A Bigger Story: A Quiet Yes

December 14th, 2025/Seventh Day Adventist

Passage: Matthew 1:18-25 CSB

18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man,and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant
and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.

Pray:

Intro:

Before we dive into Joseph’s story, we need to name something honest about Christmas. Joseph is often overlooked. Think about our Christmas songs. We wouldn’t sing “Joseph did you know…” It just wouldn’t sing the same right?

We sing about Mary, angels, shepherds, wise men, and of course the baby in the manger. But very few songs even mention Joseph. And yet, out of every man on the planet, God chose Joseph to be the earthly father of His Son.

Joseph doesn’t speak a single recorded word in Scripture.
He never preaches a sermon.
He never performs a miracle.
And by the time Jesus is crucified, Joseph is no longer mentioned, most scholars believe he had died sometime during Jesus’ early adulthood.

But don’t mistake silence for insignificance.

Joseph’s obedience shaped the environment Jesus grew up in.
Joseph protected Mary.
Joseph named Jesus.
Joseph provided stability for the Son of God.

Baby sitting illustration

The bigger story of Christmas did not move forward through Joseph’s words… but through his faithful obedience.

And that’s where many of us live.

Not on stages.
Not in spotlights.
But in quiet faithfulness that still matters deeply to God.

Background:

Matthew tells us the birth of Jesus from Joseph’s perspective.

And to understand the weight of his decision, we need the cultural moment.

In Jewish culture, marriage happened in stages.
First came betrothal.

This wasn’t a casual engagement.
It was legally binding.
Breaking it required divorce.
But the couple did not live together or consummate the marriage yet.

So when Mary is found to be pregnant, Joseph’s world collapses.

Let’s not sanitize this.
Matthew doesn’t tell us what Joseph felt. But I don’t picture him calm.
He isn’t spiritually detached.
He’s a real man, and I imagine real heartbreak.

By law, he had two options.

1. He could publicly accuse her, which would bring shame and possibly death.
2. Or he could quietly divorce her, which would still cost him emotionally, socially, and relationally.

But what Joseph doesn’t know yet is that God has a third option, one Joseph could never have imagined on his own.

Title: A Quiet Yes

Main Points:

1. Joseph Was A Man Of Grace

   1. “19 So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man,and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.” - Matthew 1:19
   2. That verse is doing a lot of work. We can often read this story and glaze over the reality that Joseph is living in this moment.
   3. I imagine Joseph is hurt, confused, and embarrassed. And Scripture still calls him righteous.
   4. Video: I baked you bread
   5. Righteousness here doesn’t mean he had no questions. It doesn’t mean he wasn’t angry. It means that even in pain, he refused to weaponize the law to protect his pride.

   6. Joseph could have destroyed Mary. And society would have applauded him for it. But righteousness chooses mercy when retaliation would feel justified.

      1. Joseph chose to demonstrate grace, even though he was validated in his judgement.

         7. Joseph decided to do the right thing even though it cost him greatly and gave him no immediate answers.
         8. Application: And that hits close to home for a lot of people in the room.

      2. Some of you are living right here.

      3. You’ve been misunderstood. You’ve been wronged. You’ve been disappointed by someone you trusted.
         And you’re standing at the same crossroads Joseph faced.

      4. Will I protect my image? Will I defend myself? Will I make sure people know my side of the story? Or will I honor God, even if it means letting go of control?

         9. Here’s what Joseph teaches us: Obedience often begins before clarity arrives.

      5. Forgiving someone that wronged you, even though you may never get an apology.

      6. Having a conversation about Jesus, even though you don’t know how they are going to respond.
      7. Withholding retaliation knowing that the story is not over and redemption is always available.
      8. Doing what is right still matters, even when the story doesn’t make sense yet.
      9. “By faith Abraham, when he was called,* *obeyed* *and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though* *he did not know where he was going.” - Hebrews 11:8

      10. Mary also modeled this posture “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” - Luke 1:38

          1. In other words “Yes. I will obey… now where are we going?” Video: The Rock

2. Joseph Believed What God Said About Jesus

   1. 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
   2. Then everything changes. An angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream. This isn’t a random dream, it’s a divine appointment.
   3. Joseph is told, “This child is not a scandal. This child is the Savior.”

   4. The name Jesus means “The Lord saves.”

      1. Joseph would have known the Scriptures. He knew the Messiah would be: Born of a woman. From Abraham’s line. From the tribe of Judah. From the house of David.

         5. Suddenly, Joseph realizes: This isn’t my shame. This is God’s salvation plan. And believing this would not make Joseph’s life easier. It would make it heavier.
         6. If you think about it, family would be the hardest people to convince that Jesus is God. And yet Joseph believed what God told him about this child. Later we see Mary and Jesus’ brothers praying together in Acts 1. James, Jesus’ own brother, calls Him the “glorious Lord Jesus Christ.”

      2. The people closest to Jesus, the ones with the most reason to doubt, became His boldest witnesses.

         7. Jesus didn’t come to help people try harder. He didn’t come just to give us a moral example. He came to forgive sin. To save humanity. To rescue completely.
         8. And you cannot obey Jesus rightly unless you first believe who He truly is. Belief always precedes obedience.

3. Joseph Obeyed Against All Odds

   1. 24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.
   2. No delay. No debate. No bargaining.

   3. Joseph obeyed in three costly ways:

      1. He married Mary.
      2. He waited until the child was born.

      3. He named the child Jesus.

         4. Joseph chose obedience over reputation. God’s approval over public opinion.
         5. Every whisper in Nazareth would follow them for years.

      4. ‘Joseph rushed the wedding.’

      5. ‘Mary wasn’t who we thought she was.’
      6. ‘What kind of man stays after that?’

      7. And Joseph obeyed anyway.

         6. Joseph wasn’t reckless. He was resolved. And this wasn’t a one-time moment. Joseph continues to obey God again and again throughout Scripture.

      8. He wasn’t a pastor.

      9. He wasn’t wealthy.
      10. He wasn’t powerful.
      11. He was an ordinary man.
      12. And God looked at him and said, “Him.”
          7. God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the obedient.
          8. Don’t discount yourself in the economy of God.
          9. When you say, “God, I have nothing to offer,”
          10. God says, “I’m all you need.”
          11. Faithful obedience, especially when unseen, moves heaven.
          12. So where might God be waiting on your quiet yes?

Closing:

Matthew reminds us: “They will name Him Immanuel, which is translated ‘God is with us.’” (vv. 22–23)

Joseph’s story reminds us of something deeply freeing:
You don’t earn the gift, you receive it.

Jesus is Immanuel - God with us.
Jesus is Savior - God for us.
Jesus is Lord - God over us.

The story of Jesus leads us to one of three conclusions:
Liar.
Lunatic.
Or Lord.

And whether or not we believe it, it’s true.
Our belief doesn’t make it true—it is true.

The historical Jesus is undeniable.
The practical Jesus is easy to admire.

But the theological reality of Immanuel, God with us, demands a response.

Because Jesus lived as a man, He understands our struggles.
Because He is fully God, He has the power to forgive sin and offer salvation.

And through the Holy Spirit, He is with us today.

The gift has been given.

The only question left is this:
Will you receive it?

Walking Points:

If God is calling you to:
Receive salvation.
Restore obedience.
Lay down reputation.
Trust Him again.

This altar is your response.

Invitation:

If you want to make a decision to follow Jesus. Then join me and everyone else in the building as we pray out loud together. It’s not the prayer that saves you, but your faith, making Jesus Lord of your life. We don’t let anyone go on the journey alone. If you have faith in Jesus, then let’s join together as we pray…

Prayer of Salvation:

Jesus, I acknowledge that I need you

I confess that I have sinned against you

I believe that God raised you from the dead

And right now, by faith, I say “Jesus is Lord”

Thank you for forgiving me

By your grace I am saved

And by your power I am set free