Joseph: Believing the Unbelievable

Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him…

Matthew 1:19-21; 24 (ESV)

Out of all the characters in the nativity, there is one we don’t know much about: Joseph. The most we hear about him comes from Matthew’s
account of Jesus’ birth; there, we learn that Joseph was greeted by an angel of the Lord in a dream and was told that he should not be afraid to take Mary as his wife. Joseph woke up, believed the angel and was obedient. We learn some important things about Joseph in this short passage:

Joseph was a “righteous man.”

Not a lot of characters in Scripture are noted especially for their righteousness. Joseph is. When he could have made a public spectacle about Mary’s perceived infidelity, Joseph showed kindness by choosing privacy. He had plans to honor Mary as a person by divorcing her secretly. Instead of shame for Mary, Joseph was willing to take the path of dignity.

Joseph was also fearful.

Normally, angels scare people so much that they tell people not to
fear them; however, the angel of the Lord tells Joseph to not be afraid of something different: to take Mary as his wife. Joseph was likely worried
about public disgrace, humiliation and maybe even being cut off from his family. God knew that and met Joseph in the middle of that fear.

Joseph chose to believe the unbelievable.

It was an unbelievable circumstance, but Joseph chose faith in God’s direction over trusting the voices of his family and community. What do
you think that cost him?

Joseph was willing to lose a lot in order to follow God’s direction — he likely risked his reputation and relationships with friends and family. When we look around at our world, it’s tempting to think about all we risk losing if we follow what God tells us to do. And Joseph most likely had doubts and questions; he was human after all. But his questions and doubts led him back to the truth that God is in control. He was Joseph’s ultimate source of truth and assurance.

God’s words spoken through the angel were the only reason why Joseph was willing to take such a huge risk. God’s words to you through Scripture are the reason you can step out boldly to obey him.

• What did you know about Joseph before this study? Have your perceptions about him changed? Why or why not?
• What can Joseph’s response to his dream teach us about trusting God?
• What is one thing God’s prompting you to do but might require a risk?