In the Matthew and Luke accounts of the Advent and birth of Jesus, there are long lists of names. Pastor Sam shared with us that both lists, interestingly, are traced through Joseph-- even though the narrative clearly indicates that Jesus was sent by God to earth through Mary, without a biological father.
The genealogies stand as an ultimate, permanent reward to Joseph. In his earthly life Joseph endured the challenge of having to experience Jesus as a child he did not father, but had to take care of as his own. Further, and perhaps more challenging, Joseph embraced the co-opting of the normal process of marital relations. Our pastor brought out the point that Joseph, though told by the angel that he could take Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:20), chose to not consummate the marriage until after the child Jesus was born (Matthew 1:24-25).
It seems the Spirit of God noticed Joseph's passionate heart, and stepped in. Joseph, you were out of the picture, sexually speaking, because this pregnancy was a Divine miracle. And then you sacrificially kept yourself out of the picture for all the months Mary carried the unborn Child. So guess what? I'm putting you in the picture. Check the registry; your name is there.
Joseph's lineage is given to us as Jesus's lineage. Jesus, who has none of Joseph's blood in Him, is included in the bloodline traced from Joseph to Abraham (in Matthew 1:1-17), even to Adam (in Luke 3:23-38). And, while Luke 1:5 is very careful to indicate that both Zechariah and Elizabeth had priestly legacies, the Advent narrative does not bother to give us an explanation of Mary's heritage. So Mary, the one whose blood is in Jesus, is the only immediate relative in the Advent narrative who does not have her ancestry listed... though Scripture is careful to reinforce the fact that Jesus is her child, not Joseph's child (see Luke 2:4-7).
How can this be? It is a mystery we receive by faith. Joseph had faith. Mary had faith. What about you?
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