“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” 

Matthew 1:24-25

Joseph obeyed. Earlier in the chapter we are told Joseph was righteous, and his actions concerning Mary’s apparent betrayal show he was honorable. In a rare show of respect, or God-like love for a woman, he sought to “divorce her quietly.”²⁰ But once he had his instructions, he applied that sense of honor to doing the right thing. He took full responsibility for Mary and the baby. He gave deference to her and what God was doing in and through her. He cared for her. It is possible that because of the circumstances of her pregnancy there was no one to take care of Mary while he made his trip to Bethlehem. However, I think Joseph wouldn’t allow anyone else to fulfill that responsibility. God had placed Mary and the baby in his hands, and he was not going to leave her. She would stay with him, and he would be husband and father. He would name the baby Jesus, as commanded. Joseph is our example of honor, righteousness, and obedience in the Christmas story.

We are not told anything about what being Jesus’ earthly father cost Joseph. Did the people of Nazareth look down on him? Were there ugly words or judgmental stares?  We don’t know. We are told Jesus was known as the carpenter’s son. Joseph raised the boy as his own. Joseph is a role model. He is a contrast to the son in Matthew 21 who said he would go work in his father’s vineyard and then did not. Unlike the son in that parable, Joseph “did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him …”  Joseph shows us what it means to be a man as described in Psalm 15, … whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman … who keeps his oath even when it hurts … He who does these things will never be shaken. Joseph appears to have not been shaken, and he gives evidence of having put his whole heart into the circumstance. Joseph had a calling with the heart and character to fulfill that calling. You, too, have a calling — as a father, mother, spouse, employee, son, daughter. Is your heart in it? There are multiplied pressures upon us, in December, to compromise our character. Pressures that take the wind out of our sails, that tempt us to lose heart. Consider Joseph, God’s demands of him, his righteousness, and integrity. Do not lose heart. There was great joy at Jesus’ birth! Let God show you the joy surrounding you today.
 
 

Jay W. Hill