God's Silent Partner In The Christmas Story

 When you think about the Christmas story who immediately comes to your mind?  

The baby Jesus? 

Maybe Mary and her amazing trust?  

Possibly the angels announcing to the Shepherds on that Holy Night?

I am thinking about the infamous 'silent partner' who stood by Mary; silently supporting her.

Joseph, the one who gets very little, if any, attention.

We are told that Joseph was a “righteous man” who was engaged to be married to Mary. He was from the lineage of  David. We are told he was a carpenter from Nazareth. That’s about it.

¹⁹Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. ²⁰But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, 

So, what is a person expected to do with such an unbelievable bit of news?  A woman empregnated by the Holy Spirit?  Really?

Now lets take a step way, way, back n history.  To a cultural dramatically different from what we know.

A time when the concept of being engaged had rules, not only by religious laws, but but social one as well. These rules were taken much more seriously for sure.

¹⁹Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.

According to Jewish tradition, Joseph basically had two things to consider:

One, Joseph could publicly shame her with the possibility of death by stoning.

Or two, divorce her privately.

If Joseph simply divorced her he would have to endure embarrassment and shame for his action -- publicly but also by the religious leaders.

It was a lose, lose situation.

Yet something amazing happened to Joseph. 

²⁰But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ ²²All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
²³ ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,..

Joseph, to me, is somewhat of a hero.  He believed the angel, in his dream, and took the honorable way.  He was not going to let the social guidelines for living interfere with God's plan. 

He chose the ways of God.

He trusted in the angel’s words: ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife,…

He chose to disregard all the the judgements he would face socially. And trusted that God would provide all the strength and courage he would ever need. 

Joseph was a perfect model of someone who wanted to live his life following God’s will and ways.  

²²All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
²³ ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’

I invite you to sit a moment and think about God’s silent partner in this coveted Christmas story.

I then invite you to fine the trust to engage in God’s plan for the world he invaded that silent night so long ago.

The plan for peace and goodwill for all people.

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. ²⁰But just when he had resolved to do this, 18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. ²⁰But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ ²²All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 

²³ ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ ²⁴When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, ²⁵but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. ²¹She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ ²²All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 
²³ ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
   and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’ ²⁴When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, ²⁵but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. (Matt. 1)