The Father of Christmas

In my eyes, Joseph is the most overlooked figure in the story of the birth of Christ. The decisions that Joseph makes prior to and after the birth of Jesus could profoundly impact the life of Jesus. Joseph shows us exactly what it is like to be a father that denies his own flesh to listen and follow what God has instructed him to do. Joseph lives out the biblical standard of what a husband should be.

In Matthew 1:18-25 (NLT), we see Joseph struggle with what to do with his wife-to-be, Mary, who is now pregnant with a child that is not his. In verse 19 Matthew calls Joseph a “righteous man” which means Joseph is a man of God. His wanting to break off the engagement makes sense because of this. Joseph did not want to deal with the shame that would come with being married to a woman who was pregnant before they were married with a child that was not his. You can see how Joseph is struggling with what to do spiritually and fleshly. He thinks he will be making the right decision but God had other plans.

An angel of God appears to Joseph and tells him “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:19-20) At this point, Joseph has chosen between two different routes to go. I could only imagine Joseph's reaction when an angel of God told him Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit. How does this make any sense? Joseph could act in the flesh and disobey God so that people would not judge him and he can find a new wife, or he can follow what God instructed him to do through the angel. In verse 24 we see that Joseph followed what God had instructed him to do. This act of obedience that Joseph displays is continued throughout the life of Jesus.

If Joseph decided to do his own thing and peace out, Jesus would have grown up without a father. How could Jesus, the representation of what we should all be, grow up without the Biblical representation of parents? Joseph saying yes to God did not just affect one moment, but he and his family's life forever and possibly the world. In order for a husband to effectively lead their family they have to align their values with God and die to their flesh daily so that they can let God be their guide.

As a husband for two years now, this part of the Christmas story has a whole new representation. Joseph models what a man of God should do and be. Husbands carry a heavy weight and that weight can be lightened if you allow God to guide the family and not yourself. Imagine how much judgment from others Joseph went through in this situation. There will always be someone who will judge you for the righteous decisions you will make. Trust God and know only His opinion matters. We see God there throughout his life because of Joseph’s obedience. God will always take care of those who follow Him!

The manly instinct is to take over and do everything yourself. You have to let God be God, because His way is perfect and ours is far from that. I am honestly terrible at letting God reign sometimes, but daily I have to remind myself that God is in control, not me. Being a husband and father like Joseph is something to strive to be. The fleshly decisions are felt more drastically in a family environment, because you are not the only one affected. I want to be as humble and wise as Joseph and allow God to guide me and my family's life. Marriage and life are not always butterflies and rainbows. Difficulties will come but if you allow God to direct you those little problems never turn into big ones.