The Biblical account of the Christmas story is found mostly in Matthew chapter one and Luke chapter two. This week as you review those two chapters, (and a few other places in the scriptures), I invite you to consider one of the unsung heroes of the drama. He is one of the central characters, but we know very little about him.

He did not come from the line of David; he is not a king. He did not describe in detail the Savior’s names nor prophesy like the prophet Isaiah. He was not a priest like Zechariah. He had no title. As far as we know, he never performed a miracle.

His job wasn’t noteworthy. Some have suggested that he was actually a handyman, a guy who labored with his hands, not his mind.

He was not a world class communicator. There is not a single word of his recorded in the scriptures. His silence is deafening, and yet so significant.

When the lineage of Jesus is recorded, this unsung hero is mentioned, but in a rather “tongue in cheek” kind of way. Matthew 3:23 says that Jesus “…was the son, so it was thought of Joseph.”

Although, we all know that the dad in the nativity scene is Joseph, we know so very little about him. But what we do know is powerful. His life is punctuated with obedience to the Lord. He is faithful to the Old Testament law. He made sure the baby boy was properly dedicated in the temple. He made sure they traveled to Jerusalem each year to celebrate the Passover.

He was also faithful to follow through when he was given instructions by the angel. Despite her “condition,” the angel told him to take Mary as his wife, and he did. Later he was told to grab his family and flee to Egypt, and he did. And when he was told to return to Nazareth, once again he did as he was told. He was faithful both to the written Word of God and to the direct instructions from God. And because of that, God used him.

Joseph was an ordinary guy that God chose to use in an extraordinary way.

And there is the lesson for all of us this Christmas week. God is still looking for very ordinary men and women who will be obedient and follow Him. God is still choosing “the foolish things of the world to shame the wise…” (I Cor. 1:26).

He is still looking for unsung heroes. So, sign up. Maybe our children and grandchildren will be telling our stories in the years to come!