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1:18–19 Matthew sets up this scene by linking Jesus’ personal name with his royal title: Jesus Christ. The reference to Christ once again draws attention to Jesus’ identity as the Messiah-king, and it connects this story with the conclusion of the genealogy, which in the previous verse also emphasized that Jesus is the Messiah (1:17).
We learn two important facts about Mary and Joseph that set up the plot for this scene. First, Mary was betrothed to Joseph. Betrothal should not be confused with modern-day engagement. Betrothal was the first stage of a two stage marriage process in ancient Judaism. At betrothal, a man and woman would exchange consent before witnesses, and they would be considered legally married at this point, but they did not yet begin to live together. The wife would remain with her parents for up to one year before the second stage of marriage, known as the “coming together.” This is when the wife would come to live with her husband and the marriage would be consummated. Matthew explicitly tells us that Mary and Joseph are at the first stage of marriage, that is, betrothal, and that Mary conceived before they lived together—in other words, before the second stage of marriage.
Nevertheless, betrothed couples were considered legally married. Therefore, when Mary was found with child through the holy Spirit (see comment on 1:20–21), this caused a great dilemma for Joseph. The description of Joseph as a righteous man tells us that he would be very careful to obey the Jewish law. In the Old Testament an adulteress was to be stoned. specifically decreed stoning when a betrothed woman committed adultery or a betrothed woman was found not to be a virgin when the marriage was consummated. In the first century, however, when the Jews were under Roman rule, capital punishment was prohibited and divorce with a public trial became the standard practice in these situations.
Various views on the nature of Joseph’s quandary have emerged in the Catholic tradition. According to one view, if Joseph found Mary pregnant and knew he was not the father, he might have suspected adultery. If so, he would be expected to bring Mary to public trial and accuse her. However, Joseph was unwilling to expose her to shame, meaning he did not want to publicly display the disgrace of her suspected adultery. Instead, he decided to divorce her quietly. If one did not go through a public trial, a bill of divorce could be drawn up privately and presented before two witnesses. As a righteous man, Joseph seeks divorce but his righteousness is expressed also in his mercy, since he seeks the divorce not through a public trial but through more private means.
Another interpretation, known as the “reverential fear” view, was held by Sts. Thomas Aquinas, Bernard, Basil, and Ephraim. In this view, Mary told Joseph about her conceiving by the Holy Spirit and he responds with religious awe over the mystery of what God is working in Mary. Joseph decides to release Mary from the marriage obligation not out of anger or shame but out of a humble, holy fear that he is unworthy to be the husband of Mary or the father of this child.
Another interpretation, known as the “reverential fear” view, was held by Sts. Thomas Aquinas, Bernard, Basil, and Ephraim. In this view, Mary told Joseph about her conceiving by the Holy Spirit and he responds with religious awe over the mystery of what God is working in Mary. Joseph decides to release Mary from the marriage obligation not out of anger or shame but out of a humble, holy fear that he is unworthy to be the husband of Mary or the father of this child.
1:20–21 The angel’s address to Joseph as son of David calls attention to Joseph’s own royal heritage and his crucial role of passing on Davidic descent to Jesus. Much is at stake if Joseph leaves Mary and does not accept this child. The angel, therefore, tells him, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home—a reference to the second stage of marriage (the coming together under one roof), which Joseph is about to abandon through his quiet divorce. The angel assures Joseph that Mary’s pregnancy did not come about by another man, but through the holy Spirit, affirming the child’s divine origins. Furthermore, Joseph has an important role to play for this child: you are to name him. To name a child is to claim the child as one’s own. Thus Joseph is being instructed to accept this child as his own son. Even though Jesus is not his biological son, as Joseph’s legal son he would have all the hereditary rights of a son, including Joseph’s royal Davidic descent. Therefore, “Joseph, son of David,” in this act of naming, would make this child a legal heir to David.
He is to name the child Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. This is remarkable, first, because of who will bring salvation and, second, because of the kind of salvation he will bring. First, the Old Testament name Joshua, from which Jesus is derived, means “Yahweh is salvation.” But the angel says that Jesus himself is the one who will bring salvation. Matthew is subtly associating Jesus with Yahweh. Second, many first-century Jews were expecting God to save them from political oppression. But the angel announces that this savior is coming to save people from sin. Right at the very beginning of Matthew’s Gospel we learn that, despite the popular, political-militaristic messianic hopes of Jews in Jesus’ day, the long-awaited Messiah-king is coming to bring salvation from sin—an enemy much more dangerous than Rome or Herod.
Mitch, C., & Sri, E. (2010). The Gospel of Matthew (pp. 43–48). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
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The Birth of Jesus Christ—Matthew relates the birth of Jesus from the perspective of Joseph. Names were very important in ancient Israel. The name “Joseph” would immediately bring to a Jewish person’s mind the Old Testament Joseph, beloved son of Jacob and Rachel. A number of similarities can be found between the Old Testament Joseph and the New Testament Joseph, husband of Mary.
Old Testament Joseph
New Testament Joseph
Father’s name—Jacob
I cannot call to mind that I have ever asked him at any time for anything which he has not granted; and I am filled with amazement when I consider the great favours which God hath given me through this blessed Saint; the dangers from which he hath delivered me, both of body and of soul. To other Saints our Lord seems to have given grace to succour men in some special necessity; but to this glorious Saint, I know by experience, to help us in all: and our Lord would have us understand that, as He was Himself subject to him upon earth—for St. Joseph, having the title of father, and being His guardian, could command Him—so now in heaven He performs all his petitions. I have asked others to recommend themselves to St. Joseph, and they too know this by experience; and there are many who are now of late devout to him, having had experience of this truth.
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Father’s name—Jacob
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Joseph is a dreamer
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An angel appears to Joseph in a dream
An angel appears to Joseph in a dream
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Joseph resists sexual temptations
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Joseph was a just and chaste man
Joseph was a just and chaste man
(, 25).
Joseph saves his family from starving by bringing them to Egypt
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Joseph saves the Holy Child from death, by bringing Jesus and Mary to Egypt
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Ponessa, J. L., & Manhardt, L. W. (2016). The Gospel of Matthew (p. 10). Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing.
Jesus as new Moses
jesus
I cannot call to mind that I have ever asked him at any time for anything which he has not granted; and I am filled with amazement when I consider the great favours which God hath given me through this blessed Saint; the dangers from which he hath delivered me, both of body and of soul. To other Saints our Lord seems to have given grace to succour men in some special necessity; but to this glorious Saint, I know by experience, to help us in all: and our Lord would have us understand that, as He was Himself subject to him upon earth—for St. Joseph, having the title of father, and being His guardian, could command Him—so now in heaven He performs all his petitions. I have asked others to recommend themselves to St. Joseph, and they too know this by experience; and there are many who are now of late devout to him, having had experience of this truth.
Teresa of Ávila. (1916). The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus. (B. Zimmerman, Ed., D. Lewis, Trans.) (Fifth Edition, pp. 37–38). London: Thomas Baker.
Saint Joseph urged me to have a constant devotion to him. He himself told me to recite three prayers [the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be] and the Memorare once every day. He looked at me with great kindness and gave me to know how much he is supporting this work [of mercy]. He has promised me this special help and protection. I recite the requested prayers every day and feel his special protection.
The Importance of Joseph
Kowalska (Helena Kowalska, St.Maria Faustina . Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul (Illustrated) . Kindle Edition.
Kowalska (Helena Kowalska, St.Maria Faustina . Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul (Illustrated) . Kindle Edition.
St. John Chrysostom notes that even though Joseph is not the biological father of Jesus, he still has an important role to play in God’s plan for this child. Addressing Joseph, Chrysostom says:
Christ’s conception was the work of the Holy Spirit, but do not think this divine arrangement has nothing to do with you. For although it is true that you had no part in the generation of Christ, and that the Virgin remained inviolate, nevertheless, what pertains to a father (not injuring the honor of virginity) that do I give you—the naming of the child. For ‘you shall call his name.’ Although you have not generated him, you will act as a father to him. Hence it is that, beginning with giving him his name, I associate you intimately with the one who is to be born. (Homily on St. )
1:22–23 Here we encounter the first of several “fulfillment quotations” in Matthew’s Gospel, demonstrating fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (see Biblical Background sidebar). Matthew announces that Mary’s conceiving Jesus is the fulfillment of a prophecy in , and he quotes the Greek text of this passage: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son” (1:23). This prophecy came in a period of crisis for the Davidic kingdom, as enemy armies threatened to invade Jerusalem and remove King Ahaz. With the dynasty’s survival in question, Isaiah foretold that an heir would be a sign that the kingdom would not end with Ahaz but would continue under God’s protection. Some might have seen in this prophecy a reference to Ahaz’s son, Hezekiah, who carried out a religious reform and delivered Judah from many evils, showing that God was still with the dynasty (). However, Matthew sees a deeper level of meaning in the child of . According to the Greek version of this text, the virgin would conceive and bear this Davidic son. Mary is the virgin who conceives and bears the royal son, Jesus. Matthew’s Gospel, therefore, fittingly reveals as foretelling the virginal conception of the messiah, which is fulfilled in Mary and Jesus (Catechism 497).
ather in heaven. As the Catechism teaches, Christ is present to us in his word, in the Church’s prayer “when two or three are gathered in [his] name,” in the poor, and in the sacraments (Catechism 1373). This is most especially the case in the Eucharist, which is the very body and blood of Jesus Christ. In the Real Presence of the Eucharist, we encounter sacramentally the same Jesus who walked the streets of Palestine two thousand years ago, teaching, healing, and forgiving sins. Through the sacraments and in the Church, Jesus continues to be Emmanuel. He is with us always, “even to the close of the age” ().
Fulfillment Quotations
Matthew is quite at home with the Old Testament. With a plethora of Old Testament allusions and about sixty explicit quotations, one characteristic that makes Matthew stand out is his fulfillment quotations, which appear ten times in this Gospel.
Matthew sometimes interrupts his narrative to insert a quote from the Old Testament, introducing the quote with a formula phrase such as, “This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled.” The fulfillment quotation serves to underscore that almost everything in Jesus’ life was prepared for by God and foreshadowed in the Old Testament. For example, after readers learn that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Matthew says, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet” (1:22). This phrase is followed by a quote from a prophecy in Isaiah, which Matthew sees being fulfilled in this event: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel” (1:23; ).
Some fulfillment quotations refer to Christ’s childhood (1:23; 2:15, 17–18, 23), some relate to his Galilean ministry (4:14–16; 8:17; 12:17–21; 13:35), and others are connected to his last days in Jerusalem (21:4–5; 27:9–10). Sometimes the correspondence between the Old Testament passage and Christ is clear; on other occasions the connections are much more subtle. Sometimes Matthew chooses wording from among different versions and translations of the Old Testament or combines several passages into one quotation to highlight the association with Jesus. This approach of pointing out correspondences with the Old Testament is similar to interpretive methods used by other first-century Jews. The ten fulfillment quotations in the Gospel show that everything God did in the Old Testament was preparation for Jesus Christ.
In Isaiah, the title Emmanuel (“God is with us”) expressed God’s presence with his people, his concern for them and protection over them—a theme commonly noted in the Old Testament (e.g., ). It also alluded to God’s promise to be with the Davidic dynasty (; ; ). For Matthew, however, God has fulfilled his promise to be with us in a way that far surpasses what Isaiah’s original readers could have foreseen: God himself is directly present in Jesus Christ, conceived by the Holy Spirit (cf. Catechism 744). So important is this theme for Matthew that he uses it to bracket the entire Gospel. It is found here in the opening scene, and will be echoed in the very last verse of the Gospel, where Jesus says, “Behold, I am with you always, until the close of the age” (28:20).
1:24–25 Joseph is the first person in Matthew’s Gospel to obey God’s command. He did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. Matthew highlights Joseph’s perfect obedience to the angel’s instructions by telling us that he (1) took Mary into his home and (2) named the child Jesus, just as he was instructed (1:20–21).
Matthew notes that Joseph did not have sexual relations with Mary until she bore a son. The Greek conjunction translated “until” does not imply that Joseph and Mary had relations after Jesus was born. It refers to their relationship up to the birth of Christ without intending to communicate either a change or a continuance in the state of affairs after that point. Matthew’s concern is to underscore Joseph’s lack of involvement in Mary’s pregnancy and thus reinforce the miraculous nature of Jesus’ conception by the Holy Spirit. As such, this verse neither confirms nor contradicts the Catholic doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity (see Catechism 499–510).
Reflection and Application (1:18–25)
People often think of religion as man’s search for God. But Matthew’s opening chapter shows us that Christianity is more about God’s search for us. We see this especially in the title bestowed on Jesus in this scene. Jesus is Emmanuel, which means “God is with us” (1:23).
God’s plan from the beginning of time has been to unite us to him in a communion of love. After Adam and Eve sinned, however, “they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God” () as they turned away from his love. The rest of salvation history is the story of God ardently seeking us out to heal this broken relationship and gradually restore his presence among us. He first spoke to the great patriarchs such as Noah, Abraham, and Jacob. He then appeared to Moses in the burning bush, guided the people of Israel by cloud and by fire, and revealed himself to them at Mount Sinai. In the era of the Davidic monarchy, the God of all the nations manifested himself uniquely among the Jewish people through his presence in the Jerusalem temple. But the most direct and powerful manifestation of God’s presence comes in the person Jesus Christ, who is God made man—the Word who was made flesh and dwelt among us ().
Indeed, the new covenant that Jesus inaugurates restores communion with our heavenly Father and brings God’s presence to us as never before. In Jesus Christ, God himself is with us. But God did not intend his presence to be encountered only by first-century Jews living at the time of Jesus. Jesus, “God is with us,” desired to remain near to us even after he ascended to the Father in heaven. As the Catechism teaches, Christ is present to us in his word, in the Church’s prayer “when two or three are gathered in [his] name,” in the poor, and in the sacraments (Catechism 1373). This is most especially the case in the Eucharist, which is the very body and blood of Jesus Christ. In the Real Presence of the Eucharist, we encounter sacramentally the same Jesus who walked the streets of Palestine two thousand years ago, teaching, healing, and forgiving sins. Through the sacraments and in the Church, Jesus continues to be Emmanuel. He is with us always, “even to the close of the age” ().
Mitch, C., & Sri, E. (2010). The Gospel of Matthew (pp. 43–48). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.