Matthew 1:18-21 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” NKJV
The Man Whom Jesus Let DIE
Joseph referred to by the angel Gabriel as the son of David, gave to Jesus the Son of God, all the adoptive rights that a father could legally give. This same Jesus, then became the son of David through the adoptive declarations of Joseph. This primary declaration of Joseph is clearly seen in the enormous action of faith, when he took the divinely pregnant and virgin Mary to be his wife. Colin Kerr in the International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, writes concerning Joseph that “If a type is to be sought in the character of Joseph, it is that of a simple, honest, hard-working, God-fearing man, who was possessed of large sympathies and a warm heart.”
‘Joseph The Just’ was so honoured by heaven that he is the three-time recipient of direct revelation from God. Yes indeed, ‘Joseph The Just,’ was an honourable and magnificent man of faith to marry Mary in the midst of all the then and no doubt continued gossip regarding the origins of Jesus. The Holy family, lived their lives under a cloud of suspicion regarding the faithfulness of Mary and the probable illegitimacy of Jesus. Origen suggests that this was to purposely throw the devil off the trail of the incarnation of the promised Redeemer, for who would imagine the ‘Word made flesh,’ living and being brought up under such a cloud of suspicion? Yet He was, and ‘Joseph The Just’ bore the brunt of all the ‘under the breath’ suspicions. Make no mistake about it, ‘Joseph The Just’ was an enormous man of faith, a pious man, a providing man, a precious man to Mary and to all the other children later born to them through her. No doubt Joseph was also an older man and therefore in the scheme of this fallen world, was destined to depart its shores before the younger Mary. We know for a fact that Joseph was around as a faithful provider and practicing Jew when Jesus was aged twelve, but it is evident that Joseph is no longer around when Jesus begins His public ministry when then aged thirty. Sometime then, in those intervening eighteen years, ‘Joseph The Just’ died in the arms of Mary and no doubt in both the face and the presence of Jesus. Think about that. Why did ‘Jesus The Good’ let this seemingly bad thing happen to ‘Joseph the Just’ in His very own family, in His Holy family?
My very strong suggestion is that, because a time was coming when Jesus would publicly begin revealing but one Father, His true Father, His heavenly Father to the world. Then there could be no doubt whatsoever, that this revealing and proclamation made no reference whatsoever to an earthly father. At this point, not only would the mystery and all the gossip regarding the conception of Jesus add to the veracity of His heavenly claim, but the long absence of Joseph from his earthly life, would remove all possible pointers to an earthly father and so clearly indicate our Lord’s proclamation to be but of His one, true and heavenly genealogy. This was the plan, this was the purpose and in light of that, despite the grief and despite the pain, despite the loss to other loving children and to the loving arms of Mary, ‘Joseph The Just,’ just had to go.
The best of men may follow the greatest of divine purposes in faithfulness, quietness, piety and pain. Yet for whatever reason, should their continuance eclipse the revelation of the Father from heaven, then they shall be removed from the earthly scene. To that end, Jesus let this just man die.
I am sure that I am wrong, but I wonder if in heaven there shall be special gated communities, where adjacent to the fields of gold in the private gardens of God Himself, quiet, unheard of and quickly forgotten folk, magnificent men like Joseph, shall reside in such an honoured and well-loved bliss, that we well blustered and noisy disciples, could never enter in? I am sure I am wrong concerning this, but I am sure you also get my point.
Tonight, this will come as a shock to many of you I know, but your life, disciple of Christ, is not about you! The purpose of your life is to reveal the Son and so in turn, to reveal the Father. If you need to die to do this better, then friend, you simply need to die.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Listen:- “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” Luke 10:22 NKJV
Pray:- Father by Your grace You have separated me from my mother’s womb and brought me into this world of Yours. Now Father, reveal Your Son in me, that I might preach Him amongst the Gentiles and amongst the Jews. I pray that in me, both He and You would increase and that I might decrease. I know this is a hard thing I ask O Lord, yet Father, make it so. Yes, amen, and make it so.
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