Joseph (December 2)
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 See, the virgin will become pregnant
and give birth to a son,
and they will name him Immanuel,
which is translated “God is with us.”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25
Joseph – A December 2 Devotional (Matthew 1:18-25)
Every Christmas when I read about Joseph, it strikes me again what an honorable man Joseph was. He was chosen by God to be Jesus’ earthly father, to raise the Son of God.
The Bible describes Joseph as “a righteous man”. He treated Mary with respect, dignity, and compassion, even when he thought she had been unrighteous and cheated on him. Though he was entirely within his rights to have Mary disgraced publicly or even stoned to death, he was going to send her away, privately canceling the marriage and allowing Mary her life and privacy.
No Accident
I know that His relationship with Mary and then Jesus is no accident, because His lineage fulfills prophecy about the Messiah. It was the family line of Joseph (the house and lineage of David) that led Joseph and Mary to the town of Bethlehem.
Bethlehem Ephrathah,
you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for me.
His origin is from antiquity,
from ancient times. Micah 5:2
God Directs Joseph’s Steps
So, Joseph has made his decision. Even though he surely had to be hurt and confused, he made the choice to show mercy to Mary. Then, God comes along to change his mind.
An angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and gives him a message straight from God. And what does that message say?
“Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20b-21
Don’t be Afraid
Don’t be afraid. How many messages from angels in the Bible start that way? I always think of the person being addressed as being afraid of the angel. However, in this case, the messenger is not saying “don’t be afraid of me”.
Joseph is instructed to not be afraid to marry Mary and raise Jesus. He is not to fear the social disgrace and the hit to his reputation. Because the son that will be born to Joseph is not his, but has been brought about by the Holy Spirit.
Name Him Jesus
The Angel of the Lord even gives Joseph instructions for after the child’s birth. This messenger firmly hands the reins of the family leadership to Joseph when he instructs him to name the boy Jesus.
Then, he lets Joseph know why it is so important that he follow through with the marriage to Mary and the birth of Jesus. He will save people from their sins. All the whispers and rumors about him will be worth it in the end.
Backed Up by Prophecy
The Angel even reminds Joseph of the prophecy about the Messiah that He will be born to a virgin. Joseph is righteous and obedient. He marries Mary, maintains her virginity until the baby is born (as the prophecy states), and names the Child of God Jesus.
December 2 Devotional Action Step:
How willing am I to experience disgrace for the will of God to be done? Am I obedient when faced with the anger, resentment, ignominy, and rudeness of others?
Today, let’s ask God how we can be more like Joseph: righteous, obedient, and courageous. Is there an area of our lives where we’ve been dragging our heels, not wanting to deal with the consequences of our obedience?
Let’s commit to full cooperation with God’s plans for our steps, no matter what others may think or say.
Prayer:
Dear God, help me to let your voice guide my steps and have more impact on me than the voices of others. Let me be holy, faithful, and brave like Joseph was. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Access to the other posts in this series and the free printables for this December can be found at the Series Overview page. Come join me as I pursue the peace and joy on the Savior’s birth throughout the month of December!