Matthew 1:18-25
THE UNSUNG HERO OF CHRISTMAS
Intro: Every year during this season, we hear much
about the various characters of Christmas. People like
Mary, the shepherds, the wise men (Who didn't even
show up until a couple of years later! Go figure!), even
the sheep, donkeys and turtle doves are portrayed and
the event is reenacted year after year. (Ill. I won't even
mention all the modern additions we have made to the
Christmas story, some of whom are more real to our
children that Jesus Himself!) One fellow, namely
Joseph, is treated merely as an extra. He shows up in
the Christmas program, but he brings no gifts, he sings
no songs and he makes no speeches. He just stands
there in his sandals and his robes, watching the scene
unfold around him.
Well, tonight, I want to set the record straight! As I
read the Christmas story, I am convinced that Joseph
possessed certain elements in his life that make him
stand out as The Unsung Hero Of Christmas. The
characteristics we see evidenced in this man's life teach
us how we should go about the business of serving
God, even if it is an unsung hero of the faith.
Let's look in on this scene from Joseph's life and
see what it is that makes this man stand out as a hero
in this story. By the way, those elements that were
active in the life of Joseph can make us useful to the
Lord too, if they are found in our lives!
I. V. 18-19 JOSEPH'S CHARACTER
A. He Was A Consecrated Man - The Bible tells us
that Joseph was A "just" man. This means that
he was a man who lived for God. As far as the
Law was concerned, Joseph was blameless. As
far as his heart was concerned, he walked by
faith in the Lord. He was a righteous man!
B. He Was A Compassionate Man - For just a
moment, try to put yourself in Joseph's place.
You are betrothed to Mary, which is the same as
a legal marriage, except there is to be no
physical intimacy. All of a sudden, you discover
that this woman is pregnant. Of course, you
would think the worse. Yet, when Joseph hears
all these things, instead of reacting in anger, he
responds in love and compassion toward Mary.
He seeks a way to sever their relationship
without publicly humiliating Mary. (Ill. What he
could have done - Deut. 22:13-21. The Law
afforded Joseph the opportunity to have Mary
put to death. At the least, a public divorce would
have left her destitute financially, and because of the baby, no man would have wanted to marry
her.) Joseph just wanted to do what was right by
Mary!
(Ill. Imagine how the Christmas story would have
been altered had Joseph reacted differently!)
(Ill. By the way, how we respond in a crisis
reveals a lot about our character. When things
are going smoothly we are able to hide a lot of
things that become evident in a time of crisis.)
(Ill. These two truths concerning Joseph's character
is a lesson for all those who want to be used by
God. You see, God uses those who are clean and
He uses those who are tender hearted. Of course,
these were traits found in the life of the Lord Jesus
Himself. Jesus was God, but as a boy, He saw
godly behavior modeled by his surrogate father
Joseph.)
I. Joseph's Character
II. V. 20-23 JOSEPH'S CALL
(Ill. As Joseph deliberated the entire situation he found
himself in, the Lord spoke to him and placed a call on
his life, like he had with Mary. This great call to service
was, spiritually speaking, a great call and one that
would have honored any man. However, from a purely
human standpoint, it was a call that placed a great
weight on this man's shoulders and it was a call to bear
a great weight of shame. His was a call that involved
three elements.)
A. V. 20 The Revelation Of A Person - The Lord's
call to Joseph was designed to help him deal
with his hurts and fears. The angel of the Lord
told him plainly that this child growing in Mary's
womb was the Son of God. The Lord was calling
Joseph to be the surrogate father to the
Messiah!
B. V. 21 The Revelation Of A Purpose - This
verse tells us the child's gender, the child's name
and the child's purpose in life. Joseph is told
that this child will be THE One Who will provide
salvation from sin.
C. V. 22-23 The Revelation Of A Plan - Then,
Joseph is told that God is working out His eternal
purpose in the lives of Mary and Joseph. God is
going to bring to pass all the prophecies
concerning the Messiah and He is going to use
Joseph to be a part of it!
(Ill. In all of this, Joseph is an example to other
believers. When a crisis arose in his life, he sought
the Lord's face. Instead of reacting harshly and
abruptly, Joseph reacted in faith waiting on the Lord
for guidance and direction, and he was helped by
God!)
(Ill. Joseph's call is also an encouragement to
people like you and me. When we consider that
Joseph was a humble character and that he was
basically a nobody, it gives hope to you and me! In
my opinion, to be called to be part of God's plan is
an honor beyond compare, and it is an honor shared
by every child of God! (Ill. Paul's assessment of the
call to minister - 1 Tim. 1:12-16.)
I. Joseph's Character
II. Joseph's Call
III. V. 24-25 JOSEPH'S CONDUCT
(Ill. When Joseph received his call from God, he altered
all of his plans and put away all of his considerations
and simply went and did what the Lord said to do.
Notice what the Bible says about Joseph's conduct.)
A. He Was Submissive - Ver simply, Joseph did
what the Lord told him to do!
1. His Humility - According to history, there
were three theories surrounding Mary's
pregnancy. They are:
A. The baby was Joseph's.
B. The baby belonged to Mary's secret lover.
C. Mary had been raped by a Roman soldier.
(Ill. Any of these situations would have
produced a situation that would bring shame
on both Mary and Joseph. Yet, when Joseph
went ahead and married Mary, most people
probably assumed that she and Joseph had
not been willing to wait until the appropriate
time to consummate their marriage. Of
course, there were some in that day who
continued to call Jesus' birth into question
throughout His ministry - John 6:42; John
8:37-41.)
(Ill. Of course, all of this brought shame to
the life of Joseph, but just like his adopted
Son, he despised the shame and because of
the joy that was set before him, he endured
the cross!)
(Ill. In this, Joseph is a lesson for every
person who wants to serve the Lord this
evening. Our duty before the Lord is to
humbles ourselves under God's mighty hand,
1 Pet. 5:6; James 4:6. Regardless of the
call God places on our lives, there will be
times when the world, the flesh and the devil
will try to make us ashamed of who we are
what we stand for. Yet, we should submit
ourselves to the will of God and bear His
shame regardless of what is may involve!)
2. His Obedience - Without quibbling or
hesitation, Joseph did that which he had
been commanded to do. What a lesson for
the children of God! Often the voice of God
will come to us and we will debate with God
and with ourselves and hesitate instead of
responding in swift obedience. Let us learn
the truth that obedience to the Lord is far
more blessed than anything else we can do
for Him. "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD
as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the
LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of
rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
and stubbornness is as iniquity and
idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the
word of the LORD, he hath also rejected
thee from being king.", 1 Samuel 15:22-23.
Obedience is what He desires and is one
thing we can always deliver!
B. He Was Surrendered - Verse 25 tells us that
Joseph was a man who was willing to place the
will of the Lord ahead of his own rights. He
respected Mary's virginity until after Jesus had
been born! Even when it was inconvenient,
Joseph willingly laid aside his own rights so that
he could honor the Lord! What an example for
you and me!
(Ill. There are times when doing God's will is not
the easiest thing to do. There are times when
doing His will is not the most convenient thing to
do. However, doing His will is always the RIGHT
thing to do! We must come to the place where
we lose our will to the will of God! Let is be said
that we are surrendered to the plan of God
without reservation and without compromise!)
Conc: Eventually, Mary delivered her baby. On that
great night, Joseph did as he had been commanded
when he took his Creator into his arms and called his
name JESUS. Now, this year in Christmas plays and
programs all around the world Joseph will take a
backseat to shepherds, wise men, animals and other
characters. However, to me, this man stands out as the
real hero of Christmas, because of the lessons he
teaches us about obedience to God and surrender to
God. Let's take these lessons from the life of Joseph
and make sure the same characteristics are found in
us, not just at Christmas, but every day of the year!
