“You Are To Name Him
Jesus”
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When
his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she
was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband
Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace,
planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do
this, an angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of
David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in
her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him
Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to
fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin
shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means,
“God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no
marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25
Have you ever thought about Joseph? We all know about Mary, but
think about Joseph for a moment. God trusted him so much that He placed His Son
in his home to love and nurture. What a responsibility. The task of Joseph is
an important component in God’s incredible plan. Joseph was just, righteous,
merciful, protective and courageous. But most of all, he was obedient. When the
angel told him to take Mary as his wife, he obeyed. And when the angel told him
to flee to
Just as Mary was carefully chosen to bear the Son of God, Joseph
was deliberately chosen to provide for his young wife and the Christ-child. And
trusting God, Joseph followed through on everything God asked him to do.
What is God asking of you today? Are you willing to commit
yourself to do whatever He wants you to do? We can learn much about obedience
from Joseph, the forgotten man of Christmas.
The proof of our love for God is our
obedience to the commands of God.
Our Daily Bread –