15 December

And he called his name Jesus

“When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.” Matthew 1:24-25

I’ve always thought of Joesph as underrated. Sure, it’s a coveted role in any nativity but Joesph doesn’t get much of a mention otherwise! I mean it can’t have been easy knowing God was your competition for Dad of the year! Yet, Joseph can be an example for us this Christmas. As Joseph ponders his betrothal, God speaks to him. Joseph instantly understands the importance of what the angel has said and seeks to follow God’s commands.

Sometimes young people I talk to will speak of friends of theirs having ‘main character energy’ suggesting a need to be in the limelight all the time. This is the opposite of Joseph who exhibits a humble obedience to what God has asked of him. This obedience was optimised by Jesus as he prayed to his Heavenly Father in the garden of Gethsemane, crying out “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Jesus, the person most entitled to ‘main character energy,’ instead chose obedience even to the point of suffering a criminal’s death.

Ben Partridge