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KEY VERSE:
Matthew 1:20-21 (ESV)
20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Introduction:
Joseph had a lot on his mind after finding his virgin wife to be with child. Now he was about to get even more to think about. God was about to do something BIG, and Joseph and Mary were right smack in the middle of it!
I. JOSEPH’S PAIN
Matthew 1:20
But as he considered these things,
A. When we don’t understand or know the plans of God, it can sometimes cause us pain.
B. Joseph did NOT return evil for evil.
1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
C. Had Mary really been guilty of adultery, Joseph had a right to put her to death.
Deuteronomy 22:23-24
23 “If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor’s wife. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
II. BEHOLD THE ANGEL.
Matthew 1:20 (ESV)
… behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream,
A. The writer of this Gospel, Matthew, uses the word “behold” whenever he wants the reader to pay attention. The Greek is “Idou”.
B. Angels are messengers and servants of God.
C. The angel was Gabriel.
Luke 1:26
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
1. Gabriel is mentioned in the Old and New Testaments.
Daniel 8:16
And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”
2. Gabriel stands in the presence of God.
Luke 1:19
And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God,
3. Gabriel is one of only two angels explicitly named in the Protestant Bible. The other is Michael, a warrior archangel.
4. Gabriel looks like a man. The name Gabriel means “man of God” or “strength of God.” The second time Daniel encounters Gabriel (Daniel 9:21), he describes Gabriel as a “man”.
5. Gabriel scares people. When Daniel meets Gabriel, he is frightened and falls on his face. When Gabriel greets Zacharias, his first words are, “Do not be afraid.” Gabriel tells Mary not to fear.
6. Angels are powerful beings that are able to kill on God’s order. 2 Kings 19:35
And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians.
III. The Angel’s Message from God to Joseph.
Matthew 1:20 (ESV)
… behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
A. The message was….
1. Mary had not lost her virtue.
2. Joseph must take Mary as his wife as planned.
3. Mary’s unborn child was the long awaited Messiah.
IV. THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES!
Matthew 1:21 (ESV)
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus,
A. Jesus was a name given to sons. It was symbolic of the hope that God would bring a messiah to deliver His people from the oppression of their enemies.
B. In Hebrew, “Jesus” is “Jeshua” and means Jehovah is Salvation or Jehovah is the Savior.
C. Jehovah was the Name given to God in the OLD Testament. Jehovah means, “God Saves”.
V. SPECIAL DELIVERY!
Matthew 1:21 (ESV)
… for he will save his people from their sins.”
A. Jesus was NOT the messiah everyone was expecting.
B. Jesus came to deliver us from Sin, the TRUE enemy of ALL Mankind.
Conclusion:
God Himself came to our world as a little baby to deliver us from our Sin. He took the first step in bring us back to Himself. Will you take the next step and accept His free Gift of Salvation?