Shepherd (Joy)

Joseph

Hymn: Away In A Manger

Advent Theme: Joy

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As the hopes and fears of all the years would be met in the baby boy born in Bethlehem and lying in a

manger on that first Christmas night, a joy explosion from heaven ushered in the New Testament

era. Luke’s gospel records the moment the advent of joy arrived on the scene.

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock

by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around

them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I

bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in

the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find

a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the

angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from

them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see

this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

Before sonograms made it possible for expectant fathers to be aware of whether they would be

welcoming a bouncing baby boy or girl into the world, God decided to get in on the gender reveal

party in a supernatural way. Yes, the angels shouted and sang their joyous songs of glory to God in

the highest on the night when Christ was born. The scriptures do not record any exploding halos

filled with blue powder to celebrate the occasion. However, the man who would hold the honor of

being Jesus’ earthly dad found out he was having a son during a time when many dads do what they

often do so well: sleep! Matthew’s gospel captures the moment when Joseph heard the news that

“it’s a boy!”

“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,

conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus,

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.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had

spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call

his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the

angel of the Lord commanded him...”

From that moment forward, Joseph knew he was having a son. He knew it was a special assignment

straight from the hand of God. Only God would give a God-fearing Jew like Joseph the responsibility

of being a dad to a divinely conceived child. Yes, Mary was special, chosen, and highly favored by

God for this unique task of carrying the Son of God in her virgin womb. However, Joseph was not

chosen by God because of chance. God would not have selected one who would be a dead-beat dad to

God in the flesh. Joseph was paired with Mary because God knew he had the chops to be who Jesus

needed him to be from before His arrival. It would be an advent of Jesus, the incarnate “God who

saves” that would start the clock ticking towards His prophesied Messianic life, death, resurrection,

ascension, and impending second arrival far into the future. Once Joseph became aware that he was

going to be a dad who was married to a wife who was still a virgin yet with child, conceived by the

Holy Spirit; certainly, his mind began to race even faster. Some Messianic Jewish scholars believe it

likely crossed Joseph’s mind that his bride and mother-to-be was the fulfillment of what Isaiah had

prophesied seven centuries ago.

“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a

son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Once Joseph had his supernatural, angelic encounter through his dream, his mind likely pondered

many things going forward. A lot goes through the mind of a man when he finds out he’s having a

son. Many men today might let their minds wonder about things like:

● Will he look like me?

● Will he sound like me when he talks and laughs?

● Will he like to fish and enjoy the outdoors like me?

● Will he be a lefty or a righty?

● I wonder if he’ll like to work on cars. I wonder what his first car will be. Maybe we could build

it together!

● I can hardly wait to meet him and hold him and...oh my goodness...am I ready for all this?

Ready or not...here he comes.

Perhaps Joseph had some of these same thoughts after the gender reveal dream, up through the

moments when he and Mary made their 90-mile trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted for

the census that had been decreed. There was a lot to think about during those days leading to Jesus’

birth. And there were lots of elements to take in and think about when those shepherds showed up at

the stable. When they experienced the joy explosion from the angelic choir while watching their

sheep out in the fields, they then came to Bethlehem as the first recorded visitors to see the new

mom, new dad, and newborn baby.

“And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And

when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.

And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all

these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and

praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

There was joy and wonder at what the shepherds saw once they walked into the actual live nativity

scene. And Luke is specific in verse 19 about what Mary was doing, probably because she recounted it

to him as a source for his letter years later.

“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”

Certainly, joy must have filled the young mother holding God in her arms when the shepherds

arrived and told of all that they had experienced and been told by the angels. Mary’s mind could have

raced back nine months earlier when Gabriel broke into her monotonous life with the supernatural

good news that sounded eerily similar to the shepherds’ story. As Mary marinated in the moment

near the manger, the juices of joy surrounded her soul. Everything she had been told had come true.

Now it was being confirmed with a second source footnoted again by angelic messengers to these

shepherds smelling like sheep and field hands. A lot was unfolding in the little town of Bethlehem

that night. But for everything that is in plain sight from the text, perhaps there is something else we

need to give attention to that is more subtle, yet present, even as Mary is “treasuring and pondering”

all these things in her heart.

It’s good to remain inquisitive as we read the Bible and seek to listen to the story unfold with fresh

ears. As we attempt to do that this Christmas, perhaps we should ask the question: “What about

Joseph? What was Joseph treasuring up and pondering in his heart?”

A wise person once said, “Where the Bible is silent, do not put words in its mouth. But it is certainly

ok to wonder what it might be trying to tell us simply by staying curious.” It is not unreasonable to

believe that Joseph, a new dad blessed by God with the awesome responsibility of welcoming and

raising a firstborn son conceived by the Holy Spirit, had some incredible thoughts that also were

saturated with joy.

While Luke overtly shares how Mary was “treasuring and pondering” all that the shepherds shared on

that first Christmas night, perhaps a subtle clue from verse 21 ties back to what Joseph was

“pondering and treasuring” in his own heart. Yes, he likely was basking in the fullness of the first

moments of meeting Jesus face to face; however, Joseph probably wondered “How am I going to take

care of a baby? Will I have enough to feed this baby we now have? Will I know what he needs when

he cries? Will I be a good dad?”

He may also have allowed his mind to shift forward to what would take place in just eight days.

Notice what Luke records just after the shepherds go on their way in verse 20, telling their story to all

who would listen. Some of the joy of Joseph is paired with the contents of verse 21 that would be his

who would listen. Some of the joy of Joseph is paired with the contents of verse 21 that would be his

responsibility to as Jesus’ father.

“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given

by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”

From the moment Joseph found out he was going to be a dad to a son, thoughts of eight days after

the birth probably started forming in his mind. Almost all Jewish men in Joseph’s day would know

the significance and the great joy that comes with seeing one’s son, especially one’s firstborn who is

a son, officially being included in the covenant relationship with God. The joy of Joseph would have

been overwhelming as he “treasured and pondered” the ancient Jewish tradition known as b’rit milah

that he soon would have the honor and privilege of leading his new little family through together.

It’s what nearly every Jewish man longed to experience as one of the most sacred and meaningful,

joy-filled moments in his life. Yes, Joseph very likely was “treasuring and pondering” with great joy

the upcoming tradition of b’rit milah eight days after Jesus’ birth, also known as the covenant of

circumcision.

This ancient and sacred custom of circumcision traces back thousands of years to the time of

Abraham and the covenant he entered into with God concerning a promise of becoming the father of

many nations. The covenant of circumcision would be the identifying way that Abraham and his

Jewish offspring throughout the generations would be set-apart for God over this ceremony that

would take place eight days after the birth of a son.

records the scriptural reference.

“And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring

after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between

me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You

shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant

between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male

throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from

any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is

bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an

everlasting covenant.”

The significance of this covenant happening on the eighth day of new life is symbolic of the life cycle

of creation. God worked six days towards the completion of His creation. On the seventh day, God

rested. On the eighth day, a new cycle of a new week of new life set apart for the enjoyment and glory

of God started. Every Jewish son since Abraham came to know of the significance of what happened

eight days after their birth. While they obviously were too young to remember the moment, their

fathers and families certainly never forgot the significance when each Jewish son was welcomed into

the covenant God had ordained with all of Israel throughout the generations.

Joseph bore the mark of the covenant of circumcision, just as his father did; and his father before

him, on down the lineage of history that traced back to Abraham himself. While a brief moment of

pain filled the air from the lips and lungs of the baby boy, joy filled the heart and soul of the father as

he participated in seeing his son enter into the promise of being one of God’s people through the

covenant of circumcision; the b’rit milah cried “joy” in more ways than one.

“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his

wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

It is likely that Joseph was the one holding his baby and looking into the face of the son, the angel of

God had told him to name Jesus while dreaming some months ago. Jesus means “God saves.” This

was the name the angel told Joseph to give Him upon His arrival. Matthew’s gospel records that

Joseph did just that.

It was the joy of Joseph to call his son’s name “Jesus” during the covenant of circumcision

celebration. As Joseph looked into the face of Jesus, the first time his son would bleed and cry out in

pain, He would be looking into the eyes of His earthly father as Jesus was being welcomed into the

covenant of God’s people. The final time Jesus would bleed would be thirty-three years later. Upon a

Roman cross, Jesus would cry out for the last time while looking up toward the eyes of His Heavenly

Father as He made a way for all people to enter into a covenant with God throughout eternity.

God saves.

Jesus saves.

And the joy of a father, both on earth and in heaven, remains more than we possibly can imagine this

Christmas. But rest assured, the hopes and fears through all the years still are met in Jesus tonight,

because he still saves. And it still is His joy to do so today. May the joy of advent be yours this

Christmas, just as it was for Joseph over 2000 Christmases ago.