Is there a Joseph in the house?
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This blog has been edited, and audio added - 30 March 2021
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by [the power of] the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her [promised] husband, being a just and righteous man and not wanting to expose her publicly to shame, planned to send her away and divorce her quietly.
Matthew 1:18-19 (AMP)
Introduction:
Some time ago, we received a prompting to present a short teaching to a small group from the story of Joseph and his role as a husband to Mary and earthly father to Jesus. We would like to share with you the main points of that message. Joseph, the understated character in the story of the Nativity was in fact a truly amazing example of what pleases God in a husband and father. Today we would like to present this unexpected man of excellence to you. We hope it will be a worthy prelude to some further teaching on the role of the husband within the marriage covenant. This presentation is for all those desiring to be (or hoping to find) a man after God’s heart. We hope you enjoy it.
A Little Background:
Our opening scripture from Matthew 1:18-19 reveals a point of turmoil for Joseph. He is yet to discover the truth behind the revelation that his betrothed is pregnant. Imagine the pain as he considers what to do. Being “a just and righteous man”, he cannot ignore the truth - it appears that Mary has been intimate with another man - yet he loves her deeply - he is torn. Mary knowing the truth has comfort from the prophecy revealed in her supernatural encounter (Luke 1: 26-38), yet she must still have anguished over how to approach Joseph. This is no small matter. In Jewish culture, betrothal is a legal agreement and is more binding than the western ‘engagement’. Mary and Joseph are for all intents and purposes married, but the contract is not yet sealed because Joseph has not formally come to take her into his house. There is real danger here and Joseph has reason to be in great anguish. A betrothed woman who willingly has sexual relations with another man faces death by stoning under the law (Deuteronomy 22:23). How would he deal with this in the integrity of his own conscience and his desire to protect Mary from harm? Perhaps this was why in the midst of danger he was considering sending her away quietly.
Supernatural encounters:
Joseph has encounters with angels who deliver both revelation and specific instructions. Here is the first as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel:
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:20-21 (AMP)
When Joseph receives this supernatural message, he demonstrates an unwavering faith in God and his response to instruction is immediate and complete. With no doubt as to the source of this dream, he does not hesitate to take Mary into his home as a seal of their marriage.
And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he named Him Jesus.
Matthew 1:24-25 (NASB)
Joseph’s second supernatural encounter comes after the birth of Jesus and following the departure of the wise men:
After they had gone, Joseph had another dream. An angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Get up now and flee to Egypt. Take Mary and the little child and stay there until I tell you to leave, for Herod intends to search for the child to kill him.”
So that very night he got up and took Jesus and his mother and made their escape to Egypt…
Matthew 2: 13-14 (TPT)
Notice Joseph’s response, “so that very night he got up and took Jesus and His mother…”. That is faith and obedience. Many of us might question what the angel meant by the word ‘now’ and consider taking a few days to organise ourselves since clearly Herod has not acted yet. Many would be fearful, wondering how they would travel, where they would stay and how to sustain themselves. Joseph was unquestioning, simply lost in his complete commitment to God and to His family. As a husband, he had a role as guardian and head, responsible for the well-being of His family so he put his trust in his God whom he knew would be the source of all their supply and protection. Obedience was the key to every good thing. Sometimes in our relationships and family life we are faced with challenges and all we can see are the physical limitations. Solutions seem impossible or so unreachable. When God shows up, often the instruction is difficult, but if you know that it is His voice follow without delay.
Different people and different responses:
Several people who are connected to the events around the time of Jesus’ birth received messages from angels; Mary, Zechariah who was husband to Mary’s relative Elizabeth, Joseph, and the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth. Let us look at the response of Zechariah to his encounter with heaven.
Zechariah was quite a significant figure in the community - he was a priest on duty at the Temple when the angel appeared to him:
Now an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth.
Luke 1:11-14 (NASB)
His response was quite different to that of Joseph. Here it is, and the counter reaction from the angel Gabriel:
Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her years.” The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
Luke 1:18-20 (NASB)
The lack of trust by Zechariah receives a rebuke and a consequence. Questioning God’s message was not something Joseph ever did. We are not trying to be judgemental about Zechariah, his response might well have been our own. We recognise the reason for his hesitation. Zechariah had long given up on his prayer. Perhaps when physical age appeared to be a final barrier to overcoming Elizabeth’s barrenness he just stopped praying and stopped expecting. Now, this sudden announcement by Gabriel collided with Zechariah’s established lack of expectation and in the moment, Zechariah spoke out of his discouragement to question the validity of the message.
The main point of the comparison with Joseph is simply to highlight what is exceptional and quite extraordinary about Joseph’s profound faith and desire to respond without question. It is one of the most outstanding attributes of a husband and father - having a heart to seek and follow instruction in faith and obedience. Fortunately, God’s mercy endures for those who know the Lord. Even our mistakes are used by God to prosper His plans (Psalm 1:3). In Zechariah’s story, his obedience in giving his son the name John, and his praises as soon as his speech was restored proved to be a witness to many of God’s majesty, and as a result, everyone was in awe of God (Luke 1:64-79).
Conclusion:
We are joyous over Joseph. When you read the story around Jesus’ birth, understandably the focus is on Jesus. We wanted to highlight the story and actions of Joseph because there is much worth revealing. This story does not show all the possible attributes of a godly husband within the fullness of the marriage covenant, but what it does reveal is the importance of responding to God who is head over every husband looking to fulfil his responsibility to prosper his marriage and ensure the safety of the family. If your desire is to be a good husband and father, following role models like Joseph is a good place to start.
We hear little more about Joseph after the record of Jesus’ visit to the Temple in Jerusalem aged twelve. What happened to him is not recorded in the Gospels, but the little we do see of him shows why God considered him to be worthy of the role of earthly father and protector of the young Jesus. He was indeed a descendant of David in both lineage and in heart.
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Our next blog teaching: What Responsibility Looks Like - is coming soon and will explore more about the role of husbands. Have a blessed 2019 and may your relationships flourish.
Steve and Khanya.