–George Sheffield “Joseph…a just man“-Mt 1:19 Joseph, to me, is the unsung hero in the Christmas story. He’s gets left in the background, standing there quiet like a stage prop filling out the scenery. He never speaks. We learn about him through his actions, not his words. Joseph, while mentioned in both the Christmas narratives of Matthew and Luke, is never mentioned in Mark, and only 2 times in John.
Yet Joseph plays a pivotal role in the birth and upbringing of Jesus.
God picked Joseph to be the step-dad, the earthly father, of His Son Jesus. He was a just man who would teach Jesus the Scriptures. He made sure God the Son learned about God the Father.
Joseph would also teach Jesus the Son of God how to be Jesus the Son of man. While Joseph taught Jesus the things of Heaven, he also taught Him the things of earth, how to live as a Godly man in a godless world.
Joseph was chosen by God for the daunting task of being a guardian over Jesus, a teacher to Jesus, and a Godly example to Jesus. Jesus, God the Son in human flesh, nurtured by human parents, was born to die on the cross for our sakes. The Lamb raised by a carpenter.
