Thursday 18th December
Read Matthew 1:24-25
“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” (NIVUK)
Matthew is very careful to make clear that Mary was not, and could not, have been bearing a natural son of Joseph. After Jesus’ birth Mary and Joseph lived as married couples live and bore natural children. Some of whom went on to believe in Jesus and die for that belief. But Matthew begins his gospel with the clear message that Jesus is adopted into David’s line and was conceived of the Holy Spirit.
We often focus on Mary and her faith, captivated by the amazing story told by Luke, yet Joseph’s faith in obeying the angel of the Lord is just as salutary. The risks and shame associated with raising a child that was not his required deliberate obedience and godliness. The response was immediate. ‘When he woke up…’ and the obedience was complete – he named the child Jesus as instructed. Are we as obedient when challenged to do the hard thing?
