As Christmas nears, its easy to forget what this season is all about. I remember seeing Christmas stuff out before Halloween, and this shows just how commercialized Christmas has become. But as I read this morning, I look back to the day when Jesus came, humbly, in a manger no less. I also remembered a song I hear around Christmas time, called "Mary Did You Know". But what came next was a thought I had not thought of before....How did Joseph feel about this?
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 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 1:18-21)
"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, 'Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!' But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end"(Luke 1:26-33)
Before Mary conceived, she was told what was going to happen by Gabriel. However, it was not until after Mary conceived that Joseph was visited and was told what was really happening.
So here was Joseph, betrothed to Mary, and she miraculously gets pregnant. And then she says that she's still a Virgin!!!!!! Would you believe her? Would you take her word for it? It says that Joseph was going to divorce her, but quietly. That Joseph loved Mary is evident in that he did not want to put her to shame. What would happen if he did???? She would probably be stoned to death for adultery. But Joseph loved her, and decided not to shame her. However, he could not just marry her now! She was pregnant!! What would others think?!!!
I stop here for a minute because this question comes to mind quite a bit. What will others think if I do this? What will that person think of me if I don't do that? It seems this happen is one that has been ingrained since the beginning of time. Instead of taking the time to see what God thinks, we worry more about what other men think.
Back to the story!!!! What happened next made Joseph believe Mary. He was visited in a dream by an angel telling him that Mary was still a virgin, and that she had conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was told of Jesus, that he would be the Messiah that they had been looking forward to.
In all, I wonder how Joseph was feeling in all of this. I wonder if he really grasped the magnitude of what had happened and what would happen in the future. It makes me think from a new perspective. A perspective from someone who had at first been hurt, but then full of joy. But I guess without knowing sorrow, true and abundant joy cannot really be known...
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