The Righteous Man and the Royal Blood
Theme: Hope and the Necessary Lineage
“Paddy! Would you please stop humming 'Rudolph the
Red-nosed Reindeer' and bring me that gigantic catalog? You sound like you’re
planning to buy out the entire Pet’s ‘R Us warehouse.”
Paddy, our curious Golden Doodle, bounded into the
room, a massive, crinkled catalog clamped in his mouth. He dropped it, thumped
his tail on the rug, and let out a little sigh that was half-excitement and
half-exhaustion.
“It's beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” he
whined, pushing his nose against the page listing all the new squeaky toys. “And
I want this, and this, and this...”
“Hold on, boy,” I said, settling back into the
chair. “Before you order a custom dog sled, you need to hear the real story of
Christmas. It’s not about what you want; it’s about what God planned.
It’s got way more drama than those little ceramic figures on the mantelpiece, I
promise you that.”
“Advent?” Paddy asked. “I thought Christmas was the
season.”
“Well, Paddy, Advent means 'coming.' It’s the season
we prepare,” I explained. “We light four candles for the Sundays before
Christmas: we start with Hope, then we light candles for Peace, Joy, and Love.
This first coming week, we light the candle of Hope because God spent centuries
setting up the perfect family.”
“Hasn’t Jesus already come?” Paddy asked.
“Yes, and he is planning on coming again!” I
affirmed. “That's why we celebrate the Nativity; Jesus being born and now the
expectation of Jesus coming again someday in the future to restore all things.”
The Patriarch, the Master Builder, and the Terrible
Threat
I explained that the hope of Christmas rests on a
foundation set long ago. Joseph, a mature patriarch, was a widower raising a
complicated, ready-made family. He was a master builder—a tough tradesman, not
a frail man.
“The Bible confirms Joseph had this huge family,” I
said, tapping the Bible. “Later, when Jesus was preaching, people said: ‘Isn’t
this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and
Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?’ (Mark 6:3, WEB). That’s at least six
children! Joseph was a successful, established man, likely in his late 30s to
early 50s, when he married Mary.” He had four sons named after heroes of
Israel, like Judah and Simeon, names that whispered of the old Maccabean
heroes.
“So, the story of Christmas wasn’t just Joseph
walking and Mary riding on a Donkey all by themselves to Bethlehem?” Paddy
mused.
“Nope! It would have been total chaos. Can you
imagine a family of eight walking 93 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem? You know
what it is like when we get our large family together—a noisy but wonderful logistical
nightmare!”
“Woof! That's a lot of people! No wonder they had
trouble finding a room later! All those people traveling with them!” Paddy
imagined the giant, noisy caravan.
Paddy’s Doodle brain wandered for a moment thinking
about the upcoming Allen Christmas. “Yes, we have over twenty-five family
members who give me endless attention!”
“That may be true, Paddy, but this Christmas we are
going to also have eight dogs in the house. All of YOUR cousins are coming!”
Paddy immediately perked up, tail blurring. “We will
be just like a wolf pack! Sleepin’ on top of each other and sniffin’ butts.”
“Well, I am glad you are looking forward to it. But
Joseph had all that responsibility. He was securing the Davidic claim. So, when
you imagine Christmas this year, think about what it was truly like.”
Why Mary Had Two Bloodlines (And a Co-Heir)
“See, Paddy, here is the secret to Mary’s being
chosen as the perfect Mother of Jesus: The Messiah had to be the King (from
Judah) and the ultimate High Priest (foreshadowed by Levi). How did Mary cover
both bases? Mary was bi-tribal! Her father, Heli (Joachim), was a direct
descendant of King David, giving her the royal blood. Her mother was from the
Tribe of Levi, making her cousin to Elizabeth. So, Mary carried both lines:
Royal from her father, Priestly Kinship from her mother! That’s why she was the
perfect vessel.”
“Exactly! And the reason Joseph, the mature man
(likely 40s), had to marry a girl, likely 12 to 14 years old, was due to the
Legal Compulsion (based on the law in Numbers 36). Mary was a remaining co-heir
of her father's estate. Joseph was legally bound to marry her to preserve the
ancestral Davidic land claim. It was an act of sacred duty.”
Paddy looks up, scrunching up his nose. “Gross!”
“Well,” Dad continued, “Times were different and
understand that Joseph married Mary to protect her under Biblical Law. History
holds that Mary was 'ever virgin,' meaning those children listed in Mark 6:3
were Joseph’s sons and daughters from his first marriage and other than Jesus
she never had any other children. That legal contract was everything. Sometime
after Jesus’s twelfth birthday, we believe Joseph died. That meant Mary was a
vulnerable widow, and the entire Davidic claim was exposed again. That legal
contract was everything.”
“What’s next, Dad? What’s next?” Paddy nudged my
hand, leaning in to listen intently.
The Moment of Crisis
“The moment Mary’s betrothal crisis hit, Paddy, the
prophecy was at risk. Mary had been away seeing her cousin, Elizabeth, until
Elizabeth was about to give birth to John the Baptist. Mary was returning home,
and because she had been gone for three months, her pregnancy was now visible.”
Paddy looks up and says, “They had Baptists way back
then?”
I paused, chuckled, and had to give him a gentle
correction. “No, buddy, they didn't have Baptists—that’s a
denominational label we use now. John was the Baptizer because of the ritual
of immersion he used, not the denomination. He was the final prophet who stood
in the tradition of Elijah, calling everyone to repentance. He was doing a New
Covenant thing, not a Sunday school thing. It was unique.”
“Well, this wasn't a sweet movie scene, Paddy. This
was life and death. Joseph—the guardian of the Davidic line—suddenly realized
that under the strict Law, the woman he was legally bound to protect was now
guilty of a capital offense. In their pragmatic town of Nazareth, Mary faced
the terrifying threat of the honor killing mandate (Deuteronomy 22:23-24).
Suspected infidelity during betrothal meant stoning. That’s the scary part,
Paddy.”
“I'm hiding
under the blanket now, Dad.” Paddy dutifully scooted under the edge of the
blanket, peering out with wide, nervous eyes.
The Righteous Man’s Mercy
“So, what did Joseph do? Did he scream and call the
authorities, upholding the strictest letter of the law?”
“No. Joseph showed us that true righteousness is not
legalism; it’s mercy. He used his knowledge of the Law to plan a secret
divorce. This merciful act would save her life and spare her from the horror of
public shame.”
“Woof! That was nice of him! Wow, what a stand-up
guy!”
“It was heroic, Paddy. The Angel Gabriel had to
intervene, not to save them from a Roman legion, but from a village mob,
confirming the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, the righteous
man—a man of mercy—simply obeyed the heavenly command, securing the destiny of
the King.” The hope of Christmas starts with one man's act of silent,
courageous mercy, ensuring the prophecy could proceed.
Pastor Jim is the shepherd of Trinity Evangelical
Church and he invites you to read in the Posey County News the second in a four
part series regarding the true story of Christmas as part of Advent. And Pastor
Jim also wants you to attend the Church of your choice but if you are looking
for a Church home, please feel free to join us for The First Sunday of Advent,
November 30th at our 10:10am service. Trinity is located on the corner of 5th
and Mulberry Streets.
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