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 (kept her a virgin) till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he (Joseph) called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:24/25
THE story of all stories! The birth of Jesus has throughout all generations captivated people from all walks of life. It was an event appointed by the Father; to send His Son to redeem mankind, to bring salvation into the world, to save His people from their sins.
His name Jesus, or Yeshua, is Hebrew for salvation. He was born to a virgin named Mary who was engaged to Joseph, of the house of David which is of royal descent.
For many of us, Joseph is someone who is just there and as one having not much prominence in the birth of Jesus. Even in our dramatised presentations on the nativity, Mary, the shepherds, the wise men and the angels, all play a pivotal role in Christ’s birth, but it is hard to see what Joseph brings to this divine event. It becomes easy to overlook his purpose in God’s plan and relegate him to a place of little or no significance.
It is a common problem that most of us face even today – when we measure the worth or value of people on the basis of how much they do or what they say. Some become withdrawn and don’t have much expectation in life but others use this hostility to drive them, sometimes abnormally, to become a success as they feel a need to prove something. Both choices can be destructive.
When we look carefully at Joseph’s role in the birth of Christ, we find a man who was secure, honorable, just, full of integrity, whose faith in God was astounding and his obedience unwavering, without question. This is the calibre of the man to whom God entrusted the protection of His Son.
Of the four times that the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, three of those times he was instructed by God to take the young Child and His mother and flee or move to a safe place. Matthew 2:13, 19, 22. He not only obeyed God’s instruction to the letter, he did not delay in obeying.
Sometimes it may seem that you pale into insignificance with all that is happening around you. Don’t be too hasty to think or believe the lie that no one sees you or that your presence does not add much value to life. You are of precious worth to God.
Measure your value by God’s estimation and see things from a heavenly perspective and live a productive, wholesome, awesome life. After all, He gave His Son for you to rescue you from whatever you need rescuing. Enjoy your inheritance as a son of God.
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