Messages from Matthew: An Exceptional Epitaph (Matt 1:19)

MESSAGES FROM MATTHEW ON THE MINISTRY OF JESUS:
An Exceptional Epitaph (Matt 1:19)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2000

 

What would you like to be known for? If you could have any reputation, what would it be? If you had it inscribed on your tombstone, what would it say? Because someone else will probably make that decision, you want to make the choice obvious. There is a bumper sticker, the truth of which I particularly appreciate, that says, "Live so the preacher won't have to lie at your funeral". What would you want me to say about you? Let me suggest An Exceptional Epitaph from scripture.

 

During the Christmas season, our attention is on the one whose birth we are celebrating, which is only natural. We sing carols about his coming, set up nativity scenes in which he is the central figure, and read again the familiar story of his advent. Next to Jesus, the person who gets the most press is Mary his mother. There is another individual, though, with an important but often overlooked part in the story...Joseph. The gospel writers mention him fifteen times but seem to tell us little about him.ⁱ

• Five times he is identified as a descendant of David.
• Three times he is described as the husband of Mary.
• Three times he is simply listed with Mary.
• Three times he is called the father of Jesus.
• Three times he receives revelation in a dream.

None of this, however, tells us much about him. Is he just another man that history has neglected, like Whistler's father and Lord Godiva?

Looking more carefully, though, we discover a phrase embedded in a verse from Matthew, easy to miss, that describes Joseph's character.

Matt 1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.ⁱⁱ

This is An Exceptional Epitaph. In fact, the biblical authors call only four others righteous men (Abel, Noah, Simeon, and John the Baptist)." Why does Matthew add Joseph to this elite group? In addition to his obvious concern for Mary,"'there are two reasons gospel writers identify.

• First, Joseph is open to the leading of God—to the special instructions God gives that are for one person's situation.

Three times he received revelation in a dream. The first instance was when Joseph was wondering how he should deal with the delicate situation of Mary's indiscretion...

Matt 1:20 ...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph...do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." ...24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

The second instance was two years later, when Joseph was planning his family's return to Nazareth...

Matt 2:13 ...an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." 14 So [Joseph] got up, took the child and his mother...and left for Egypt, 15a where he stayed until the death of Herod.

The third instance was two years after that...

Matt 2:19 ...an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." 21 So [Joseph] got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.

In each case, Joseph is open to the leading of God—to the special instructions God gave for his situation.

• Second, Joseph is obedient to the law of God—to the general instructions God gives that are for everyone's situation.

Luke records that six weeks after Jesus' birth...

Luke 2:22 When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord" [= Exod 13:2, 12, 15]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons" [= Lev 12:8]

Joseph did two things here. He redeemed Jesus, as God commanded for all firstborn males, by making the prescribed payment of five shekels ,v and he saw to Mary's purification, as God commanded for all women after childbirth, by making the prescribed sacrifice of two birds. Finally, Luke says...

Luke 2:39a ...Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord....

Here, Joseph is obedient to the law of God—to the general, written instructions God gives His people to guide their behavior no matter what their situation. These are two reasons Joseph is "a righteous man." So, what would you like to be known for?

 

At Christmas, we are naturally thinking about Christ. Let us also take notice of others with a part in his story, such as Joseph. Although he gets relatively little attention, what the gospel writers tell of his life indicates what you can do if you would like An Exceptional Epitaph:

• Be open to the leading of God, and
• Be obedient to the law of God.

For a pdf with Bibliography and Endnotes go here.