Joseph: Faithful and Obedient
I still can’t get over how weird this situation must have been for Joseph. Put yourself in his shoes for a moment: You’re planning to marry someone, then find out she’s pregnant. You make plans to divorce her (as custom would require), then, an angel shows up in a dream and tells you that you still need to marry her. Because the child she’s carrying in her womb? It belongs to the Holy Spirit.
Oh. Well, ok then, God.
In all seriousness, during Biblical times, the implications of a woman becoming pregnant outside of wedlock would have been dire; she could have been stoned for her transgression. Joseph, a man of great integrity, planned to divorce her quietly so she would not have to face public humiliation. However, once the angel spoke to him in a dream, he consented to wed Mary.
Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: 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. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
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. 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.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Think of the social implications this decision would have had on Joseph: Agreeing to marry an already pregnant woman would have surely cast doubt on his own innocence. Many probably believed it was either Joseph that impregnated Mary before wedlock, or that someone else had, and he would marry her despite this. Both of these options would have left Joseph with a social stigma that he would undoubtedly carry for the rest of his life. In fact, for Jesus’s entire life, the public considered Joseph to be his father.
John 6:42a (niv)
“They said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?’”
Joseph, however, was a person who was sensitive to God’s guidance, and willing to be obedient to God’s will, no matter the consequence. Yet, Joseph had a choice: Would he be faithful to man (the social stigma), or faithful to God?
Galatians 1:10 (NIV)
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Obedience to God does not always look like how we would want it to look. It does not always make sense. Sometimes, obedience to God looks like breaking social norms and trusting that God is faithful and will guide us, even when things do not make sense.
It was because of Joseph’s deep, enduring faith that he was obedient to God, regardless of the cost to his reputation.
It seems that Joseph flies under the radar a bit during the Christmas story. Mary is the obvious stand-out: a pregnant virgin who bravely follows God’s lead, takes a long journey, and gives birth to our Savior in a dirty stable. Joseph appears to play second fiddle to Mary—his obedience is steady and behind-the-scenes.
But what if Joseph’s quiet, humble obedience is just as bold and astounding as Mary’s?
What if Joseph is just as much of a stand-out in the Christmas story as his wife?
What if Joseph’s breaking of social norms, and his unwavering, faithful obedience to God makes him just as brave as Mary?
Faithful obedience doesn’t have to be big and loud to be used by God.
God can use many types of obedience in his kingdom. In fact, sometimes God chooses faithful followers like Joseph—who are willing to quietly and humbly make bold moves for him—to make some of the biggest impacts on the Kingdom.
How might God be calling you to become more like Joseph? Is there anything he is asking you to do that might go against what is socially acceptable—an unpopular choice, but you know that God is calling you to make? Is there any area of your life that you’re living to please man, and not God?
Becoming generous
weekly family activity - obedience
Each week of this Advent season your family has an opportunity to grow in its generosity.
This week we want to be a blessing to those who are brave enough to be obedient, even when times are tough. Our local fire fighters and police officers show their obedience every week when they step-in to keep our communities safe. Show them a small amount of gratitude by baking them some fresh treats. Leave them at their station with a short thank-you note.
To follow along with this study, mark your calendars for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in these weeks leading up to Christmas. Each post will be hosted here. If what you’re learning is meaningful to you, click one of the share buttons at the top of these posts to invite more people on this journey of becoming.
We also invite you to spend Sunday mornings with us to hear what the pastors have to share with us during this season. Services start at 9:30 and 11:15am each week. See you there!
Weekly Reading - Dec 9-13
Monday Luke 1:26-56
Tuesday Micah 5:2-3
Wednesday Matthew 1:18-25
Thursday Isaiah 11:1-10
Friday Luke 1:57-80