18 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. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 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. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25).
Significant news and events create unforgettable memories. Some of you could tell me where you were when President Kennedy was shot on November 22, 1963. How about when President Reagan was shot on March 30, 1981? How about when the space shuttle Columbia exploded shortly after take off on February 1st, 2003? How about when the Twin Towers in New York City were viciously attacked and over 2600 people died in and around Ground Zero? You might not be able to tell me where you were, but you can probably remember it like it was yesterday. That’s the way it is with shocking news. How do you handle the gravity of those events? They are sometimes very emotionally draining.Joseph, Mary’s fiancée, experienced one of those unforgettable memories. He had an encounter with an angel that would change him and his life situation forever.
It is clear from this passage that Mary already shared with Joseph about her pregnancy. I can’t imagine what Joseph’s initial response was, but I can guess it was something like this: WHAT? He knew it wasn’t his. He knew it was not possible to have a child apart from any physical contact with Mary. So, what was he to think? Scripture tells us that Joseph was a just man and did not want to bring any shame to Mary. He was a man of exceptional character and had a fine reputation in his community. He really loved Mary, but this was way too much to handle. He pondered and then resolved to put her away privately and divorce her quietly. The angel was about to make an appearance.
This angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and verified what Mary already told him. He told Joseph not to fear taking Mary as his wife. You know why? It’s because he feared to take Mary as his wife. Wouldn’t you? What would people think? So much happened so quickly. The angel explained the pregnancy and told Joseph that the child was the Holy Spirit’s child. Now, again, I’m not sure what my response would have been, but I can assure you that I would be a little more than concerned and confused.
People who have babies spend money on books and search through the Internet for weeks and months for baby names. Mary and Joseph didn’t need any books. They didn’t need to go to the Internet café and surf for names. The angel took care of that and told them what to name their child. His name would be Jesus and He would save His people from their sins. Not only did the angel give Joseph the name, but also the purpose.
Jesus wasn’t going to be ordinary child and this was certainly going to be a significant birth. Jesus was going to be the Savior of the world. Joseph, no doubt, learned about a Savior coming to earth. Who would have thought this Savior would come from Joseph and Mary. They were both so unassuming and certainly didn’t deserve anything special. Regardless, it was going to happen and Joseph had to embrace it.
When Joseph woke from his dream, he took Mary as his wife and kept her a virgin until the birth of Jesus. Joseph understood the gravity of this unforgettable experience.
Will you? Will you embrace the gravity of Christmas this year? Will you embrace the significance of our sin and the Savior God provided for us? Will you embrace Jesus? If you do, it will be unforgettable!