Christmas Advent Devotional Day 17: A Bit Part

 


Matthew 1:22-25

22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus. (NKJV)

 

In this narrative account of how Joseph became a part the Messianic family, Matthew quotes Isa. 7:14. (Covered on Day 3 of this devotional.) It was important to verify all the ways that Jesus’ birth had been foretold.  A whole nation had spent hundreds of years looking for their Messiah.  Throughout the gospels, we see how Jesus fulfills every criterion to be the fulfillment of the Messiah.

In this passage we are told that Jesus is to be called both Immanuel- God with us and Jesus- the Lord saves.  He is with us!!!! But not just to be seen, no! He is with us to save us from sin, hell and the grave! Him being with us brings such comfort.  But the act of saving us, allows us to be with Him- for all eternity!

When Joseph awoke from his angelic dream, he quickly obeyed all that he was told to do.  God is willing- yea, desirous- to include us in His plan.  But until we obey His direction, we are not in partnership with His plan.

Joseph proceeds with the legalities of making Mary his wife.  He takes on full responsibility for her and the Child- with little to no immediate benefit to himself.  He does not take his rights as a husband.  He does not “know” her intimately until after Jesus is born.  This is also a sacrificial act on the part of Joseph.

Why is this important?  The prophecy was that Christ would be born of a virgin, not just conceived by a virgin. This purity is important to the essence of who Christ is in us and to us. This had to be an act that was inarguably miraculous.  This would be a sign to people because it defied the laws of nature.

Joseph would also fulfill the command we read yesterday; he would give him the name Jesus.  The father had a right, in that culture, to name their child.  Especially the esteemed first born!  But Joseph proves that he is a just and God-fearing man by naming him exactly what God had instructed him to do.

To most of us, Joseph’s part seems small.  He is an unsung hero.  But he completely and humbly fulfills his part.  Not everything we do will bring glory to us.  But we must ensure that it brings glory to Him.

The care that God takes throughout the Old Testament to plant signposts for them to recognize His Son is astounding.  The care God takes to show that He is the fulfillment of all prophecy is overwhelming.  


During this advent season (where we review His coming), we take time to soak in the intricacies of the prophesies and the subsequent fulfillment in Christ.  The beauty of it all is overwhelming.  Don’t rush through it.  Absorb it into your heart today and embrace this season of wonder.



 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Merry and Bright: Christmas Advent Devotional Day 1     Ah, the season of Christmas where all is merry and bright!  Movies and carols would have you believe that is the case.  But if we are honest with ourselves (and each other), we know that the Christmas season often comes in the middle of hard seasons. Recently, I reflected on how many of my inner circle are fighting overwhelming battles.  Then it occurred to me- life is hard almost all the time, and Christmas is no exception. The earliest foretelling of a “Christmas to Come” was in the very first book of the Bible, Genesis 3:15 15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (KJV)   I don’t know about you, but to me this verse sounds a lot like a battle.  Christ would indeed come during the middle of a battle.  Because the sin choice Adam and Eve made, we are all fighting our way thro...
Read more

Christmas Advent Devotional: Day 2 "A Lion King to Come"

Image
 I love looking for Jesus in the Old Testament.    It is somewhat like an Easter egg hunt at times, and like a child, I am filled with joy at the discovery! This time we see Jesus, the Reason for the Season, tucked inside a blessing from a dying man.    Jacob draws his sons near to bestow a blessing upon them- a blessing that is filled with prophecy, later to unfold.    Israel is the grandson of Abraham, the one with whom God made a covenant to bless the nations. The lineage through whom Christ, the Messiah, would come.  As Israel speaks to his son, Judah, he gives him an exalted position in the family- one normally reserved for the firstborn. Genesis 49:8-10 8 “Judah, you  are he  whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand  shall be  on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you.  9  Judah  is  a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, h...
Read more

Christmas Advent Devotional Day 4: Something Had to Give

Image
    Isaiah 9:6 6  For Unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (NKJV, emphasis mine )   This passage is one of the most beautiful of the predictions about the coming Messiah.   It reads like pure poetry!   It is so good in fact, that we will look at it over several days.   Today, we will concentrate on the bolded portion: "Unto us a child is born"…   Normally a child is born “unto” his/her parents.   But Jesus would be born to us !   He would come to meet us at our point of need.   He would insert Himself into humanity because His love was too great for Him to remain at a distance.   He was unwilling to enjoy the glories of heaven without His beloved (you and me.)   "Unto us a Son is given" .. .    He had come in answer to the pra...
Read more