As we continue talking through the various characters and elements in the Christmas story, today we will look at Mary and Joseph. They represent relationships, and in particular family relationships. Mary and Joseph were:
Real People
“The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph…” (Mt. 1:18). Joseph is sometimes the forgotten man of Christmas. What do we know about Joseph? He was a carpenter betrothed to Mary. Their parents arranged the marriage and their families knew each other. Mary is just an ordinary teenage girl, growing up in a small town, dreaming like all little girls of her wedding day, when all of a sudden an angel appeared! Matthew begins the Christmas story with a genealogy. The people listed were not perfect by any stretch! All of them were dysfunctional, all of them sinners, but what is on display is grace greater than all our sin! The Christmas story is about real people, muti-ethnic (Jews and Gentiles) and multi-generational (seniors like Abraham and David, teens like Joseph and Mary).
Real Problems
In that day it was the man’s job to prepare for the wedding. He would build a room onto his parent’s house and the bride would prepare her hope chest. Joseph was busy doing all of that when he got the unexpected news, the heartbreak of his life, Mary was pregnant! He is in shock, hurt, disappointed, devastated, and angry! How could she do this to him? He knew it was not his baby! It would be the scandalous talk of the town. He was planning to privately call off the wedding when God spoke to Joseph in a dream (Mt. 1:19-20). Joseph just wanted to be married, have his own wife, have children, a son named after him, but it did not turn out the way he had always planned. He married a wife already with child. He became an adoptive father not a biological father.
Real Prophecy
Not only were Mary and Joseph real people with real problems, they were also part of the real fulfillment of prophecy. Matthew 1:22-23 says, “Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated ‘God is with us’.” This is a quote from Isaiah 7:14. Just as the prophecies were fulfilled about His first coming, they will be fulfilled about his second coming. The same Jesus born in Bethlehem is coming again.
Real Poverty
Real poverty is what the stable and manger are all about. The stable smelled like animals. The shepherds were dirty. The gifts Mary and Joseph gave when Jesus was dedicated at the temple were also an indication of their lowly estate. If you are having money problems as a couple, you can relate to Joseph and Mary. Be encouraged by 2 Corinthians 8:9, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.”
Real Provision
Mary ultimately gave birth to a son, and they named Him Jesus. Matthew 1:21 tells us, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” We all need a savior. The wages of sin is death. That means our sin, Mary and Joseph’s sin, and everyone else’s sin, deserves death. Jesus is the Lamb of God born to die for our sin. Salvation is not in the nativity but Calvary. Salvation is not in His birth but in His death and resurrection. Jesus provides the way for us to have eternal life.
As we think about all the aspects of who Mary and Joseph were, we can certainly see ourselves. Despite what they may have had going against them, Joseph and Mary were committed to God, to one another, and to Jesus. Joseph worked hard, provided for his family, loved his wife, was a good father to Jesus, and took his family to church. Joseph and Mary are great role models for us. Being the earthly parents of Jesus was not easy. God is still looking for human vessels like Joseph and Mary that He can use today.
