Change of Plans
Christmas reveals a God who is not a Distant Observer but rather a Nearby Interrupter! Matthew 1:18-25 describes the divine invasion of a common man’s circumstances.
God’s redemptive agenda disintegrated Joseph’s world and then reassembled it into an utterly new order of meaning. I think it’s fair to say that the reassembly required Joseph’s cooperation; in a real sense, he became a co-creator with the Spirit.
Joseph’s said yes to God, but in a different way from Mary: she surrendered to what the Spirit was doing deep within her – something she could not do herself. Joseph’s “yes” required him to do and not do a series of important things; he had to drastically change his plans. Amazingly, he agreed to refrain from love-making with his new bride until after Jesus was born! (See verse 25.)
Joseph was a teachable, flexible person, able to embrace change. He accepted the fact that things would never be the same, and he adapted to the new way of life.
The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:
Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25 (The Message)
God’s redemptive agenda disintegrated Joseph’s world and then reassembled it into an utterly new order of meaning. I think it’s fair to say that the reassembly required Joseph’s cooperation; in a real sense, he became a co-creator with the Spirit.
Joseph’s said yes to God, but in a different way from Mary: she surrendered to what the Spirit was doing deep within her – something she could not do herself. Joseph’s “yes” required him to do and not do a series of important things; he had to drastically change his plans. Amazingly, he agreed to refrain from love-making with his new bride until after Jesus was born! (See verse 25.)
Joseph was a teachable, flexible person, able to embrace change. He accepted the fact that things would never be the same, and he adapted to the new way of life.
The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:
Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25 (The Message)
posted by Scott | 11:31 AM
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