How Joseph’s Doubts Made the Christmas Story Even More Powerful

Do you really know Joseph’s story? His part in the Christmas story is relatively short, but that small part is a wealth of inspiration about what it means to doubt, yet remain faithful in our own lives. You’ll love hearing this story broken down by Wally (The Wally Show) and Tim Mackie (The Bible Project.)

On the go or want to go deeper? Listen to the uncut interview in the World’s Biggest Small Group podcast!

Tim: “The majority of people I know don’t get divine dreams that tell them the meaning of their difficult situations in life. However, you do have to think as the years went by, and they’re fleeing refugees heading down to Northern Africa, [Joseph] began to wonder if that dream was just his imagination, you know? To me, what’s remarkable about his character, even though we don’t know if he had a lot of faith or a little faith – he was faithful. He stayed committed to what He believed God was leading his family through, his wife, Mary’s son he was now taking care of… that required an immense amount of commitment off a dream!”

Wally: “God gave Joseph what he needed to get through that… I think that same God does that same thing for us today. I think God is faithful to give each of us what we need when we need it.”

Tim: “It doesn’t mean we get to parachute out of our difficult circumstances. It seems like it was just a hard road for their family. But that doesn’t mean that God wasn’t with them.” 

Don’t forget to read Joseph story right from the Bible! Get more of the story by reading Matthew and Luke.

¹⁸ This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.

Matthew 1:18-24 (New Living Translation)