Yesterday we spoke on God choosign to bring His Son into the world through an unwed teenage girl - Today let's talk about Joseph!
Can you imagine for a moment that your guy friend comes up to you and tells you that his fiance is pregnant and that they have never had sex?? What would your response be? I know what mine would be!! "Better kick that girl to the curb!"...Then of course: "Oh...REEEEAAAALLLYYY...She saying it's "God's" baby?? Seriously?? How big of an idiot does she think you are??"
I know - Not very gracious...Just honest. It hurts my heart a little that this would be my response and that instead of celebrating the coming of Christ into the world, I would be jeering at it and condemning it!!
Oh but it's worse for Joseph!! These were VERY strict times they were living in!! The religious elites carried the law around like a beat-down stick looking to pronounce judgement on any who disobeyed (very much like many religious elites today)...But in those days, adulterers and women who had sex outside of marriage got literal beat downs with stones. Remember..This was at least 30 years before the events of the adulterous woman and Jesus in John 8!!
Can you imagine the public pressure on Joseph?? Pressure from friends..family...church leaders...society in general!! I'm honestly not sure how a man doesn't cave under those circumstances!! And he DID cave somewhat...It says that Joseph was a just man so he had decided to divorce Mary quietly.
You see, Joseph had had an encounter with God. Sure he was a good Jewish boy before all this, but he had encountered God first hand:
"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.” -Matthew 1:20-21
You see, an encounter with God changes EVERYTHING!! An encounter with the Gospel changes EVERYTHING!! Here we read that Joseph not only encountered God through the angel of the Lord, but he is told the Gospel!! He is told the incredible GOOD NEWS that this baby will be named Jesus and that He will save His people from their sins!!
Two things:
1 - Most importantly, THIS message that Joseph received is what we celebrate at Christmas!! That Jesus came not to simply live a good life or teach good things or perform some miracles or to show us how to live...No, He came to live the life we couldn't live and die the death we all deserve to be resurrected and defeat death on our behalf so that through belief in Him we have peace with God forever and ever!!
2 - If that message causes you to celebrate then you have encountered God at some point and you can also celebrate this Christmas that encountering God changes everything!! Let's celebrate that Jesus came to Earth so that we might encounter Him!!
"Love one another." -Jesus
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