Good Ole Joseph

My Head is Exploding

I read about Joseph yesterday and can’t stop thinking about it. My mind is officially blown. Before I say any more, here’s the link. In case you haven’t figured it out, I recommend Psephizo for both faith-building and accurate information.

Joseph’s Decision

About Joseph. First, those of us who study Scripture may know that he was the guy to whom Mary, the mother of Jesus, was betrothed. That means she was more than engaged and less than married. The Bible tells us that before they married, she got pregnant–and Joseph knew it wasn’t his because they hadn’t done the deed. Her story? An angel did it.

At this point, I would expect Joseph to get very angry. First, she’s pregnant. Second, she’s making up a really crazy story about how it happened. Society said Joseph had the right to expose and disgrace her. He thinks it over and decides not to do it, but to quietly divorce her. In other words, he chooses mercy before he hears from God.

The Dream

Then Joseph has a weird dream, and, because he knows his Bible, he knows that sometimes God speaks that way. In his dream, an angel says something that reminds Joseph of a Scripture he already knows. “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. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

This sounds a lot like Isaiah 7:14, which was written over 500 years before Jesus was born. “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God with us).”

He chooses to believe the dream and Mary, and he marries her. I wonder if she was showing by then. Would people have been shaking their heads, snickering at his “weak” decision? Evidently, it didn’t matter to him—he chose to lay down his reputation and obey God. Remind anyone of Phil 2:6-8, where Jesus took the nature of a servant and humbled himself? Jesus saw humility modeled by His earthly dad.

Adoption is Powerful

The effect of the marriage is that Jesus will be Joseph’s adopted son. Interestingly, Scripture says that Jesus was a descendant of David. Mary wasn’t. Joseph was. Adoption is real and powerful, and in this case, it was Joseph’s decision. I find it very moving to consider that, like us, who’ve been adopted into God’s family, Jesus was also adopted. He was adopted into Joseph’s line and, as a result, He fulfilled Scripture.

The blog I read mentioned that Joseph didn’t exercise his husbandly rights until after Jesus was born. They related that to how Jesus gave up having a wife and family. I’m not convinced that Jesus even knew this, since good parents don’t usually discuss their sex lives with their kids, so I’m only including it for the sake of completeness.

Protection is Needed

Life isn’t easy for the little family. King Herod the Great breathes fire, and Joseph must take measures to protect his little family. He hears from the angel of the Lord that he must get up, take his family, leave for Egypt, and stay until Herod dies. He obeys without question. Impressive.  He goes to where the culture is strange to them, the language is different, and they don’t have family support. All to protect his adopted son. Evidently, when Joseph makes a decision, he means it and follows through. He’s a man of his word. It’s interesting then that Jesus also decided to protect the family God gave Him—us. He allowed Himself to be crucified. Jesus saw sacrificial love in his earthly father.

What About You?

Finally, have you noticed that, apart from the birth narrative, we never hear about Joseph? He’s not famous. We don’t even hear about his death. Let that encourage you. God might also use you to make a difference that lasts for all time.