Dreamer - The Two Josephs

"Joseph" Matthew 1:18-25 Preacher: Pastor Mark Bartsch Kobe Union Church December 15, 2024     

Both the Old Testament (OT) and New Testament

(NT) Josephs are two of my favorite heroes in the Bible. They are very different people. The OT Joseph was a dynamic force of nature—handsome, smart, and hardworking—and God used his dynamism to save his family and his people. The NT Joseph, on the other hand, was a steady, faithful man whom God used to protect his young wife and a son who wasn't his biologically—to save the world.

To both, God spoke in dreams. To both, God brought them to Egypt. And, let's be honest, both probably found themselves wondering, “What is going on in my life?” They must have asked, “Where is God in all this craziness?” And their lives were crazy.

You might be asking the same question this Advent season: "What is going on in my life?" "Where is God in all of this stuff?" I wish I understood the plan, and I am like the Apostle Paul, who feels like he is walking through a dimly lit room. But we have confidence that one day we will see the plan.

I was at a friend's house two years ago, staying the night. I had to use the restroom, so I got up but did not turn on the lights. I ran into a stand they had in the hallway, knocked it over, woke up their dog, who started barking, and woke up the whole house. For my fellow travelers by faith—even though the room looks dark, keep going. Keep walking by faith.

It's hard to put yourself in OT Joseph's shoes—being sold into slavery by his half-brothers, falsely accused of raping his employer's wife, sent to prison, and forgotten there—only to rise to become the second most powerful person in the world. Then, when given the chance to take revenge on his brothers, he instead forgives them, sees God's hand in how He has shaped him and placed him, and has the strength to forgive his brothers. This led to the climax of Genesis, where he said in 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

The NT Joseph, who we'll focus on today, wasn't the second most powerful man in the world—maybe not even in his own little village. He never became someone anyone would notice. He was a simple carpenter, hoping to get married, when his hopes and dreams were interrupted.

One of the most challenging things about working in a Japanese school is the interruptions. Sometimes I feel like screaming, “Just leave me alone to do my job!” I have learned, painfully slowly, that sometimes what I think are the main things are not what God wants me to focus on. It is the interruptions. A story our Savior told is of a guy who was walking to a village and saw a Jewish man in the bushes, beaten and bruised. Others had walked by (not wanting to be interrupted), but he dared to allow his heart to be interrupted, and he helped.

Joseph's life was interrupted in a big way. He learned that his bride was with child—and not his. She told him a story just as crazy as anything OT Joseph experienced: She told him that the child was from God.

Crazy! And yet, God asks us to do some crazy things as His followers. Let me tell you just one. The world tells you to follow your self-interests. For example, when Jesus was asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” He answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:21-22). That seems crazy.

If you're a Christian, that's the standard God sets for us—and thank God He does. If God only forgave us seven times, we’d all be in deep dodo.

Joseph’s Dilemma

Let's talk about Joseph—the New Testament Joseph. He was a moral and upright man, living by the carpenter's motto: Measure twice, cut once. Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant, and he knew the child wasn't his. Imagine the crushing betrayal he must have felt. Yet verse 19 tells us that Joseph was faithful to the Law (Torah). According to the Law, he could have publicly disgraced Mary or, worse, had her stoned.

I wonder—when the religious leaders brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus in John 8, did He think about His own mother?

But Joseph didn't seek vengeance, just like the Old Testament Joseph. Instead, he chose compassion. Verse 20 says, “After he had considered this…” This tells us that Joseph measured twice—not only with wood but in his personal and spiritual life. He didn't react impulsively but took time to think and pray about his decision.

How much suffering could we avoid in our own lives if we, like Joseph, took time to pray and reflect before acting? How many emails shouldn't have been sent if we had only paused to think about what we were saying—or even better, prayed for the person we were addressing?

Joseph planned to divorce Mary quietly, sparing her public disgrace. By doing so, Joseph took that disgrace upon himself. In a small way, he mirrored his adopted son, Jesus, who would one day take on the disgrace meant for us. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Sleep must have been hard for Joseph, but he made a plan. Maybe he was so consumed by his planning that he couldn't hear God during his waking hours. But when he fell asleep, God spoke to him in a dream:

What is happening to Mary is an act of the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

When Joseph woke up, he acted. He trusted that God had already measured for him, and he followed God's instructions. He took Mary as his wife and named the child Jesus.

I know we dream every night, but most of us rarely remember our dreams. My first sermon came to me in a dream—actually, in a series of dreams over five nights. I eventually shared it with the pastor of YUC. My earliest sermons were ones I literally heard in my sleep. Even now, about once a year, I dreamed a sermon. When I do, I check it against Scripture, and if it aligns, I preach it just as I heard it in the dream.

Before I became a pastor, I had a dream that prompted me to speak to my pastor. He told me I was the first person to ever do that. Now that I'm a pastor, it's rare for people to share their dreams with me. Let me assure you: I won't think you're weird if you tell me about a dream. Sometimes dreams are just our subconscious minds trying to make sense of the craziness of the world. But other times, God is speaking to us. LISTEN!

The Significance of Dreams

Dreams are one way God communicates with His people. They guide, warn, encourage, or reveal His will. Here are three examples of dreams from the Bible:

Guidance and reassurance – In Matthew 1:20-21, Joseph was guided to take Mary as his wife.

Warning and preparation – In Genesis 41, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, which warned of a coming famine, enabling Egypt and the surrounding region to prepare.

Warning and discernment – In Matthew 27:19, Pilate's wife received a dream about Jesus'innocence.

Joseph's story teaches us to trust in God's plans, even when they seem crazy. Like Joseph, we may feel overwhelmed by life's unexpected turns. But God is present in the chaos, working all things for good. As Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Joseph measured twice and cut once—both in his carpentry and in his spiritual life. May we follow his example, acting in faith and trusting that God has already done the measuring for us. Let's walk in obedience and confidence, knowing that through Christ, we are part of God's great redemptive plan.