Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called His name Jesus.
(Matthew 1:18-25 ESV)
Joseph followed God on both a spiritual and a physical journey. His heart had to be ready to do what God was asking him to do, and he had to put hands and feet to his faith to shelter Mary and the baby and play his part in bringing Messiah into our world.
Put yourself in his place. Mary was his betrothed. In Jewish culture in the first century, they were legally committed to one another, but were not yet living together and sharing sexual relations. To separate from a betrothal took a certificate of divorce. Joseph had to wonder who the father of Mary's unborn child was. He knew for certain it was not him. You know you are not sleeping with your fiancé, and yet she turns up pregnant. And her explanation that God did this has to seem pretty lame.
Joseph is processing it all in a right spirit. He is a just man, and yet he doesn't want to expose Mary to public disgrace. Mary could have been stoned to death for adultery, according to the strictest application of the Law of Moses and their cultural patterns. At minimum she would lead a life of shame. Joseph was a compassionate man, and wanted to spare her that, so he had just about made up his mind to divorce her quietly.
Then he had an amazing dream. An angel of the Lord appeared to him in his vision/dream. The angel assures David that Mary is telling the truth! The baby she carries is from the Holy Spirit, not from any other man. She will bear a son, and Joseph is to name Him Jesus -- Jeshua -- which means "the Lord saves". And He will save His people from their sins. This changes everything. Joseph is not a victim of Mary's unfaithfulness. He is one chosen by God to raise the Son of God.
Joseph's heart is ready because of God's clear assurance that he will be playing his part in the larger plan God is undertaking for the redemption of the world. Joseph's response is obedience. Divorce is no longer an option. Joseph lives out what he has been called to do and takes Mary as his wife. As if to confirm God really is the father, Joseph waits until after the baby is born to have any marital relations with her. And as instructed by the angel, when the baby is born, Joseph names Him Jesus.
In the Christmas story there is wonder and hope. When we begin to grasp how God acted in the lives of these young Jewish peasants to bring His Son into our world on a mission of redemption we are filled with wonder and awe. The God of the universe uses simple, humble people to accomplish purposes that are beyond anything accomplished by the movers and shakers of culture and history. The sheer, unconditional love of this act of God sending Jesus, His Son, to take on human flesh and make atonement for our sin on the cross is wonderful -- filled with wonder. And in it we have hope.
Journeys of wonder and hope often intensify the demands of discipleship. By marrying Mary, who was already with child, Joseph exposed himself to the ridicule of the gossips of his time. When Herod tries to kill the child, Joseph uproots his wife and son and flees to Egypt to protect them, at God's direction. Discipleship is following where Jesus leads no matter the cost. And the cost can seem daunting in human terms. But with God, there is always hope. An act of obedience out of love for Jesus brings more hope and peace than all our self-directed plans.
In our journey with Jesus, we must live each day with a renewed commitment to follow Him no matter what. It sometimes means doing the next right thing without knowing the outcome in advance. It sometimes means subjecting ourselves to the misunderstanding and even ridicule of those around us. It always means keeping our lives open to the wonder and hope of what God does when we live in simple, humble obedience to our Savior and King.
Let the wonder of what God did in bringing His Son into the world to save us fill your heart beyond the wonder of the lights and decorations and gifts and parties of the season. This wonder is deeper and more joyful than all the trappings that surround it. The most wonderful and hopeful thing I can do this Advent is to be like Joseph, believe God, and do the next right thing He has given me to do. In the end, God will do more with that simple act of faith than I can imagine...
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