From the Pulpit...

How does a righteous man react to a difficult situation? Joseph was a person of royal ancestry, a potential king. The Gospels say little about him, although he probably was poor, because he offered a poor man's sacrifice after Jesus' birth (Luke 2:24). Matthew does not list Joseph as Jesus' biological father but only the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. On finding Mary was pregnant, Joseph considered secretly divorcing her (to put her away), desiring to save her from death by stoning - a common punishment for adultery in those days, whether the woman was betrothed (engaged) or married. The Messiah was to be from the line of David. Joseph was a son - an ancestor - of David, which would legally place Jesus in the Davidic line. Jesus means "the Lord is salvation." This Child would save His people from their sin. Matthew sites Isaiah 7:14, which says that the virgin will conceive; in Hebrew, the word translated virgin is preceded by a definite article. indicating that the young woman would not be just "a" virgin but "the" virgin. Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled in Mary. Matthew indicates that Joseph was not physically intimate with Mary before Jesus was born. This verse protects the doctrine of the virgin birth - a doctrine so important that the writers of Scripture go out of their way to make sure that every detail is precise. The supernatural virgin birth is proof of both Jesus' humanity and His deity.