Matthew 1:24

Wednesday, 31 July 2024

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, Matthew 1:24

“And Joseph, having thoroughly aroused from the sleep, did as the messenger of the Lord commanded him, and received his wife” (CG).

The previous verse finished the explanation of the words of the messenger that Joseph received as he dreamed. With these things complete, Matthew now records, “And Joseph, having thoroughly aroused from the sleep...”

There is a slight difference in texts here. Some use the word diegeiró, to arouse completely. Others use the word egeiró, to arouse. The difference is the prefix dia, or through, which intensifies the word egeiró.

Further, the Greek has an article before the word “sleep.” It wasn’t just a regular sleep but a personal sleep that included a formal visit from the messenger of the Lord. As such, it seems likely that Joseph wasn’t just aroused but fully aroused from the sleep in order to take the next action recorded by Matthew. He “did as the messenger of the Lord commanded him.”

In the words of the angel, Joseph was told to take Mary as his wife and to name the child Jesus. Implied, although not specifically recorded, was that he was not to consummate the marriage until after the birth of Jesus. That will be seen in the next verse. For now, it records, “and received his wife.”

Joseph had thought to put away Mary secretly for what he supposed she had done. Now, he rather openly confirms the marriage, ensuring that those who are close to Mary would not inappropriately judge her for being pregnant before the marriage was formalized.

The message of the dream was sufficient for Joseph to know for certain that the hand of the Lord was involved in what was taking place. Therefore, he obediently complied with all that he was instructed to do.

Life application: Since the time of Christ’s incarnation, other women have made similar claims concerning being pregnant without male involvement. No such claims are to be accepted. At one point in human history, God directly intervened in the human experience by uniting with His creatures in the Person of Jesus.

Today, women can be artificially inseminated, but this still means that a man is involved in the process. The generation of human life is not possible without this, except in the case of Jesus.

What God has done in Christ is the single most important aspect of human existence. From the conception and birth of Jesus to His crucifixion and resurrection, nothing in all of history even comes close to this. Without Jesus, we are fallen and separate from God, condemned by the sin we have inherited.

However, in the coming of Christ, the line of sin is cut. We can now have full restoration with God through simple faith in what He has done. If Mary’s child was not born of God, there would be no hope for humanity. To deny the virgin birth is a point of heresy that cannot be overcome by those who hear and accept it.

Either Christ Jesus is God, or we stand condemned. When Paul says in Romans 10:13, “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,’” he is not saying “Lord” meaning “Master.” He is telling us that Jesus Christ is the Lord, Yehovah, of the Old Testament. Thus, to not call on Jesus as the incarnate Lord God means you will not be saved.

Calling on a created savior is idolatry. It is placing a part of the creation as the means of salvation, but we are told that “salvation is of the Lord (Yehovah)” (Jonah 2:9) and that Yehovah is Israel’s Savior (Isaiah 43:3 & 45:15). Be confident in your understanding of who Jesus is. He is the Lord God, our Savior.

Glorious Almighty God, thank You for what You have done to bring us back to Yourself. It is incredible, and yet it is certain: You have come in the Person of Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, honor, and power to You alone. Thank You, O God, for Jesus. Amen.