This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and 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 be with child and will 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 had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25
Wednesday: Joseph
Bible Reading: Matthew 1:18-25
Jesse Tree Symbol: Carpenter's Hammer (go to Jesse Tree ornaments 2)
Joseph, adopted father of Jesus...what was he like? Strong, brave, trusting, righteous, gentle...I've always felt a tenderness toward Joseph.
He's not mentioned very often in the Bible, but the few times that he is, those instances show his inner character. His kindness and love for Mary when he planned to divorce her quietly rather than stone her; his trust in the Lord after the angel spoke to him; his protection of Mary and Jesus throughout their journey to Bethlehem, the birth, their journey to Egypt and then the final journey to Nazareth and the time with Jesus at the temple.
Through all this, Joseph stands out as a man of quiet strength, integrity, trust in God and love for his family. Just what God was looking for when He chose the man who would be the earthly father to Jesus.
I could say more but I think the words to these two songs say it so much better. Please take a few minutes to listen to them and reflect on who Joseph was.
Joseph's Song by Michael Card
Joseph's Lullabyby Mercy Me
Joseph had a father's heart. And he held the Father's heart, in his arms, that night so long ago. May we marvel, once again, at the wonder of God come to earth, into a family, into the arms of a humble carpenter from Nazareth. Praise You Lord for Your plan and for Your love.
The above commentary on Luke is part of a 4-week Advent Reflection for the Jesse Tree. The Jesse Tree is similar to an advent calendar. Every day you will read a Bible passage to your child(ren), discuss what it means to them in personal terms and color an ornament to hang on your Jesse Tree. A fuller description of this can be found at The Jesse Tree
When you are finished today, you might want to discuss how Christmas is about giving much more than getting. One way that your family can give is through their daily prayers. This might be a good time to pray for a specific country or for a group of people who do not know about Jesus. Today, over 2 billion people, 1/3 of the earth's population, have never heard the Gospel message. They don't know about a God who loves them, made them unique and celebrates who they are. They need our prayers.
Two great websites to help you do this are:
Operation World go to Featured Nation and click on Country Profile
Another way to give is by giving a gift to those, throughout the world, who have very little. It might be a chicken, or sheep or a goat...maybe you can help pay for the digging of a well or provide a sewing machine to a widow so she can provide for her family. There are many ways to help this Christmas. Visit Gospel for Asia and take a look at their Christmas Catalog.
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