During Christmas season, we wonder in the stories of Jesus’s birth—recounting the star, the magi, the manger, and the shepherds. We sing songs praising the mystery of the Incarnation. The consolation of Israel is celebrated, Mary’s faith is upheld as an example, Jesus’s purpose in coming is celebrated. All this is good, right, and glorifies God.
But what about Joseph?
The answer we usually give is there is not much about Joseph in the Bible. Compared to Mary, or even Elizabeth and Zechariah, this is true. We are not told many intricate stories about Joseph alone. Yet we are given some details. There isn’t much, but it isn’t nothing. Every word in the Word is placed by God, and there’s more to Joseph than many initially think.
A Righteous Man
We learn Joseph was a carpenter (Mark 6:3, or a “craftsman,” or most literally, a “handyman”). We know he was a descendent of king David (Matthew 1:16)—which was important for Jesus’s suitableness to be the Christ. We read, after the birth of Jesus, that Mary and he had other children (Mark 6:3). And we’re informed that he and his family would take trips “to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover” (Luke 2:41).
Yet most of the description of this man, about who he was deep down, not merely on the surface, is told is one verse.
We know the age-old story. Joseph discovers his betrothed is pregnant. She must have been showing. He knows he is not the father. And the Bible then gives us a peek into his thoughts: “And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1:19). Following this, “as he considered these things,” an angel appears to Joseph, explains the situation, and the rest is known history. How long did Joseph live? We don’t know. Why is he rarely discussed in the Gospels after this? We aren’t sure. But we must not let these unanswerable questions cloud the clarity we have in this one important verse.
We see in this verse a man who unabashedly is called “just” (or “righteous”) on the first page of the New Testament. Let us remember the situation: His “justness” is not him merely avoiding overcharging for his craftwork, this is a man who finds out his soon to be wife is pregnant and the baby is not from him. What would we do? Don’t rush into verse 20 and the rest of the story too quickly. Yes, Joseph is later told what is going on. But there was a waiting period, a time when he found out and had to consider what to do. The Bible says that in those moments, in that situation, he acted rightly because of who he was: he was a “righteous man.” He does not lash out in anger, throwing his seemingly adulterous betrothed out in the streets to be humiliated. He righteously considered what to do and resolved to divorce her quietly. Why? “Being a just man.”
On page one of the New Testament, we should notice this. What a unique, faithful display of righteous grace and compassion. This is the man Joseph.
Four Ways This Affected His Life and Family
His legacy, then, is a corollary from this reality: This man was righteous—he had a right standing with his God through faith, which affected his life and family in at least four ways.
First, as seen in the situation above, his righteousness led him to be able to respond righteously in difficult situations. He did not lash out in anger; he took time to consider what to do. But not only that, after considering he resolved to divorce to quietly because he was “unwilling to put her to shame.” He loved her. Like his soon-to-be (not physical, but familial) son, he was able to have compassion on her. His righteousness affected his reactions, decisions, and compassion.
Because “the righteous shall live by faith”—which remember, is an Old Testament truth used by the apostles in the New Testament (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17)—we know that Joseph’s ability to act with righteous compassion like this was due to his faith in his God. Joseph could not explain all that was going on, but he knew the Lord. He trusted his God. This righteous faithfulness affect his life in this trying situation—and assumedly in many others.
Second, Joseph’s righteousness spurred his obedience, even when obeying was difficult and involved stepping into the unknown. He is commanded to “not fear to take Mary as [his] wife” (Matthew 1:20). He obeys and marries her, faithfully accepting all the social stigma he knew he’d receive by marrying a woman with a bump.
Later on, he heeds to the command of the angel to flee all the way to Egypt and remain for an unknown time (Matthew 2:13). Then he obeys again by returning to Israel when commanded (Matthew 2:19-21). Finally, he complies once more when he’s told to withdraw his family to Galilee (Matthew 2:22)! These each were difficult life-changes. They involved the unknown. Yet, being a righteous man who trusted in his God, Joseph obeyed.
Third, Joseph’s righteousness made him a good leader and father. This might become overly speculative. But it is significant—after all the disregard for the Passover with most Old Testament Israelites—that he and he family made a trip to Jerusalem every year to attend the Passover (Luke 2:41). He was thus leading his family.
Moreover, it perhaps is notable that, although Jesus’s brothers did not at first believe in him (John 7:5), at least a few did worship Jesus eventually: James and Jude became key leaders in the church. This pertains to Joseph because he was their father. He led the family. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). No doubt Joseph clung to this promise, and it seemed to be true of his children—but to his surprise, “the way” ended up being one his sons (John 14:6; Acts 9:2).
Joseph’s (and Our) Greatest Legacy
Which brings us to the final and largest result of Joseph’s righteousness, one which we all would be most privileged to emulate. More than any of the details listed above, this final result would define Joseph’s life, and I’m sure he wouldn’t want it any other way…
Fourth, Joseph’s righteousness made him a mostly forgotten person who points others to Jesus. He was a man of God. He was a righteous husband, father, craftsman, and leader. Would we all be such! But his greatest characteristic was how he paved the way for the Son of God.
This explains some of the silence surrounding him in the Gospel texts. He is not mentioned much in the Gospels because it is not about him. He’s not the point; he’s a pointer. He was righteous. He obeyed. But a boy he would watch be born—a boy he would even help raise (oh, the mystery!)—would be revealed to be his Lord, Savior, and God. Joseph’s legacy consists in his place in this moment in history, in this gospel, in this Story.
May it be so for us as well. If we trust in Christ, we are righteous, like Joseph was. So, like Joseph, may our trust in our God affect our reactions, plans, compassion, obedience, leadership. But in and through it all, like Joseph, or goal and privilege is to pave the way for the Righteous One. This is our greatest purpose, our greatest legacy.
May our lives, therefore, this Christmas be more Joseph-like, for the glory of the Son.
