Joseph: Loving Spouse and Stepfather

One person in the New Testament I admire is Joseph. He isn’t mentioned much in the Bible, but his actions had a tremendous impact on humanity. Who was he? How did his role influence Christianity today? The Bible tells us Joseph was a descendant of King David, and he was pledged to marry a woman named Mary. But when Joseph found out Mary was pregnant before their wedding, his thoughts must have been wild with varying emotions. There are so many responses Joseph could have had. Yet even though the culture he lived in was harsh and strict—especially when it came to sexual sin—Joseph chose to treat Mary with compassion. He didn’t want his fiancée to be humiliated or worse, executed. Instead, rather than allow her to be shamed or killed, he thought about divorcing her later. But a dream from an angel changed his initial plan. The angel revealed that Mary was miraculously pregnant through the Holy Spirit and told Joseph not to be afraid to marry her. So instead of divorcing Mary, Joseph took on the role of supportive husband and loving stepfather. He stood by Mary, and together they cared for Jesus as he grew up. Joseph took care of his family by fleeing to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-23) and following the Jewish feasts (Luke 2:41-52). As a carpenter, Joseph probably taught Jesus his trade (Matthew 13:55-57; Mark 6:3). Since there is no record of Joseph being present at Jesus’s death, many assume he died before then. Yet Joseph got to be part of God’s plan of redemption. Joseph allowed God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to step in and drastically change his plans. Joseph followed God’s law, and every time God spoke to him in a dream, he obeyed. By accepting and caring for Jesus, Joseph got to be part of God’s plan to bring salvation to this broken world. • Cindy Lee • Do you sometimes feel like you’re behind the scenes or in the background? Rest assured you are not forgotten. How might God be inviting you to be part of His plan of redemption? But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream a