Just Joseph
Devotions for Growing Christians
Just Joseph
Matthew 1:18-19 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19And Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly.
Read Matthew 1 and 2.
What do you know about Joseph - the man who seems to be just a bystander in the background of nativity scenes at Christmas? What kind of man did God choose to be the earthly father of our Lord? Was he just an ordinary Nazareth native? We know he was a carpenter by vocation (Matthew 13:55), but what was he like in character? Was he just an "average believer" (like most of us)? Or was he an outstanding man of God?
A Righteous Man
Matthew 1:19 says that Joseph was a “just“ man. A righteous man. He was not perfect or sinless, but his life was characterized by consistently doing what was right before God. Joseph was not only a good, honest carpenter, but he exhibited outstanding moral qualities in every area of his life. Although the Bible doesn’t contain a lot about this "background" man, Joseph’s virtuous character and moral excellence emerge from the few verses about him that God has given us. As we study what the Bible has to say about "just Joseph", we should be challenged to follow his example.
A Man of Love
Joseph was a man of love. We see his love demonstrated in his tender care and consideration for Mary, even under very difficult circumstances. Imagine Joseph's predicament when he found out that his beloved fiancee was pregnant. Mary's explanations about "angel announcements" and "Holy Spirit conception" were just too hard to believe. With deep hurt and disappointment Joseph must have concluded that sometime during Mary's three-month visit to her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:56), she had been unfaithful. How could she have done this to the man who truly loved her? And then she wouldn’t confess, and tell him the "truth"! She had pleaded with him to understand that this pregnancy was from God! Joseph had never known such emotional stress and trauma and hurt!
At this point Joseph was left with two options. He loved God, and he wanted to do what was right. According to God's Law in Deuteronomy 22:23-24, Mary could have been put to death. Even if a public stoning was waived, at least she could have been denounced publicly. This action would "protect Joseph's reputation”!
But Joseph loved Mary. In spite of her apparent unfaithfulness to him, he had no desire for revenge. For Mary's sake, he decided to keep things as quiet as possible and break the engagement privately. Because Mary had not been proven guilty, he had the option of dispensing with his legal rights. Maybe he thought Mary could go back to stay with Elizabeth, who lived some distance away. She could have the baby there, and avoid a painful scandal in small-town Nazareth. Joseph was a man of love, and he wanted to do the best for Mary - even when he thought she had betrayed him.
Do we show the same kind of love that Joseph exhibited? What is our reaction when we believe a Christian friend has wronged us, or someone we're close to has deeply hurt us? Do we look for an opportunity to get back at that person? Are we filled with anger and bitterness? Do we run away from the scene of our hurt and try to forget everything? Or do we continue to love that Christian friend? Do we try to do what's right by God's standards - and what's best for the person who has stepped on us? This kind of love is never easy, but it is possible. (See John 17:26).
A Man of Faith
Joseph was also a man of faith. He was more than just a believer - he lived out what he believed. He lived and walked by his faith in the living God. Joseph must have spent long hours in prayer as he considered what to do about Mary’s pregnancy (1:20). It wasn't that he didn't want to believe her story, but how could he have accepted such a fantasy? To believe such an incredible story would take gullibility, not faith! A virgin birth had never happened in human history - not even back in the miracle days of the prophets!
It was at this point that an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream - and the angel confirmed everything that Mary had shared with him! She had been faithful! The child’s conception was by the Holy Spirit! Mary was the virgin of Isaiah's messianic prophecy (1:23)! Joseph's fiancee was to become the mother of the long-awaited Messiah! And he - Joseph - was to be the earthly father of this Child, and was to give him the name Jesus!
What unexpected good news! What unbelievable relief of soul! Joseph must have experienced reverent awe and ecstatic joy at the same time. He wasted no time in marrying Mary (1:24). This was concrete evidence of his faith in God. Can you imagine the beautiful and excited reunion of this godly couple?
Joseph’s faith and trust in God should be an example for all of us. Notice: he never questioned the angel, and he never doubted the divine revelation that was given to him. And notice also - the angel never questioned Joseph! There was no rebuke for Joseph's doubts or questions or about Mary. The Lord does not hold us responsible to believe the incredible without divine revelation. God is not looking for blind faith or gullible faith. He calls us to a reasonable faith - a faith that is grounded in His revealed Word.
Joseph would certainly have known the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah, and it was to these promises in the Word of God that the angel pointed Joseph (1:21-23). Joseph believed the angel because the message was grounded in Scripture - and so we should believe and not doubt what God has plainly declared in His Word. What about our daily needs? Do we worry about our security? Do we doubt God's ability to take care of us and meet our basic needs? Walking by reasonable faith means that we should not doubt or get anxious about our needs, because God has plainly declared that He Himself will provide "all these things" when we “seek His kingdom first” (Matthew 6:25-34).
An Obedient Man
Joseph was obviously a man of obedience. He readily obeyed the angel's command to take Mary as his wife. But, you may say, it was easy to obey that command! But wait a minute! Remember that Mary was at least three months pregnant at this time (Luke 1:56). By marrying Mary, Joseph was taking on himself all the accusations and stigma that were sure to surface soon. Remember the implication of the Jewish leaders’ statement some thirty years later: "We were not born of fornication..." (John 8:31). But Joseph obeyed the angel's message, regardless of the consequences.
A further example of Joseph's obedience is seen in Matthew 2:13-14. After Jesus' birth the angel told Joseph to take his family to Egypt - immediately! Even though there were Jewish communities in Egypt at that time, and even though God had provided the means for the trip through the gifts of the wise men, it was still a major undertaking. Traveling by donkey with Mary and young Jesus, to an unfamiliar country, at least 300 miles away, over wilderness terrain - this was not a Sunday stroll! But Joseph obeyed - promptly (2:14)! After they were settled in Egypt, however, Joseph was told to move again - back to Israel! Again Joseph obeyed, without raising any questions about convenience or God's timetable!
Do we obey the Lord's commands as Joseph did? Do we obey quickly? Or do we ignore the commands we don’t like, or respond with partial or delayed obedience? What about the Lord's command to verbalize the gospel with friends and neighbors (Mark 16:15)? What about fleeing from our strong physical desires (2 Timothy 2:22)? Do we obey only when it's convenient and easy?
What about the sins of criticizing others and complaining about circumstances? It's so convenient and easy to disobey in this area! Do we obey even when we don't understand what God is doing in our lives? (See Proverbs 3:5-6). Do we trust when tragedy strikes, and the future looks bleak and empty? Joseph is a tremendous model to all of us of what it really means to trust and obey.
A Patient Man
Finally, Joseph was a man of patience. We’ve already seen that he was not given to hasty or rash reaction. He thought carefully about his course of action (1:20). Matthew 1:25 says that Joseph kept Mary a virgin until Jesus was born. We don’t know whether or not this was also a command from the angel. Conception had already taken place, so the Divine/Human nature of the Baby Mary was carrying would not have been affected. But perhaps in view of the prophecy that a virgin would conceive and bear a Son, Joseph made sure that Mary remained a virgin until after the birth of Jesus. It doesn't take a lot of profound insight here to recognize that Joseph was a man of disciplined patience. He was in control of his passions.
Joseph’s patience needs to be practiced by Christians today. Impatience in the area of sexual desire has led to the downfall of many believers. If God gave Joseph patience in this area, He can give us patience as well! Remember, patience in all areas is part of the fruit of the Spirit who indwells and empowers every Christian. (See Galatians 5:22).
While the figure of "just Joseph” will stand in the background shadows of many nativity scenes, let it remind us to follow his example of love, faith, obedience and patience.
- Dave Reid