Jospeh

Imagine being on a date with your fiance. The night is going well. You have enjoyed a wonderful dinner. The evenings discussion focused on wedding and honeymoon planes. Out of nowhere your future wife tells you she is pregnant. You know that the baby is not yours since there has been no physical contact between you. Imagine the hurt and anger that would consume you. Imagine how much worse it would get when she gently explains that it will be ok. She is still a virgin and the baby within her is from God..."yeah right", you would say. After a few more choice words come through your head. You leave in disgust.

Our human nature would say forget this girl she is not faithful or worth the trouble. Matthew 1:19 tells us that Joseph did not want to make a scene or a public example of her (i.e. have her stoned). So he set out to break the engagement quietly.

What character this man had. The angel of the Lord does not appear to him until the next verse. Joseph in his humanity, in his anger, and in his hurt loved her enough to break with her in a way that was honorable.

Once the angel did appear to him, he was more than willing to take her and marry her. What love and devotion Joseph had for Mary. What a perfect picture of how God loves us. In spite of all he thought and felt he was willing to become the earthly father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Joseph became His adoptive father. What an honorable man. Some put to much emphasis on Christ's parents. Others do not put enough. As you celebrate the birth of Christ this season, thank God that there was a willing and honorable man to marry the pregnant Mary and become the father of our Lord.