Mary and Joseph as Symbols of Christmas

Mary and Joseph

The following text is drawn from our featured Christmas book and is also available for free as audio.

During the Christmas season, Jesus is most often portrayed as an infant closely attended by his parents. Mary and Joseph are an essential part of the Nativity scene. They were the first of humanity to welcome the incarnate God into the world, and more profoundly, they were chosen to be his parents on earth.

Though Mary has taken a much more prominent role than Joseph in history, it is poignant to consider the monumental task assigned to Joseph. He was to lead Mary as a husband and Jesus as an earthly father. God confirms this leadership role by communicating solely with Joseph on four different occasions. The gospel of Matthew records that an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in dreams: telling him to take Mary as his wife, telling him to escape with Mary and Jesus to Egypt, telling him later to return to Israel, and finally warning him not to settle his family in Judea.

The Bible tells us little more of Joseph than that he was a carpenter and a “righteous man.” We can infer that he cared deeply for Mary, because when he learned of her pregnancy during their betrothal, he had in mind to divorce her quietly so as not to expose her to public disgrace. Betrothal in Joseph’s day was much more binding than modern engagement. Only divorce could break it and adultery (during betrothal) was deemed punishable by death! Joseph’s intention of divorcing Mary quietly was meant to protect not only her reputation but also her life.

One can only imagine the pain that Joseph endured as he struggled to understand Mary’s apparent unfaithfulness to him. God saw fit to allow Joseph’s character to grow in this suffering before he finally revealed that what was conceived in Mary was from the Holy Spirit.

In obedience to God, Joseph took Mary as his wife and became a father to Jesus. It is fascinating to consider that Jesus likely experienced the natural attachment that exists between a child and his parents. He probably felt a sincere love for Joseph, and thus would have suffered emotional pain at his death. Though the Bible never mentions Joseph’s passing, he probably died before Jesus began his earthly ministry. An account of a 12-year-old Jesus at the Feast of Passover in Jerusalem makes reference to Joseph, but this is the last we hear of him. Considering the short life expectancy of biblical times, Joseph probably passed away early in Jesus’ life. Additionally, wives were typically much younger than their husbands. Whereas Mary was believed to be an early teen when she gave birth to Jesus, Joseph was likely over thirty.

The young Mary had the honor of seeing Jesus grow “in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” But, unlike Joseph, she would also have to witness her son suffer and die. Certainly, Mary played the most significant role of any woman in the gospel story. She “found favor with God” and she was “blessed among women.” No human has ever experienced, nor will ever experience, the unique role Mary held as a virgin mother to the Son of God. As sin entered the world through the woman Eve, salvation for that sin entered the world through the woman Mary.

Ironically, by earthly standards, Mary’s great honor was not readily apparent. In fact, from the very beginning (consider Christ’s birth), Mary’s circumstances were humble and even difficult. In many ways, her life probably seemed insignificant. Yet, consider the view from heaven as recorded by the Apostle John in the book of Revelation:

“A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. . . . She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”

What a contrast to the humble manger scene! Consider that as we serve God on earth, even in ways that seem trivial, we are part of a grand heavenly story. May we have a heart like Mary’s who responded to the angel announcing Christ’s birth by saying: “I am the Lord’s servant.”

Back to Main Christmas Symbols Page.

We welcome your questions and feedback. If you are seeking information on Mary and Joseph that is not found on our website, please contact us.