“But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1:20-21 ESV)
Why did the angel call Joseph “son of David”?
God had promised many years ago that the Messiah would come from David’s family. As a son of David, Joseph would pass that on to his legal son Jesus (along with the natural descent from David Jesus had through His mother).
But I think there might be more to it, important as that is. David was known as the “man after God’s own heart,” the one who sinned deeply, but loved God just as deeply. When God sent David’s life in strange new directions, David listened and followed. He relied on God’s promises. Now the angel calls this son of David, Joseph, to an even stranger life—protecting and caring for God’s own Son Jesus and His mother.
“Do not fear,” the angel says. God will be with him at every step. This Son that God is giving into Joseph’s hands will be his Savior as well—so Joseph will have the privilege of saving his Savior, providing for his Provider. And Joseph will name Him Jesus—this Child, God Himself, come into the world to save us from our sins and to provide us with everlasting life.
Prayer: Help me to trust You, dear Lord, like Joseph and David did. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Has your life been mostly as you expected when you were young, or not?
* What do you think must have been odd about raising the Child Jesus?
* Tell about a time when your life took a strange turn and you found help in the Lord.
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on December 20, 2022
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights reserved
