Not Your Average Joe

When Life Goes off the Rails

Put yourself in Joe’s sandals for a minute. 

You’re a simple, hammer-swinging carpenter from the boondocks of Nazareth. You recently popped 

the question to that cute girl named Mary who lives across town. You breathed a huge sigh of relief when she said “yes!”

Before Joe and Mary can plan their wedding, life goes completely off the rails. You can read all about it in Matthew’s bio of Jesus (Mt 1:18-25). 

Joe’s Crazy Dream

Suddenly, she’s a pregnant teenager and says it’s God’s baby. He plans to call the whole thing off. Quietly, of course. Let’s keep the embarrassment to a minimum.

That’s when he has a crazy dream about an angel who tells Joe to pump his brakes. According to the angel, everything his fiancee´ says is true! 

Wife-to-Be, Mother-to-Be, Savior-to-Be

God’s messenger lets Joe know that he’s should not only go through with the wedding but that he’s gonna be the adoptive dad of the long awaited Hero from heaven. And I thought my nightmare about being running naked to take the final I didn’t study for was out there!

Despite all the chaos, the blue collar guy from Galilee hangs in there. He does what God says. He stands by his wife-to-be who’s a mother-to-be carrying the Savior-to-be. 

Why? He’s not your average Joe.

How It All Went Down

Matt the disciple tells us how it all went down. “This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit” (v18).

There’s a LOT going on in this verse! Thousands of years ago, God promised to send One to the rescue (Gen 3:15). But He won’t be born into privilege to some young power couple. Nope. As a matter of fact, He’ll be at the center of a small town scandal.  

Not That Kind of Girl

Joe and Mary haven’t gotten married yet. They’re still engaged. Now engagement back in First Century Israel is WAY different than it is today. It’s a legally binding commitment. So much so that it would take a divorce to end the relationship.

This is even more shocking because Mary doesn’t have a rep around town of being that kind of girl. Despite never sleeping around, there’s no question this teenage girl has a bun in the oven. 

Who’s the Daddy?

And have you heard who she’s said is the daddy? She claims “she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit” (v15). That’s crazy talk! Nobody’s buying that. Especially her fiancé. 

Let’s face it. It’s not exactly kosher to send out birth announcements before mailing the wedding invitations. You don’t get those things out of order…especially in ancient Jewish culture.

Keep It Quiet

Matt tells us what’s going through the carpenter’s head. “Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly” (v19).

Joe’s first thought is to end it. But he won’t make it a big deal. Best to keep it quiet. The phrase “disgrace her publicly” is actually just one word in Greek (Gr. παραδειγματιζω/paradeigmatizo). 

It means to make somebody a public example in order to openly shame and expose them. Think of a nasty political campaign when one candidate does everything possible to dig up dirt on their opponent. That kinda thing.

A Target of Rocks

If he makes it public, Mary will become more than just the object of shame. She becomes the target of rocks. The law of Moses calls for the execution of any woman who gets pregnant before walking down the aisle (Dt 22:23).

Scribbling in the Dirt

As a matter of fact, death by stoning is the pretty much the punishment for most sexual immorality for God’s chosen people. That’s what’s at stake when the Pharisees drag a woman caught in adultery to Jesus for His take (Jn 4:1-11).

After scribbling a few things in the dirt, the Lord gets her accusers to drop their rocks and walk away. I have to wonder if He thinks of what could have happened to His own mom as looks into eyes of this broken woman.

Has this Galilean craftsman personally witnessed the public execution of someone who’s been caught sleeping around? Has he actually participated in one? 

A Righteous Man

Whatever the case, Joe just couldn’t do that to Mary. Her story may be out there but that’s just not how you treat somebody. Why? We get a tip in the description of him as “a righteous man” (v19). 

The word “righteous” in the original language is δικαιος/dikaios. In the strictest sense, that means someone who is perfect. Never doing the wrong thing. Always doing the right thing.

None. Zip. Zero.

Is THAT what Matt means when he paints his picture of Joe the Carpenter? Nope. A thousand years before, King David wrote lyrics to a song that say it’s not possible for anybody to meet that impossible standard.

It goes a little something like this. “All have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” (Ps 14:3). None. Zip. Zero.

A Heavenly Bundle of Joy

That’s the same psalm a former rabbi named Paul quotes in a letter to fellow Jesus followers in Rome. “No one is righteous (Gr. δικαιος/dikaios)—not even one” (Rom 3:10). 

Notice how he uses the very same word? Well that eliminates Joseph. As well as you and me. The only one who checks that box is the sinless the Son of God. That little bundle of heavenly joy in Mary’s womb.

Your 9-1-1 Call

If he’s not sinless, what exactly is Matt’s point? The term also can mean someone who’s virtuous and upright. You probably know the kind of person he’s talking about. That good friend who won’t let you down. I’m guessing they’re your 9-1-1 call. 

In other words, he’s not your average Joe.

Kooky Christmas Dreams

As Mary’s fiance´ tries to figure out how to pull this off and keep things on the down low, something crazy happens. “As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream” (v20). 

And you thought Ebenezer Scrooge had some kooky Christmas dreams! Wait until you hear about Joe’s wild night.

Doubling Down on Mary’s Dream

As his head hits the pillow, he clearly has his doubts about Mary’s story. Remember what she told him? Another angel named Gabriel tells her how God’s Spirit has come upon her and that she’ll soon be the miraculous virgin mother of Messiah (Lk 1:26-38).

The angel in carpenter’s dream doubles down on just about everything Gabe has told Mary. “Joseph, son of David…do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the Child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit” (v20).

An Angelic Gender Reveal

Whoa. As if that’s not enough, the messenger keeps spitting prophetic truth about this Baby on the way. “And she will have a Son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (v21).

Talk about a gender reveal! Nobody’s beating this one. Seriously, an angel in a dream letting the adoptive dad that this unborn Infant is a boy. No blue balloons, confetti, cake, or smoke. Get an angel for your gender reveal party and then we’ll talk.

No Need for Baby Names

Joe and Mary also don’t have to worry about coming up with a name for their baby Boy. No need to 

search the web for the hottest names. This one comes straight from His Heavenly Dad. Jesus.

The angel explains why this will be the Child’s name. “For He will save His people from their sins” (v21). In many cultures throughout history, names carry purpose and meaning. Over and over in the Bible, we see that connection. That’s what’s going on here.

God to the Rescue

A closer look at the name “Jesus (Gr. ‘Ιησους/‘Iesous)” does just that. It literally means “Yahweh Saves.” It’s actually how you say the Hebrew name Joshua in Greek. So when God tells you to name your Son “God to the Rescue,” it’s kind of a big deal!

Notice what Jesus will save folks from. Not the Romans. Not high taxes. Not the liberals. Not the conservatives. From. Their. Sins.

The Enemy in the Mirror

What a powerful reminder that our biggest enemy is staring back at us in the mirror every morning. Can we talk frankly? Thanks. Aren’t most of your biggest issues self-inflicted? Yeah, me too.

Because of that, Jesus has come to save us from OURSELVES! 

Calling This Shot

And get this, Isaiah called this shot 700 years before it happened. “All this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through His prophet” (v22). Josh McDowell says Jesus checks the box on at least 300 predictions of His coming in the Old Testament. This is just one of them.

Specifically, prophet predicted, “Look! The virgin will conceive a Child! She will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (v23, Is 7:14). 

Our Divine First Responder

And for those of us who don’t know ancient Hebrew (which includes just about everybody, including me!), Matthew unpacks what’s behind that particular nickname for our Savior. It “means ‘God is with us’” (v23).

This is what really smart folks like to call the incarnation. God puts on the earth suit of human flesh makes as our divine First Responder. Jesus leaves the luxury of the heavenly palace and makes the ultimate dumpster dive to save us from our sin.

What We So Desperately Need

He can’t do what we so desperately need done for us without getting personally involved. Only when God is with us can He live the perfect life we fail to live, die the death we should have died, and rise to the new life we don’t deserve.

In the Morning

Next thing Joe knows, it’s morning. Can’t you see the Galilean carpenter rubbing his eyes and wondering what happened? Was it really an angel or just the pizza he had for dinner?

He soon realizes what he was told is legit. “When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife” (v24). A quiet divorce is off the table. He goes through with the wedding despite his fiancee´ being pregnant.

Joe’s Supernatural Assignment

Joseph ignores the rampant rumors and small-town scandal. He has a supernatural assignment as the husband to the Messiah’s mom and the adoptive dad to the Son of God. 

After the wedding, Matt tells us the newlyweds didn’t do what usually newlyweds do. “But he did not have sexual relations with her until her Son was born” (v25). Her new hubby waits patiently for a few more months. 

An Unexpected Road Trip to Bethlehem

In this way, Mary maintains her virginity until after giving birth to her baby Boy. You’ve probably heard that part of the story. The two make unexpected road trip to an overbooked Bethlehem. 

They end up bedding down with the livestock. Mom goes into labor. They turn a feed trough into basinet. Angels sing. Shepherds visit. But that’s another story for another time.

One Last Thing

There’s one last thing for this new dad to do. “And Joseph named Him Jesus” (v25). Joe makes sure to finish the job given him by the angel by giving the Baby His name. 

We really don’t know much more about Joe after Jesus’ birth. Matt describes how he has a couple of more dreams with angels. 

Two More Angel Dreams

The next time it happens, the messenger tells him to skedaddle with his new family to Egypt before the king kills every baby boy in Bethlehem (Mt 2:13-18).

It’s happens a final time when it’s time to move back home to Nazareth (Mt 2:19-23). Gotta wonder if this is the same angel who shows up all three times. I’m kinda thinking so.

A Parent’s Worst Nightmare

Then there’s the time Joe and Mary lose young Jesus during a visit to Jerusalem (Lk 2:41-52). Talk about a parent’s worst nightmare! Imagine putting out an Amber alert for the Son of God!!

After that, Joseph disappears from the pages of Scripture. We’re not sure what happens to him but at some point it’s clear Mary’s a single mom (Mk 3:31-35). That means Jesus knows the heartbreak of losing your earthly dad. 

Far from Perfect 

As we said before, Joe’s far from perfect. He needs Jesus to save him too. But God handpicks this specific hammer swinger from Galilee as the one to raise His one and only Son.

What a powerful reminder that our Heavenly Dad can use anybody He chooses. He’s not just looking for the most impressive resumes or LinkedIn profiles to take part in His plan.

Ability or Availability?

The crazy thing is that He absolutely loves using folks that everybody else considers useless. God consistently selects the overlooked, the nobodies, and the powerless to get the job done (1Cor 1:26-29). That way, He gets all the credit.

So what’s the quality the Lord’s looking for? Willingness. His favorite ability is availability. Take the time He asks for volunteers, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” (Is 6:8).

Ready to Roll

Before hearing the details of the assignment, a man named Isaiah steps up and says, “Here I am. Send me” (Is 6:8). That’s good news for folks like you and me. No special training or certifications needed. Just a heart that’s ready to roll.

Sounds a lot like our man Joseph. Hard working. Eager. Available for God. Obedient to God. Sadly those folks are few and far between.

That’s why he’s not your average Joe.

©2019

Jay Jennings