Matthew 1:19

New Living Translation

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.

For Encouragement

Have you lived in the shadow of somebody before? It is one of the most frustrating situations anybody could experience in life. Nothing you do satisfies or is received as yours. People identify you by that person’s name. Joseph of Nazareth is one such person. O, you don’t know him? How about Joseph, Mary’s husband? Aha! That is precisely my point. Joseph lived and died in the shadow of his wife, Mary. So, who was Joseph?

He was a descendant of King David (Lk. 2:4) from Bethlehem but lived in Galilee. We can learn about him from his encounter with the angel Gabriel. He was a righteous man—faithful to the law (Matthew 1:19).

Joseph was sensitive to others’ interests. Mary, his fiance was pregnant without knowing her and the law allowed him to take her before the priests for questioning. However, Joseph didn’t want to subject Mary to public ridicule. He decided to break off the engagement quietly to protect her honor.

In his reaction to Mary’s pregnancy, we see these attributes of love: not self-seeking or quick to anger. He protected Mary’s dignity and trusted her to handle the pregnancy her way. He wouldn’t shame her for people to mock in public. That’s a rare display of selflessness.

He was obedient and trusted the Lord. These traits stood out in his reaction to the angel Gabriel’s announcement. Joseph accepted the Lord’s instructions and did what Gabriel told him to do (24). He sacrificed his dignity and took Mary home. He preferred suffering disgrace for his obedience. What a man!

Good husbands are hard to find in every generation, and Joseph distinguished himself here (Luke 2:4-5). He respected Mary and did not seek a marital affair with her until after Jesus’s birth (Matthew 1:25). He accepted the divine nature of the child Mary carried and supported her. 

He went to Bethlehem for Caesar’s census, a city flooded with no room for them. Despite his stature and Mary’s condition, he did not scream for somebody’s room. Mary was carrying God’s Son and deserved a better place to stay, yet he made no fuss about it. That is humility, a character of Immanuel, the baby Mary carried.

When the shepherds and Magi came to worship the baby, Joseph, as always, gave space for Mary to receive the recognition. What a considerate man!

Without hesitation, he took Mary and baby Jesus to Egypt to save him from a murderous Herod (Matthew 2:13-15). Joseph returned from Egypt at the Lord’s command not to go back to Nazareth (23), living under Mary’s shadow for the rest of his life. That is the stature and character of the man whom God used to be the earthly father to Jesus.

Can you live this way for the Lord? As you celebrate Christmas in a few weeks, you can work on yourself by talking to God, searching your heart, surrendering to His will for your life, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pray with Me

What a delight to know Joseph, the man you chose to be the earthly father of your Son, Jesus Christ, in this way. Lord, help us to give ourselves to you for your purposes as Joseph did and to live a distinguished life in Christ for your glory so that no one can malign your name because of us. For Christ’s sake, amen.