December 9, 2008

Joseph, Step-father of Jesus

Matthew 1:19,24 (HCSB) 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly… 24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her

Joseph is the strong silent type. We don’t know a lot about Joseph. However, if we look close, we will discover some great nuggets of gold about this unsung hero of the Christmas story.
· Joseph was a righteous man.
· He was sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
· He was obedient to God.
· He was faithful.
Joseph was a protector. Joseph was the protector of Mary, and also Jesus. Later he protected Jesus by fleeing to Egypt. I think there is some sort of innate desire of every man to protect his family. Whether that is the case or not, Joseph certainly chose to be the protector. God used Joseph to protect Mary and Jesus from harm and to prepare the way for Jesus to grow up “in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people. (Luke 2:52)

Questions for Discussion
How can you be obedient to God in order to pave the way for someone to know Jesus?
Can you be the protector of someone by showing them the way to Jesus?

Pray:
Dear God, thank you for Joseph and his willingness to follow your plan and protect Jesus. Amen.

Song
“Silent Night”