“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: 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[e]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,[f] 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”[g](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
Joseph was a good man. How do we know? Well, the text tells us. He was pledged to be married to Mary, but “before they came together” (had sexual relations), she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. This must have come as a great surprise to both of them and certainly hard to fathom.
But Joseph was a good man because he obeyed the Law yet did not want to disgrace Mary. He was compelled to follow the Law of Moses, which permitted him to divorce her because she was pregnant. And yet, he did not want to publicly embarrass her. He cared about Mary and did not want to shame her.
God knew this, so He sent an angel of the Lord to appear to him in a dream, telling him the whole story—she had conceived by the Holy Spirit, and she would give birth to Jesus, who would save His people from their sins. When Joseph woke up, “he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” Verse 25 notes that he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son—a passage often discussed in relation to Mary’s perpetual virginity.
What can we learn about Joseph in light of the coming of the Christ child? He was instrumental. He belonged to the Abrahamic and Davidic line from which the Messiah would come—the very line into which Mary was married. He was a faithful follower of Yahweh; he was committed to Mary; and he received the word of God through the dream to become the earthly father to Jesus. It must have been challenging for Joseph to serve as Jesus’ adoptive father. But God knew what He was doing and chose Joseph—a man who would love and raise the Son of God in wonderful and awesome ways.
As we prepare for Christmas, the character and holiness of Joseph are on display for all to see. He was not a perfect man, but he was also chosen and favored by God, as was Mary, in order to parent the Christ child.
Joseph’s quiet faithfulness reminds us that God often works through ordinary people of extraordinary character. What does this mean for us? It suggests that if we too want to be used by God, we will be people of high and holy character. We will walk in the ways of the Lord and follow Him all the days of our lives.
Let’s practice holy living this Christmas by giving God glory in everything that we do.
“O Lord God, Thank You for Joseph and for his example of fatherhood and love for Jesus. Thank You for allowing us to imitate his behavior and strive to be all that You have called us to be. I praise You, Lord, and glorify Your name. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me walk in the way that leads to eternal life. For You are good and Your love endures forever.” Amen.