(Mat 1:19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man...
What kind of man did God pick to be the stepfather of Jesus? What kind of a man would it take to raise Jesus from the manger to manhood? The Bible doesn’t say much about this man Joseph but one thing it does say is that he was a just man. The word “just” means righteous, virtuous, and one who keeps the commands of God and is wholly conformed to the will of God. We see from the Christmas story that he was a man who had no bitterness in his heart and was obedient to the will of God that was revealed to him.
What kind of man or woman would God pick today to bring Jesus to the world? Well, hopefully it would be a person like you or me who is also just and doing the will of God. Like Joseph, you and I have an awesome calling upon our lives to bring Jesus to a lost world. And thank God that being just doesn’t mean perfect. That would disqualify the entire lot of us! No, being just means that we love the Lord, are committed to Him and His eternal plan of redemption, and are in the world as ambassadors for Christ, representing Him by word and deed (2 Cor 5:20).
Thank the Lord for godly examples. And thank the Lord for a man like Joseph who even though he was in the background of the story of Christmas and throughout the life of Jesus, played such a significant role in the unfolding of God’s program. God help us to be a just man or woman who without making a big splash in the scene will attempt to make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ.
Louie