Advent Day 12: Matthew 1:18-25

Read & Journal

Read Matthew 1:18-25. Ask yourself:

• What do these verses tell you about Joseph and his character?

• How does Joseph display faith in this passage?

• When you read these verses, how do you see God’s faithfulness in the story?

Ponder

When Joseph first heard about Mary’s pregnancy, he naturally assumed that she had been unfaithful. Gabriel had come to Mary alone and declared what God had called her to do; Joseph didn’t have all the details yet. But the woman he planned to marry was pregnant, and he knew it wasn’t his baby.

Scripture describes Joseph as “righteous” (v. 19, CSB) or simply “a good man” (v. 19, NLT). He was regarded as someone with good character, someone who strived to live a faithful life, obedient to God’s commands. And the news of Mary’s pregnancy placed him in a situation where he knew he had to act—but he wasn’t sure what to do. His love for Mary and his kindness seem to shine through in Matthew’s Gospel, because Joseph had the right to publicly disgrace her, but instead he chooses the route that would be the most kind to her, a private settlement out of court. Scripture may not reveal much about Joseph, but we get a glimpse of his character in these verses. He is a man of honor and righteousness, with a determination to live in obedience to God. The angel invites Jesus into the out-of-this-world obedience Mary has been called to, and as soon as Joseph wakes up, he obeys. Joseph responds with faithfulness to a faithful God.

In moments of crisis, people generally act out of their character. When his life was upended, Joseph sought to obey, to walk in righteousness and treat Mary with respect. If he was seeking to make a godly, righteous decision in the matter of Mary, it probably wasn’t a one-time thing. Joseph likely sought to live in obedience. We may never be asked to do something as outrageous as God asked Mary and Joseph to do, but we can be faithful in the daily decisions and act when he calls us to action.