As a married man, I can't help but think of Joseph this Christmas. He is often put on the side benches whenever people think of the key figures during the first Christmas, but in reality there's so much to learn from this man. Let's talk about him.
Joseph, an Obedient Man
Joseph is always referred to as "Jesus foster father." While that's technically his role, being the Saviour's earthly dad, his coming to be that man simply showed how much he trusted in and obeyed the Lord.
First, we find him in the book of Matthew as a man betrothed or engaged to Mary. They're about to marry each other, and boy do I know the excitement of marrying the woman of my dreams. Joseph was probably very excited about his upcoming wedding to Mary, but then the shock came to him.
"... Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly." (see Matthew 1:18-19)
Think about that. You're engaged to your fiancée and then she gets pregnant all of a sudden, and worse, you're not the father. Joseph was such in a predicament, and he must've felt so much hurt that he decided to break the engagement. Quite natural, right?
But think about what happened next:
"As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."" (see Matthew 1:20-21)
Now what would you do if you found out that God was the one smashing your dreams? Many of us get angry and feel resentment towards God, right? Perhaps Joseph might have felt that way too, but we read of his beautiful response next:
"When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus." (see Matthew 1:24-25)
Such a wonderful response. Joseph, assured that God was the one doing the very unbelievable thing before his eyes, responded in kind by trusting in God and obeying His command. And yes, the command wasn't an easy thing to do, but Joseph obeyed anyway.
Here are some takeaways we can get from this part of Joseph's story thus far.
1. Obeying God Requires an Amount of Self-Denial, Either Big or Small
Joseph had to deny himself several times in the story. First, he did not avoid the possible ridicule that he might receive. Second, he had to live with the truth that he's not the real father of the baby in Mary's womb. Third, he had to deny himself of his pleasure (by abstaining from having sex with his wife) in order for God's will to be fulfilled.
If Joseph can deny himself to obey, we can deny ourselves in obedience to God too.
2. God's Plan for Us Might Not Be According to What We Want, But It's According to What HE Wants; and
We have to realise that God's plans might be very different from ours. Joseph was perhaps planning a great life for him and Mary, but God came along crushing it – in favour of a greater plan that any person would actually want to be in.
We must learn to let go of our own plans and desires if it's not what God wants for us.
3. When We Obey God, We Become Part of the Bigger Picture That Shows His Great Love for All Men.
Joseph might not know it at this point yet, but he is about to become the man who would protect the Saviour of the world. He did not see it yet, but his humble submission to God allowed him to become part of the big picture that is the salvation of all humankind through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Our obedience to God might appear small to us, but God has actually put us where we are for such a time as this so that His plans would be fulfilled through us. Let's obey Him.
What Can I Give to God?
Friends, think about how Joseph obeyed the Lord and did something that God wanted Him to do. Yes, the first Christmas could still happen without him, but he was obedient to God who actually wanted him to be there. What does God want you to do this Christmas?
