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June 2, 2025 15 mins

Welcome to the Christmas series! Joseph reels in hurt, anger, and confusion. He has every right to have Mary stoned to death, but won’t out of love. In his despair, God meets him, and calls him to something great. 

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As we dive deeply into iconic Bible heroes' enthralling narratives, we find more than just stories of faith and miracles. We discover a recurrent theme, a spiritual undertone that connects each tale to the grandeur of the Gospel.

They're not just standalone legends; they're threads in a divine tapestry, weaving a story that foreshadows Jesus Christ, the ultimate hero, the promised Messiah who brings light to the darkest corners of history.

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Of the increase of his government and of peace. There
shall be no end on David's throne and on his kingdom.
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and
with righteousness. From that time on even forever, the zeal
of yahweh of armies will perform this Isaiah nine seven.

(00:24):
Dear Lord, this season we rejoice in the birth of Christ,
whose arrival was foretold by the prophets, and whose reign
will never end. We stand in awe of your divine
plan so beautifully unfolded in that humble manger. Your redemption
plan brings hope, peace, justice, and eternal life to all

(00:48):
who believe. As we decorate our homes with lights and
sing carols and share gifts, let us also share the
message of Christ's eternal kingdom, a kingdom built on love, mercy,
and righteousness. Help us to be ambassadors of this kingdom

(01:09):
here on earth, extending your peace and joy to all
around us. In the name of Jesus, whose birth we
celebrate and whose return we await, we pray, Amen, thank
you for praying with me to day stay here and

(01:30):
be swept away. In the Christmas story. In Stories of
the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Joseph's heart was a storm of the motion, his dreams shattered,
trust broken, and love betrayed. The news of Mary's pregnancy
had been a blow unlike any other. Anger, confususion, and
a profound sense of loss gnawed at his soul. He
lay down on a grassy hill where he and Mary
had one shared dreams and made promises to one another.

(02:09):
Lying on the soft earth, he looked up at the stars.
Those distant beacons of hope and guidance seemed dull, dimmed
by his grief and anger. His mind replayed their meeting
earlier in the day. He could still see the look
of regret in Mary's eyes, or was it sorrow? Her
father's stern and unyielding voice echoed in his ears, granting

(02:31):
him the right to stone her. The very thoughts and
a shudder through him. How had they come to this?
Tears welled in his eyes and he clenched his fist,
wrestling with helplessness and anger. And yet through it all,
he couldn't ignore the look in Mary's eyes. She didn't
carry herself like someone who had done something wrong. Was

(02:53):
there somehow more to this story that he just couldn't
grasp a fatigue slowly overcame his restless mind. He drifted
into a fitful sleep. His last thoughts were a prayer
for clarity, guidance, and mercy.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
Hello and welcome to another Christmas episode of Stories of
the Messiah. I'm Rabbi Schneider from Discovering the Jewish Jesus
here to guide you through this tale of adventure, faith,
and fate. The Christmas story is not merely a tale
of miraculous events, but also a narrative filled with complex

(03:28):
human emotions, decisions, and divine interventions. One such profound moment
is captured in Matthew one verses twenty through twenty four,
where Joseph, a carpenter from Nazareth, receives a dream that
would alter the course of his life and the history
of mankind. Mary's unexpected pregnancy had shaken Joseph's world, and

(03:52):
he was on the verge of leaving her quietly. In
our last episode, we talked about the crossroads Joseph was
at he would enact judgment or show mercy. Because Joseph
was a kind man, he chose mercy, yet he still
rested with anger and confusion. It was at this juncture
that God intervened through a dream or an angel of

(04:15):
the Lord appeared to him, saying, Joseph, son of David,
did not fear to take Mary as your wife, for
that which is conceived in her is from the Holy
Spirit Matthew one point twenty. This dream was a revelation
of God's divine plan, a reassurance and a call to

(04:35):
a sacred responsibility. Joseph was chosen to be the earthly
father of the Savior, a vital role the Christmas narrative
that required qualities of exceptional magnitude. Joseph's dream was a
call to action. God often speaks to us in our

(04:56):
most painful struggles. When disappointment abounds, so do opportunities for
the voice of God to lift us to embark on
a grand adventure. Let's immerse ourselves now and get caught
up in the magnitude of Joseph's dream. This dramatic retelling
of Matthew one will take us through visions of chaos

(05:17):
and prophecies of redemption. Like Joseph, we will be faced
with awe and inspiration to do what's right instead of
what's easy. Afterward, we'll unpack the story and mind the
depth of the Christmas themes contain therein.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
In the depths of slumber, Joseph was caught up in
a vivid and terrifying dream. He found himself standing at
the base of a dark and foreboding hill. Jagged rocks
lace the trail ascending the mountain. Lightning flashed above it,
revealing a brief and terrifying image of a tree. No,
not a tree, something else, something more terrifying. Joseph couldn't

(05:58):
quite make it out, so he moved close. In the darkness,
Joseph could see a silhouetted figure hanging from the tree.
He marched up the hill, working against the wind in rain,
he stumbled and fell on to his hands and knees.
Joseph looked at his hands in terror. The ground beneath
him was soaked with a mixture of water and blood.

(06:18):
He screamed and looked up again. At the top of
the hill. The river of water and blood was running
downward from the tree above.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
What is up there?

Speaker 2 (06:27):
He thought? The lightning flashed again with piercing light, and
Joseph immediately found himself elsewhere. He was at the base
of a cave carved into the side of a mountain.
All was quiet, and the only light source was from
within the cave. Joseph followed the faint glimmer, keeping his
balance on the cave's jagged walls. As he inched closer,

(06:48):
the air became warmer, like a room filled with the
comfort of a fireplace. The entire cave became filled with
the scent of frankinsense, and myrrh. As Joseph navigated the cave,
he could hear the sound under a child's cry, then
a hushing lullaby. The voice singing was gentle and soft,
like the evening spring breeze. Joseph knew that voice, Mary,

(07:10):
is that you?

Speaker 1 (07:11):
He gasped.

Speaker 2 (07:12):
Joseph picked up his pace and rounded the corner towards
the light, But before he could see anything, the cave
flooded with water, and Joseph found himself swimming for his
life amidst a violent storm in the middle of the sea.
Waves and breakers crashed over him.

Speaker 1 (07:26):
He swam but made no progress.

Speaker 2 (07:28):
The waves thrashed and the riptide dragged him down underneath.
Joseph sank in a free fall into the black abyss
until the current pushed him onto the shore. The storm
subsided and Joseph looked out at a golden sunset hovering
over the glassy sea. Suddenly, a luminous figure appeared before him,
an angel standing upon the glassy water. His eyes were

(07:51):
filled with wisdom and compassion. Joseph was struck by awe
and reverence. We're not Joseph, son of David. What is
conceived and mery is of the hoish spirit. She will
bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
He will save his people from their sins. The words
wrapped around Joseph like a warm embrace, filling him with

(08:15):
an understanding that transcended earthly wisdom. Joseph wanted to ask questions,
but he couldn't speak. Instead, his gaze was turned to
the sea. The sunset's colors painted the glassy water with
images of prophecy, promise, and divine love. He saw his forefather,
David and the mighty temple. He saw a humble child,

(08:36):
a mighty king, a savior and a servant. He saw Mary,
her face radiant with grace, her role, and the divine plan,
both beautiful and burdensome. Joseph was left with a profound
sense of peace, a clarity that resonated through every fiber.

Speaker 1 (08:52):
Of his being. He knew what he must do.

Speaker 2 (08:55):
The sea receded into the sunset, as if gravity's force
was pulling it backwards. A great wall of water loomed
over him. Then, with a mighty crash, the ocean fell
on to Joseph. He awoke with panic, confusion, and awe.
The night was quiet, and the light of the stars
was replaced with the rising sun's first light. Joseph stood

(09:17):
to his feet and wiped the sweat from his brow.
The morning sun radiated over the hills, splashing the valley
below with vibrant color. Joseph's once anxious heart was filled
with excitement. He still didn't entirely know what was happening,
but he knew God was on the move. Joseph's path
was more evident now.

Speaker 1 (09:35):
He would take Mary.

Speaker 2 (09:36):
As his wife, trust in the Lord's plan, and embrace
this miraculous journey before them, For the child they would
raise was not just a fulfillment of prophecy, but a
beacon of hope and redemption for all mankind. The doubts
and fears of yesterday were gone, replaced by faith, love,
and a determination to serve the will of the Most High.

(09:56):
It wasn't the life Joseph imagined for himself.

Speaker 1 (09:58):
It was better.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
Although struggle awaited him, it was the past to purpose.
Joseph ran down the hill back to Nazareth with love
in his heart and courage in his bones.

Speaker 3 (10:13):
This story offered us a dramatized version of Joseph's dream.
Truth be told, we don't know the exact imagery of
his dream, but we do know what God told him
through the vision. The Angel of the Lord came to
Joseph and aggressed him as Joseph son of David. Does
this title sound familiar to you? If you have read

(10:35):
the Gospels before, you will know that son of David
is one of the many titles given to Jesus. My
ministry discovering the Jewish Jesus is dedicated to following Old
Testament prophecies and threads and seeing how they lead us
to Yeshuah or Jesus. This title, the son of David
is one of those prophecies that we find first revealed

(10:57):
in the Hebrew Bible and then it's fulfillment in the
Brekhatashah or the New Testament. Now continuing, both Joseph and
Mary were desceentenced from the lineage of King David. This
holds significant weight, since the Messiah was prophesied to come
from the line of David. Tewod Samuel chapter seven mentions

(11:18):
of Messiah coming directly from David's house or David's line. However,
the title son of David embodies more than a mere
physical lineage. It acknowledges Jesus as a king greater than David.
Isaiah nine is one of the most famous Christmas prophecies
we have. It reads like this, For a child was

(11:41):
born to us, a son is given to us, and
the government will be on his shoulders. His name will
be called Wonderful counselor Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace. There
will be no end on David's throne and on his kingdom.

(12:04):
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and
with righteousness. From that time on even forever, the zeal
of yahwehv armies will perform this. When individuals address Jus
as the son of David, their words were attestament to
their faith in him. The Pharisees, entrenched in pride and

(12:25):
self righteousness, remained blind to the truth that others so
readily accepted, and they became adversarial towards Jesus. Jesus used
the title son of David to confound the Pharisees further
questioning how the Messiah, being David's son, could be addressed
as my Lord by David himself. The puzzle exposed their

(12:49):
lack of understanding regarding the Messiah's true nature. This event
illuminates the deeper meaning of the title. The Messiah is
more than David's physical son. He is greater than David,
and has stated in Revelation twenty two sixteen, he is
both the root and the offspring of David. Joseph was

(13:11):
the right man to raise God's son, not just because
he was from the line of David, but because he
was a man of integrity, courage, and obedience. Joseph's immediate
response to his dream was obedience. He was not merely
accepting Mary. He was accepting God's call to be part
of a divine mission. To take Mary as his wife

(13:35):
amidst societal expectations and norms would require immense courage. Joseph's
courage was founded on faith, trust in God's word, and
his understanding of the enormity of God's plan. These qualities
made his forefather, David, a beloved and influential king. Being

(13:57):
the stepfather of Jesus, knowing that the child was not
his own, yet embracing him as his son was an
act of unmatched bravery. It required putting aside personal emotions, fears,
and societal judgments. The story of Joseph's dream inner we's
themes of divine intervention, obedience, faith, courage, and human cooperation

(14:23):
with the divine will. It reminds us of God's sovereign
plan and the individuals chosen to participate in it. As
we celebrate Christmas, May we reflect on Joseph's role in
the Christmas narrative, his courage, bravery, and integrity. May we
be inspired to live with similar faith, to heeds God's

(14:45):
call in our lives, and to act with integrity and bravery,
embodying the true spirit of Christmas. The story of Joseph's
dream as a timeless reminder that God's plans are perfect
and the whips those he calls even in the most
unexpected circumstances. In our next episode, Joseph will approach Mary

(15:09):
and they will fight against culture and slander. Together, their
union will strengthen them for the trials ahead and provide
an on ramp for Jesus to be born now. If
you want more resources on Jesus in the Old Testament,
visit us at discoveringthe Jewish Jesus dot com. Another resource

(15:30):
you might find impactful is my new book, Messianic Prophecy
Revealed Seeing Messiah in the Pages of the Hebrew Bible,
which can be found on my website. If you enjoy
today's podcast, leave us a review and share it with
a friend. We want the story of the Bible and
the hope of Jesus to be spread worldwide. To make

(15:51):
prayer priority in your life and hear more stories of
hope that inspire, visit pray dot com.
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Host

Rabbi K. A. Schneider

Rabbi K. A. Schneider

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