Dear Christian friends:

Usually when we think about Christmas and preach about Jesus' birth we think of Mary, Jesus' mother. Perhaps that is true because Luke writes more about Mary than he writes about Joseph. Perhaps that is true also because God used Mary in a more direct way than he used Joseph.

Nevertheless God used Joseph to help bring his Son into the world. Matthew the first gospel writer tells more about Joseph than about Mary. Our text this Christmas is from Matthew's gospel. We can learn much by giving attention to Joseph and how God blessed Joseph and used Joseph that first Christmas. We, too, can have a really happy Christmas. We, too, can have a really happy Christmas if we learn from Joseph.


God's Word made Joseph's Christmas happy. God's Word also makes our Christmas really happy.

We read in our text that God sent an angel to Joseph with a message. The message from God which the angel brought to him, that message made a happy Christmas for Joseph. Without that message from God Joseph would have no happy Christmas. (verse 20)

Before the angel appeared to him Joseph was not happy. He was sad and broken hearted. Why? Joseph and Mary had been engaged to be married, but when Joseph heard that Mary was expecting a baby, he thought she was unfaithful to him. He knew that he was not the father of Mary's baby, so he naturally suspected some other man had made Mary pregnant. Joseph did not yet know that Mary had conceived her baby by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps Joseph knew, but he did not believe it. Perhaps Mary had told him how the angel Gabriel had appeared to her and told her that she would be God's Son by the Holy Spirit. But Joseph did not believe Mary's story. Perhaps he thought that was some big fish story. (verses 18-19) So Joseph was sad and felt he must break his engagement with Mary.

So God showed mercy to Joseph. While he lay sleeping he dreamed and saw this angel standing by his bed. The angel said to him, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to accept Mary for your wife! The child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will give birth to a son, and you shall name him JESUS, for He will save his people from their sins." (verse 20-21)

Joseph believed the message God sent to him by the angel. Now he was not sad any more. Now He knew that Mary was a true, holy virgin, and more, he knew God finally fulfilled His promise and sent His Son to be the Savior for sinners. Joseph was most happy now, He believed God's Word about the BABY JESUS, the Son of the Virgin.

We, like Joseph, need to hear God's Christmas message, which He sent to Joseph and Mary, the message about the Baby Jesus, the Savior for sinners. Then we, too, can have a really happy Christmas again this season.

Joseph had a really happy Christmas because He believed God's Word about the Baby Jesus. Let us believe also. Let us not be too eager to find happiness in the other things of Christmas, presents, big dinners, drinking. These other things of Christmas can deceive you and lead you away from the real joy of Christmas. Rather, like Joseph, base your joy on the message from God. Joseph had no Christmas tree, no decorations, no big dinner, no drinks, but he heard and believed God's Christmas message and had great joy.

One Christmas many years ago, about one week before Christmas Day, I went into the post office building in Great Falls, Montana, to drop in my many Christmas Cards. I was standing at a table putting stamps on the envelopes when a lady came to the table and began searching anxiously in her purse, After a little while she found what she was searching for and then said to me, "I thought I had lost my money." Then she added, "If I had lost my money there would be no Christmas for me."

After the lady left I thought to myself, she should have said, "If I had lost my faith in Jesus there would be no Christmas for me."

We often are like that lady and base our Christmas happiness on money instead of on the Baby Jesus. Base your Christmas happiness on Jesus, then it will never vanish. True Christmas happiness comes to us and stays with us when we hear and believe the angel's message.

Now if we have true Christmas joy we will show it by obeying God's command and let God use us to bring His salvation to others, like Joseph did.

We read in our text, "When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel commanded him, and accepted Mary for his wife, but she remained a virgin until her son was born; and Joseph named him JESUS." (verses 24-25)

Joseph and Mary had the great pleasure and joy and honor from God to be His helpers in bringing the Savior into the world. They rejoiced in spirit because God used them two to bring His Son the Savior into the world. True that meant much trouble and suffering for them, but they did not complain. They felt honor and joy in serving God this way.

We, too, can show our Christmas happiness in obeying and serving God this Christmas season. We can be God's helpers, too. Perhaps we can't help in the same way that Mary and Joseph helped, but we can help bring God's Christmas message to others. We can tell the Good News about Jesus to our friends and neighbors especially those who do not believe in Jesus yet. Also by our special Christmas offerings we can support our Church's mission work to other nations. Our Christmas offerings this year will be sent to the District to be used for mission work.

I pray that God now gives us all a truly happy Christmas and that He helps us show our happiness by gladly obeying Him and serving Him.

Amen.