18This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.19Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
20As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.21And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”22All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:23“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’ ”
24When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.25But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. Beginner’s Online Bible Study *obbs*
Joseph gives us a glimpse of God’s love and patience! I like how you use the word “gentle” to describe him — that is a perfect word for Joseph. He trusts God and goes along with the plan, and he takes the back seat as far as the Gospel goes. He does as he is supposed to do and watches over and protects his family but takes on no airs of pride and lets God have the control!
Joseph is so amazing. We have no idea how God prepared Joseph for this job, but the faith, character, and gentleness he shows is so amazing, so…Christ like!
“He did not want to disgrace her publicly.” Why not? His fiance’ is pregnant and he knows it isn’t his child! How gentle a man are you that you want to be good to the woman who just betrayed you?
And then Joseph marries her. If I had a dream and an angel told me to marry a girl that was pregnant and the child wasn’t mine I would blame it on Doritos and go on! To marry her meant public humiliation for Joseph.
Or consider this: an angel just told him the child was God’s. Ok – no pressure there – if Joseph marries Mary he is charged with raising a child concieved by God. Talk about a task that would keep you awake at night!
Lord, can you make me so faithful? Can you make me so gentle? Can you make me so loving? I have been trusted with so much less and fallen so much more. I get angry. I remember much less painful things my wife has done to me. I am so far from this model husband that Joseph is. Make me like him Lord. Show me my sins, my failures, and the pains I have caused my family. Then change me so I can be faithful to your tasks for me and to my family. Change me.