I Didn’t Sign Up for This!
December 17, 2019
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. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
20 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. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife. Matthew 1:18-24 (NKJV)
I admire Joseph a lot. Although he has a “bit part” in the story of Jesus’ earthly life, he is really a giant in the story of salvation. He was engaged to Mary, and she turned up pregnant. The story tells us that he was rolling his options around in his head. He had every right to end the engagement and, according to the Law of Moses, could have insisted on having her stoned.
“I’m not the father, but if I marry her, everyone will think I am the father. Now I look like a sinner! But what will happen to her if I don’t marry her? They will probably kill her! Am I foolish to believe her wild story about an angel telling her she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit? I did not sign up for this! The easiest thing would be to walk away…”
Then, he has a dream. An angel appears to him and calls him by name - Joseph, son of David. Earlier in the Gospel of Matthew, there is a long genealogy, and it says that Joseph’s dad was named Jacob. Why didn’t the angel call him Joseph, son of Jacob?
In that time and culture, to call someone a son of David was to recognize their royal lineage, that they were part of the family that would beget the promised Messiah according to the prophets. This greeting alone would have caused Joseph to pause and listen. So now when the angel tells him that he should take Mary to be his wife and that the Son she has will save his people from their sins, this is a big deal!
The Bible tells us that Joseph did what the angel told him to do, and that is nearly all we hear about Joseph - just a bit part, but an important bit part. He was the childhood guardian of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World.
Throughout history, God has asked many people to do a bit part in the grand scheme of salvation. It is a pattern of God to make small assignments and pull them all together into a beautiful whole picture. Next time God asks you to do a bit part, remember the example of Joseph, and do it faithfully. Rejoice that you have been found worthy to be cast in the part! Maybe you didn’t sign up for it, but you are the right person for the job! God is the perfect casting director. He is never wrong!
