My question of the day during my Bible study with the TLC ladies at Hiland Correctional Facility two weeks ago was, “Who is your favorite character from the nativity story?” To my surprise, there was a wide array of answers. I thought Mary would be most popular, and she did get a few votes, as did the shepherds and the wisemen. Someone said the star, because it pointed people to Jesus, and I thought that was an awesome answer. Two ladies said they hadn’t yet read the biblical account of Christmas, so I said they could get back to me with their favorite character next class. (Side note: how exciting to read Jesus’ birth story for the first time!) And the funniest answer was probably “Sheep Number Two.” The woman who said that jokingly did say her real answer was Joseph because of the faith it took for him to accept what was told to him about why his soon-to-be bride was pregnant – not to mention that he should marry her anyway and raise the son, whom he was to name Jesus.

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I think sometimes Joseph’s obedience to God is overshadowed by Mary’s. But it took incredible faith and trust for both of them to yield their own wills and plans to what God had ordained for their lives as the earthly parents for Jesus.  

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What happened certainly could not have been what Joseph had planned for his life. He had been betrothed to an awesome girl, had learned what was likely the family carpentry business, and would raise his family in the faith of his forefathers. While the Bible doesn’t tell us how he felt when he first found out Mary was pregnant, we do know that he showed great integrity in his desire to protect Mary by divorcing her quietly, who otherwise could have been stoned to death for what appeared to be infidelity. Instead, he chose to do the right thing by her and by the Jewish laws of the time.

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But God intervened and sent an angel in a dream to give Joseph a new way forward. He was told to still take Mary as his wife because she was telling the truth about the child being conceived by the Holy Spirit. And as the passage from Matthew tells us, when he woke up, he obeyed! We can say “Oh, well Joseph had an angel appear to him when he was asked to do a hard thing.” But Joseph didn’t have the Scriptures or the Holy Spirit to help him discern what he was supposed to do when Mary explained the impossible, unbelievable situation  to him. He had such a bold faith to do what was asked of him! Commentaries also highlight that Joseph gave up sleeping with his new bride until Jesus was born! I guess I had always counted him blessed that he still got to marry his sweetheart Mary and have a kid together. I never considered the 10 months he waited to consummate their marriage to prove that the child was indeed born of a virgin. In addition to the virgin birth, another part of Messianic prophecy was fulfilled as Joseph participated in God’s plan. Joseph was from the line of David (as seen in Matthew’s genealogy) and even though he wasn’t the biological father of Jesus, legally Jesus would have been his son, and therefore part of the line of King Solomon.  

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Joseph’s story reminds us that even if you get a very clear message from the Lord, like an angel appearing to you in a dream, it doesn’t make obedience easy. Joseph likely faced criticism and ridicule – who would have believed their miraculous story? He may have even had his own doubts at times. But because he “did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him,” God was able to use him in his plan to redeem the world through Jesus. Faithful to God’s plan, Joseph raised Jesus as his son and taught him the family business, the Jewish faith, and customs. His yes to God was part of a great rescue plan that was set in motion at the beginning of time. He could not have understood the magnitude of his role at the time, but he is an example to us even today of trusting God with our lives.

As we enter this new year, what might God be asking you to do as a bold step of obedience so you may be used for his purposes? Maybe quitting a job to do ministry full-time? Asking for forgiveness in a relationship? Stewarding your finances in a more faith-filled way? Don’t underestimate the ripple effects from your faithful yes in 2026 to invest in God’s Kingdom. Sometimes we may feel like the equivalent of Sheep Number Two in God’s great story, but God invites us to step up, just as Joseph did, because he has an important role for each of us.

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God, we pray for your guidance as we enter this new year. Would you give us the clarity to see where you are leading and the increasingly close relationship with you so that we recognize your voice. When we hear you clearly, give us the faith and the strength to obey right away. God, we want to see your Kingdom come. Please give us the courage of Joseph. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.