THE MAN GOD CHOSE TO RAISE HIS SON

Matthew. 1:18-25 (NIV)

18 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. 19 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.

20 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. 21 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.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

As we approach Christmas this year let’s look at the man that raised Jesus, Joseph.

Let’s say that you were going to have a child and you knew you had to turn that child over to someone else to raise them. How would you choose that right family? You would want a father that would be an example that every child needs and deserves.

How do you suppose God was when He was choosing the right family that would raise Jesus?

Much, often too much emphasis is placed on Mary and her choice to become the mother of Jesus. Yes, she deserves to be thanked and held in great respect, but too often, we forget about Joseph. His example and lifestyle were very influential in the life of the Lord Jesus.

The way Joseph handled himself revealed a lot about his true character. I am sure that once Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant was quite a shock to him. You can see this by the way he was going to handle the “situation”. But as we see in verse 19 that Joseph was faithful to the law. We also know that he was a God fearing man. Because we see in verse 24 that when he woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him.

This should show us how to respond in a time of crisis, which reveals our true nature. Joseph proved that he was a man under control. Most other men of the time would have divorced Mary. But Joseph wanted to do the right thing. Tradition says that Joseph was a widower who was much older than Mary. If so, this may have accounted for his patience, calmness and wisdom in the situation.

So one night while Joseph was sleeping he hears voices telling him to that this all part of God’s plan. Because Joseph is a God fearing man, he realizes that he has been chosen to be part of a glorious plan. Being a God fearing man, Joseph, without hesitation, does exactly what he was told to do.

Joseph would have to live with the shame that would be placed upon Him by others, not only during the pregnancy, but his entire life! There are several traditions surrounding the birth of Jesus, he was Joseph’s son; Mary had a secret lover; and even a Roman soldier raped Mary. Again, this speaks well of Joseph, as he was willing to bear this cross for the glory of God. Certainly, Jesus learned much from watching this man suffer in silence!

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (MSG) Then Samuel said, Do you think all God wants are sacrifices—empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing, not staging a lavish religious production. Not doing what God tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around God is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. Because you said No to God’s command, he says No to your kingship.

Obedience reveals the heart of man like nothing else. When we obey the Lord’s command, even when they are unpleasant or hard, it proves our love for Him and reveals where our loyalty truly is.

The right of naming the child was in the hand of the Father. Joseph knew that the child’s true Father wanted the child called Jesus. Therefore, Joseph named the child Jesus. This also shows obedience.

Joseph was chosen to be the surrogate father of Jesus because he was pure of life and pure of heart. He was the kind of man God could use, because God didn't have to worry about Joseph getting in the way. In other words, he was yielded to the will of the Lord.

We need to look at our own lives and ask ourselves, "Are we the kind of person that God could use in a big way?" If not, then what do we need to do to get there? God will never call another man to do what Joseph did. But, God has plenty of big jobs left to do; He just needs the people who are willing and report for duty.

Merry Christmas dads!