Matthew 1

“An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream ...” (20). Matthew gives us the Messiah’s birth from Joseph’s perspective. The genealogy traces Joseph’s line, and the angel announces the Messiah to Joseph (20-21). However, the genealogy mentions women like Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba (1-7), whose stories include disgrace, and the Messiah is surprisingly “from the Holy Spirit” and the virgin Mary (20). Joseph’s faith must embrace a Messiah whose life will not conform to what the world admires or expects.

“You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (21). The Messiah chose to share our human vulnerability and disgrace, so that we can share his innocence and glory.