“Do Not Be Afraid To Take Mary Home

As Your Wife”

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered 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 home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-25

Think about the obedience that Joseph had. He had decided to quietly divorce her after the birth of Jesus. Angels came down and told him to take her come as his wife. He did not consummate their marriage until after Jesus was born. He did not embarrass or punish her. He followed what the angels told him to do. And when Jesus was born he left his home with Mary and Jesus and went to live in Egypt.

Then imaging the pressure Joseph and Mary must have felt when they learned that Jesus would be theirs to raise and nurture! Imagine the complexity and pressure of having the Son of God living with you every moment of every day. It would be a constant call to holiness by His very presence. What a man Joseph must have been to be trusted by God for this task! What a wonderful example for us to follow.

May God grant us the strength to be faithful like Joseph, even though we don’t really understand God’s plan.

The secret of true service is absolute faithfulness wherever God places us.

Our Daily Bread – December 13, 2014