to show you an example turn from Matthew 1 Hold Your Pl. here and go to John chapter 8 here were going to do a little correlation and were going to move ahead 30 years or so, Jesus is now engaged in ministry and is now facing these people who are the officials among the Jewish religion having a dialogue. And Jesus says to them.

Verse 37 in John eight yes, I realize that you are descendents of Abraham to get some of you are trying to kill me because there's no room in your heart for my message. Keep reading. Still, the words of Jesus.

I'm telling you what I saw when I was with my father but you are following the advice of your father. What is the application. My father is not the same as your father. You claim Abraham you claim God the father is your know he was my father will see later what he meant by your father. Look at this I tell you what I saw when I was with my father, meaning when he was with the father in eternity past when it was the father son and Holy Spirit in the Godhead.

I'm telling you what the plan was when I was with him all of this is blasphemy to these people who don't believe he says he he is who he says he is is is no you you are you are imitating your real father. Now look at their response right in the middle of verse 41, they replied we are illegitimate children. God himself is our true father, you know, the implication of that were not like you are. Jesus told them, if God were your father you would love me because I've come to you from God. I'm not here on my own, but he sent me that to them again was blasphemous.

Why can't you understand what I'm saying is, because you can even hear me for your the children of your father the devil you love to do the evil things he does every time I remember someone calling Jesus meek and mild. I remember verses like this, please. I doubt that you and I know that I have never said to someone, you are of your father the devil never said that I tell you, that's a courageous statement to make, especially since it's true, and since they would be the last was to ever believe it. You represent the voice of the enemy and I'm here to tell you the truth I've been sent by God, I've come to save sinners from their sins.

And I represent him because he is my father back to Matthew one, Joseph woke up, he did as he was told it was interesting also the Scriptures moved quickly from the time that they Mary until the scene at Bethlehem so we know nothing of the six months that is passed if they Mary right after she got back and I have the feeling it was certainly shortly after she returned that there was the marriage ceremony. The wedding ceremony told nothing of the conversation. We told nothing of what the neighbors began to whisper none of it is revealed. All we know is that get this. Joseph took the role not only of her husband but her advocate which she greatly needed a check the meaning of the word advocate. One who supports or defends a clause one who pleads in another's behalf. This is what attorneys do when they represent the client, they become our advocate. They speak in our defense. They represent our calls Mary needed more than a husband. She needed one who would be her courageous advocate and Joseph proved himself to be that interestingly after Jesus reaches adulthood. Joseph is never mentioned again most likely Joseph dies early in life again, we have no biblical record of the time of his death, but by the time Jesus is now beginning his ministry. Joseph is out of the picture.

Mary is seen occasionally even with the siblings of Jesus, as we have seen in a previous message, but never with her husband again now before I close this message.

You know me well enough to know I'm not going to leave it where it is. I'm going to help bring you and me into this picture. I have three questions to ask you. In doing so their personal questions.

Only you can answer.

The first is this and each by the way ties in with something Joseph experience. Here's the first, are you being forced to face a tough life altering decision right now what it may call for sacrifice in order for you to obey the Lord, you need to do it.

My response to you.

My counsel is go there second question or you are now experiencing the brunt of others criticism by doing what's right. You may have made a tough decision and now your living when the backwash of others wagging tongues and ugly comment. Here's the third third question, are you aware of someone who needs you to be there advocate here needed to be a support to her or to him go there occasionally. It will be a husband or wife need to be an advocate with a partner as you go through this tough time together as it was with Joseph and Mary.

Those three penetrating questions provide a way to examine our willingness to make the right decisions no matter the personal cost. You're listening to Insight for living Chuck Swindoll titled today's message try standing in Joseph's sandals to learn more about this ministry. Visit us online@insightworld.org. The gospel according to Matthew will capture our imagination as your guides us through a verse by verse study of this New Testament book will start with the birth of our king, tracing his footsteps through all 28 chapters all the way through his great commission. Now, in conjunction with this brand-new broadcast series. You'll be glad to learn that Chuck has recently completed a commentary on Matthew was well and it's available right now. In fact, because of the scope of this study just commentary comes into hardbound volumes. The set is called Swindoll's living inside commentary on Matthew. Whether you're new to the Bible or you teaching the Bible is a pastor, you'll find Chuck's approach to Matthew, both scholarly and accessible, and it's written in the engaging style. This become a hallmark of Chuck's teaching the purchase Swindoll's living inside commentary on Matthew go to Insight.org/store if you prefer, call us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 Insight for living ministries is supported not by the purchase of books and resources, but to the contributions of grateful listeners, we invite you to join our mission to introduce King Jesus to 195 countries of the world to give a donation today because you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888. Many are choosing to automate their giving. Becoming a monthly companion. This growing family of supporters is allowing Insight for living to advance its mission with boldness to become a monthly companion today.

Call us your listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8880 easily sign up online@insight.org/monthly companion in Swindoll invites us to try standing in Joseph's and join us tomorrow to hear Insight for living. The preceding message try standing in Joseph's sandals was copyrighted in 2014 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited