JOSEPH—A RIGHTEOUS MAN
18 This 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. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 20 As 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. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All 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.’” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25 NLT
- He was entrusted with the care of God’s Son, not by his own plan, but by God’s divine intervention.
- A righteous man is more concerned with impressing God rather than his friends.
- “Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of Passover.” Luke 2:41
- Parents are you teaching your children the importance of Church? Do you value or devalue the Body of Christ?
- You never know what people are going through or what burdens they are carrying.
- Just want you to know we have been thinking about you and praying for you.
JOSEPH WAS A MAN THAT LISTENED TO GOD AND WAS OBEDIENT.
The Escape to Egypt
13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother,15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” 16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A cry was heard in Ramah—weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted,
for they are dead.” Matthew 2:13-18 NLT
- Joseph had a big responsibility being the stepfather of Jesus.
- Do we take the time to listen to God?
- Much like Mary, Joseph believed what God said.
The Return to Nazareth
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.”
21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. 23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.” Matthew 2:19-23 NLT
- Joseph through obedience was fulfilling God’s plans.
- What is it that God wants to accomplish through your obedience?
- How many generations could be impacted by your obedience to God?
Next steps for me today…
- To choose to be obedient to God.
- To listen for God’s voice as I navigate decisions.
