Joseph: Loving Spouse and Stepfather

When Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem with the newborn Jesus, there were shepherds in a nearby field. Suddenly an angel appeared and told them about the baby Jesus—the Savior they had all been waiting for had come! The shepherds ran down to the village to see this sight. Immediately after they had seen Jesus, they went and told others this amazing good news. That is being a missionary.

When Jesus was put to death on the cross, there was a great earthquake. The Roman officer and his soldiers who witnessed Jesus’s execution and the earthquake made this proclamation: “This man truly was the Son of God!†(Matthew 27:54). They told what they had seen and heard. That is being a missionary.

This happened not only at Jesus’s birth and death but also after His resurrection. The women who came early to the tomb were met by an angel who told them Jesus was not dead, He was alive! The women ran to tell others this good news. That is being a missionary.

The shepherds who marveled at the birth of the Savior were missionaries. The soldiers who witnessed the power of the Son of God, even in death, were like missionaries. The women who were shocked to find the empty tomb were missionaries. How? By running to tell other people about the good news God had showed them. Who is a missionary? Anyone who has personally experienced the good news of Jesus.

Jesus came to save us, sinners who can’t save ourselves. This news is too good not to share! All it takes is seeing, going, and telling others. That makes it seem possible for us to be missionaries too, doesn’t it? • Daniel Dore

• How did you hear the good news about Jesus? (If you want to know more, check out our “Know Jesus” page.)

• Have you experienced God’s love in your own life? How?

• Who is someone in your life who might not have heard the good news about Jesus? If you’d like to, you can take a moment to pray for this person. You can even ask God for an opportunity to tell them about Jesus.

After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. Luke 2:17 (NLT)

Read Verses:

Matt.1.18-Matt.1.25