This is our third message from our “Christ Series.” Last week the looked at how God intervened in Joseph and Mary’s lives and made a miracle out of what seemed like a really big mess. Today, I want to talk to about Joseph, the husband of Mary and the adopted father of Jesus.

It seems to me that we often overlook the fact that although God, in His sovereignty, chose Mary to be the one who would give birth to the Son of God, that He also in His mighty providence chose Joseph to be a father to Jesus and to raise Him into manhood. In other words, God chose both Mary and Joseph to be the parents of the Lord of glory.

It seems to me this great truth demonstrates for us the role of a father is a very important role in the life of the family. In other words, fathers are not only needed for the physical act of conceiving a child; God reminds us they are also needed for the spiritual act of raising a child. We know, of course, the child was conceived in the womb of Mary, “by the Holy Spirit” – a miracle took place so there was no need for a man to be involved in the conception. But God wants us to realize the importance of the father’s role when it comes to raising and developing a child into adulthood.

Want to hear other exciting messages by Dr. Clifton Black? Listen to more here.