Title: Father's Day.
Father's Day is a very special day. Our Fathers are special in so many ways. Too Many ways to describe here today. So I just want to look at one father in the Bible today. We must recognize that not all fathers are the best at being a father. So for those of us that had a father like that let me invite you to look at this earthly father as an example.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 gives us a big picture of what is expected:
Ecclesiastes 12:13: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
But as we dig deeper what is expected as far as being a Christian man that is guided by the Holy Spirit given by God when Jesus ask for Him to be sent to earth to be with us.
Most men believe that being a good provider means supporting a family financially. ... A man should also contribute to the emotional, spiritual, physical and mental well-being of his family. These characteristic apply to his spouse as well as children and anyone else that is his responsibility.
Joseph was picked to be the earthly (adopted) father just as much as Mary was picked to be the mother of our Savior Jesus.
Even before God spoke to Joseph - Joseph didn’t have any vengeance or bitterness in his heart. The Bible says: he “was minded to put her away secretly”. There were ways in which a divorce (engagement to be married was the same as marriage under the Jewish Law) could be enacted very quietly, without the involvement of a judge, and Joseph was already considering the best way to do this.
Joseph was kind. He LOVED Mary. His love for her was based on a real commitment. And husbands, the Bible says we must love our wives with all that we are. Ephesians 5:25 - the example is that we must love our wives sacrificially, even as Christ loved the church and lay down His life for it.
But we also see that Joseph was a loving man in his relationship toward Jesus. If loving to Jesus so to his other children also.
When the child came along at first Joseph was in shock. He probably couldn’t eat or sleep and his mind was restless over the situation. Then he was visited by an angle: Matthew 1:20: But after he had considered 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 home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
Joseph accept the child he had not conceived - there was no attitude in Joseph after his visit by an angel “This boy isn’t my flesh and blood”. There was no resentment or indifference toward Him; no lack of love at all. Joseph adopted Jesus as his own. He protected Him from the hatred of Herod. He nurtured Him and cared for Him. Evidently he taught Jesus his own trade of carpentry.
He adopted the one that the rest of the world would reject.
