A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book, Why the Nativity?: 25 Compelling Reasons We Celebrate the Birth of Jesus (p. 17). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)
These are two of the first four writers of the New Testament in the Bible.
David continues, "These writers wanted to set down the wonderful story of how Jesus first entered our world. Imagine what would have been lost to our understanding and appreciation if someone hadn’t preserved the remarkable events of Bethlehem, of the shepherds and wise men, of the inns and the stable.
"Without our accounts of the early life of Jesus, we would know almost nothing about Joseph, the quiet adoptive father who protected the infancy of the Savior of the world. Of course, that was a detail our Lord didn’t want us to miss. So he sent these two men from different backgrounds and with different goals for their narratives."
He goes on, "Luke, the physician, wanted to write 'a careful account' (Luke 1:3) of the life of Jesus and the birth of the church. He wrote his two-volume work, Luke and Acts, for the Greek world. Luke showed a special interest in the women in the life of Jesus. It is clear when we read the Christmas narrative in his Gospel that we are hearing the personal memories of Mary.
"Matthew, on the other hand, emphasized the Jewish record, particularly how Jesus fulfilled the ancient prophecies. It was natural that he should seek the testimony of Joseph, the family patriarch, because the Jews were patriarchal people. It was also fortunate that Matthew recorded this precious memory, because Joseph apparently died not too many years later. However long he lived, his life was well spent in invaluable service to God and to human history. He is the 'forgotten man' of the greatest story ever told, and it pays us to take a moment to remember him."
Later David says, "Joseph was a quiet man. When the wise men visited, for example, no word is recorded from Joseph. But he was a man of faith, dependability, and practicality who served as a model not only for the beloved Child but for all of us who would stand quietly in that Child’s presence."
He then says, "Why Joseph? To fulfill his plan, God needed a carpenter. He needed a man who was sturdy, stable, and practical, yet sensitive to the voice of God. He needed one who would stand quietly with a young virgin who might have seemed an object of ridicule, yet who carried in her womb the hope of the world. Joseph was strong but compassionate; he was able to lead the tiring expedition to Bethlehem and to the stable, to love and encourage the mother of Christ. Joseph, as the man of the house, was the teacher to give Jesus his first lessons in the law of God. And in Jerusalem, when the boy was twelve and it became evident that his first allegiance must be to another Father, Joseph was the man to humbly and silently step back and let God step forward."
God always knows what He is doing, doesn't He? Yes, yes! #continuethought
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