December 23, 2024

#357 God’s Guardian: The Story of Joseph

48 minutes

In Christmas sermons, we often focus on the wise men, Mary, the Shepherds, and the angels. But there is another, silent player in the Christmas story that is often overlooked. Here is the perspective of Joseph and how he, in turn, points to the glory and majesty of Christ’s birth.

Outline:

The Royal Line

A Match Made in Heaven

A Baby Refugee

A Warrior Prince

Key Takeaways:

A review of Jewish history during the silent period and what a Jewish teenager in the line of David may have experienced.

A review of Jewish marriage customs; and Joseph’s remarkable, immediate obedience.

The suggestion from history about the early death of Joseph.

Joseph’s often overlooked role in the God’s grand story of redemption.

Key lessons on identity, obedience, and significance.

To David, God entrusted a kingdom. To Joseph, God entrusted the king.

Perhaps Mary fell asleep from the utter exhaustion of childbirth, and Joseph picked up Jesus and held him up to the starlight. David desired to build the temple so the priest’s could stand in God’s presence, but Joseph held God in his hands. This son of David no longer had to look back to the glory of Israel now crumbling and gone–a refugee from the evil empire of Rome, powerless to even protest a forced census, and soon to flee to Egypt with his young family. He now held the King of the nations. Perhaps Jesus reached up with his tiny hand and grabbed one of Joseph’s calloused fingers. And when Joseph looked into his eyes, for just a moment, he saw something not just innocent but awesome, even terrifying. He saw in those eyes the fire of eternity and the wisdom of the ages, he felt in that hand the power that created the universe, in his presence the purity of a holy God, the majesty of a cosmic King that would rule forever. Perhaps he realized that it was not he, as adoptive father, that held his child’s hard; rather, it was Jesus, as everlasting Father, that was holding his. And just for a moment perhaps the noise of the animals faded away, the weight of responsibility fell of, and he did the only thing one could do–he worshipped. This quiet carpenter knew His King and Savior had come.

The post #357 God’s Guardian: The Story of Joseph first appeared on The Good Citizen Project.

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