Text: Matthew 1:18–25
Topic: The Christmas story from Joseph's perspective

Who was Joseph?
• Illustration: Robinson delivers the entire sermon as Joseph Davidson, the earthly father of Jesus.
• As a descendant of King David, Joseph had some standing in the community as a righteous man.
• As a carpenter, Joseph was a practical, honest, hardworking man.
• Joseph loved Mary deeply, and delighted in their betrothal.

How did he feel?
• Joseph was unable to believe Mary's explanation of her pregnancy, but unwilling to publicly divorce and humiliate her.
• His standing as a righteous leader in the community was at stake.
• Joseph's dream energized his faith in the truth of Mary's claim, and so he took her back for what he thought would be a trouble-free life.

What happened to his young family?
• The difficult circumstances and loneliness involved in Jesus' birth caused Joseph to doubt his faith.
• Joseph understood the visit and gifts from the wise men as the providence of God, because they enabled his family to move to Egypt.

Joseph as a father
• The plainness of Jesus' childhood again caused Joseph to wonder about his son's divine status.
• Joseph was forced to wrestle with his doubts alone, but was comforted by Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 7:14).
• Joseph put his thumbprint on Jesus, and eventually accepted Jesus' thumbprint on his soul.
• Joseph was an ordinary man that sometimes believed his doubts and doubted his beliefs, yet he had enough faith to do what God wanted him to do.