26-1004a Transcript

(1:21) Good morning, everybody. (1:23) I enjoy giving lessons on people’s lives, like a character study. (1:32) And I chose one that was really hard. (1:36) I don’t know why I did it. (1:38) But I chose to do a lesson on Joseph the carpenter.

(1:43) And you know, there’s just not a whole lot written about Joseph the carpenter. (1:50) So I’m going to do the best I can. (1:52) Today will be probably a short lesson.

(1:55) It’s two parts. (1:57) So this evening we’ll have the conclusion to this. (2:01) This morning, we’re going to look at Joseph, the life of a man who’d been entrusted with the most important task.

(2:12) And the task was one of great honor and privilege, (2:16) because he was considered worthy of the responsibility of being everything that a father should be to a child that was not his own. (2:31) And this man was a Jew born in Bethlehem. (2:34) He was a direct descendant from King David through Solomon’s branch of the royal family tree.

(2:43) And like many believers before him, he was a man of faith and obedience who would have fit nicely into the book of Hebrews chapter 11, (2:56) next to the other ancient faithful believers. (3:01) And of course, we’re talking about Joseph. (3:06) And he was the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

(3:11) And like I said, not much is known about him. (3:17) But interestingly enough, he never had a single word recorded in Scripture. (3:28) So it’s going to be his actions we look at and his actions speak for him that will reveal to us his character.

(3:40) And so we can all learn from Joseph’s faith and apply his faith to our lives, the lessons from it. (3:52) So let’s look again at Matthew chapter 1, verse 1, where it starts out by saying, (4:00) The book of genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (4:08) And did you catch that? (4:10) Matthew doesn’t call this the gospel of Jesus Christ or the good news of Jesus Christ.

(4:19) No, he calls it the book of genealogy of the Christ. (4:26) And so Matthew’s book is based on a genealogy. (4:33) So what does that mean for us? (4:35) Well, proving Jesus is the Christ is the whole point of Matthew’s document.

(4:42) Matthew established Jesus' bloodline all the way back to Abraham. (4:49) And that is good news. (4:50) He’s a direct descendant of Abraham, and that’s an important point we’ll be looking at later.

(5:01) So we’re going to see proofs Matthew presents that will validate the authenticity of Jesus being the Christ. (5:17) It first starts out with Jesus' genealogy. (5:22) And then throughout Matthew’s book, he’ll prove Jesus is the king and Christ.

(5:31) And that’s who Abraham and David represent. (5:37) Promises made to Abraham proving he’s the Christ. (5:41) And the bloodline being linked to David proves he’s a king.

(5:49) Matthew completed tracing the bloodline by writing in verse 16, (5:54) And Jacob, the father of Joseph, and husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (6:03) God recognized Joseph as the head of his new holy family, (6:09) And Matthew proved Jesus' claim to the throne even through the stepfather’s bloodline. (6:20) So now let’s look at Mary’s bloodline as recorded by Luke.

(6:25) It says in Luke 3.23, (6:27) Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about 30 years old, being the son, as was supposed, of Joseph, the son of Eli. (6:38) Heli is a variant of Eli, and I believe the version that Roger read calls him Eli. (6:47) But it’s an old Hebrew name, a variant of Eli, and that was Mary’s father.

(6:55) The reason Joseph is listed as the son of Eli has to do with the ancient tradition of only listing males in genealogies. (7:06) In today’s thinking, it would have made more sense to call him Joseph, the son-in-law of Eli. (7:14) Make no mistake, though, this is Mary’s bloodline, the actual bloodline that runs through Jesus' veins.

(7:25) And Luke takes Jesus' actual human bloodline all the way back to Adam. (7:34) How’s that for a pedigree? Can any of us do that? (7:39) My dad was into genealogy, and he took us into the Middle Ages of England, but lost it after there. (7:48) But, yeah, it’s an amazing proof.

(7:54) Luke traced Mary’s genealogy by blood through King David’s son, Nathan, through that branch, as shown in Luke 3.31. (8:06) And that ensures Jesus' legal and physical right to King David’s throne. (8:14) And when you include the lineage through Joseph’s direct link to David through Solomon’s branch, (8:21) Jesus has a legitimate claim to the throne of Israel. (8:27) And though he cannot be a Levitical priest because of the requirements of the Law of Moses, (8:34) there is an inference through Mary’s bloodline that there is a priestly connection, a Levitical connection, to Aaron himself.

(8:45) And we see that in Luke 1.5, where her cousin Elizabeth married Zechariah, who was a priest. (8:57) When Mary went to visit Elizabeth, hearing that she was six months pregnant, (9:06) it was said that Elizabeth was one of the daughters of Aaron. (9:12) And so that confirms even a priestly connection in Jesus' actual blood.

(9:21) That doesn’t happen often in Israel. (9:25) Not that he could be a priest, but when you think about him being in the order of Melchizedek, (9:31) he is a priest in a sense, a priest forever. (9:40) So Christ’s bloodline was uniting the royal line through David and the priestly line of Levi and Jesus.

(9:51) Another point I want to make on the statement from Luke 3.23, where it says, (9:56) Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about 30 years old. (10:02) And 30 is a number having Old Testament roots where anybody who would do service in the temple (10:15) was trained at 25, was mentored for 5 years, and then at 30, they entered into service in the temple (10:24) and they would work till 50. (10:27) And then, it says in Numbers 4, they retire.

(10:32) So they just pull a 20-year work detail and they go into retirement. (10:40) Boy, how did we get into that plan? (10:46) But anyhow, that wasn’t my point. (10:50) I just love chasing rabbits.

(10:54) So he started when he was 30 years old and being as the son, as was supposed, of Joseph, son of Eli. (11:07) Every translation of the Bible that I checked all have this caveat that is sometimes even put in parentheses, (11:16) as was supposed. (11:20) In our language, supposed means imagined or believed as truth.

(11:25) And in the Greek, the word here is nomizo, which means to properly do by law, gain regard, think, or suppose. (11:36) So what it means is that everyone of that time figured that Jesus was legitimately the carpenter’s son. (11:46) There were rumors going around of illegitimacy and the Pharisees and priests that Jesus would contend with, (11:59) especially in the temple, would even malign him at times.

(12:05) Anyhow, that aside, Matthew was Jewish and his audience that he was writing to was primarily Jewish. (12:13) And they were waiting for their Messiah to come. (12:18) They knew that the Messiah would be from David’s bloodline, and they understood the promises that were made by God to Abraham.

(12:29) And so he starts out by making his confession of faith, so to speak, calling Jesus the Messiah, (12:36) who was the fulfillment of the promises that were made to Abraham and David. (12:43) Matthew wanted his kinsmen and everyone who would read his words to believe that Jesus is the Christ too. (12:54) And Joseph had an important role in forming this child that would be born to become just that.

(13:05) Abraham, of course, was the man that God chose out of all the people of the world at that time to make a special people for himself. (13:16) And to Abraham, God gave three main promises. (13:21) One, that he and Sarah would have a son, and his family would grow into a great nation.

(13:28) And two, that the land that he was on, the land of Canaan, God would give as an inheritance to his children. (13:38) And the third promise, one of his future children would bless all the nations of the world. (13:46) And this was an extension of the seed promise that was made to Eve in the Garden of Eden.

(13:54) When Abraham was tested by God by offering Isaac on the altar, (14:04) Yahweh said in Genesis 22, 15 through 18, (14:10) And the angel of Yahweh called to Abraham out of the heaven a second time, (14:15) And he said, I have sworn by myself, says Yahweh, that on account of this thing you have done, (14:21) And you have not withheld your son, your only son, (14:26) That blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, (14:34) And as the sand which is on the shore of the sea, (14:37) And your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies, (14:42) And [in] your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, (14:47) Because you have obeyed my voice. (14:52) And on that mountain where Isaac was offered on the altar, (14:59) Was the very same place where Jesus himself would be offered by God. (15:09) Where it said God will provide the lamb, just like what Abraham lived through.

(15:18) Now David, God blessed with the Davidic covenant, (15:24) Which is God promising to King David that one of his descendants would rule on his throne forever. (15:32) In 2 Samuel 7, 16 and 17 it says, (15:37) And your house shall be established and your kingdom before you forever. (15:43) Your throne shall be established forever.

(15:47) According to all these words, according to this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. (15:53) Likewise, the prophet Daniel foresaw that everlasting kingdom, (15:59) And that Nathan the prophet spoke to David about. (16:04) And in Daniel 2, 44 through 45 it says, (16:08) And in the days of these kings, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, (16:13) Which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other people.

(16:20) It shall break in pieces and destroy all these kingdoms, (16:23) And it shall stand forever. (16:26) Because you saw that stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands, (16:32) That it broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, the gold in pieces. (16:39) The great God has made known to the king what shall occur after this.

(16:43) [The dream] is certain and [its interpretation] is trustworthy. (16:47) And that kingdom was the kingdom Christ would establish, his church. (16:54) So Matthew referenced the Messiah’s genealogy by starting out with the two family members, (17:02) Abraham and David, that had promises made to them by God.

(17:07) They were recorded in scripture for us, (17:10) So that there was written proof that validates Jesus, (17:15) Who fit every one of those promises and predictions and prophecies perfectly. (17:30) Those were recorded for us as proof about his Messiahship. (17:36) Now Matthew shows the Christ bloodline through his stepfather Joseph lineage.

(17:43) So Jesus biologically has no claim to this lineage. (17:50) But there are things just as important, (17:54) If not more important than just genes and DNA being passed down. (18:00) Such as the very essence of his stepfather Joseph’s life, (18:06) His morals, his values, and his character.

(18:09) And those come through this family bloodline. (18:15) When you look and see some of his ancestors' names in that family line in his genealogy, (18:24) You know from reading scripture who they were and how faithful and devoted they were to God. (18:32) These are some of the intangible things that Joseph passed on to Jesus, (18:39) Names like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Boaz and Ruth, (18:45) King David, King Solomon, King Hezekiah, and King Josiah, just to name a few.

(18:53) And we know their lives and we know what character all of those people had. (18:59) And they were all devoted to God and after God’s heart. (19:05) They were true believers.

(19:08) And those get passed down over and over through the generations, those values. (19:16) Establishing a family legacy of being faithful to God. (19:21) And Joseph had that and passed those traits to Jesus.

(19:28) And one last thought on Jesus' lineage through Mary. (19:35) The lineage starts in Luke 3.23 where it says, (19:40) Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about 30 years old, (19:44) Being the son, as was supposed, of Joseph, the son of Eli. (19:49) And then ends with Luke 3.37-38, (19:53) The son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, (20:00) The son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

(20:08) And why is that portion of the lineage from Adam to the Christ important to know? (20:13) Well, these names are the humans that are of the line of the seed promise. (20:22) And it terminated with Mary, who bore the son of God, the Christ, who is the promised seed. (20:31) And that’s Jesus.

(20:34) When we believe in Christ and become Christians, we become part of that seed family. (20:41) Children of God. (20:43) And citizens of Christ’s kingdom.

(20:46) But there was another seed line. (20:50) The seed of the evil one who was cursed in the Garden of Eden by tempting a new couple into sinning against God. (21:01) God disclosed to Adam, Eve, and the serpent that Eve’s seed, the seed would crush Satan’s head.

(21:13) And there would be enmity, which is ill will, hatred, unfriendly dispositions, and malevolence. (21:22) That’s what enmity is. (21:24) Between her seed and the serpent’s seed.

(21:28) And that’s why all through history you see people hating first the Jews, or first Israel, then the Jews. (21:37) And now, even in our own lives, you can see the world hates Christians. (21:45) By having two opposing seed lines means that there are also two opposing kingdoms as well.

(21:55) The kingdom of Christ, his church, and the kingdom of Satan. (22:01) Christ mentioned in the Gospels that Satan has a kingdom. (22:11) And the Apostle John told us that Cain belonged to Satan in 1 John 3.12. (22:21) It says, Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one, and murdered his brother.

(22:28) And by Noah’s day, by the way, Cain was the first citizen of Satan’s kingdom. (22:40) And by the time Noah comes around, the world of that time was filled mostly with citizens of Satan’s kingdom. (22:53) There were only but a few remaining in the kingdom of believers.

(23:01) What does Peter say? Eight in all? (23:04) And that was Noah’s family. (23:08) And that is why God had to destroy the world of that time. (23:14) That’s a warning for us today.

(23:16) That was, I guess, a type of what’s going to happen. (23:23) And we see Satan’s kingdom expanding today. (23:28) It seems to be overwhelming.

(23:31) And the world of this age is reserved for fire. (23:38) It will be destroyed because of Satan’s kingdom. (23:44) People who refuse citizenship in God’s kingdom.

(23:51) When we were young and innocent, Steve mentioned the innocents who were saved this morning in his class. (24:00) Those who cannot or do not understand the idea of sin and right and wrong, (24:07) they’re automatic members of the kingdom of God. (24:12) But when we understood right from wrong and chose to do wrong, to sin, (24:20) we become citizens of Satan’s kingdom.

(24:25) And the only way to escape from Satan’s kingdom is to seek asylum in the kingdom of God. (24:35) And you do that by believing in Jesus, the son of God. (24:42) I’m going to save the rest for this evening to conclude Joseph’s life (24:48) and focus on everywhere we see Joseph in the Gospels.

(24:55) So at this time, I want to offer the invitation. (25:00) If you have not yet sought asylum in God’s kingdom, we offer you the opportunity. (25:09) We’ll be glad to be facilitators in helping you do that.

(25:15) Or if you’ve been on vacation in the pig pen of Satan’s kingdom, being a brother of Christ, (25:24) and you got dirty, wallowing in that mud, and you need the prayers of the church and repentance, (25:31) we offer you the opportunity to come up here and we’ll be glad to pray for you and restore you. (25:37) So let’s all stand together and sing the song of invitation. (25:42)