And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.
Matthew 1:19
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we can learn and benefit from considering some of the many character traits of his earthly father, Joseph, a man who showed himself to be a righteous and obedient leader.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, was pledged to be married to Joseph (Luke 1:27) but, before they came together, she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18). Joseph didn’t want to expose her to public disgrace and, instead, had a mind to divorce her quietly (Matt. 1:19). “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit’” (Matt. 1:20). When Joseph awoke, he did what the angel had commanded and took Mary as his wife (Matt. 1:24).
This beautiful scene shows that, with God’s assurance, there was no hesitation by this man. Joseph was righteous—good, just, and upright before God—and willing to be obedient to God. Today, we hear God speak in the pages of the Bible and must, like Joseph, be willing to act in accordance to what his Spirit reveals and to pursue the righteousness demonstrated by Joseph.
After resolving to obey, Joseph made the necessary plans to take Mary to Bethlehem to register for a census (Luke 2:1–5). When they arrived in Bethlehem and found “no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7), Joseph set about finding the best alternative available. Later, he heeded God’s warning to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt, running from the murderous Herod (Matt. 2:13–15). There was no delay in Joseph’s obedience to the divine command. In fact, waiting would have likely meant the death of the child. A trip to Egypt had its dangers, but that night he “got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt” (2:14). Jesus’s earthly father acted with obedience and without hesitation.
When we respond to God’s leading in our lives, we also must sometimes take a risk in our obedient actions, confident that God is leading us for our own good and for the benefit of others. And, seeing as that child would end up bringing salvation to the world, we certainly benefited from Joseph’s righteous and obedient leadership!
Lord, we are grateful for examples of godliness—men and women who live lives characterized by obedience, submissiveness, courage, and kindness. Help us, we ask, follow their lead and, in so doing, become more like your Son, Jesus Christ.
Melissa Yang
* Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, ©The Lockman Foundation, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995. Used by permission.
** The above was taken from Glory to God in the Highest: A Christmas Devotional (Oakville: Proclamation, 2024).
By job title, Alice is the office administrator at Oakridge. But her behind-the-scenes efforts go far beyond that! She is actively involved in the leadership team for the Tuesday evening women's bible study, she is on the mission committee, and she has recently both stepped into the leadership of church bridal and baby shower celebrations, and started teaching in our Ozone kids program. Oh, and if you see any special seasonal or holiday decorations around the church, it's a safe bet that Alice was involved!