November 24, 2017 Show with Marcus A. McKnight III, Esq. on “Joseph: The Quiet Hero of Christmas”

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Good afternoon, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Lake City, Florida and the rest of humanity living on the planet Earth who are listening via live streaming at iron sharpens iron radio .com. This is Chris Arden your host of iron sharpens iron radio wishing you all a happy Friday on this day after Thanksgiving Friday November 24th 2017 and I'm delighted to have back on the program one of my Closest friends here in Carlisle, Pennsylvania that I've come to know by the grace of God Marcus a McKnight the third attorney at law who's also more commonly known as Mike McKnight and He is a majority shareholder of the Carlisle, Pennsylvania law firm of Irwin and McKnight PC.

He is a recipient of the undergraduate degree in 1974 from Drew University of Madison, New Jersey cum laude with specialized honors in economics and Juris Doctor in 1977 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

He's a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Cumberland County Bar Association active member in the Carlisle Rotary Club past president of both the Cumberland County Bar Association and the Carlisle Rotary Club Club and Member of the West Shore Evangelical Free Church in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

He's also a function speaker for CB MC which stands for Christian businessmen's connection and today we are going to be addressing the theme Joseph the quiet hero of Christmas. Which also happens to be the theme of a special event where Marcus will be speaking God willing on Friday December 8th from 11 30 a .m. To 1 p .m At the comfort suites of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and we'll tell you more about that in a little bit.

But it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back to our interpreters on radio Marcus a McKnight the third it's great to be here. And before we even go into our discussion today. I wanted to Whet the appetite of our listeners for this topic Joseph the quiet hero of Christmas by playing a song That has become one of my very favorite Christmas songs Called Joseph's song.

It's a Michael Card song and Very rarely. Do you ever hear? Songs sung about Joseph, but this happens to be a rare exception. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and this is Joseph's song by Michael Card.

Joseph's song by Michael Card and as I said, I hope that blessed you as much as it blessed me. And helped set the mood for the Christmas season for you after we just enjoyed Thanksgiving yesterday. I hope your Thanksgiving Gathering was a blessing to you.

And I especially hope that the Lord gave peace comfort and joy to those who are mourning the loss of loved ones who Saw empty chairs or an empty chair that was usually filled during the solid a season by someone precious to you as I have also Experienced the same kind of loss and the holidays are never the same when that happens but the Lord in his mercy and grace does give us peace if we look to him and enables us to have victory over any kind of sadness and depression that we may experience and I Hope that was the case with you as well.

But as I said for those of you who just Tune us in my guest today is Marcus a McKnight the third attorney at law. He's more commonly known around here as Mike McKnight. He's actually a former elder at the church where I am a member Grace Baptist Church of Carlisle, Pennsylvania but he is currently a member of the West Shore Evangelical Free Church in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and a function speaker for CBMC Christian Businessmen's Connection and Marcus how did you come up with this idea to speak on Joseph the quiet hero of Christmas at your upcoming?

CBMC event on December 8th here in Carlisle.

Joseph’s Compassion and the Betrothal of Mary

Well over time I've really come to appreciate Joseph in the incredible responsibility that he assumed After finding out that his betrothed was the chosen one the one who would Bear the Redeemer of all men who put their faith in him Jesus Christ, and so.

And I think this This is something that bears at least some discussion in this holiday season as many people concentrate on the wonderful woman that Mary was and the gift that she was given by the Lord in Bearing Jesus Christ, but Joseph had the responsibility of protecting all of them and making decisions that were based upon Very sound judgment that came a course from his faith in God.

Yes, well. Obviously, as you know, the scriptures speak very little of Joseph. In fact, we don't even really know when He passed away. We see that Mary Was not with Joseph at the foot of the cross. So we assume that he went home to be with God Prior to that, but we do know some pretty remarkable things about him in that he was such a compassionate man.

That when he learned Mary was with child before he it really sunk in and he really by God's grace realized that this was a virgin conception of the Holy Spirit. He assumed that she was unfaithful to him while they were engaged.

He assumed that she was impregnated out of wedlock and he instead of having her hold off to some Jewish court Where she likely would have been stoned to death He wanted to quietly put her away. If you want to touch on that for a bit.

Sure.

The scripture reference, of course is from Matthew, which is really written. The Birth of Christ is really written from Matthew's perspective and in in verse 18 we find these words. Now the birth of Christ took place in this way.

When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph before they came together she was found to be with a child from the Holy Spirit and her husband Joseph being a Just man and willing to put her to shame resolved to divorce her quietly.

Now we see from this that Joseph was a descendant of David. He was also a man who I think and this is where I'm gonna at least add to.

My.

Perception of Joseph. I don't think he was a man who didn't Love God before these events happened. I think he had been praying for Just the right woman and he had fixed his mind upon Mary. And then he was betrothed to Mary betrothed in those in that culture meant he had paid a considerable sum of money to her father.

So that in a sense he was being reimbursed for raising her to womanhood or at least to the age She was. It's generally perceived that Joseph was older that he had established a profession Sound enough so that he could afford the betrothal price.

And so and once that betrothal price is paid Joseph could not ask for it back. And he then basically when he found out that she was with a child Perplexed because I do believe he had been praying to the Lord about this marriage.

Decided to quietly deal with her not embarrass her not not ruin her family's reputation. But take care of this in a way in which her He would show the most compassion that he could possibly show and that shows the kind of man he was.

He was a just man. I'm willing to put her to shame. That's a sort of compassionate man. That he was and so the question I have for our audience to consider at least is How was it that Joseph was selected by God to be the earthly father of Jesus?

What sort of process do you think he went through to find just this man who would react in just this way when he received the news that his betrothed who he had paid considerable money for and worked hard for.

Was with child now that one of the things that might jump out at people Is the term divorce because they were not yet married. So obviously there in that culture in that day the Jewish culture to be engaged Was quite different than the engagements that we have in our modern day.

In fact, probably for centuries in the Western world the engagement of a man to a woman was most likely quite different than what Joseph experienced with Mary. Because like for instance as you will know an American culture or Western culture most of our listeners would know that if a man was engaged to a woman he could call off that engagement even the day of the wedding if something scandalous came to his knowledge or Or vice versa the the woman could do the same and this has happened.

I even know a couple of people where this has happened sadly.

But.

As long as those In the community or in the family. Know the reasoning behind the person calling off the wedding if it's a legitimate reason. There is not much of a monumental Cataclysmic occurrence by doing so.

There's certainly no legal. Or ramifications, but and it was quite different obviously with the situation in amongst Jewish people in.

The first century or prior to the first century and the betrothal was more of a contract money and exchanged hands and so both Parties Mary and Joseph felt obligated to one another as did their respective families.

But I'm amazed to see how it was that Joseph then received the word If we follow on that passage in verse 20. But as he considered these things behold an angel the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying Joseph son of David do not fear to take Mary as your wife for that which is Conceived in herds from the Holy Spirit.

She will bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has spoken through the Prophet and that was Isaiah and then Isaiah is quoted and That's from Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14.

Isn't it amazing that. And that's why I firmly believe that Joseph had a strong relationship with God well before this came to him and not only I think was he praying for the proper wife but he was also praying for the Messiah as Many were in that in that age in that land.

They were praying for they were occupied by a foreign power. The Romans and many people were looking forward to the Messiah and so when the word comes to Joseph We've been praying for this thing in my opinion He'd been praying for the promised one when God said Your betrothed has become pregnant with the promised one.

The implication was now Joseph that what you've been praying for has come to pass and you're going to be the earthly father of this child.

And.

Joseph Just like a carpenter did not shy away from the project that was presented to him. And his heart he said, well, how can I say? No, I've been praying for this very thing. I've been hoping for this thing and this this child With God's help is going to be the one who saves people from their sins.

And that's a remarkable thing that was presented to him and he accepted that privilege.

And.

The do you think I mean obviously there's some speculation that has to occur because I said already there is little said about Joseph in the New Testament. In fact is little said about Mary. But It must have been mind-boggling to him even though he realized that this was truly from God because an angel Revealed these truths to him.

Do you think it really sunk in what was? His responsibility that he was. Do you think he actually realized that he was going to be raising the God-man? I.

Do think he did now. He did have a little bit of time during Mary's pregnancy, of course to To contemplate all this but but they were married they were and it goes on to say in verse 24 when Joseph awoke from his sleep.

He's dead as the angel the Lord commanded him. He took his wife But he didn't know her in a sexual way until she had given birth to a son and he called his name Jesus God summarizes Just as he Does in many areas of Scripture exactly what had happened without giving us a lot of detail?

But you have to understand that Joseph was an older mature man. He was a carpenter in one sense. It's amazing that that God didn't place his child in a home of a Sadducee or a Pharisee. But instead he chose this solid man, and I believe as we go through this discussion We'll see why he did that and why it was so important that Jesus was raised in the home of a carpenter and not in some other more Home which he was more visible or people would be more Pointed to him.

So it's important that we understand God chose Joseph and it wasn't a random choice. It was a choice based on the fact that just as every man is Under the scrutiny of the Lord all the time and we see that of course from a further passage in Matthew Matthew 10 verse 32 where it says that every man who talks about His faith in Christ is known in heaven.

So every man who denies Christ will be known in heaven the Lord monitors Everybody all the time About our thoughts our deeds. There are no secret sins. They had monitored Jesus. God had monitored Jesus.

In fact knew his Countenance from the day he was born and before that and he had chosen him as being the place Be man who would take care of his son raise him to manhood and would take care of Mary and provide for just the sort of circumstances that.

Joseph was faced with yes, and you misspoke very briefly. You said Jesus, but you meant Joseph doesn't write it. Sorry. That's okay. I do that all the time.

And.

One thing I want to kind of get out of the way of. I was raised Roman Catholic and I have arranged many debates between Evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholic apologists. One of the primary Dogmas of the Church of Rome is that Mary when she conceived? Was a virgin.

That is something that we who are Protestants wholeheartedly agree with our Catholic friends.

Over.

That the the conception of Christ was a Virgin conception by the work of the Holy Spirit where we part company however is something that you hinted at or actually read From the scriptures themselves in regard to the fact that Joseph didn't know Mary until After the birth of Jesus we as Protestants believe that In not only because of their own desires that they could lawfully and rightfully Enjoy one another in a conjugal way as husband and wife It's a duty of a spouse one spouse to another to engage in that sexual union and in fact you would be in sin if you were depriving one one spouse was depriving the other of this kind of Behavior this is this gift if as you will but the Roman Catholics You know, they have this very firm belief.

That is a dogma that That Mary until she ascended or was assumed I should say into heaven which is another dogma of Rome that that Protestants don't agree on but They believe that she remained for the rest of her life a virgin and that Joseph Never enjoyed a true marital bond With her that they never did become one flesh, but this is something that's totally foreign to the scriptures, isn't it?

It is and often you see during his ministry or at least several occasions. Mary came with her other children To ask Jesus or to have an audience with Jesus. And it's repeated several times in Scripture.

So and one of the other things economically if you look at Joseph he had to as a carpenter Make a living for Mary and and take care of her in a responsible way and as I Think the Lord blessed them them with their own children.

And as the male children became older Jesus other brothers became older they took over the job so that at age 30 30 approximately Jesus could then become He he could launch its own ministry For his heavenly father.

Because prior to that as the oldest child in the family, he had been maintaining Mary after Joseph's death and we don't know when that happened, but but Jesus did his duty as the trade of carpenter until he became the evangelist in his own as his heavenly father had planned.

We have a listener. In Eastern Suffolk County. Let's see here. Ronald in Eastern Suffolk County Says have you heard that? Joseph may have been a brick mason or a worker of stone rather than a carpenter.

I Know I heard that once on an archaeological documentary a Christian archaeologist made that claim. I don't know if you have ever heard that.

Well.

I happened to in high school and then through my college career work as first a mason tender and Then a carpenters helper and I can tell you that both jobs.

Are.

Significant jobs and they whether you're a mason or a carpenter it requires dedication hard work and expertise and problem-solving and I think that's the kind of father that Our heavenly father chose to raise.

His earth is earthly. To be the earthly father of Jesus.

Well, thank you very much Ronald and I hope that You keep spreading the word about iron sharpens iron radio in Eastern Suffolk County and beyond. Well, we're gonna be going to our first station break right now.

If anybody else would like to join us on the air with a question of your own Our email address is Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Chris Ar n z n at gmail .com. Please give us at least your first name your city and state in your country of residence if you live outside the USA.

And please only remain anonymous if you're asking about a personal and private Matter, that's Chris Arnzen at gmail .com. Don't go away. We'll be right back with Mike McKnight and more of our discussion on Joseph the quiet hero of Christmas.

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So, please keep solid dash ground dash books calm in mind for the Christmas season. That's solid dash ground Dash books calm and we are back now with our guest Marcus a McKnight the third attorney at law Also known as Mike McKnight and we are discussing The theme Joseph the quiet hero of Christmas.

Before we return to that the topic Mike I'd like you to Give our listeners a brief description of your law firm and the kinds of cases that you handle on that sort of thing.

Well, we're a full practice or a multi practice. A firm that does a number of problem-solving things from family law to personal injury automobile cases. I'm also solicitor some townships in the borough of Newville.

And.

We work hard to try and help people solve solve problems. We do a lot of estate planning. We handle a lot of estates and I also am a title insurance agent and handle real estate matters. We don't do however bankruptcy.

Although we help people try to manage their finances if they're in financial trouble. We don't do bankruptcy.

Well, we will. Before the end of the program make sure you have all the contact information that you need to contact Mike Mike McKnight's law firm. Sorry for getting tongue-tied there. And the upcoming event that you are involved in on Friday December 8th at The comfort suites in downtown Carlisle is an event sponsored or orchestrated by.

CBMC.

The Christian businessmen's connection. If you could tell us something about this organization because I know that you speak fairly regularly for this group.

Well, the object of the group is to get the gospel of Jesus Christ out into the business community often there are people who are hard-pressed with the world and Business matters and we find that they need the gospel just like everyone else and To break through and to get them to focus and reorient their lives towards Christ Benefits not only themselves but their families and their firms and so as as a person in the community I work with these people solving problems and doing other things but Often one of the weakest areas of their lives.

It's their spiritual interest in the ghost gospel of Jesus Christ, and so my goal is to through various personal exchanges and we meet on a weekly basis to pray for people on our particular lists who were concerned about and occasionally we do what are called outreaches meaning we talk about a topic which may have been of some interest and try and indicate to the to people from all walks of life that Christ is essential in our well-being both for now and for eternity and to end this life without knowing Christ is a personal tragedy so we need to be as clear as we can and as diligent as we can in making this known and of course the local church is essential to the feeding of a Christian and Proclaiming the Word of Christ and I've been privileged to be with churches to do that from when I was a young Christian at 16 and now as I'm an older Christian at age 65 so.

Well anybody who wants to find out more information specifically about the Central, Pennsylvania CBMC you can visit their website, which is central PA dot CBMC .com. That's central PA obviously for Pennsylvania dot CBMC .com and if you're interested in registering for this event of CBMC where Marcus a McKnight the third will be speaking on Friday December 8th 2017 from 1130 a .m. To 1 p .m. At the comfort suites in downtown Carlisle.

You can call 7 1 7 3 9 5 50 8 54 7 1 7 3 9 5 50 8 54. Obviously Marcus is not going to be speaking for that entire time. It's been 1130 a .m. And 1 p .m. That's just the length of time. Where the the luncheon will be held?

And.

The how long do you expect the actual message that you're giving to be?

It's about half hour something like that. We do serve a nice luncheon and have some fellowship before and after but anybody who mentions the fact that when they register or when they come to Something come to the event itself if they mentioned this program aren't sharpens arm iron radio.

Will make sure that their cost their meal is covered. Oh, really? Oh, that's great to know. Mm-hmm. And.

We as I said, we'll repeat that and the they will give you the contact information for Marcus's or Mike's law firm as well towards the end of the program. Well now we're returning to our discussion of Joseph the quiet hero of Christmas.

And I'd like you to continue the train of thought you had before we go to some ways. The specific ways that Joseph Was obedient to God in his being an earthly Parent not a biological but an earthly parent to Jesus the God-man.

Joseph’s Obedience, Protection, and Flight to Egypt

The most I'm sure the most challenging task and the history of parenthood.

But.

If you could just pick up where you left off and give us some more insights that you have from this.

These biblical accounts of Joseph or we're gonna switch to the Gospel of Luke, which is basically written from Mary's perspective, but I'd like the listeners to put their Themselves in Joseph's place.

All right, you're now betrothed. Your wife is pregnant. Where are you gonna live? Where are you gonna set up shop? Where does the Lord want you to be and part of that decision was made for him? Because the Romans were in charge of the territory and they required that everyone be registered for a census and we find in Luke chapter 2 and Joseph went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea in the city of David which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary his betrothed who was with the child and While they were there time came for her to give birth and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in the manger because there was no place for them in the end a Couple things about this account.

First of all, we know that they had to go up to Bethlehem and when they arrived of all those of the lineage of David Joseph was not treated as Some sort of important person. In fact, he was treated as the least of the line of David because even though his wife was with a child he was given the stables in which to Reside for a while and in which she would give birth.

So it was obvious that in the town of Bethlehem Joseph was not considered the most important of the lineage of David, but actually the least important and It's interesting that the in the Scriptures it says in verse 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn son.

Well, that means there were other sons so the question about the fact that That she was a virgin till her death Was at least addressed in that verse in that verse alone. But we know from other passages that there were other children in fact it talks about both sons and daughters that Joseph and Mary were blessed with who then of course Jesus had interaction with and.

Then.

So if you put yourself in in Joseph's place he might have been a bit disappointed or worried that he was given the least of these places to Reside and to have his wife give birth. But then you have this remarkable account.

And in the same region in in verse 8 There were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and an angel the Lord appeared to them and The glory of the Lord shone around them and they were filled with fear.

Angel said to them fear not for behold I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord and this will be a sign to you will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger and suddenly there was with with the angel multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth among those With whom he is pleased and among and on earth peace among those With whom he is pleased.

Now the amazing thing is Mary and Joseph did not send out birth announcements. When when Jesus was born they were non they were non entities in the town of Bethlehem and suddenly They are then approached with people who've gotten a birth announcement not from them, but from God himself.

God sent out birth announcements to these shepherds. When the angels went away in verse 13, it says The shepherds said to one another let's go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened. Which the Lord has made known to us they went in haste.

You know when you've seen a multitude of angels anything after that is in haste and so. And so they went in haste. And they found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger and when they saw it They may known the saying that had been told them concerning the child.

Now the shepherds come and they tell Mary and Joseph we've just seen a host of angels and they've told us about you and they've told us that this is the Savior of the world who's been born unto you at this place and We're praising God because he told us about this birth announcement and that we're here to celebrate it with you.

And all who heard it wondered at the shepherds but Mary treasure of all these things pondering them in her heart and you can imagine Joseph did likewise and The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen has been told to them.

Now this is before the Internet. They didn't Facebook this. God himself sent out a birth announcement to shepherds and they came and found Jesus and Essentially worshipped and praised God that they could be part of this process By which this baby was born.

It had to be an amazing event for both Jesus for both Mary and Joseph and I think Joseph had to know that God was walking with him every step that he took and God was Superintending all this and by the way, it's perfectly logical that God would send out a birth announcement with a host of angels because the in Heaven the commander of the angels is Jesus.

We have Arnie and Perry County, Pennsylvania who asks have you heard from the Greek Orthodox that? There is a theory Joseph Was a widower who had children from his late wife before marrying Mary which would explain the brothers and sisters.

Well, it certainly doesn't explain why Mary is talked about having Jesus as her firstborn son, right? So that wouldn't exactly explain that. And Again, I don't know of any way to verify that in Scripture.

Right. That's just pure speculation and ignoring the the wording used. In fact there there is a Debate that my friend James White of Alpha Omega Ministries had years ago with Roman Catholic apologist Jerry Matic's and apparently the Greek term haos who.

Which is involved in the fact that Mary? Remained a virgin until the birth of Jesus that word until in the Greek Requires that there was a change. So that I think is also a very significant thing, but thank you very much Arnie and Perry County.

Please keep listening to our trip is iron and spreading the word about it to those in Perry County and beyond.