Matthew 1:18-25 What Makes a Great Dad

We live in a world where fatherhood is increasingly seen as unimportant and unnecessary. Thousands of single women every year have babies not caring if they have a father or not–some are lesbians who artificially inseminate and so never have a man directly involved. Often men hop from woman to woman having children and not wanting to be a father to those kids.

Even the Bible is not safe from the assault on fatherhood. There are versions of the Bible that no longer call God “Father” but rather “parent” or “Father/Mother.” Our world is making Fathers an endangered species. On this Father’s day, what does God think about Fatherhood?

Matthew 1:18-25

Example of Joseph

Joseph was Jesus’ natural father. God wanted to give Jesus the best environment in, so He gave him a father. Joseph shows us an example of how a Dad can be great.

DADS ARE IMPORTANT
God is making an important statement about fatherhood here. God the Father could have easily left Mary an unwed, single mom–that would perhaps have struck a chord with modern folks. But he didn’t. Joseph was not Jesus’s natural father. But God understands something the world doesn’t understand–two parents, mom and Dad make the best environment for raising children. And God wanted his Son to have the best environment to grow up in–so he gave him a father.

Your sons learn what it means to be a man as they watch how you behave and act.

Your daughters learn what kind of husband to look for by watching you.

Dad you are important!!

Joseph shows us three ways in which a dad is great:

THREE WAYS IN WHICH A DAD CAN BE GREAT

1. WHAT MAKES A DAD GREAT IS THAT HE MODELS RIGHTEOUSNESS (v.19)

So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. (Matthew 1:19 HCSB)

Righteousness means doing the right thing–no matter what. Joseph had a track record of doing the right thing. He loved, honored and obeyed God. He circumcises and presents Jesus in the temple (Luke 2:21-24). He takes his family yearly to the Passover in Jerusalem (Luke 2:41). Even his original plan to divorce Mary grew out of his desire to do the right thing.

To the Jewish people of the day, engagement (betrothal) was equivalent to marriage – except that the man and woman did not live together. They were called “husband and wife”, and at the end of the engagement period, the marriage was consummated. They could end this period with sexual relations. If a betrothed woman were found pregnant, it was considered adultery (Deuteronomy 22:13-21). But Joseph did not want to punish or divorce Mary when he discovered that she was pregnant. Because God told him the truth about the matter.

But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

(Matthew 1:20-21 HCSB)

When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him.

(Matthew 1:24 HCSB)

Receptivity means listening to God. Joseph had a dream about his wife to be. He willing to hear from God about his situation with Mary. And because he wanted to do the right thing–he was willing to obey. He received the word from God about Mary–and he really listened.

When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.

(Matthew 1:24-25 HCSB)

Responsible means one is dependable and can be trusted to do what needs to be done in a given situation. Joseph was responsible because he did what God told him to do—be faithful to his wife, Mary. He assumed the role and duties of husband and father–to a child that was not his. He did the right thing by Jesus and Mary.

Tim Russert, a Catholic Jesuit Christian, wrote a book about his father entitled Big Russ and Me in 2004 . It was a great tribute from a son to a father. Later, he wrote another book – a collection of stories from people who responded to Big Russ and Me.

In Wisdom of Our Fathers, Russert wrote about his father’s reaction to Big Russ & Me:

I always go to [my father’s home] for Thanksgiving, and in 2004, a few months after the book came out, we were loading up the car to drive to the airport when Big Russ came over to me to say goodbye. For as long as I can remember, Dad and I had always parted with a handshake and a half hug. But this time he gave me a huge bear hug and he said softly, “I love you” – something I had never heard him say before. I was fifty four years old, and all I could think was, Boy, I wish I had written this book thirty years earlier.

Dads are an important part of God’s plan for the family. They lead the way to how we discover righteousness, how we learn to receive God and listen to Him, and how we grow to be responsible members of society and the church.