A Call to Respond
Study Scripture: Matthew 1:17-25
Lesson 3

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Key Verse

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

Matthew 1:24

Introduction

Our lesson today is found in the first book of the New Testament; it bears the name of its author ‘Matthew’ and is unanimously accepted by scholars as being the first of the gospel accounts to be written. Matthew, surnamed Levi, before his conversion was a publican, or tax-gatherer under the Romans at Capernaum. There is not a great deal known of his apostolic work otherwise.

The contents of this ‘Gospel’, and the evidence of ancient writers, show that it was written primarily for a Jewish audience. The fulfillment of prophecy was regarded by the Jews as strong evidence, therefore Matthew spent considerable time dealing with prophetic issues.

At the time immediately preceding the birth of Jesus, we note the nation was in a dreadful state of affairs. The Maccabbees Dynasty had previously freed the nation from Syrian domination and their abominable paganism, but their rule had quickly degenerated, with constant assassinations, violent struggles for power, and all kinds of corruption.

These were dark days for Israel. Eventually there was a complete upheaval, with corruption and anarchy in the secular administration and in the priesthood, and all manner of atrocities were being committed. Deals were made with foreign powers, and the rising Roman power eventually took over control of the nation. Poverty was rampant, the poor, the widows and the fatherless were totally neglected, and Jerusalem was under slavish Roman rule.

The ‘House of David’ was in ruins, with God permitting none of the main royal Davidic line to sit on the throne, due to a curse that remained on them since Jehoiakim. His line had been cursed because of his blasphemous rejection of the word of God (Jeremiah 36).

There was an outcry in certain quarters and a yearning and renewed desire and interest for the promised Messiah. It appeared that this was an opportune time. However time has shown us that the people had completely corrupted the true concept of who the Messiah was and what he would do.

The nation sat in the darkness of helplessness and sin, without hope, and longed for a military and political savior. The light was almost out, and the salt had practically lost its savor.

The nation really needed a spiritual saviour, and God had to literally bring about the light at the end of the tunnel. Because the nation was in such dire straits, with no prophetic voice for four hundred years plus, when the Light came, he was rejected by his own people.

The situation certainly looked impossible and catastrophic, but the God of Israel is not the God of chaos; for even before the foundations of the world, He had planned how he would bring about the fulfillment of his plans for man’s ultimate good.

This lesson therefore raises several important matters for present-day believers to consider.

First, we must consider whether or not we have control over how God plans to employ us in his plan of saving the world. Do the Scriptures give us any indication that God has planned the course of our lives and knows exactly what he wants us to do for him?

Second, what exactly does it mean to be “ his”, or what does it imply if we truly believe that we belong to God, and are not our own anymore?

Third, what place does human logic have, when we are trapped in an impossible situation and we are faced with difficult, heart-wrenching decisions, against which we recoil?

Fourth, to whom do we godly people turn when we are in a dilemma?

Fifth, what exactly is the role of fathers, and should they play a more significant rule than mothers, even if in public view the opposite seems to be the case? Are men to be only providers for those they love, or are there additional roles that they should play?

We might think that the life of Joseph and Mary does not have many lessons to teach us, but in truth and in fact their circumstances and their reactions teach us how we should behave in our spiritually dark world of today.

We should ask ourselves whether we need a Joseph today, or rather a great many Josephs in the Church, and in the world today.

The prophet Isaiah had prophesied that God would intervene in the life of a young virgin, and that a child with the right to sit on the throne of David would be born. In addition, Isaiah 7:14 and 9:1-7 had stated that this child would grow up and become the eternal King.

Note today we look at the reaction of a young, small town Jewish teenager who had betrothed a young Jewish woman, but found out that she was pregnant with what he thought was another man's child.

This was a godly man, a man of the Torah, who believed in observing the Temple ordinances, who had entered into a formal pre- marriage relationship with a ceremony performed by the rabbi. The rules governing sexual activity before the official formal marriage were strict, with sexual activity viewed as adultery, and punishable by death for both parties.

The people involved were among the remnant, true believers, those who genuinely submitted themselves to God. Joseph and Mary were one such couple.

Though they were direct descendants of David, we find them not living like royalty, but a menial and somewhat obscure existence as a carpenter. The wealth that once existed in the House of David, was now nonexistent. They were so poor materially, that when it was time to dedicate Jesus, they could barely afford to sacrifice a turtle dove, which was designated as the poor man’s offering.

But in this time of crisis Joseph must have thought that Mary had succumbed to the immoral tendencies of the time. Still he was a spiritually sensitive man facing a crisis in what was for him the most important relationship.

Joseph was undoubtedly a godly man, whose faith and character made him a suitable candidate for the high calling of raising and protecting Jesus as he grew up. As we focus on Joseph, we want to zoom-in on his character and take a closer look at what made him such a remarkable vessel for God. He is certainly a great example to all men and in particular of how a husband and father should act.

Every young man should note carefully, that Joseph was not a man of many years, as was an Abraham or Moses or Zechariah when God called him; but was a youth in his mid to late teens. Thus there is absolutely no excuse to for us not to respond to God in like fashion. Our age should not limit our spiritual maturity, as seen in the lives of people like Joseph in Egypt, Daniel and Timothy. It is only our willingness to submit to God and obey him that limits our growth.

It is somewhat peculiar that historically religious people have tended to emphasize the role of Mary. On the other hand, in the modern Christmas celebrations the main figures are men, such as Santa Claus or Father Christmas, Ebenezer Scrooge, and so on.

The behavior of religious people is understandable, for the prophet Isaiah foretold Mary's role many centuries before she lived, and we know she lived and observed much of the life, the death and resurrection of Christ, and was apparently a member of the early Church. Gabriel the Angel promised her that every generation would call her blessed, and as the angel predicted she has been revered and honored.

On the other hand Joseph's role was not predicted by the prophets, and there is no mention of him after Jesus' 12th birthday. He is not mentioned in the accounts of Jesus' ministry, no angel promised him anything and he has had little influence on the generations that lived after him.

But God gave him a different responsibility from that of Mary and God chose him to protect, provide for, and set into the mind of Jesus what it meant to be a man of God. Joseph showed Jesus what it meant to be a servant of God and we can see the character traits of Joseph reproduced in the character of Jesus.

Obviously then, a woman played a critical role in the coming of Jesus, and a man also played a critical role. We forget either of them at our peril.

Let us remember that in Matthew 1 and 2, this man had four different encounters with God, who spoke to him in every case through an angel.

In every case he gives Joseph clear commands and specific directions, explaining the first three times to him why he was to do what he was asked.

In every case Joseph response in total obedience, changing his life to fit perfectly with the word of God.

THE TEXT

Verse 17. Genealogies often give rise to heated debate and endless discussion, as people tend to use them to establish certain hereditary rights, insomuch as is beneficial to them. We tend to forget that we are all descendants of Adam, and are therefore under the curse of sin inherited from Adam, who is the federal head of the human race.

Paul however tells us not to waste time in such disputes. There is really only one genealogy that is worth spending time on, and that is the genealogy of Jesus, which has great prophetic significance and establishes the hereditary right of Jesus to the throne of David.

Matthew begins the genealogy at Abraham, who was the first to receive the promise and prediction that the Messiah would be one his descendants. David was also named as a primary ancestor and in fact was the last to be named in the line from which the Messiah would come. The genealogy also underscores the covenant made with Abraham and David.

It should be noted that Matthew’s genealogy is not complete, for we know that there were not actually fourteen generations between the key lives mentioned. Ancient genealogies skipped generations from time to time, so Matthew in making his list followed the commonly established rules. The use of the number fourteen to organize genealogies was a usual practice, indicating that the author had access to the complete listing, and his abbreviated listing could be accepted as completely accurate.

There are many who try to lay claim to this blessed heritage in descending from the patriarchs, however it clearly established that the Jewish nation are the chosen ones.

It is also to be noted that in Matthew the genealogy is not the genealogy of Mary, but is the genealogy of Joseph.

The book of Luke also has a genealogy, but Matthew and Luke traced two different family histories. Matthew recorded the ancestors of Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, while Luke listed the ancestors of Mary, the biological mother of Jesus.

Interestingly, Mary was of the same tribe and grouping as Joseph, and also was of the House of David.

The line of David in the genealogy of Matthew is to Joseph, who was not the natural father of Jesus. Joseph was the legal father of Jesus, and once this legal relationship was acknowledged and agreed to by Joseph, his son Jesus would inherit his right to sit on the throne of David.

One unusual thing about this genealogy is the presence of four women, for women are rarely mentioned in these listings. Most of them are great displays of God’s grace, and demonstrate that Jesus was not from an aristocratic background, and identified himself with sinners and those who were lightly regarded by the rest of society.

Actually, Joseph was a descendant of Jehoiakim, whose line had been cursed as reported in Jeremiah 36; because that King angered God with his wickedness and his blasphemous rejection of the word of God, brought by the prophet Jeremiah. The line in which Joseph was however, still retained the right to the throne, even though the curse of God had barred any of them from ascending the throne and reigning.

Now since Joseph was barred from being the genetic father of a future King of Israel, Jesus could never be the actual physical son of Joseph, for that would have barred him from ever been the reigning King over Israel.

How then would God fulfill his promise to David, that one of his physical descendants would reign on the throne forever? The people with the right to the throne were forbidden to sit on the throne, and yet there had to be a physical descendant of David reigning as king, that ruler of necessity, possessing the legal right to be King.

The curse and the promise seemed to have created an impossible situation. The coming King had to be the legal heir to the throne, as well as being a descendant of David, without being physically a descendant of Jehoiakim.

God solved this problem through the virgin birth. Mary was not a descendant of Jehoiakim, but was descended from Nathan, another son of David. (See Luke 3: 31.)

Let us remember that kingship was an inherited right. When Mary planned to marry Joseph who was a descendant of Jehoiakim, and who had the legal right to the throne, for her son to be the Messiah, he would have had to be a son born by the miracle of the virgin birth. And so it was. As one writer puts it:
“The miracle of the virgin birth accomplished God's will in two ways. First, it granted Jesus a legal claim to the throne of David. And second, it maintained the integrity of the curse God had pronounced upon Jehoiakim. Indeed, Jesus was not one of Jehoiakim's offspring”.

Verse 18. The Jewish concept or practice of marriage is not at all like the modern day practice; where an engagement usually followed a period of dating, and the engagement in turn was followed by marriage, at which point in time the couple are now legally bound together as husband and wife.

From the Jewish perspective, and as scripture suggests, marriages were often arranged. The period of betrothal, which we tend to see as the modern day equivalent to engagement, is fundamentally different, in that it is actually the first part of a legally binding marriage.

Betrothal was a period of time that typically lasted for a year, in which the couple would still live in separate homes (Deut 20:7; Jud 14:7,8). After this time the couple would then consummate the marriage.

The betrothal period may have served several purposes, but it is clear that it would certainly reveal any infidelity or sexual impropriety on the part of the woman. Remember that betrothal was legally binding, and as such would require a legal divorce to end it. Modern day engagements seem to be broken almost routinely, with little or no reprisal. In fact outside of all but a few religious circles, the sanctity of marriage is continually made a mockery.

It is vital that we do not impose this modern day concept of marriage when interpreting the scripture; or we will miss the point completely and in this case we would totally obscure the godly character of Joseph and his response to the call of God.

Matthew tells us that it was in this period of betrothal, before the marriage was consummated, that Joseph found out that Mary, his wife and the woman he loved dearly, was pregnant (not by him).

This was no small dilemma, and was certainly a heart wrenching revelation. This appears to have happened before the angel appeared to Joseph. His first response was probably one of disbelief. (No, not Mary!) Joseph was a godly man and Mary was certainly like minded.

Note that Matthew tells us later about the virginal conception of Jesus, without going into the details that Luke gave us.

In Luke 1:35 we see that the Holy Spirit had overshadowed Mary, a term which identifies this supernatural event, when Mary conceived. There was no physical union implied or actual between God and Mary. The Holy Spirit by his wonderworking power, would deposit in the womb of Mary, a fetus, a body, an earthly tabernacle, for God the Son the Eternal Word (Jn 1:1,2). How God does this, we cannot tell; His power is beyond our comprehension. We are told that this is the work of the Holy Spirit.

It is not certain however, if Mary had at this point shared her experience with Joseph. It simply says that she was ‘found with child’. This would appear to be a most humiliating situation; in the eyes of people, Mary’s honour and integrity would all but be destroyed. Of course the situation was more complicated, because she was betrothed to Joseph, who was not the father.

Under the law this was considered adultery and punishable by death (Deut 22:23,24). Joseph would also be unavoidably under severe scrutiny, his reputation would also be adversely affected.

Joseph had the option to follow the letter of the law and exonerate himself, and maybe salvage his reputation, and still find another wife from a respectable family. Alternatively, in order to protect Mary’s life, he could suffer the humiliation and ruination of his life in the religious community.

The following verses reveal a truly remarkable man, a just and godly man who responded to the call of God in the most exemplary fashion.

Verse 19. It is very difficult for a godly man to think of marrying someone who has been unfaithful. Logic says that such a thing is impossible. As a matter of fact, logic says he should have defended himself, claimed his rights, and done whatever was necessary to salve his wounds.

But this ‘strange’ man thought strangely; even before he had a chance to talk to her, assumed she preferred some other man than he and was therefore was intimate with him, but seemed only concerned with protecting her reputation.

Joseph’s reaction was one of mercy, compassion and thoughtfulness. He did not immediately think of protecting himself, but thought of Mary and what the consequences would mean for her. He wanted to do good, even though he assumed that she had done something bad to him.

This man seems to have made a commitment to be tender, to be good to others, to be a blessing to others at all times and under all circumstances.

Joseph knew that the offence that she committed would bring great shame, as well as the possibility of stoning, a particularly cruel and painful death. Joseph decided to divorce Mary secretly, thus using the minimum required witnesses to make it legal. This he planned to do probably in the hope that the damage would be minimal and this sordid chapter in his life would soon be forgotten.

The Scriptures calls Joseph a just man, because he exhibited true righteousness.

Notice that Joseph’s decision to spare Mary the extreme consequence of the law, was made before his encounter with the angel. He did what was right.

Let us remember that there are contrary behaviors mentioned in the Bible. Judah, one of the patriarchs, son of Jacob, on the other hand, when he saw a woman that he thought was a prostitute, and used her services, not realizing that this was his daughter-in-law who he should have married to his young son, when he discovered that his daughter-in-law was pregnant, called for her to be burned. But caught in his act of hypocrisy, he repented and acknowledged that his use of the law was unrighteous. (Gen 38:24-26).

In another case we read that David, burning for revenge against Nabal because he had not paid him for services rendered, was heading to kill him and his entire family before he was intercepted and diplomatically rebuked by the man’s astute wife.

In this case however we see that Joseph acted as one who had obtained mercy, as one who had been justified, as one who knew that true righteousness is not of the law, but of faith. He understood that mercy is greater than justice, even when it comes at a very high personal cost.

Let us not forget that God the Father was entrusting the welfare of his son to Joseph; He would be the primary role model in Jesus’ life. We know that Jesus grew rapidly in knowledge and in favor with God and man, and this could be attributed in part to godly character and leadership of Joseph.

How fitting it is to see the sense of mercy, the giving up of his rights, the inner commitment to be tender and to do good to others that Joseph possessed, displayed and crown the earthly ministry of Jesus. Like Joseph his primary concern was not for himself, but for others. Jesus made himself to be of no reputation, in order that we might obtain mercy, by his ultimate sacrifice, his death. He takes no pleasure in seeing the guilty come under the just punishment of the law, rather He delights in extending mercy.

Caring Joseph showed the maturity of his love and made the logical decision for a quiet divorce.

Verse 20. Again we see how a godly man should act, even when faced with the most unpleasant circumstances. Joseph did not act rashly or impulsively, but with thoughtfulness. When he had exhausted his mental ability, heavenly help was available to ensure that he would reach the right conclusion and bring him peace of mind.

There is no doubt that Joseph was deeply perplexed as he thought about this situation. One can only imagine his emotional distress as he contemplates the likelihood of a ruined reputation and a ruined future, brought on by the actions of other people.

Though Joseph made what he thought to be a righteous decision, of which the Scriptures also testifies, this does not negate the fact Mary was now pregnant by another and thus unavoidably brought doubt to Joseph’s mind as to her integrity. It is not known if or how much of her encounter she had shared with Joseph at this time; but as we see it would take his own encounter to settle and bring peace to his mind.

But whatever Joseph had decided, God had already decided to change his plans. It was while Joseph slept that the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.

God gave two commands to Joseph in verses 20-21. He then gives him two reasons for his commands.

Dreams and vision have throughout the Scriptures played a significant role in the communication of God’s revelation to man, and in particular we see that many of the dreams recorded in the New Testament are directly tied to the birth of Jesus. It is undeniable that God does sometimes speak to men using dreams and gives interpretation. God communicates to men in a variety of ways.

In this dream the angel, calls Joseph the son of David; the significance of this salutation carries with it much more than a greeting. It would first declare or demand that Joseph remember his heritage; he was a direct descendant of David and this realization would be meaningful evidence in what the angel was about to relate to him.

Joseph knew the Scriptures prophesied that the Messiah must come from the line of David in order for him to have the legal right to the throne.

Being a good Jew he would also know that the Messiah would be born of a virgin – a real woman of virtue. If Mary had not yet told him; the angel confirmed that she was the chosen one, that the child was conceived by the direct power of the Holy Spirit; literally formed in her womb. And for that reason, he should not fear to take Mary as his wife, he was not to put her away secretly as he was planning, but to accept the inestimable privilege of this high calling.

Verse 21. Joseph would now see the divine plan of the age unfolding, and that God intended that he and Mary would play an integral role; he would be the legal father of Jesus, affording him the right to claim the throne of David.

As the lesson continues it will become more and more apparent, that Joseph is the ultimate example of what it means to live one’s life for Jesus. He would live a life of virtual obscurity for the sole purpose of protecting his family and in particular Jesus.

Living your life for Jesus really means surrendering all your rights to God. So Joseph had even given up his right to name his first born by the way of adoption. He would not get the privilege to name his first son, but was told by the angel that his name was to be Jesus.

The meaning of the name would reflect the role that he would play in His life by his death. Jesus means in Hebrew ‘Jehovah the Saviour’. The reason for his name is made clear, for he would personally save his people from their sin and the wrath of God and remove the curse of sin.

“His people are those whom the Father has given to him. The Jews were called the people of God because he had chosen them to himself, and regarded them as His special and beloved people, separate from all the nations of the earth. Christians are called the people of Christ because it was the purpose of the Father to give them to him Isa_53:11; Joh_6:37; and because in due time he came to redeem them to himself, Tit_2:14; 1Pe_1:2.”

Another writer comments in part – “He shall save his people from their sins - This shall be his great business in the world: the great errand on which he is come, viz. to make an atonement for, and to destroy, sin: deliverance from all the power, guilt, and pollution of sin, is the privilege of every believer in Christ Jesus. Less than this is not spoken of in the Gospel; and less than this would be unbecoming the Gospel. The perfection of the Gospel system is not that it makes allowances for sin, but that it makes an atonement for it: not that it tolerates sin, but that it destroys it.”

Verse 22-23. The angel aptly reminded Joseph that everything was happening as was foretold in the Scriptures by the prophets, and that all will be fulfilled as the Lord has spoken. The angel now quotes a passage of Scripture, found in the book of Isaiah, confirming his statement.

In fact Matthew points out the fulfillment of over a dozen Old Testament prophesies (Matt 2:15,17,23; 4:14, 8:17; 12:17; 13:14, 35, 21:4; 26:54-56; 27:9,34) Of all the New Testament writers, Matthew is second only to Paul’s book of Romans in this regard. In fact Matthew quotes from the Old Testament no less than sixty times.

“Behold a virgin shall be with child…” Certain scholars dispute the meaning of the word ‘virgin’ in Isaiah 7:14. In Hebrew, the word may be rendered virgin or maiden. Matthew however, settles the matter; while quoting this passage under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Matthew uses the unambiguous Greek term for virgin; thus ending the debate.

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child - Matthew clearly understands this as applying literally to a virgin. Compare Luk_1:34. It thus implies that the conception of Christ was miraculous, or that the body of the Messiah was created directly by the power of God, agreeably to the declaration in Heb_10:5; “Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.”

The name Emmanuel literally means ‘God with us’. Matthew undoubtedly presents the Messiah as God in the flesh, that is, the divine nature was united with a human nature in the person of Jesus. The confusion of this concept has led to all kinds of errors. The Scriptures says:
“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Col 2:9.
Jesus is more than a man, he is God also; thus Paul calls him the God-man.


Verse 24. Let us now look at Joseph’s response. After hearing the angel’s message and waking from his sleep, Joseph gave no more deliberation or thought to the matter in regards to what he should do.

There was no hesitation on his part to now believe that Mary was totally innocent. Completely convinced, Joseph now moved in complete obedience. The force of the Scripture suggests that he obeyed immediately upon waking from his sleep.

Thus Joseph’s first act of obedience was to take Mary as his wife. The language used implies that there was some urgency and that he immediately took Mary to be his full wife. He would thereby protect her from rumors of a “shot-gun” wedding, caring for during the final month of pregnancy .

This act of obedience also shows us that he was not concerned at all with what people might say; neither was he worried about defending his actions, he simply obeyed.

Joseph’s moved with haste and so preempted any move that Satan might have made to send his people to discourage him from what he did, or plant doubt in his mind.

This should be a lesson to every believer, that when we receive the command from God to go, we should also move with a sense of urgency. It is often those times when we delay, that Satan seizes the opportunity to dissuade us from following the commands of God.

Joseph’s haste to obey the word of God, would prove vital on several occasions; the first and probably the most crucial would be the warning that he should leave Bethlehem and go to Egypt to protect Jesus from Herod’s mad killing spree. We see on that occasion also Joseph wasted no time in obeying the word of the Lord, but responded immediately, leaving by the cover of night.

Verse 25. Now when the child was born Joseph did not call his Joseph Jr. but he remembered and obeyed the word of the Lord and called his name Jesus as commanded. Until Jesus was born, Joseph also abstained from sexual relations with Mary as also commanded.

Jesus was her first- born son, which is really a title that designates the privilege of birthright according to the law.

Taken out of context, this verse has been used to suggest the possibility that Mary had Daughters that were older than Jesus, that would of course mean that Mary was not a virgin when she conceived Jesus, and other children would also not belong to Joseph and would therefore also be illegitimate. However, we have seen from our previous study verses that such a suggestion is completely untenable. Every other scripture contradicts and denies even the slightest possibility.

There are other seriously faulty doctrines that arise from or are related to this portion of Scripture. This verse denies the on biblical Roman Catholic dogma of the perpetual virginity of Mary, a doctrine which does not appear before the fifth century after Jesus.

This unbiblical doctrine is connected often with the other invention of the ‘immaculate conception’, Mary’s assumption into heaven, and Mary’s present day role as mediator for believers. These are clearly unbiblical views, aiming to exalt Mary.

CONCLUSION

Simple obedience is exactly what being a Christian is all about.

We have explored the great character of Joseph, and how he responded to the call of God. We have seen that he was undeniably a godly man, whose mercy, kindness, compassion and obedience, are exemplary.

He was a deeply thoughtful man, and though there was a certain amount of internal and emotional struggle as he contemplated what to do at the beginning of this situation, the Scripture does not consider that as sin, but states clearly that he was a righteous man. Joseph therefore had no qualms about the word of God, his response was always complete and immediate obedience.

We see that to be truly great in the kingdom, you must be first willing to forfeit your own rights, willing to suffer affliction and loss for the cause of the Cross. Such is the mindset of a real godly man.

Joseph set aside his personal desire and comfort in order to do what God wanted. His response made him the usable vessel we have studied.

He is indeed a truly godly example. We too should endeavor to please God, no mater the personal cost. Such a determination will render us useful in the service of God.

Remember that we belong to him, we are not our own; therefore let us not make excuses, but, let each of us press toward the mark of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus.

What then shall we give to the Lord who has given us everything?

We learn that we need to have a true heart, one made that way because the love of God has changed the heart we were born with.

The heart created by God's love will make us willing to care for those that are needy and dependent, and make us act unhesitatingly in obedience to God and to God alone.

We should now think about our own life. Let us examine the different areas of our life to see what should be changed and of what we should repent.

In what area of our life have we resisted God?

How can we choose the way of obedience and have our character renewed so that we can give to the Lord what he wants?

Let us be encouraged to allow him to direct our thoughts.

We urge all to pray that he will transform us into the kind of persons that will have something to give to him. Pray that we will have a Christian character to offer to him, the carpenter's son.