The Forgotten Christmas Hero: Joseph
At Christmas time we sing about the Angels, Shepherds, Wise Men, and a young virgin girl named Mary. We talk of an Inn Keeper with no rooms left and the evil King who wanted to kill the new born King. In the midst of this story there stood a quiet, unassuming man, a man entrusted to be the foster father to the Messiah, a man of faith and undying trust in his God. Joseph the Carpenter!
Engagement in those days was a binding contract. It was nearly as binding as marriage is in our day. Imagine his feelings when his bride to be came home from a 3 month visit with her cousin and announced that she was going to have a baby and that God was the father of the baby. How would YOU react?
When you read the account in Matthew chapter one, you see that he was a kind man who didn’t want to publicly embarrass her, but considered divorcing her privately. While he was thinking about what he should do, an angel appeared to him and assured him that all was well. Then he revealed God’s plan to him. Your wife will bring forth a son and YOU shall call his name JESUS. Joseph had an important part to play now, he got to name the Messiah. How cool was that?
After the baby was born the Lord again sent an Angel to Joseph and told him to take Mary and the baby to Egypt because there were those who sought to kill him. Joseph did so. Later the angel returned to let him know it was safe to go home.
Mary may have found favor with God, but Joseph was a man whom God trusted. He trusted him to name, raise, train, teach and protect his only begotten son and later teach him a trade.
