Reflection based on Matthew 1:24-25. God had called him the “offspring” and “the seed.” The Psalmists called him the Cornerstone, Deliverer and King. The prophet Isaiah called him the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace. All of those names, plus a host of others throughout the Old Testament, were arrows pointing the way to Him. The various names were descriptors giving clues as to where God’s people would find the Rescuer He’d promised--indicators of what He would be … [Read more...]

Reflection based on Matthew 1:19. We’re told that Joseph was righteous. He wasn’t a perfect human, but his life was characterized by seeking obedience to God. And for his righteousness and waiting, he was rewarded with an announcement of what appeared to be scandalous infidelity. His girl was pregnant. According to God’s laws, which he tried to obey, marrying an unfaithful woman would make him unfaithful too. So to avoid further disgracing his family and his bride, he meant to break … [Read more...]

Though Mary didn’t know it yet, her heart was already being pierced by the blessed burden of being the mother of the Messiah. God had not promised her a husband, or a house, or a long life. The angel had said nothing of Joseph. It would seem to us that if a person was highly favored, and if the Lord was with her as the angel said, that God might be obliged to give her a husband, a house, and a reasonably smooth life. But he didn’t. And still she obeyed. What a tumultuous time for the … [Read more...]

Joseph was a righteous man. A little peek ahead in the Scripture tells us so. Just as in the case of Zechariah and Elizabeth, “righteous,” does not mean he lived without sin. But it does mean that he was careful and mindful of honoring God and obeying His laws. For a man of his age and stage in life, being a righteous man meant working hard at a trade, most likely the one his father had taught him. In Joseph’s case, carpentry and stone masonry—as stone-work was more common than wood-work … [Read more...]

Reflection based on Luke 1:56. Mary was highly favored, chosen, and yet human. And even a highly favored woman with a divine calling of such magnitude as bearing God’s son, would have been, like you and I, prone to worry…or at least wonder. But for Mary, the miracle, God’s plan, was already in progress. She had placed herself under the gracious hand of her unimaginably wild God. By God’s good design, there was for Mary, no turning back. The baby grew, and so did her tummy. Every … [Read more...]