10 Dec The Other Joseph

There are two Josephs that figure prominently in the Bible. One is in the Old Testament, the other in the New Testament. The O.T.  Joseph is the son of Jacob and has been memorialized by a Broadway play about his amazing coat. The other, of course, is the earthly father of Jesus. We know a lot from scripture about the first Joseph, how his brothers and others treated him, and how God redeemed him. Conversely, we know precious little about Joseph, husband of Mary the mother of Jesus.

We assume Joseph was a carpenter by trade, as Jesus is referred to as the son of a carpenter. Scholars speculate that he had died by the time Jesus began His ministry, as there is no mention of him in the gospels (Mary is mentioned). Despite his brief appearance in the gospels, we can learn a lot from Joseph. The Apostle Paul told us that “all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching…” So, what can we learn from what we do know of Joseph, son of David? Plenty!

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[d] (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)

Joseph’s story shows us three things:

• Dismay
• Convey
• Obey

Joseph’s immediate reaction is dismay. The passage says Mary was “found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.” If Mary told Joseph how she became pregnant, which seems likely, he obviously didn’t believe her. Joseph’s plan for dealing with the situation shows a lot more grace and compassion than would be expected from a man in his circumstances at the time. But nonetheless, he was going to reject her until an angel in a dream straightened Joseph out. Lesson #1 Love first and ask questions later.

In today’s language, Joseph was going to “cancel” Mary, albeit a lot more politely than typically happens today. I love the expression: “don’t judge my story based on the chapter you walked in on.” How often are we quick to cancel someone because we make broad assumptions about them based on one chapter of their life story? At Samaritan’s Heart, we tell people they are loved the moment they walk in the door.  It doesn’t matter what they bring in with them.

Convey:  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

When God conveys a message to you, listen! Joseph could have dismissed it as a bad dream. He could have ignored it, but he didn’t, he listened.  I happen to believe God still uses dreams to speak to people. More commonly, he conveys messages through His Word, by answers to prayer, and the counsel of believers you trust. Lesson #2: Ask, listen, and say yes! Which leads us to:

Obey: When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. People also say the only thing worse than waiting on God is not waiting on God. I heard a pastor say there is one thing worse than that: not acting when God says go!

Don’t underestimate what it took for Joseph to say yes to God. People would believe that either Joseph was the father of the child, or another man was. If Joseph didn’t fully trust God, it would be a very difficult risk to take. God often asks us to take a step out in faith.

Without doubt, the most important part of the Christmas story is that Jesus came and why he came: to save us. But don’t miss the lessons for us on every page of the Bible, including the Christmas story.

Pastor Jerry Bader