Joseph

Christ Born of Mary

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus." Matthew 1:18-24

We read last week the story of the birth of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, which we get to watch every year since 1965 when Linus first explained to Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about in the animated TV Christmas classic 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'.

Today after we read this narrative written by Matthew, we see that the baby Jesus was named Jesus (He Saves - Jehovah is Salvation). And He was named by Joseph.

It is uncanny that Joseph was mentioned only one other time in the Gospels and nowhere else after Jesus, as a young boy was found teaching in the temple. And he was notably absent after Jesus started His ministry when He was about 30 years old. There was also no mention on what really happened to him. We can speculate all we want, but it is evident that he was out of the picture.

For me, God needed Joseph for a season and Joseph already did his role perfectly in the grand plan of salvation for humankind after he trusted God, obeyed Him and accepted the not so easy ministry of being Mary's husband and earthly father to Mary's baby.

Here in the book of Matthew, we read that he himself named their son, Jesus. So we see that everyone is called by God to do something and like Esther in the Old Testament was told, ‘for such a time as this’.

Indeed, today, here in Torrance, this is our place and our time. Here we all bring our individual gifts and talents for such a time as this. Here the Lord brought us all together, and there is no big or small part. Each one of us do have a part and each one of us is needed as our Father in heaven in His absolute wisdom have already planned what we have to do and where we will be even before we were born. Our part is to trust and obey.