Hopes and Fears 2 (Matthew 1.18-25)

In this message, we consider the hopes and fears of Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father.  Joseph was, by any measure, an ordinary guy with normal hopes and fears.  An extraordinary circumstance arose, however, when Mary, his betrothed wife, was discovered to be pregnant before they had consummated their marriage.  His hopes for a family legacy, his righteous standing before God,  and even his honor in his community seemed to be in jeopardy.

The Lord, however, sent His angel to Joseph and in receiving the divine message, Joseph found that his hopes were being reshaped and his fears could be driven out because of Jesus.  Because the Lord was authoring a great plan, Joseph could risk the misunderstandings of his neighbors and trust that he was doing the right thing… and so can we!