THE JOSEPH ACCEPTS
JESUS AS HIS SON
Matthew 1:18-25
New International Version (NIV)
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel
of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
One can only imagine the stir Mary’s
pregnancy probably caused. Not only Joseph of the mind to put her away
secretly, and family and friends confusion. No wonder she went with haste to
visit Elizabeth!
She was greeted with words of comfort from Elizabeth; who
declared words of faith: "Blessed is
she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were
told her from the Lord" (Luke 1:45).
By having His angel announce Elizabeth’s
news to Mary, God gave Mary away to visibly test the angel’s words. Thus, God
provided comfort for her in the midst of her trouble, a clear reminder of His
faithfulness to all His promises.
The Trip to Bethlehem
The emperor of the Roman Empire, Caesar Augustus has decreed
that everyone must return to the city of his birth to be registered. So Joseph travels
to his birthplace from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to
David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was a member of the house
and family of David.—Luke 2:1-4.
The journey to Bethlehem was not an easy
one. A lot of people are in Bethlehem to
register, and the only place that Joseph and Mary can find to stay is in a
stable. Here, where donkeys and other animals are kept, Jesus is born. Mary
wraps him in strips of cloth and lays him in a manger.
In the stable
is a feeding trough, a bin (a manger) is from which farm animals eat. Thus, Mary
and Joseph do their best with what they had… they did not let their limitations
disillusion them; they simply did the best they could with what they had.
Surely
it was at God’s direction that Caesar Augustus mad his registration law. This made it possible for Jesus to be born in
Bethlehem, the city the Scriptures had long before foretold would be the
birthplace of the promised ruler.
A Visit Brings
Encouragement
What an important night this is! Out in
the fields a bright light gleams around a group of shepherds. It is the glory
of Jesus! And the angels of the Lord
tell them:
"Have no fear, for, look!
I am declaring to you good news of the great joy that all the people have, because
there was born to you today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in David’s city.
And this is a sign for you: you will find an infant bound in cloth bands and
lying in a manger."
Suddenly
many more angels appear and sing: "Glory
in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of goodwill."
When the angels leaves, the shepherds say
to one another:
"Let us by all means
go clear to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which God has
made know to us."
They rushed from the fields and into the stable,
eager to see the family and the child in particular.
Joseph’s story teaches us not only humble
obedience and faith, but also God’s kindness and faithfulness to His
people. God didn’t leave Mary wondering
at the stable either. He sent shepherds to confirm again to her that He was
still fulfilling His promises in His way. The shepherds spread "the saying which was told them concerning
this Child" (Luke 2:17) by the angel of the Lord. And "Mary kept all these things and pondered them
in her heart" (Luke 2:19).
She was remembering God’s faithfulness. She remembered Elizabeth’s word. Now she
tucked away the shepherd’s words. All these things would help her through to
the end. God showed Mary that she was still "highly
favored"; He sent her comforting words through His servants, messages
of His love and reminders of His promises.
……….to be continued
Playwright Janet Irene Thomas
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories
Theatre of
Fine &
Performing Arts
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