5 Lessons from Joseph’s Obedience in the Christmas Story

“Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1:19).

When we meet Joseph in the gospel of Matthew, he is facing a dilemma. The woman he has pledged to marry finds herself pregnant. Because he knows he didn’t do it, he decides to divorce Mary, but he wants to do it quietly. In Jewish law, being pledged to be married was seen as being married. According to Jewish law, when Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, and he was not the father, he had a right to divorce her. The fact he wanted to do it quietly speaks to his character, because he saved Mary from shame, judgment, and possibly even death.

Jospeh faced a challenging decision because he first had to believe that Mary could be pregnant and still be a virgin. We look back now and understand, but imagine you were the one the angel told that to. How long would it take you to believe it? Once he overcame that hurdle, his obedience also meant he had to take on the responsibility of raising a child that was not his biological child. Yet, the Bible does not indicate that he was reluctant or scornful in doing that.

Joseph probably had to deal with his own level of shame because his fiancée winds up pregnant and he must accept it. Who knows if others tried to talk him out of marrying Mary, and we don’t know what people said of him.

Yet, his obedience to what God told him to do meant that he was willing to handle all those hard decisions and whatever consequences came with them. One truth about our Christian walk is that God will walk with you through every step. However, obedience does not mean those steps will always be easy. Joseph most likely faced some scorn and ridicule for his obedience, yet he endured it. Ironically, the child Mary gave birth to also faced scorn and ridicule, and his obedience led him to die on a cross. While obedience is necessary, don’t assume it will always be easy.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Klaus Vedfelt

“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife” (Matthew 1:24).

One quality that stood out in Joseph’s obedience was his immediate response to God’s command. When God spoke, Joseph didn’t hesitate or question; he moved. Think about the changes he had to experience in his life. Here’s a man ready to marry Mary when his life takes a complete turn. He marries a pregnant woman carrying a child that not he did not father. Yet, instead of arguing or delaying, Joseph trusts God’s voice and takes action right away.

Here is one thing we can learn from Jospeh’s obedience – when you know it’s God speaking, the time to act is now. The longer you delay, the greater the chance that doubt, distractions, or even disobedience can creep in and pull you away from what God wants you to do.

Joseph models a powerful principle of quick obedience. When God asks something of us, we may not always understand the “why” behind it. But it is not always about why, more importantly, it is about trusting the “who.” Joseph may not have understood the entire process, but he trusted the God who was leading him.

Rarely in life will God ever give us the complete picture, at least not immediately. However, once you know it’s God leading you, then it is time to move and not put it off. There is a blessing in obeying without delay, following God’s lead, and trusting he knows best, even when the request seems challenging or even overwhelming. When you obey without delay, like Joseph did, that is when you will see how God’s plan unfolds powerfully in your life.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Nankimstudio

“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt” (Matthew 2:13-14).

God’s call doesn’t just require immediate obedience. Sometimes sudden and radical changes accompany it. This happened to Joseph. Put yourself in his shoes for a moment. Joseph is settling in Bethlehem, starting his new life with Mary and their child. Then, out of nowhere, God interrupts with a new command. He now must leave the comfort of his home and move his family to Egypt. A new country, new land, and they must go now with no advanced warning. This was not a gradual transition; this was an immediate one.

Think about what that would mean for him and his family. The journey from Bethlehem to Egypt could have been anywhere from 40 to 300 miles, depending on their destination. That’s similar to the distance between NYC and Pittsburgh, but without the convenience of modern transportation. Joseph couldn’t fly, take a train, or drive. He had to take his young family, likely on foot or on a donkey, all while facing the uncertainty of what lay ahead. However, again we see Joseph obeyed immediately and without complaint.

So what is the message for us? Sometimes, God’s instructions will require a drastic, sudden change. There will be times where you may even be in a comfortable position, yet God requires you to move, anyway. Obedience may mean shifting your plans and embracing the unknown, all because you trust God sees what you cannot. Joseph teaches us to respond to God’s voice, even if it requires sudden, hard moves. Your confidence lies in the fact that when God calls, he equips, he provides, and in every step, he is right there with you, so you don’t walk alone.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Sportpoint

If you think Joseph’s rapid obedience came from nowhere, it didn’t. Joseph was quick to obey because he understood and recognized when God was speaking to him. When God spoke to Joseph in a dream, he didn’t hesitate or second-guess; he moved. Why was he able to do that? Because he recognized how God was speaking to him. He didn’t need a second sign or another confirmation. He knew it was God, and that was enough for him to act immediately.

Joseph's response challenges me, and I wonder if it challenges you, too. In your walk with God, the key to obedience often starts with tuning your heart to hear Him clearly. Here is the question that is challenging – God still speaks today, but are you listening? The challenge isn’t God speaking, but do we recognize his voice? God might speak through Scripture, prayer, a gentle nudge in your spirit, through the counsel of others, or even through the circumstances of life. But if we’re not familiar with his voice, then we can miss it because we don’t know it is his voice.

Joseph teaches us that if we are going to be in a relationship with the Lord, then we must know his voice. Listening to God is not a one-time event; it’s an ongoing part of your relationship. As you cultivate your relationship, you will be able to fine tune your ear to his voice and know when he is speaking. The more familiar you are with his voice, the better positioned you will be to respond, even when he asks something unexpected. So, let’s make it our priority to tune our ears and hearts to God’s voice and recognize it quickly, just like Joseph did, so we, too, can obey without hesitation.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Tutye

The last lesson to share with you from Joseph is the reality that there cannot be great obedience without great faith. We have established that obeying God is not always easy, sometimes it is very hard. Was it easy for Joseph to marry Mary? Was it easy to pack up his family and move to Egypt without knowing how long they would be there? These are difficult decisions, and the only way you can follow God in these situations is if you have great faith.

When Joseph did what God asked him, all he had was trust that God would work everything out. Let’s not pretend his obedience did not come with some trepidation, because it probably did. After all, he was human, just like you and me. However, when you have faith in God, your faith can calm those fears.

There is something unique about obedience. The more you obey, the more your faith grows. Each moment of obedience is an opportunity for God to prove himself faithful and that’s why when you walk in obedience it helps your faith to grow.

As you think about Joseph today, is there something God is asking of you? Something where you don’t know the outcome and all you can do is trust him? These are the difficult moments that come with obedience. I know these decisions are not always easy, but you can trust God because he will not steer you wrong. You may not see it at first, but God has already worked out the other side of your obedience. As you walk and obey, then things will become clearer. If you don’t believe me, just look back at the life of Joseph.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Sam Balye