NORTH YORK CHURCH OF CHRIST

Pastor Roger C. Marcos
November 18, 2018

Dreams and nightmares while we sleep are relatively harmless. All we have to do is wake up and they’re over. But in our everyday lives, when our dreams turn into nightmares, it can be devastating. How could something like this happen? How could God allow this? When life can happens it can be a painful reality!

Matthew1:18-25 ¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. ²⁰ But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

²² So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ²³ “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

²⁴ Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, ²⁵ and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

Joseph was already betrothed or engage to Mary in their young ages. The procedure of the Jewish in marriage has 3 Steps

1. The Engagement.- was made when the two was in their child-hood and it was done by their parents or a professional match-maker. To make it clear it was often made without the couple involved ever having seen each other. In their stage relationship ENGAGEMENT marriage was held to be far too SERIOUS a step to be left to the dictates of human passion and the human heart.

2. The Betrothal.- was what we might call the ratification of the engagement into which JOSEPH AND MARY, had previously entered the “ENGAGEMENT”. At this point the engagement entered into by the parents or the match-maker COULD BE BROKEN if the girl was unwilling to go on with it. BUT ONCE THE BETROTHAL was entered into it was ABSOLUTELY BINDING. It lasted for one year. During that year the couple WERE KNOWN A HUSBAND AND WIFE. .although they had not the rights to live together. The betrothal period of relationship IT COULD NOT BE TERMINATED in any other way THAN BY DIVORCE. In the Jewish law IF THE GIRL WHOSE FIANCE HAD DIED during the betrothal is called “A VIRGIN IS A WIDOW” Church, friends, and single people, it was at this stage that JOSEPH AND MARY WERE. They were betrothed, and if Joseph wish to end the BETROTHAL he could do so in no other way THAN BY DIVORCE; and it that year of betrothal MARY WAS LEGALLY KNOWN AS JOSEPH WIFE.

3. The Marriage Proper. Which took place the end of the year of Betrothal.- what a nightmare to JOSEPH. So at that stage I was told to Joseph that Mary was to bear a child that child had been begotten by the Holy Spirit, and that He must call the child by the name JESUS. ( Jesus is the Greek form of the Jewish name Joshua and Joshua means JOHOVAH IS SALVATION )

Joseph, was not happy, and being frustrated about what he discover about Mary’s pregnancy. .

1. Joseph: Dream Turned Into Pieces. 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit

A. It Was A Time of Excitement - Mary and Joseph were betrothed to one another. This was the ancient Hebrew engagement period. It was as binding as a marriage. Surely they were excited about their future together as husband and wife. Joseph was confused negative thought came upon him. “EXCITEMENT GONE!

B. It Was A Time Of Expectation - The Bible tells us that these took place "before they came together". Surely they were both counting down the days until they could be together and live together as husband and wife.

C. It Was A Time Of Embarrassment - Mary is in the fourth month of her pregnancy. Recall that she spent the early part of her pregnancy visiting her relative Elizabeth in the Judean hills to the south. But now Mary has returned home to Nazareth. Here, her pregnancy will soon become public knowledge. Imagine how distressing the situation is for her!

During this betrothal period both the bride and the groom were to keep themselves physically pure for the other spouse. Unlike our day, this was a time when both men and women were expected to go into the marriage as pure virgins. But, it was during this time that Joseph discovered that his bride was pregnant. This would have been a source of great embarrassment both to Mary and Joseph, as well as to their respective families. It seemed that all the dreams Joseph had for the future had been shattered by this devastating news off Mary’s PREGNANCY!

D. Joseph's Character Was Revealed. In the midst of this most difficult of situations, Joseph's true self is revealed. We are told that he was a "just" man.

²⁰ But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

After dreaming what come next to the story of his life journey- Next Sunday I will tell you what the final choices he made.

Conclusion:

Do you ever have experience like Joseph? Have you ever had a dream turn into a nightmare before your very eyes?

If your dreams are lying in shattered pieces around you right now, and have turned into nightmares, please bring them to Jesus and let Him turn them into a source of glory and rejoicing.

Regardless of what has become of your life, you can bring it to Jesus right now. SEE YOU ALL ON SUNDAY FOR THE CONTINUATION.