Jesus

Choosing a child’s name is both a privilege and a responsibility. Many parents begin the selection process when they know a child is in the womb. Nearly all parents have names ready by the time labor pains begin, although there have been circumstances when a child wasn’t named until some weeks after being born (perhaps the mother and father disagreed about a name).

Mary, however, knew from the moment she said yes to God that she would have a son and that she was to name Him Jesus (Luke 1:31). Joseph received the same command: “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Perhaps this was one of the ways God convinced Joseph that Mary’s pregnancy was a divine act, in that they were both told to name the child Jesus.

In Bible times, names were more than what you called a person. A name had meaning. It indicated a person’s character and perhaps his or her purpose in life. Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua (Yeshua), and it means “Jehovah saves” or “God is salvation.” The angel told Joseph to name the child Jesus because Jesus would save His people from their sins (v. 21). The eighth day after His birth, He was formally given the name Jesus at His circumcision (Luke 2:21).

God’s Son was given the human name Jesus because the human race has a fundamental problem: sin. Sin is not simply a passive inability to meet God’s standards. Sin is our active, intentional rebellion against God, His commands, and purposes. Sin is in our nature, and sins are what we do wrong. Every sin is an offense against a holy God. The consequences of sin are God’s wrath and our death.

God’s Son was named Jesus because He came to solve our problem with sin. Sin is our problem, but His mission was to save us from sin. He did that by living a sinless life, willingly dying in our place on the cross, and rising again to never-ending life. When a person “receives” Jesus as Savior (John 1:12), he or she is forgiven of sin and is given eternal life (3:16). Only Jesus can save us from our sins and give eternal life, because only He is sinless, and therefore only He is qualified to be the sacrifice for our sin. Further, only Jesus conquered death by rising from the grave. Jesus is God’s sole sufficient solution to the problem of our sin.

Because only Jesus can save us from sin, we need a relationship with Him. How should we think of this relationship? What should it look like? Our relationship to Jesus the Savior begins when we understand that He is a gift to receive. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (1:12). When we receive Jesus—believe in Him at the heart level—He enters our lives, and His presence includes the gift of salvation. There is no way to earn forgiveness. There is no possibility of our being good enough to deserve salvation. Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection are acts of God’s grace. Only by receiving the gift of Jesus are we forgiven, rightly related to God, and certain of eternal life. Once you have a relationship with Jesus, you can’t live without Him. Have you received Jesus?

Our Leader

As our relationship with the Savior grows, we discover that He is a leader to follow. When Jesus called His disciples, He often commanded “Follow Me!” (Mark 1:17, 2:14; John 1:43 NASB). A follower follows. That is, a true follower of Jesus understands that Jesus leads the way and that He doesn’t need our suggestions on where to go or how to get there. In Bible times when a rabbi chose a disciple, the disciple’s task was to imitate the rabbi, learn from him, and as much as possible become like the leader. Is Jesus your leader? Do you trust Him? Are you a good follower?

Our Master

Because Jesus is our Savior, He must be the master we serve. Often the disciples referred to Jesus as Master (Luke 5:5; 8:24, 45; 9:33, 49), and Jesus told parables featuring masters and servants (Matt. 13:24–30; 18:21–35; 22:1–14; Luke 19:12–26). The master is in charge. His servants do not argue with his commands; they obey. Jesus Himself was a servant, so He understands perfectly the servant’s role: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). Jesus expects loyalty from His servants (“no one can serve two masters”—Matt. 6:24). He taught His servants that they would be treated like their Master, meaning we will suffer (John 15:18–25). He emphasized that no servant is greater than his master (13:16; 15:20). He encouraged His servants by promising, “Where I am, my servant will also be. My Father will honor the one who serves me” (12:26). What kind of servant are you?

Our Friend

As our Savior, Jesus is also a friend to embrace. In life we have many acquaintances but few real friends. Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:14–15). Servants know what to do; friends know why they’re doing it. Jesus lets us into His thoughts and plans, although He doesn’t explain everything. Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24) and He is the friend of sinners (Luke 7:34). Does Jesus call you “friend”?

Our King

Perhaps the highest privilege of knowing Jesus the Savior is worshiping Him as King. Both Isaiah and Micah prophesied that Messiah would be a king (Isa. 9:6–7; Mic. 5:2–5a) and at His birth the Magi came to Jerusalem asking, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” (Matt. 2:2). On His cross was a sign stating, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Matt. 27:37). Because of His servant’s life and obedient death, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9–11). Jesus is absolutely sovereign. Unlike earthly kings, Jesus uses His position and authority to bless and serve His people. The proper posture before a king is to kneel, submitting to his lordship. Do you willingly bend the knee to King Jesus?

Jesus Is God

Often in Scripture, and in conversation, our Savior is referred to as Jesus Christ. Those are not His first and last names. Jesus is His human name, reminding us that God is our salvation. Christ is the Greek word for anointed One or Messiah. So the two names together express that Jesus is God, come to save us by fulfilling the prophesied work of the Messiah.

“Give him the name Jesus” (Luke 1:31). “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Jesus is the greatest name in heaven and earth!

 See: David, Grace, Immanuel, Joseph, King, Mary, Messiah, Nazarene

John the Baptist

Most of the season of Advent centers on the infant Jesus. The person of John the Baptist forces us to make a leap forward in time, to when Jesus is an adult. This may seem like an anachronism but it is not. At Christ’s birth, the world was prepared culturally and politically. But before the Messiah could accomplish His work of salvation, Israel had to be prepared spiritually. This was the mission of John the Baptist, and Advent is a fitting time to emphasize his work.

John the Baptizer is a “saint” of the Advent season. Each year he appears in the Gospel readings on the second and third Sundays of Advent. We learn about his background, we hear snatches of his preaching, and we know he demanded repentance. John baptized publicly those who confessed their sins (Matt. 3:6; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). This was unusual—and attention getting—because the Jews did not practice baptism (only Gentiles who converted to Judaism experienced a kind of washing). John the Baptist takes the stage briefly during Advent and then disappears. We need to know more about this colorful figure!

John’s mission in life was to point to Jesus. He was a witness to the light (John 1:7–8). From events before his birth to the circumstances of his death, John’s life was shaped by his relationship to Jesus. This should be true for every person who is a follower of Jesus.

John grew up knowing the story of the angel Gabriel’s conversation with his father in the temple (Luke 1:5–25). He knew that his birth was against the odds, his parents being well on in years, and he knew that his name had been given by the angel (v. 13). From his earliest days John realized that he was chosen for a special role in God’s program—he was to be the forerunner to the Messiah (vv. 17, 76). As John learned the Scriptures for himself, he understood that certain passages applied specifically to him (Isa. 40:3–5; Mal. 4:5–6). After reaching adulthood, John chose to live in the desert (Luke 1:80). Like the prophet Elijah, John the Baptist seemed to appear out of nowhere when his public ministry began.

Since Mary and Elizabeth were relatives (v. 36), some Bible scholars speculate that Jesus and John were cousins (second? third?). John was older than Jesus by several months, and perhaps they saw each other occasionally as they grew up. It seems that John did not know Jesus was the Messiah until he baptized Jesus (John 1:31). John treated Jesus with the highest respect, acknowledging he wasn’t worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals, and insisting Jesus was the greater person (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:7–8; Luke 3:16; John 1:26–27, 33).

Luke introduces John to his readers with beautiful irony:

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

Luke 3:1–2

Luke listed all the significant politicians. Then he named the priests. We might expect God to speak to and through these important leaders. But to Luke they were merely background figures. The “word of God” came to John because the real power—God’s—was at work in John, the last of the old covenant prophets, divinely appointed forerunner to the Messiah, who was fulfilling ancient prophecy and serving in the spirit and power of Elijah (1:17). The peoples of Palestine thought Caesar, Herod, or the high priest held the real power. God bypassed the high and mighty and sent His word to John.

Instead of locating near the centers of religious and political power, John did his preaching and baptizing in the wilderness by the Jordan River (Matt. 3:1; Mark 1:4–5; Luke 3:3). In Mark 1:6 we see that his clothing wasn’t the height of fashion (a camel’s hair garment and leather belt) and his diet was not gourmet fare (locusts and wild honey). John had a green, organic lifestyle before it became trendy. His environment, lifestyle, and confrontational style of preaching linked him in people’s minds to Elijah the prophet (John 1:21).

Preparing Israel to receive her Messiah required John to work on four related tasks at the same time. He called people to repentance, identified Jesus as the Savior, provided evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, and encouraged godly living.

Calling People to Repentance

First, John called people to repentance. Both Matthew (3:1–2, 7–12) and Luke (3:7–18) include portions of John’s preaching against sin and spiritual complacency. “Repent” means to change one’s mind. The image is that in sin we are moving away from God; when we repent, we turn around and move toward God. We are sorry for our sin and purpose to live a pure life.

Sin alienates us from God, and John drew vivid word pictures to affirm the truth of God’s judgment. He spoke of the “coming wrath” (Matt. 3:7; Luke 3:7), a phrase that would have reminded Jews of “the day of the Lord,” referenced in their Scriptures (see Isa. 13:9; Joel 1:15; 2:1–2; Amos 5:18–20; Mal. 3:2; 4:1, 5). How many of John’s listeners connected him to the predicted coming of Elijah prior to judgment, as found in Malachi 4:5–6?

Another image John used was an ax chopping down a tree (Matt. 3:10; Luke 3:9) and he insisted the ax was already at the tree’s roots. This meant that God’s judgment for sin was currently underway, and those who thought judgment was a long way off were mistaken. Israel’s prophets had depicted the nation as a vine planted by God, but her sin would bring destruction (Isa. 5:1–7; Jer. 2:21–22; Hosea 10:1–2). God expects fruit in His people’s lives, and John added the image of unfruitful trees being burned with fire to motivate persons unconcerned about their sin (Matt. 3:10; Luke 3:9). Again, the prophets of Israel had invoked the threat of fire to express God’s anger against sin (Jer. 11:16–17; Ezek. 15:6–7).

The winnowing fork and threshing floor images further represented divine judgment in John’s preaching (Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17). A winnowing fork was used to toss the harvested grain into the air. The heavier kernels of grain fell to the threshing floor, and the much lighter chaff blew away on the wind. The grain was stored for use, but the chaff was burned. A person’s response to the gospel determined if he or she were wheat or chaff. John’s preaching convicted sinners of their guilt, convinced them of God’s judgment, and brought them to repentance.

John also challenged the spiritual complacency of his hearers. He warned them against saying, “We have Abraham as our father” (Matt. 3:9; Luke 3:8), as though ethnic identity and religious heritage are what provide us with God’s blessing. John stunned his audience by stating that God could make Jews out of rocks, meaning it required God’s action to save a sinner, not genetics or traditions.

The Messiah, whose coming John heralded, would divide people into believers who would be saved or unbelievers who would be judged. John confronted people with a spiritual decision; many repented, confessed their sin, and were baptized (Matt. 3:5–6). John preached “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3). The baptism was not the source of forgiveness; God’s forgiveness was the response to repentance and faith. The significance of John’s baptism was as an outward expression of an inward spiritual transformation. His preaching was painfully blunt but it expressed “the good news” of salvation (v. 18). John fulfilled his father’s prophecy about giving “his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins” (1:77).

In preaching repentance, John was also fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy (40:3–5, quoted in Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:2–3; Luke 3:4–6). He also identified himself as the “voice” about whom Isaiah spoke (John 1:22–23). By repenting and being baptized, people were allowing God to rearrange the inner landscape of their lives. As they pursued holiness, God would fill in the eroded places, lower the proud places, and straighten the crooked places in sinners’ lives. This is the work God wants to do: make us straight and level.

Identifying Jesus as the Savior

To prepare Israel spiritually for her Messiah, John identified Jesus as the Savior. Zechariah had predicted that John would be a “prophet of the Most High” who would prepare the way of the Lord, so God’s people could experience salvation (Luke 1:76–77). Israel expected her long-awaited Messiah to save the nation militarily and politically. John’s mission was to bring the people of Israel “back to the Lord their God . . . to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (vv. 16–17).

Preaching repentance was a prophet’s expected work. Baptizing Jews who did repent was new and unprecedented, since it wasn’t a Jewish rite. So responding to the gospel at the heart level and being publicly baptized was an act of humility for a son or daughter of Israel. Perhaps it was the pride of the Pharisees in resisting John’s message that drew his sermonic attention to them (Matt. 3:7; Luke 7:30). In any event, John knew that he was sent by God to baptize with water as part of his ministry (John 1:33).

John also knew that he was to baptize the Messiah but he didn’t know who the Messiah was (vv. 31, 33). So John’s baptism had two purposes: (1) a way for repentant sinners to express their inward, spiritual transformation; and (2) a way to identify the Messiah, on whom the Holy Spirit would rest when the Messiah was baptized. This accounts for Jesus’ insisting that John baptize Him (Matt. 3:13–15).

Mark’s Gospel states that John came “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,” and that those he baptized confessed their sins (1:4–5). Jesus had no sins to confess or be forgiven. Why, then, was Jesus baptized by John? There are several reasons: to be identified by John as the Messiah (John 1:32–34); to be publicly commissioned in His role as Messiah (the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove, and the Father pronounced His blessing on the Son—Mark 1:9–11); and to identify with the sinners He came to save (Jesus’ mission was to make unrighteous sinners righteous—Matt. 3:15).

Providing Evidence That Jesus Is the Messiah

As his third task in Israel’s spiritual preparation, John provided evidence that Jesus is the Messiah. John’s first words in Matthew’s Gospel are “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (3:2). A kingdom is ruled by a king, so John could have drawn on the theme of the kingship of the Messiah (see Psalm 2; 110:1; Isa. 9:6–7; Jer. 23:5–6; Mic. 5:2).

John linked Jesus to the Scriptures by the titles he ascribed to Jesus. Twice John referred publicly to Jesus as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36). The phrase “Lamb of God” would immediately move a Jewish person’s thoughts to the Passover (Exodus 12). Referring to Jesus as Lamb of God meant that Jesus was sinless and therefore qualified to be the only sufficient sacrifice for sin. By saying that Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), John revealed that the Messiah’s work of salvation was not merely national but global.

When John baptized Jesus, he saw the Holy Spirit descend in the form of a dove on Jesus. In affirming the experience, he testified that Jesus “is the Son of God” (v. 34). Earlier John had testified, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me” (v. 15), implying that Jesus has an eternal existence. Only God is eternal. Therefore, Jesus is more than merely human—He is both God and man.

Eventually Jesus’ ministry became more popular than John’s (3:22–26). John’s followers seemed to resent this, since their leader had been the one to draw attention to Jesus in the first place. But John responded to their comments with wisdom and joy, referring to Jesus as the “bridegroom” and himself as the “best man” (vv. 27–30). John knew the Scriptures and would have been familiar with the concept of God’s relationship to Israel as that of a groom and his bride (Psalm 45; Isa. 54:5; 62:4–5; Jer. 2:2; Ezek. 16:8; Hosea 2:19–20). Applying the title of bridegroom to the Messiah may have been original to John, but Jesus certainly applied it to Himself (Matt. 9:15; 25:1–13; Mark 2:19–20; Luke 5:34–35). John intended His hearers to understand that in Jesus, God was seeking afresh to woo and win His bride.

Encouraging Godly Living

Finally, in preparing Israel spiritually for her Messiah, John encouraged people to live godly lives. An individual’s repentance and baptism were not to be a momentary experience; they were to permanently influence his or her character and conduct. Luke lets us see some of the responses to John’s preaching (3:10–14). The crowd asked, “What should we do then?” John replied that people should be generous with what God gives them, sharing with those in need. God’s forgiveness should end selfishness. John indicated that changed lives should transform a community, so that everyone has enough.

Tax collectors listened to John, repented, and were baptized! Probably everyone thought that tax collectors should repent (they were notorious for gouging their fellow Jews and then denying it). John insisted that the tax collectors be models of honesty. An honest tax collector was a contradiction of terms in that day. Righteous living meant an end to hypocrisy. True repentance produces the fruit of righteousness, which is integrity.

Roman soldiers were in John’s congregation and they too wanted to know what a post-repentant life should look like. Often because of their official status, weapons, and seeming omnipresence in daily life, soldiers could use several unethical ways to get money from citizens. John told them not to abuse their position or the citizens but to practice the virtue of contentment. Soldiers were to promote peace, not fear. A right relationship to God results in healthy relationships with others.

Righteousness wasn’t expected only from average citizens, tax collectors, and soldiers. John also expected Israel’s public leaders to conform to God’s standards. When John publicly denounced Herod Antipas for divorcing his wife and then stealing and marrying his brother’s wife, Herodias (who was Herod’s niece), Herod imprisoned him (vv. 19–20). Eventually John’s uncompromising stand for God’s truth led to his execution (Mark 6:17–29).

Knowing Who He Was

How did John the Baptist see himself? John’s mission was to point to Jesus, but people wanted to know about John (John 1:19–27). The representatives of the religious leaders in Jerusalem asked, “Who are you?” John replied, “I am not the Christ.” Part of knowing who we are is knowing who we are not. Every Christian, every pastor, every missionary, every church leader needs to learn to say, “I am not the Christ.” Only Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that’s why we point to Him. John didn’t seek the spotlight and he willingly saw his popularity decline. He was content to be “the voice” preparing for Messiah’s coming (v. 23).

When asked if he was Elijah, John said no (v. 21). But Jesus quoted Malachi 3:1 and then said that John was “the Elijah who was to come” (Matt. 11:10–14). This sounds contradictory; how can we explain it? John was confident of his identity and he knew he was John, not Elijah. He answered his inquisitors literally: he was really John and he was really not Elijah. Jesus’ full statement was “And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come” (v. 14). Jesus did not mean that John was literally Elijah restored to life, but that his person and work spiritually fulfilled Elijah’s prophetic role. Elijah was the type and John was the fulfillment.

Humility marks the character and conduct of John the Baptist. Whenever he spoke of Jesus, he was careful to express that Jesus was the greater one. Jesus had a greater position; John wasn’t worthy to carry Jesus’ sandals, a task the lowest slave would perform. Jesus exercised a greater power; John baptized with water, but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (3:11).

John proved his humble spirit when his disciples complained that Jesus was eclipsing John’s popularity (John 3:22–26). He compared Jesus to the bridegroom and himself to the best man. As best man, he was full of joy because people were paying attention to Jesus, the One who deserved honor (vv. 27–29). Then John expressed a desire that should be true for every follower of Jesus: “He must become greater; I must become less” (v. 30). The King James Version puts it this way: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John even encouraged his disciples to leave him and follow Jesus. John pointed out Jesus to two of his followers and said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” The two men went off and spent the day with Jesus (1:35–42). One of them was Andrew, and after he brought Peter to Jesus, the two became permanent disciples of the Savior.

John’s imprisonment created some doubts in his heart and mind, so he sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7:19). John was really asking, “Did I get it right in identifying you as the Messiah?” Jesus graciously listened and sent John’s disciples back to report what Jesus was doing: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cured, the deaf can hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are hearing the good news. (Most of those actions were prophesied by Isaiah in 29:18–19; 35:5–6; 61:1). After John’s followers left, Jesus affirmed that John was indeed a prophet, fulfilling Malachi 3:1 and that John was the greatest of the prophets. John didn’t know Jesus held him in such high regard. After John was martyred, King Herod heard about Jesus’ miracles and thought John had been raised from the dead (Mark 6:16). When others identify us with Jesus, it means we are doing the mission right.

What should we learn from this survey of John the Baptist’s life and work?

• Our mission is to point to Jesus.
• We must be content with who we are and what we are called to do.
• We must grow smaller so Jesus can grow greater.
• Speaking God’s truth may result in suffering (it’s worth it).
• Only Jesus can accurately measure our service to Him.

 See: Elijah, Elizabeth, Jesus, Mary, Messiah, Songs, Zechariah

Joseph

Two men named Joseph ministered to Jesus, one at the beginning of His earthly ministry—Joseph of Nazareth—and the other at the end of His life on earth—Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:38–42). The first was there for His birth and the second after His death. The first was poor while the second was rich, but both of them were God’s chosen servants. For our purposes in this book, we will look at Joseph, the man who was Jesus’ foster father on earth.

Joseph the Man

It is generally agreed that the genealogy in Matthew 1 is that of Joseph and the one in Luke 3:23–38 is Mary’s. Mary and Joseph both belonged to the house of David.

Joseph is called “a righteous man” (Matt. 1:19), which means he respected the Jewish law and sought to obey it. This is clearly seen in Luke 2:21–40 when he and Mary brought Jesus to the temple for His circumcision and then His dedication. Joseph was also accustomed to celebrating Passover each year in Jerusalem (vv. 41–51).

The people called Jesus “the carpenter’s son” (Matt. 13:55), which means that Joseph worked with his hands and was known among the people. He made and repaired things made of wood, such as furniture, carts, and plows. (Houses were generally made of the plentiful stones available in Israel and plastered with mortar.) The fact that Joseph and Mary offered the least expensive sacrifices in the temple suggests that Joseph was a poor man (Luke 2:24; Leviticus 12). For our sakes, Jesus became poor (2 Cor. 8:9).

Joseph the Husband

Mary was probably in her mid-teens when her parents (or guardians) consented to her entering into engagement to marry Joseph. We commend them for looking at Joseph’s character and not his income and we commend him for desiring a spiritual wife like Mary. During the year of engagement, they were looked on as husband and wife (see Deut. 22:23–24; Matt. 1:20), and the only way to break the engagement was to get a divorce. This is what Joseph planned to do when he discovered that Mary was pregnant, but God intervened and told him in a dream what he should do (vv. 18–25). Joseph seems to have been a patient man who didn’t make decisions impulsively; however, when he knew what God wanted him to do, he obeyed immediately. This entire situation was surely misunderstood by people and gave the town gossips something to talk about. Some students think that the statement addressed to Jesus in John 8:41, “We are not illegitimate children,” was meant to slander Him by questioning His birth. Joseph was a man of faith and courage who loved his wife and obeyed his Lord.

Joseph the Foster Father of Jesus

When Mary and Joseph married, Joseph became the legal father of Jesus and therefore had authority to name the child (Matt. 1:24–25). Note that Joseph’s genealogy calls Joseph “the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ” (v. 16). Luke 3:23 says, “He [Jesus] was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,” and that phrase can be translated “as accounted by law” or “as written in the family register.” During His ministry, Jesus was called “the son of Joseph” by the people, but they didn’t understand that Jesus came into the world through a miraculous birth (4:22; John 1:45; 6:42; see also Matt. 13:55).

By taking Jesus as his own son, Joseph gave Him a legal name, the name God had commanded—Jesus (1:25; Luke 1:31; 2:21). Joseph also provided the care and protection both Mary and the baby needed in those dangerous times. He took them down to Egypt when King Herod was seeking to kill Jesus, and when they returned to Israel, he took them to Nazareth to live. Whenever God gave directions to Joseph, he listened and obeyed. As the Lord Jesus grew up, Joseph taught Him his trade and He was known as “the carpenter” (Mark 6:1–3). That passage also tells us that Mary and Joseph had other children (see Luke 8:19–21; John 7:5). There is no record that Joseph the carpenter ever preached a sermon or did a miracle, but as a faithful Jew, a loving husband, and godly parent, he served the Lord and glorified Him.

 See: Dreams, Egypt, Genealogy, Mary, Opportunity, Virgin Birth

Joy

Almost every traditional Christmas carol includes such words as joy, joyful, rejoice, glad, gladness, and merry, because the birth of Jesus Christ was a joyful occasion for the whole world. God had fulfilled His promises and the Savior at last had come. During this season, people greet one another with “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays.” In the original Greek text of the New Testament, the words joy and rejoice occur 132 times, which tells us that the gospel is a joyful message and living the Christian life should be a joyful experience.

Is there a difference between joy and happiness? Most dictionaries say that there is, for joy is defined as “a deep-rooted rapturous emotion . . . so great as to be almost painful in its intensity.”[2] Happiness, however, depends primarily on happenings. We’re happy when everything is going well for us. Joy, however, fills our heart even when circumstances are difficult. People who are outer-directed are happy when circumstances are favorable; people who are inner-directed—meaning having faith in Christ—are joyful even when circumstances are unfavorable. They can say with Paul, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Phil. 4:11).

For Christian believers, joy comes from the Holy Spirit within them and not from the happy situation around them, for “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace” (Gal. 5:22). It is “joy given by the Holy Spirit” (1 Thess. 1:6), the very joy of Christ Himself who prayed that we might have the “full measure” of His joy within us (John 17:13). This joy isn’t something that we manufacture or imagine; it’s the miraculous fruit of God’s life within us. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17).

People may forget their problems and be happy during the Christmas season as they gather together, receive gifts, and enjoy good food, but their happiness usually doesn’t last. People glibly say “Merry Christmas” and probably don’t realize that the word merry comes from a Germanic word that means “short.” But to Christian believers, the joy of Christmas isn’t a temporary thing, for they may experience Christ’s joy every day, all year long. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4). This joy permeates their lives so they have joyful faith and hope and they can rejoice in their trials (Rom. 5:1–5; 12:12). They pray joyfully (Phil. 1:4) and rejoice even in their sorrows (2 Cor. 6:10). It’s a joy that the unbelieving world can’t understand or explain.

Let’s meet the individuals in the Christmas narrative who experienced the joy of the Lord because of Jesus Christ.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus

Mary was greeted by the angel Gabriel with, “Joy to you who are highly graced” (Luke 1:28, literal translation). Later Simeon would reveal the sorrow that would accompany her honor (2:34–35), but there certainly was joy in her being named the human channel through whom the promised Messiah would come into the world. Her beautiful song of praise (1:46–55) opens with, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Her song reveals not only her joyful saving faith in the Lord but also her knowledge of the Old Testament, for she reflects truths from the song of Hannah (1 Sam. 2:1–10) as well as from several psalms. The Word of God is always a source of joy to the people of God who read and meditate on it (Jer. 15:16). When we submit to God’s will as Mary did (Luke 1:38), we experience the joy of the Lord in a special way.

Elizabeth, Zechariah, and John

By God’s grace and power, Elizabeth, an elderly, barren wife became a happy mother of a famous son (Ps. 113:9; Luke 1:5–25, 39–45). Hearing Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth was filled with the Spirit and expressed her praise, and the son in her womb leaped for joy! Obstetricians today are learning a great deal about external influences on an unborn child. John was also filled with the Spirit (v. 15) and many years later would confess his joy in Jesus Christ (John 3:27–30). John brought much joy to his parents, and the neighbors also rejoiced at the birth of this child (Luke 1:14, 58). When John was eight days old, his father Zechariah regained the ability to hear and speak and sang a joyful song of praise to the Lord (vv. 67–79).

The Angels

The apostle Peter tells us that the angels desire to learn more about God’s great plan of salvation (1 Pet. 1:10–12). Two of the angels had temporarily come with Jesus to earth to visit Abraham (Genesis 18), but what did the angels think when they learned that the Son of God would go to earth, be born in a human body, and die in great pain and humiliation? When the angels announced to the shepherds that the Savior had been born, they called it “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10–12), and indeed it was—and it still is! The angels in heaven rejoice today whenever a sinner repents and turns to Christ for salvation (15:7, 10).

The Shepherds

The word rejoice isn’t used to describe the shepherds, but surely there was joy in their hearts as they shared the “good news of great joy” with others (Luke 2:17–20). After beholding the newborn Messiah, the shepherds returned to their difficult work with new hope and enthusiasm, for the joy of the Lord was their strength (Neh. 8:10).

The Magi

The journey of the Magi had been a long and difficult one as they followed the star, assuming that the King of the Jews would be born in Jerusalem, the capital city. How disappointed they must have been when they learned that King Herod knew nothing about the birth of a king! The chief priests and teachers of the law knew the prophecy in Micah 5:2 and directed the Magi to Bethlehem (but didn’t go themselves!), and the star went before them to lead them to the very house where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were living. “When [the Magi] saw the star, they were overjoyed” (Matt. 2:10).

We are not likely to hear angels or see a dazzling star, but the joy of Christ’s birth can still thrill our hearts as we worship the Son of God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 See: Elizabeth, Greetings, Mary, Shepherds, Songs

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[2]. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Synonyms (1984), 614.