Joseph and Jesus

Sometimes we think of Joseph as a passive bystander in the story of the birth of Jesus. After all, he is engaged to be married to Mary, but she’s the one who will soon give birth to the Son of God.

But Matthew’s gospel emphasizes Joseph’s role in this miracle. Matthew begins telling the story of Jesus by tracing the genealogy from Abraham to King David, and all the way to Joseph, the husband of Mary. It’s more than a trivial list of names to skip over before we get to the nativity. Joseph’s ancestry points to Jesus as the Messiah, since the prophets spoke of the Christ coming as a descendant of the throne of David. Joseph is a key link in the chain.

Think of the roles that you play in life: perhaps as a parent or grandparent, sibling, caregiver, friend, coworker, or neighbor. Your situation might seem routine and ordinary, but God has placed you in these roles for a purpose. How will you see God at work through today’s circumstances?

Blessings,
Pastor Paul Cook