But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” – which means, “God with us.”
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
My father began preaching in churches when he was only 17 years old. Shortly after beginning his pastoral ministry – when he was about 19 - he was called upon to conduct his first wedding in a small rural church in Iowa. He recalls being very nervous as he was younger than both the bride and groom and he began the service with the traditional challenge to the gathered guests:
“If any of you has a reason why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
At that moment, as he tells the story, the wedding was interrupted when mother of the bride began to shriek from her place in the front of the small church. She shrieked and then went completely rigid and fell over in the pew. My father grabbed the bride’s hand and said, “Gladys, just stand here,” but beyond that he had no idea what to do. Was that technically an objection to the wedding? Should he continue? Could he continue? What was happening?
Fortunately, within a few moments several of the woman’s friends rushed to take care of the woman, who evidently had a history of small seizures during times of emotional stress or excitement. They simply carried her out and laid her down on the church lawn until she recovered and the wedding went on as planned!
At this point in the story of Jesus’ birth, nothing has gone as planned for Joseph! His engagement has been interrupted. His plans for a wife and family have been interrupted. His very life has been interrupted because God has chosen to break into the world – to break into his world!
God then tells Joseph not to get rid of Mary quietly, as he had been planning to do, but rather to take her home as his wife! Furthermore, God goes on to tell Joseph what the child’s name should be and what vocation has already been divinely ordained for the Son that he doesn’t even know yet!
I think, if I were Joseph, right about now I would call a “TIME OUT!”
At this point in the story of Jesus’ birth, nothing has gone as planned for Joseph! His engagement has been interrupted. His plans for a wife and family have been interrupted. His very life has been interrupted because God has chosen to break into the world – to break into his world!
God then tells Joseph not to get rid of Mary quietly, as he had been planning to do, but rather to take her home as his wife! Furthermore, God goes on to tell Joseph what the child’s name should be and what vocation has already been divinely ordained for the Son that he doesn’t even know yet!
I think, if I were Joseph, right about now I would call a “TIME OUT!”
“Just hold on a second God! Can I remind you that I didn’t ask for any of this? All I ever wanted was a wife and a nice family and a quiet life. I’ve worshiped and served you all my life – and I’ve never asked for much. And now you drop THIS on me! My fiancé is expecting a child through the Holy Spirit?! How am I supposed to understand that? Then you say I should go ahead and take Mary home as my wife – who knows what people are going to say? And, then, even if I agree to all of that, you even tell me what to name the child!”
I think that might be where I would have drawn the line! I think I would have been tempted to blurt out:
“Is it too much to ask to be allowed to come up with my own name for the child? I mean, I have always thought “Joey” was kind of a nice place to start! Do I have a say in any of this God?”
But notice how Joseph responds:
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Not only did Joseph obey God by taking Mary as his wife and naming the child “Jesus,” but he “had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.”
I’ve never heard a sermon (nor delivered one) about this part of the story – for obvious reasons! But Joseph voluntarily gave up his right and privilege as a married man so that both he and his wife could know for sure that this child was who the angel had said he was.
So what can I learn from this man Joseph?
I can learn that interruptions sometimes come from God. I can learn that I won’t always understand what God is doing. I can learn that obedience comes from trust. And I can learn that sacrifice is always part of love.
Pastor Brian Coffey
I think that might be where I would have drawn the line! I think I would have been tempted to blurt out:
“Is it too much to ask to be allowed to come up with my own name for the child? I mean, I have always thought “Joey” was kind of a nice place to start! Do I have a say in any of this God?”
But notice how Joseph responds:
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Not only did Joseph obey God by taking Mary as his wife and naming the child “Jesus,” but he “had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.”
I’ve never heard a sermon (nor delivered one) about this part of the story – for obvious reasons! But Joseph voluntarily gave up his right and privilege as a married man so that both he and his wife could know for sure that this child was who the angel had said he was.
So what can I learn from this man Joseph?
I can learn that interruptions sometimes come from God. I can learn that I won’t always understand what God is doing. I can learn that obedience comes from trust. And I can learn that sacrifice is always part of love.
Pastor Brian Coffey
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