^{Matthew 1:18-21}

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.¹⁹ And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 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.”

Matthew opens his gospel account by detailing the lineage of Jesus from Abraham all the way to Joseph, the husband of Mary. As we look through the figures in this genealogy, we see how the people in Jesus’ line both anticipate His coming and also show us our great need for the Messiah-King because of our brokenness. In verse 18, Matthew begins to write about Jesus’ birth, giving us a glimpse into the life of Joseph, one of the final figures who will both foreshadow Christ’s work and display our need for an ultimate Savior.

Joseph was betrothed to a woman named Mary. This was a legal pledge to be married, similar to our modern practice of engagement but far more serious. When Mary was found to be with child, Joseph sought to divorce her, believing that she had committed a great offense against him. Since Joseph was a righteous man, he needed to maintain his personal standing in light of this alleged affair. However, because of his care for Mary, Joseph did not want to expose his betrothed to open shame. Even though he was well within his right to bring great punishment upon Mary according to the Law, Joseph desired to protect Mary’s reputation. Unfortunately, the only perceived solution to cover Mary’s offense was separation from her – this was the only way Joseph could maintain his righteousness while also loving and caring for his spouse. In Joseph, we see the merging of both justice and compassion, a shadow of what we experience in the coming of Christ.

You see, the child that was conceived in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit was the one and only Son of God. His name is Jesus and He is the one who would save His people from their sins. Jesus Christ, the righteous one - the one who had compassion on broken, sinful people - the one whose heart moved Him to dispel the shame of our sinful condition. Jesus, the true and better Joseph, who did not have to separate himself from sin to preserve his own righteousness. He did not cover our sin by keeping us at a distance. Instead, He came near to the broken. He became sin on our behalf and took upon himself the punishment we rightly deserved. Jesus showed us that our greatest need was our sinful condition before the Almighty God, but He also shows us the way we can be made right. Let us run to Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, the one who was born that he might die, the one who made everlasting peace by the blood of His cross.

• Read through Jesus’ genealogy in Matthew 1. What are some ways these figures point us to the coming of Jesus? How do they all ultimately fall short and show us our need for Christ?
• Why is important to reflect on the purpose of Christ’s coming as we celebrate Christmas this year?