Christmas is upon us once again. The packages are wrapped, and opened by the time you read this, the cards have all been sent. Hopefully, we can stop all the rushing around and slow down long enough to savor this special time of the year. It’s wonderful when we can set aside our differences and focus on what can unite our hearts, the birth of the Savior.
It’s important to enjoy the traditions of this special time of the year. The special music, the familiar holiday movies, and the decadent desserts put everyone in the holiday mood. For some, the holidays wouldn’t be what they are without all the shopping. For many, it’s the Christmas parades that make the season. But I think we all enjoy those special Christmas programs at church.
My thoughts this year have turned to Joseph and the way he experienced the coming of Jesus. First, I imagine he struggled with doubt when he found out that Mary was pregnant. I imagine he felt sad and angry when he considered which of the local scoundrels had soiled his beautiful bride. The thought of losing a woman he was so deeply in love with must have been painful.
The Bible teaches us that Joseph was obedient to his dream from heaven. The angel told him the baby was God’s son and to take Mary home as his bride. Even after such a powerful dream I wonder if Joseph struggled with doubt. I mean, who ever heard of a virgin giving birth? I believe the doubts may have intensified as they were in Bethlehem and Mary gave birth to her firstborn son.
I believe God knew that Joseph was struggling with doubt so he sent him three powerful signs to help alleviate his doubts. First, the shepherds come with an incredible story of angels. Two years later, the wise men arrive with incredibly expensive gifts. Finally, after Joseph escapes to Egypt, he hears that all the boys two years or younger living in the vicinity of Bethlehem were slaughtered.
I believe God saw Joseph as a man of great faith. I believe his carpentry skills were excellent. I believe he lived and worked with integrity. I think God believed in Joseph. He had hope that Joseph would raise Jesus in a godly way and teach his son good carpentry skills. I believe Joseph taught Jesus much about faith in the family, faith in the joys and sorrows of life, and faith in God when you are facing persecution.
I believe that Joseph taught Jesus that you must trust God even when you don’t understand it all. I believe Jesus learned obedience to God from his father. I believe that Jesus learned the importance of waiting for God from Joseph, who guided his family safely to Egypt and back to Nazareth through prayer, listening, and obedience to God. Joseph was a good father to Jesus.
I believe that Joseph and Mary are very much like you and me. God had hope and faith in them. He hoped that Joseph and Mary would do what was right. He had faith in their parental abilities. He gave them a very important job to do. While I am sure that they were not perfect, they were faithful and fulfilled God’s purposes.
I believe that God has the same faith and hope in us. He has given each of us talents and gifts and He wants us to use those abilities to bring glory to Him. He wants us to live with integrity in a world that is looking for the shortcut and the easy way out. He hopes that we will let our light shine in this dark world to offer His hope, grace, and mercy to anyone who would receive it. God has placed His hope in us as much as we have placed our eternal hope in Him.
I want to encourage you to consider the role that Joseph plays in the Christmas story. God saw in Him what He sees in you and me, the potential to do great things for His kingdom. God had faith in Joseph. Christmas is a lot of things, one of which is a celebration that God has faith in us. Jesus came to bring hope to a sinful world. At this time of year, I wish each of my readers the peace of Christ which goes beyond understanding, the love of God which is deeper than we can comprehend, and hope which will give us strength to face each new day with the joy of the Lord’s birth in our hearts.
Contact Doug Creamer at doug@dougcreamer.com