December 8th, 2025
By: Angie Drummonds
Christmas from Joseph’s view
We talk a lot about Mary at Christmas… her obedience, her courage, her “yes” to God. And rightly so. But sometimes, I think we overlook the quiet strength of the man who walked beside her, Joseph. A man whose faith didn’t make headlines or shake nations, but whose obedience changed the world.
Imagine Joseph for a moment.
A simple carpenter.
Honest. Hard-working. Engaged to a young woman named Mary. He had plans, normal plans. A wedding. A home. Maybe children one day. A peaceful, steady life.
And then… Mary’s news.
She was pregnant.
Not by another man.
But by the Holy Spirit.
Matthew records it so simply, yet the weight of it is powerful.
“When Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18
Joseph’s world must have stopped.
Everything he thought he knew collapsed under the weight of a story he couldn’t possibly understand.
Scripture tells us that Joseph was a righteous man:
“…Joseph her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example…” Matthew 1:19
“Just” or “righteous” meaning he lived to honor God. It also means that integrity, mercy, and compassion guided his decisions. He could have reacted in anger or humiliation. He could have exposed Mary publicly, as the law permitted (Deuteronomy 22:23–24). Instead, he wrestled quietly.
He didn’t jump to conclusions.
He didn’t shame her.
He didn’t allow fear or pride to lead him.
And it was in that humble, conflicted place that God spoke.
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:20
He didn’t get all the answers. He didn’t get a full explanation. He got a simple command:
“Do not be afraid.”
And Joseph obeyed with remarkable faith.
“And Joseph… did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” Matthew 1:24
He trusted God when the story didn’t make sense.
He took Mary as his wife.
He stepped into a calling he never expected.
He would raise the Messiah, not by blood, but by obedience.
Even after Jesus’ birth, Joseph continued listening to God’s direction. When Herod sought to kill the child, Joseph once again acted on God’s voice:
“Arise, take the young child and His mother, flee to Egypt… for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him.” Matthew 2:13–14
Over and over again, Joseph shows us what faith looks like… quiet, consistent obedience rooted in trust.
Joseph reminds us that sometimes faith looks like:
And maybe that’s a message for us this year.
Maybe God is asking you to trust Him with something that doesn’t fully make sense.
Maybe He’s calling you to walk in obedience when doubt is loud.
Maybe He’s inviting you into a story that looks different from what you planned…
Just like Joseph. This Christmas, may we have the courage to say the same quiet, powerful yes, as Joseph did.
Christmas from Joseph’s view
We talk a lot about Mary at Christmas… her obedience, her courage, her “yes” to God. And rightly so. But sometimes, I think we overlook the quiet strength of the man who walked beside her, Joseph. A man whose faith didn’t make headlines or shake nations, but whose obedience changed the world.
Imagine Joseph for a moment.
A simple carpenter.
Honest. Hard-working. Engaged to a young woman named Mary. He had plans, normal plans. A wedding. A home. Maybe children one day. A peaceful, steady life.
And then… Mary’s news.
She was pregnant.
Not by another man.
But by the Holy Spirit.
Matthew records it so simply, yet the weight of it is powerful.
“When Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18
Joseph’s world must have stopped.
Everything he thought he knew collapsed under the weight of a story he couldn’t possibly understand.
Scripture tells us that Joseph was a righteous man:
“…Joseph her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example…” Matthew 1:19
“Just” or “righteous” meaning he lived to honor God. It also means that integrity, mercy, and compassion guided his decisions. He could have reacted in anger or humiliation. He could have exposed Mary publicly, as the law permitted (Deuteronomy 22:23–24). Instead, he wrestled quietly.
He didn’t jump to conclusions.
He didn’t shame her.
He didn’t allow fear or pride to lead him.
And it was in that humble, conflicted place that God spoke.
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:20
He didn’t get all the answers. He didn’t get a full explanation. He got a simple command:
“Do not be afraid.”
And Joseph obeyed with remarkable faith.
“And Joseph… did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” Matthew 1:24
He trusted God when the story didn’t make sense.
He took Mary as his wife.
He stepped into a calling he never expected.
He would raise the Messiah, not by blood, but by obedience.
Even after Jesus’ birth, Joseph continued listening to God’s direction. When Herod sought to kill the child, Joseph once again acted on God’s voice:
“Arise, take the young child and His mother, flee to Egypt… for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him.” Matthew 2:13–14
Over and over again, Joseph shows us what faith looks like… quiet, consistent obedience rooted in trust.
Joseph reminds us that sometimes faith looks like:
- Believing God when His plan interrupts ours (Isaiah 55:8–9)
- Choosing obedience over understanding (Proverbs 3:5–6)
- Loving others sacrificially (1 Corinthians 13:7)
- Trusting that God sees the whole picture when we only see a single frame (Psalm 37:5)
And maybe that’s a message for us this year.
Maybe God is asking you to trust Him with something that doesn’t fully make sense.
Maybe He’s calling you to walk in obedience when doubt is loud.
Maybe He’s inviting you into a story that looks different from what you planned…
Just like Joseph. This Christmas, may we have the courage to say the same quiet, powerful yes, as Joseph did.
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