What would Christmas look like without Joseph? How would the world’s most famous story—the source of countless millions of Christmas productions, songs, and figurines—change without Joseph?
It seems like most of the attention around Christmas is focused on Mary and the baby Jesus…but Joseph doesn’t get much attention.
The scriptures tell us that Joseph was a good man and, upon discovering Mary’s pregnancy, wanted to “separate her quietly.” Although he has the legal right to accuse Maria of adultery, he loves her and does not want to see her killed. Joseph’s planned action would forever change the Christmas story and have major implications for the fulfillment of messianic prophecy.
You can argue that God is God and would have made a way for Mary and Jesus to prosper without Joseph. true But God did not. His actions show His desire for Joseph to be part of the story. So that Jesus would have both a mother and an earthly father, and for Mary to have a husband. For Jesus to come into the world with a single mother would have fulfilled God’s purpose, but it would have violated his principles.
The angel Gabriel did not stop after giving Mary a message of hope; he went and told Joseph the same. The Creator of marriage and family understood that the best environment for raising a child is within the shelter of a loving marriage… even if the child is Jesus.
Gabriel serves as an inspiration for our work—bringing the message of abundant life to Mary and Joseph so that Joseph could give Mary a home and help raise Jesus in a loving family. It is of equal importance that God created this family as an example for we as he did to provide for His Son.
So this Christmas, let’s give Joseph his fair share of Yuletide attention and thank God for empowering him with the message of life so that Mary and Jesus, in His humanity, can experience abundant life.
