December 14, 2022

Matthew 1:18-25  (HCSB)
The Nativity of the Messiah
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.

Andrea Campo
Joseph followed Jewish tradition and law. For Jews, keeping the law expressed his closeness with God. But, Joseph is asked to make a leap, to take action that goes beyond how he would normally understand the law. Suddenly, Joseph’s life, religion, and ethics are being challenged by an angel in a dream. “Do not be afraid Joseph, take Mary as your wife, her baby is from the Holy Spirit, this baby will save the people from their sins!” Poor Joseph! That’s a lot in one day! He’s asked to do something outrageous in order to bring to fruition something the prophets have spoken about for centuries! Have you ever thought about the uncertainty and fear he must have felt? Perhaps God’s calling you to take action on something that feels outrageous. I pray we can all be more like Joseph and answer God’s call even when we don’t fully understand.