8. An angel appears to Joseph
– Matthew 1:18-25
Matthew 1:18 “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about…”
Jesus was both fully human and fully God. He was born from a woman and understands our struggles as humans. But, he is also fully God and was born from the Holy Spirit who placed him in Mary’s womb. Because he is God, he has the authority to deliver us from our sins.
Matthew 1:19 “Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”
Mary and Joseph were engaged but not yet married when she became pregnant. In Jewish culture, if a woman became pregnant during the engagement, then the husband could either divorce her or have her stoned. Joseph tried to divorce her quietly because it was the lesser of the two evils. He thought that he didn’t have any other options. But God often shows us that there are more options than we think are available. God always paves a way around our obstacles. In the case of Joseph, God advised him to marry Mary. Marrying Mary was not an easy decision because it would leave a poor social stigma on their family but Joseph still chose to follow the angel’s direction. The only way to make the best decision is to take God’s guidance no matter how difficult it may be. Chose to obey God rather than seeking the approval of those around you.
Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.”
Jesus was literately with us here on Earth in human flesh. But, more so, through the Pentecost Jesus still remains with us in every believer. The Holy Spirit lives within you. Jesus promises that you will never again be alone. God will never leave you. You can trust in him to always walk through life with you. He cares about you so much that he wants to be a part of your life in every aspect.
