Matthew 1:21-25, Prophetic heredity

Matthew showed Jesus to be fully qualified as both king and savior, and that this had always been God’s plan

Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21-22

Whether it was Matthew reminding the reader, or the Holy Spirit guiding Joseph’s thoughts at that moment, Joseph believed this baby was the coming Messiah

This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:
Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
Matthew 1:23

And Joseph was sensitive to God's leading, recognized God's word, and put it immediately into practice in his life

Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus. Matthew 1:24-25

If there was ever any question about the virgin birth, Joseph’s actions should put your doubts to rest. If the baby had been conceived by another man, Joseph would have divorced her. Even if he had married her, he would have had no reason to keep from consummating their marriage bed together.

But instead as soon as he had received God's word to him, he was ready to be obedient to all God's commands in three direct ways.

First he married Mary.

Next, recognizing the fulfillment of prophecy in Mary’s virginity, he made sure she remained a virgin until Messiah was born, so that no one would try to dispute fulfillment of God’s word. And even though the custom was to name the first born after the father, Joseph obeyed God's command to name His Son Jesus.

[Tomorrow: The Meaning of Jesus' Name]

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