It’s A Boy: Joseph Speaks

December 10, 2025 - 2^nd Week of Advent

Matthew 1: 18-25 (NIV) –

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.  Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Let’s think about Joseph for a few moments. 

Joseph was somebody like us.  One of the faces in the background.  Joseph is introduced in Matthew 1: 16 as “Joseph, husband of Mary.”  He was a simple tradesman, a carpenter. He doesn’t show up once Jesus goes into public ministry. He doesn’t write a book on “How to Raise a Messiah.”

There are no miracles that follow him in his life. He understood little of what was happening, and he didn’t’ even get to see the fruit of his obedience by witnessing Jesus’ public ministry. In our Christmas plays, Joseph stands silently beside Mary, a quiet presence, an unknown voice.

We have much to learn from Joseph. Joseph is somebody like us, not in the limelight, not famous, not at the center, but on the sidelines, making a living, dealing with everyday issuss; yet, his reaction to the news, “It’s A Boy!” challenges and instructs us.

Joseph hears “It’s A Boy!” and reacts with Courage.

Courage.

Joseph showed tremendous courage.  In Israel at the time, engagements were binding premarital contracts leading to marriage.  During the year of engagement, the couple behaved like husband and wife (except that they did not live together or have sex).  To break off such an engagement, a divorce was required.  Furthermore, as stated in Deuteronomy 22 and Leviticus 20, sexual unfaithfulness during this engagement period was considered adultery, the penalty for which was death by stoning. 

When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, he knew the ramifications. He knew that Mary’s very life was in danger and decided to divorce her quietly, yet the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and explained that Mary was carrying God’s Son. Joseph showed great courage in marrying Mary, facing personal embarrassment and being socially ostracized.  Joseph believed God and married a young girl carrying a child that was not His own. 

Later, Joseph protected his wife and child during the early life-threatening years, escaping to Egypt from Herod and returning to Israel years later.

Joseph hears “It’s A Boy!” and reacts with obedience.

Obedience.

In Matthew 1: 18-25 we read how the angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Joseph responds by being obedient. 

He does not divorce Mary and instead faces public humiliation.  He has no sexual relations with Mary until after the birth of Jesus.  He follows God’s direction and names the child Jesus.  He gets up in the middle of the night and takes his family on a cross-country, hazardous journey to Egypt.  After making a life there, he gets up in the middle of the night, at God’s command, and returns to Israel.

Through Mary’s obedience Jesus was born.  Through Joseph’s obedience, Jesus was adopted as a true son in the line of David, fulfilling the many prophecies spoken by God through the prophets, including Isaiah in 2 Samuel 7: 11-17, that “a descendent of David would sit on his throne forever.”

Joseph clearly loved God and obeyed God, taking Mary as his wife, even if it meant public humiliation.  He is an example to each one of us as God calls on us to “step out” and serve Him, to make changes in our lives, to refocus and change our priorities, to think of others before ourselves.  Joseph teaches us that we are called to obedience and through our obedience we will experience God and be blessed in ways we cannot even begin to imagine.

Lastly, Joseph, when he heard the news, “It’s A Boy!” reacted with humility.

Humility.

Often, we want to be the center of attention.  Or we feel because our lives are ordinary and not famous that we don’t really amount to anything.  Yet, God wants us to not only be humble, but to also recognize that we are vitally important.

Joseph had a background role in the “greatest story ever told.”  We find him standing next to Mary. 

We never see him speak.  We need to look at a life like Joseph's because Joseph is somebody like us.  He is one of the faces in the background.  Yet, Joseph’s role, as ours, is vitally important. 

Rev. John Schmidt writes, “There might be invisible Christians, but there are never unimportant ones.”  

God uses regular people with regular lives and so we need to be reminded that there is never anyone that's unimportant to God and there is never anyone that's unimportant to God's plans. 

Like Joseph we are called to be humble and see how we can play an important, though maybe behind the scenes role in building the kingdom of God.

Next time you look at a Nativity Scene this Christmas season and see Joseph standing in the background:

Think of his courage and step out in faith. 

Think of his obedience and listen for God’s voice. 

Think of his humility and recognize that the background role you may have to play, like Joseph, may not always be acknowledged by others but will have eternal consequences. 

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.