Matt.1:20,21 – 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.”

Joseph is almost a forgotten character in this story. Everyone knows about the shepherds and the wise men but Joseph is somewhere in the shadows. We don’t know much about him but what we do know is quite impressive. We know that he was going to quietly put away his espoused wife trying to protect her from shame – that all changed when an angel showed up at Joseph’s house. That angelic visitation changed everything. From that day Joseph was all in, he would put his life on the line again and again to protect Mary and her son Jesus. He covered her from shame in Nazareth, protected and provided for her on the journey to Bethlehem, and protected her again when all the trouble started with Herod. He risked his life when soldiers were sent to kill their son and hurried his young family away to Egypt until the danger passed several years later. Here is a quote from a navy seal, Jimmy Graham, who saw Joseph in an interesting light.

“Scripture tells us Joseph was a righteous man, but righteousness isn’t just moral cleanliness, it’s moral courage. After the angel appeared to him in a dream, Joseph’s first instinct wasn’t self-preservation, it was protection. He took Mary as his wife, shielding her from shame. He stayed by her side as they traveled to Bethlehem. He provided a safe place for her to deliver the Savior of the world. And when danger threatened from King Herod, Joseph didn’t hesitate; He gathered his family in the dark of night and fled to Egypt to ensure their safety.

Joseph’s love was not loud. It wasn’t attention-seeking or dramatic. It was steady, faithful and fiercely protective. He lived behind the scenes, working dutifully as a carpenter to make sure Mary and Jesus had what they needed. That kind of love rarely gets applause, but it’s the backbone of strong families and stable communities. In my own work training men to protect their homes and communities, I can tell you quiet, consistent responsibility is one of the most underrated virtues in our culture.”

In today’s Christian world we seem to celebrate celebrity rather than someone like Joseph who was everything but a celebrity. I love what this navy seal had to say about Joseph, he was willing to be unnoticed, living behind the scenes. He was loyal, courageous, and brave – no one would be able to touch his precious wife or his supposed son as long as Joseph was still breathing. History tells us that Joseph died before Jesus began his ministry, it would have been interesting to see how Joseph would have responded when adversity began to set in in the ministry of Jesus. We need more men like Joseph in our world today.