Joseph: The Birth of Jesus

Try and forget the school nativity play here. The story of Jesus’ birth in Matthew 1:18–25, often understood as a literal event, unfolds into a transformative drama when seen through Neville Goddard’s symbolic insight. For Neville, the Bible is not a record of external history but a psychological enactment happening within each of us. In this passage, the virgin conception is not about biology; it is about the birth of awakened imagination within the individual.

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way..." (Matthew 1:18)

In Neville’s interpretation, Mary symbolises the subconscious mind — that fertile ground where ideas planted by imagination take root and grow into reality. She is found to be “with child by the Holy Spirit,” showing that her pregnancy arises from a psychological shift. This represents the seed of imagination taking root within.

The Holy Spirit is the active power of God: the imagination itself. When an idea is deeply felt and accepted as true, it is as though the subconscious has conceived it. The resulting “child” does not come through logic or outer effort but through inner acceptance and conviction.

"And Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man and not wishing to make her a public example, thought to set her free quietly." (Matthew 1:19)
Joseph, whose name means “to increase,” symbolises an aspect of self aligned with growth and expansion—the “righteous man” who is in harmony with the law of assumption. He recognises the sacredness of the subconscious conception and chooses to “set her free quietly”—not to reject or shame Mary (the subconscious), but to protect and keep her safe. This act symbolises the self’s desire to preserve and nurture the inner birth process without disturbance or public exposure.

"But when he was giving thought to these things, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, have no fear of taking Mary as your wife; for that which is in her is of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 1:20)
The angel in the dream represents higher intuition—divine guidance from within. Joseph is told not to fear, confirming that his impulse to protect rather than condemn was correct.

Here, the message is clear: do not interfere with the work of imagination simply because it defies logic. Embrace the process without fear. Joseph being a righteous man is Joseph aligned with the law of Assumption.

"And she will give birth to a son; and you will give him the name Jesus; for he will give his people salvation from their sins." (Matthew 1:21)
The name Jesus (Yeshua) means “salvation.” In Neville’s interpretation, salvation is not an external rescue but an inner transformation.

Sin, in this view, is not moral wrongdoing but “missing the mark”—failing to assume the state you truly desire to be in.

To name the child Jesus is to acknowledge that salvation arises from within. It is the realisation of your creative power—that by changing your inner assumptions, you change your entire world.

"Now all this took place so that the word of the Lord by the prophet might come true, saying," (Matthew 1:22)
"See, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will give him the name Emmanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us." (Matthew 1:23)
This prophecy is not about predicting external events but revealing an eternal principle: that the subconscious (the virgin) can give birth to reality without external aid.

Each time you dare to believe in the unseen—to assume the feeling of your wish fulfilled—this prophecy is fulfilled.

Emmanuel, meaning “God with us,” signifies the profound truth that God is not distant or separate but is your own wonderful human imagination. God is truly with you, as you.

"And Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had said to him, and took her as his wife;" (Matthew 1:24)
"And he had no connection with her till she had given birth to a son; and he gave him the name Jesus." (Matthew 1:25)
When Joseph names the child, he is not merely assigning a label. In biblical symbolism, to name is to give life, to affirm and embody a new reality.

By accepting the angel’s message and naming the child Jesus, Joseph (the increasing self) aligns completely with Mary (the subconscious). This union allows the inner assumption to become a living expression—to be "born" into the outer world.

This is the moment of full inner union: the imaginal act is complete, the state of consciousness has shifted, and a new reality has emerged.