The Manger Reimagined- Advent Week 2: Faith with Advent Discussion Questions

These Manger Reimagined Family Advent Devotional posts and Advent Discussion Questions are written by the Down the Hobbit Hole Blog team in November & December 2020. This Advent week two post with Advent discussion questions contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog. 

The theme of Advent week two is Faith. There are so many great examples of faith through the Bible, but one person who often gets overlooked is Joseph. His story of faith, not only in God but also his wife, is a truly great story. Please continue reading to find our Manger reimagined and Advent Discussion Questions.

Why Reimagine the Manger?:

When we read the story of Mary and Joseph in the Bible, we typically read it through our shiny Christmas lens with our pretty nativity sets in mind. But after doing some historical and cultural reading, we can see that our interpretation of what happened at the manger is just a shiny reflection of some pieces of the event.

So during these four weeks, we’re going to dive into each of the characters and their settings a little more. For advent week two, we will focus on Joseph’s story. Specifically why Joseph’s role was so important. If you want more information about what Advent is, you can check out our Advent Week 1 post.

Advent Week Two: Reflection on Joseph’s Journey

Joseph Receives the News

When I think of the typical manger scene, Joseph is almost an afterthought. The shepherds and wisemen play a significant role, Mary is the mother of God, but Joseph? In my mind he’s usually portrayed as a shy teen that just happens to be Jesus’ dad for a little while. But each role in the nativity story is profound. 

Joseph did not have an angel come and tell him what all was happening before it started happening. Which reminds me of my own Dad who frequently did not know what the schedule was before we were in the car going somewhere. And while Matthew 1:20 says that ‘He was thinking’ about his situation with Mary. The Greek word used here more likely means that he was furious.  This again reminds me of my own dad, pacing angrily and talking to himself about something- a trait I’ve inherited. And how often I angrily fume over something that seems world ending, when in reality, I just don’t have all the information yet. And once I get a little perspective, it’s not as bad as it seemed. But even before Joseph got perspective from the angel, he had decided that he would not act out of his anger, that he would be merciful.

Joseph and Justice

In Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, Dr. Bailey says this…

“Joseph looked beyond the penalties of the law in order to reach out with tenderness… [learned from and fulfilling prophecies of Isaiah] This prophetic definition of justice required a compassionate concern for the weak, the downtrodden and the outcasts in their need. In his dealings with Mary, Joseph acted out of this prophetic definition of justice… Joseph is, therefore, not a passive, mute figure. Rather, he acts as a strong, thoughtful person whose bold decision at a point of crisis saves the life of the mother and her unborn child… Matthew presents Joseph as a human being of remarkable spiritual stature…he was able to reprocess his anger into grace.”

At the time Jesus was born, most people believed the Messiah was going to bring justice through being a political figure who would come and free them from tyrannical Roman rule. They were hoping in a chain of events from Jesus rather than in a new way of just living. But the way that Jesus was born presents us with a new type of hope. Not just hope that there will be justice when we get to Heaven, but that we can be bearers of it now.

We can be brave, bold, and grace filled. And that even when things shake and are dark around us, we can take our next steps in the light of Scripture. Brave, bold, Scripture filled, just like Joseph was. And while I know I’m extremely fortunate to have a father figure like this, it’s still so encouraging to see in Scripture. A courageous and kind father figure to emulate. 

Reimagining Joseph’s Manger

We often see stories with Joseph and Mary struggling on the road and in birth by themselves but they likely traveled with a massive group of people. Those people were probably very attentive to Mary, who would have been traveling pregnant, though not as pregnant as the pictures we see.

Joseph’s family name meant that he would have had no problem finding a house to stay in, but a room to themselves- this would have been more difficult with all those people in town. I’ll include the picture of a typical house from last week’s post again here so we can be reminded. And Joseph probably was not with Mary when Jesus was born. She was probably with a lot of skilled women and he was probably hanging out with a bunch of other dads talking about the first time their kids were born.

Being courageous and kind, standing up for justice, it doesn’t have to be lonely and isolating work. We’ve been wired for community, for hope, and to care for each other and we see that so profoundly in Joseph’s story. Joseph’s story shows us that we can always act in faith, and that we don’t have to do it alone.

Bible Passages to Read Together for Advent Week One:

*Luke 1:2-56

*Matthew 1:17-23

*Isaiah 9:7 and Matthew 1:6-16

Keep reading for our Advent Discussion questions for week 2

Advent Discussion Questions for Week 2: 

1. For kids: Joseph had to be a very, very brave and kind man. Who do you know that is brave and kind? How do they show they are brave? How do they show they are kind?
2. For kids: tell of a time that you were brave or showed kindness to someone.
3. While reading through Joseph’s story, is there anything that stuck out to you or something you hadn’t noticed before?
4.  What did most people think the Messiah would do? How does the story of Joseph immediately tell us this is a different type of Messiah?
5.  What type of pressure would Joseph have been under from family, friends, and neighbors? Do we normally think about Joseph as someone who loved God in this way?

Prayer for Advent Week 2

Dear God,
Help us to be as courageous and as kind as Joseph
In this world where this can be very difficult to do
Often friends, neighbors, and family pull us away from you
We pray for their heart to aim to you
And for us to show your kindness and love
In the name of the Prince of Peace, Jesus
Amen.

Advent Resources: 

Resources we used for this Post:
–The Message of Women: by Derek and Dianne Tidball
–Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: By Kenneth Bailey
-Sarah Bessey’s blog on the Joy of Being Wrong at Christmas

**For more of this series: Week 1, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5**

Advent Resources:
-Our post from last year with music and movie resources for week 2!
– Unwrapping the Greatest Gift or the Calendar version by Ann Voskamp.
– Watch for the Light: A collection of Advent readings.
– Keeping Christmas: 25 Advent Reflections on A Christmas Carol.
– A Better Than Anything Christmas: Includes journaling space and short entries for younger kids.

You Might Be Interested in These Other Posts:

–Hope is Coming! Our movie and music Advent devotionals from last year.

–25+ Christmas Movies to Stream & Where to Stream Them

-Our Family Christmas Quiz & Game Bundle for $1.50.

-Our Favorite New Christmas Books and Read Alouds

-10 Socially Distant Family, Holiday, Activities!

Please take a second to share this post! Thanks for stopping by, we hope that you have a warm and encouraging Advent season.

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