For the last several days I have been thinking about Joseph.
He must have been a wonderful man; a man of honor. We don’t know much about him but Scripture gives us insight of his love for Mary and for God.
“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah happened. His mother Mary was engaged to marry Joseph. But before they married, he learned that she was expecting a baby. (She was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit.) 19 Mary’s husband, Joseph, was a good man. He did not want to cause her public disgrace, so he planned to divorce her secretly.
20 But after Joseph thought about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to accept Mary to be your wife. The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son. You will name him Jesus.[a Give him that name because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this happened to make clear the full meaning of what the Lord said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him Immanuel.”[b (Immanuel means “God with us.”)
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the Lord’s angel told him to do. He married Mary. 25 But Joseph did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And he named him Jesus.” Matthew 1:18-25 ERV
The woman Joseph loved, the woman he had planned to marry was pregnant. The baby wasn’t his! This was disgraceful. We know that Joseph didn’t want Mary to be subjected to public ridicule and scorn. He loved her; he wanted the best for her even though he was dealing with a great emotional struggle.
Joseph was wrestling with what he should do when the Lord sent an angel to him in a dream and gave him a plan. Yes, he was an honorable man. The perfect man to help raise God’s son.
I can just imagine what it must have been like to be Mary. She had to tell Joseph she was pregnant. Did she explain to him that this baby she was carrying was the Messiah? How did her family react? These questions aren’t answered in Scripture but they make for interesting conjecture.
The past few days as I have been baking and decorating I’ve also been listening to Christmas Carols. There are carols about Jesus, Mary, the angels, the shepherd, the wise men and the night but I haven’t heard one about Joseph. So, I did a search and found a couple songs which have been written from Joseph’s viewpoint. For whatever reason they haven’t gotten much air play. Here’s one called Joseph’s Song, by Michael Card. (click the link to hear the song)
How could it be this baby in my arms
Sleeping now, so peacefully
The Son of God, the angel said
How could it be
Lord I know He’s not my own
Not of my flesh, not of my bone
Still Father let this baby be
The son of my love
Chorus 2
Father show me where I fit into this plan of yours
How can a man be father to the Son of God
Lord for all my life I’ve been a simple carpenter
How can I raise a king, How can I raise a king
He looks so small, His face and hands so fair
And when He cries the sun just seems to disappear
But when He laughs it shines again
How could it be
These lyrics speak to my heart. they reflect my own feelings as I ask the Lord where do I fit into Your plan. How can I best represent Jesus through my life?
Father, thank you for honorable men and women who are willing to do the right thing regardless of their circumstances. Thank you that they represent You and your love to this world.
Hi Kristi, We met at the Diamond T Ranch sometime ago when you visited with Tom and Pam. I’ve been reading your blog since then and you have a great gift. My Tom’s favorite song about Joseph is It Wasn’t His Child by Sawyer Brown. You may have heard it also, but if not, I thought you might enjoy listening.
Hi Brenda, yes I remember meeting you and Tom. Merry Christmas. I’m so glad to here you’ve been reading the blog and are blessed by it.
I do know that Sawyer Brown song but had forgotten about it. I really like it.