Joseph: Behind the Scenes Ministry

; earthly father of JESUS; husband of Mary the mother of JESUS

mentioned directly in Mt, Lk, & Jn (1.45 & 6.42) but indirectly in Mark (6.3) “son of the carpenter”

Only mentioned in the birth & childhood stories about JESUS

Carpenter by trade-

Mary betrothed to-

the custom of Palestine in that day entailed a legal arrangement w/ the intent to complete marriage was arranged by the man & a rep fo the woman. Usually involved a monetary payment w/ couple refraining from sexual intercourse until marriage. If the woman was found to have had sexual intercourse a divorce could be effected.

Limited material about: possibly significantly older maybe died after JESUS 12th yr; possibly originally from Bethlehem but resided in Nazareth

Just man and unwilling to put her to shame-

Receptive to the revelation received: 1.20; 2.13;

His Faithfulness- 18b cf. 2.2-5; 1.39; 2.41; 2.43b

His Compassion = love- 19b cf. GOD is ; called to ; JESUS is t 9.36

His Obedience - 20b “do not be afraid” to be used in the service of the LORD. Allow the ministry to overshadow you, be submission to; serve in the shadows “its not about me”

Why could he be faithful, compassionate & obedient? because he was receptive to the revelation he received. cf. ;

In working with thousands of leaders over many years, I have observed that they rarely fail because of lack of competence. Clearly competence is necessary, but it is not sufficient to be a great leader. We must also have a strong core. The word "core" has become a major idea in the physical development of athletes and others interested in fitness. Core includes all of the muscles of the midsection. The core muscles stabilize the entire body and are prime contributors to strength and coordinated movement. Athletes in just about every sport focus on developing their core muscles because it has proven to make them so much better at whatever sport they play.

When our core is intact and congruent, others experience us as authentic, humble, and trustworthy. When our core is compromised or conflicted, others experience us as arrogant, self-serving, and insecure. No matter how artful their style or competent their actions, every failed leader I have studied had a malfunctioning core—it had been broken in some significant way.