The sixth day of December

Today we are learning about the fifth person of the Christmas story.
Another very important person who was chosen by God.
This would be Joseph.
He was engaged to Mary and a carpenter by trade.
Unlike Mary I don’t believe we are told how old he was,
but I am sure he was older than her by a few years.
He was considered righteous and honorable.
I would imagine when he heard that Mary was expecting
a child and he knew for a fact it wasn’t his own
like any man in that position he was confused and perhaps
even angry at her.
This would be a life altering moment for him.
We aren’t really told how long they had been planning
on getting married or what the standard engagement time
was for that time period.
In Matthew 1:9 then 1:20-25 the story begins.
Joseph a righteous man unwilling to expose her to public disgrace,
planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved
to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream,
and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take
Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from 
the Holy Spirit.”
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital
relations with her until she had borne a son, 
and he named him Jesus.
What a tremendous and honorable thing to do.
Instead of running or abandoning her, he stood beside her
in the time when she most needed him to be supportive and loving.
I always find it fascinating that angels appear in dreams.
It was not uncommon in those times for this to happen.
It also is interesting that he didn’t question the dream or the words
spoken in the dream. That would mean he knew for a fact
it was real, true and spoken by an angel.
Joseph had to have been a man of faith to listen and obey
that quickly and then decide to not ‘make her his wife’
in an intimate way till the baby was born.
On this sixth day of December we learn about Joseph and
how willing he was to do what God asked of him and how
trusting he was in the process.
Later on he would leave his job, his family and his friends
to be with Mary… and the baby they would raise together.
Joseph is a wonderful example of love, companionship and
a servants heart. He was an earthly father to a heavenly son.