I have felt for a long time now that Joseph is an overlooked champion of the birth and early life of Jesus. The truth is that in order for the virgin birth to be believable in any way, shape or form, Joseph had to believe it and embrace it. That an angel came to him, prior to the birth of Jesus, is as important as is the fact that an angel came to Mary explaining the upcoming events.
The truth is that it was Joseph who stepped up and became the protector of both Mary and Jesus. He assumed responsibility to see to it that provisions were made to proceed through the pregnancy and through the birth experience, and through the early life of the Messiah on earth.
It was Joseph to whom angels appeared in dreams, after the birth of Jesus, so as to keep the baby safe. In Matthew 2:13 we read, “…behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." Verse 14 says, ”So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.”
In Matthew 2:19 we read, “…When Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, ‘Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead." Verse 20 says, “So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.”
In Matthew 2:22 and 23 we read, “When he [Joseph] heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Nazareth This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene."
Three times God spoke to Joseph and three times Joseph heard and obeyed. Three times he did whatever it took to be true to the Word of God for he and his family, and because of his obedience the Christ-event positions itself to unfold in the exact and precise way ordained by God.
The text points us to a wonderful insight about God and the Gospel. God chooses the normalcy of a lower, middle-class family of a carpenter into with to place His Messiah. He uses a working-class guy to provide for the Child and His mother. And, when all is said and done about the childhood years of Jesus, Joseph emerges as a huge part of the story.
The way God used Joseph in the early years of Jesus life, and the way Joseph responded in faithfulness each time God spoke to his heart, takes us beyond ourselves into the meaning of faith and faithfulness. The truth is that Joseph is really special in the scheme of things in Judah. He's just one of the guys. He works hard. He's trained himself to be a carpenter and is good enough at it that he can make a living. He's met this girl who has caught his eye, with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life. She has agreed to marry him, and plans are being made. It is an engagement that is not too well known except for those close to he and Mary. And, then God shows up and messes up the whole story, and out the window go the plans; and in the window come the plans of God. And, this rather ordinary guy about whom we know so little is called upon to fulfill a task that will have ramifications for centuries to come, simply because he was obedient and faithful.
I have been meditating on the story of Joseph, and I have come to believe that in Joseph we see the story of most Believers. Most of us are just "the folks." We live within our sphere of influence giving life our best shot, and doing pretty well with what we have been given. Some among us are more gifted than others, but we all show up and do what we are called upon to do. In fact, each of us brings something special and unique to God's Church, and, at times, like Joseph, we are called upon to do something we had not planned on; something that catches us off guard; sometimes, something that shocks our senses and stretches our imagination.
My dad, who died at the age of 85 on September 19, 2003, was a Joseph. His name was Samuel James but he was a Joseph. He was a mechanic, not a carpenter, and because of injuries done to his father in World War 1, he had to drop out of school because he was the oldest of the children, and had to become the primary provider for his family. He worked odd jobs, doing whatever he could do to bring in money for his mother and to care for the family. He taught himself how to work on cars and became so good at it that in time it became his work, and the way he provided for my mom, my older brother and my younger sister. He became a Christian in 1946, and whatever happened at that little altar in that little town of Wardell, Missouri, took. My dad never looked back and became one of the most dedicated, loyal and faithful churchmen I have met in my life.
Interestingly enough, if it weren't for me you would never have heard of my dad. He was never written about in Christian journals, never did anything noteworthy enough to catch the imagination of anybody outside his circle, and died in obscurity, except for the few people who knew the true story of his life. He was unpretentious, unassuming, and self-denying. He worked too many hours each week but he never missed Sunday morning worship, Sunday evening worship our Wednesday evening Bible study. He found time to serve on the board and, if there was a workday at our little church, my dad was the first to arrive and the last to leave.
I tell you about my dad, not to be selfish, but because there are people you know, hundreds of them if we were to tally them, who are just like him. Some of you are just like him. If I ever equate you to being like my dad, please receive it as one of the highest honors I can bestow.
You are a Joseph. You are faithful. You are committed to Christ and His Church. You are the backbone of the church, and without you, we would be less than who we are. When God needs someone do the hard work that requires going the second mile, he calls upon you. You are a Joseph (or a Josephena, as the case may be). When God stretches your faith to do something, you get up, like Joseph, and do it. That is huge.
Never underestimate the power and fruitfulness of your testimony and witness. There is a place for each one of us at the table of the Lord, and in the timing and planning and visions and dreams of God, what we bring to that table is huge.
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