There is a sense in which Joseph is the “forgotten man of Christmas.” He is Joseph the silent. He appears in the birth narratives of the gospels without uttering a word, and then disappears, never appearing again. Joseph is the last figure set up in our nativity scenes and the first one taken down. He is an extra in the scene with only minor credits. And although there are 15 cities in the U.S. named after him, he remains largely forgotten. This shouldn’t be because he is an incredible example of strong, silent obedience to God. It was Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, “What you do speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you say.” And it’s a good thing, because although Joseph does not speak, his actions speak volumes to us today.
Two millennia ago, nine months before the first Christmas, a miracle took place in the village of Nazareth. Mary said yes to God, and the virgin was with child. Two millennia later, God wants to birth a miracle in you. Will you say yes? In this sermon series, “Tidings of Comfort and Joy,” we’ll explore Mary’s miracle and learn how to accept, conceive, and deliver the miraculous in our own lives.
