Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man…

Matthew 1:19a

We know that God chose Mary to be the mother of His Son, Jesus, but how often do we consciously consider that in so doing, God also selected Joseph to serve as Jesus’ earthly father figure?  The Bible makes it clear that Mary was selected to bear the only begotten Son of God because she was highly favored in the Lord’s eyes (Luke 1:28).  And, as we read in the verse above, we learn quickly that Joseph was also deemed a righteous man.  His actions reveal him to have been a sensitive and kind man toward his fiance when he learned the news about her inexplicable pregnancy.  Joseph would have had every right to feel disgraced at what appeared to be unfaithfulness on Mary’s part and he could have treated her harshly for this grave social stigma.  Not only could Joseph had divorced Mary by Jewish law for her apparent unfaithfulness, but he also could have had her stoned! But, because of his kindness and deep love for Mary, he initially decided to act quietly and not publicly shame Mary.

Then, after the angel visited Joseph in a dream and explained things from God’s perspective, Joseph immediately believed and obeyed God’s instructions.  He did this in spite of the public humiliation that he would face under these unfathomable circumstances.  Perhaps this deep rooted nobility is part of what made him God’s choice for Jesus’ earthly father.

The Bible does not detail much about Joseph’s role as earthly dad to Jesus, but we are able to glean that he was an excellent example of integrity and righteousness.  Joseph was a skilled carpenter, and we know that he passed that trade onto Jesus.  Joseph was a man of strong conviction who very obviously lived out his belief and put it into action.  Even when personal risk was involved, he still did the right thing in obeying God.  He demonstrated remarkable self-control on various occasions and serves as a wonderful Biblical example of integrity and godly character.

How easy is it for you to entrust your children to someone else’s care?  Imagine how God felt looking for the earthly man whom He would choose to raise His son!  But, because Joseph earned God’s trust for that immense responsibility, we can be certain that he epitomized integrity and trustworthiness!  He was hand-picked to be Jesus’ earthly dad just as much as Mary was selected to be Jesus’ mom.  God’s sovereignty was completely active in the entire process and we can be certain that Joseph was a wonderful role model as husband and father to Jesus during His days on earth.

Joseph is last mentioned in Scripture when Jesus is 12 years old.  Though we don’t have a lot of information on the specifics of their relationship, I think we can confidently believe that Joseph was not an absentee father figure to Jesus.  Our minds can extrapolate that they must have spent considerable time together.  I’m sure Joseph took his role seriously to be a spiritual leader in their home, despite the fact that Jesus was divine!  He took his family to church (synagogue) and undoubtedly had innumerable spiritual conversations with Jesus.  He adhered to God’s law in front of and alongside of Jesus and certainly enjoyed a special bond in the way only dads can do with their children.  Joseph must have recreated with Jesus like all earthly dads do with their sons.  He must have helped bathe and groom and feed and clothe Him at times, along with Mary.  He must have consoled Him as an infant when He would cry.

Remember, Jesus was fully human as well as fully divine.  His human needs required parental attention every bit as much as our children’s do.   Joseph was involved in helping Jesus learn to talk and he was surely there, close by, on the day Jesus took His first steps and got His first tooth.  Because we tend to focus primarily on Jesus’ divinity (and rightfully so), we sometimes neglect to remember that someone had to be there to help Him in his early years as a human.  Joseph was the “man of the house” during that period of Jesus’ life, and though Joseph obviously wasn’t perfect (only Jesus has the distinction of being the only one to have never sinned!!), he was a godly example to Jesus and he was God’s man for a role unlike any other in the history of the world!  Joseph was a real man in God’s eyes, and that is why He picked him to be the earthly father to His son.

your relation to Joseph

Just as God selected Joseph to be the earthly dad to His son, if you have children, He also hand-picked you to be the parent you are.  God’s sovereignty presides over your family also, and He ordained that you would be a role model and example to your children too.  It is God’s will that everyone should come to know Him and be in relationship with Him, and therefore He chose you to help make that happen in your home and with your spouse and children as you understand and live out a life of godliness and spiritual integrity before your family.  God loves everyone and He doesn’t want anyone to perish and spend an eternity separated from Him (2 Peter 3:9).  It is our responsibility as earthly parents to be men and women of integrity, pointing our children to Christ, and setting an example to them of how God wants us to live.  Joseph did that even in the presence of God, and we must do that too, because we and our children also were created in the very same image!   We are all to live as children of God!!

application

Spend some time thinking about your role as a spouse and parent.  What areas are you doing well at representing Christ and what areas do you need to ask the Lord to help you in improving?  Are you sacrificially investing in your marriage and your children, or are you selfish with your time, your thoughts, and your endeavors?  Do you live your life to fulfill God’s purpose or your own?  He who gave you life did so for a specific reason, and it wasn’t to fulfill your own ambitions, it was to fulfill His.  And if you’re married and have children, loving them and leading them in a godly fashion should be among your very highest priorities after loving God!