When people think of the nativity story and the baby Jesus, they may then think of the shepherds, the wise men, and Mary. It seems that Joseph is never made out to play a large role in the story when in fact, his actions were truly important. The main account of Joseph’s role in the nativity story is found in Matthew chapter 1 v. 18-v.25.
This section of scripture carries much more meaning and controversy than one may presume. Joseph and Mary were betrothed, meaning they were legally bound but not yet living together, and Mary conceiving would raise some questions. To the outside world, there would be two logical options: Mary committed adultery, or she and Joseph had sexual relations before the marriage was consummated. This then leads to the discussion of punishment and Joseph’s decision to quietly divorce. Joseph’s underlying reasoning for divorce is not explicit in the text, but there are a few theories. When Joseph is visited by the angel of the Lord, it is through a dream not direct contact as with Mary’s meetings. This could raise the question of the authenticity. At the end of the passage, Joseph follows the angel’s commands and names the child, which shows his acceptance and adoption of the child. This paper will seek to discuss these topics further and the various…show more content… He took Mary as his wife, completing the marriage process, and accepted the baby as his own (Osborne, 2010, p. 79). He didn't do this by filling out paperwork or going through an adoption agency. Joseph simply named the child. According to Osborne (2010), “By giving him the name, Joseph was making the baby Jesus his child” (p. 77). This is very important because by naming the child and "adopting" him, Jesus was legally bound into the line of King David but was still the song of God and man. This then fulfilled the prophecies of the messiah that are found in Isaiah, Matthew