20TH DECEMBER
Matthew 1:16
“And Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.”
Let your faith be bigger than your fear!
Have you had an experience where God asked you to do something that seemed ridiculous?
When Mary became pregnant with Jesus, it was surely a terrible shock to Joseph. Though he and Mary were engaged, they had not yet lived together as man and wife. The only logical conclusion Joseph could reach on his own was that Mary was pregnant by another man – in other words, that she had cheated on him.
Proven adultery was punishable by death under the Mosaic law. The Gospel of Matthew explains that Joseph was a “righteous man, yet unwilling to expose Mary to shame” so he decided to “divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19). Though we don’t know a lot about the logistics of what it means to divorce someone “quietly”, it means that Joseph intended to break their union with as little fanfare as possible.
The Gospel of Matthew then explains that an angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary into his home, because the child Mary was carrying was not conceived with another man, but through the power of the Holy Spirit. “She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) This heavenly message changed everything, and Joseph took Mary into his home as initially planned.
God asked Joseph to believe that the baby growing in Mary’s womb was from God and not another man’s baby and to raise this baby as his own. It sounds totally ridiculous. Yet, Joseph trusted God and took him at his word.
MAKE IT PERSONAL
Is God calling you to do something that seems ridiculous in the world’s eyes this Christmas? What will your response be?