Editor’s note: The Christmas story is a familiar one, even if you never grew up in the Church. We see the Nativity scene in homes and yards, on billboards and cards. This Advent, we will look deeper into the people whose key appearances in the Bible take place in the time of Jesus’s birth. Some may be familiar, some less so, but each has a story, and each person’s story can impact our own lives and, hopefully, draw us closer to our Savior. Join us for Christmas Stories, our Advent reflection series!
Mary and joseph’s Story
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his Father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:26-38
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. And her husband, Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 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. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.” Matthew 1: 18-25
The Christmas Season is upon us again. For some, the arrival of December might have seemed to cut the fall a bit short and too quickly thrust us into the whirlwind of Western Christmas traditions! However, this season of Advent isn’t primarily a western holiday season, but first the Church’s season of preparation.
Advent is when we as God’s people dwell on the amazing miracle of God faithfully carrying out His promised plan to bring sinful man back into a relationship with a holy God. God’s promise of a Savior to the world was carried out though humble people, in particular, Mary and Joseph. They were not yet married. Both were told the news of Jesus in the quiet of being alone. In fact, Joseph was sleeping. Scriptures don’t tell us that they were blessed to receive the commission of birthing and raising the Savior in a community of people like Paul and Barnabas did when the Holy Spirit told them to go on a mission trip together in Acts 13.
So maybe there were moments when she was alone, afraid, and Mary wondered if she was crazy. Perhaps Joseph wondered if his dream was nothing. Didn't he just have a dream he was a bird last week? And when their small community found out, did she feel the urge to explain the angel’s “visit” over and over and over again? Did Joseph feel tempted to punch the disdaining looks off of the other men’s faces when he chose to stay betrothed to his “unfaithful” fiancée? What did Mary feel when she walked through Nazareth pregnant before she was a proper wife? How did Joseph experience having a fiancée that was pregnant, but not by Him? We can imagine that they had confusing emotions just like we might. And still… they had listened to God and believed.
We can only speculate, but if there were moments like these, Mary still obeyed. And Joseph obeyed. They walked by faith into what God called them to do. When Mary was told of the miraculous conception and birth, she replied with faith and obedience, “Let it be done to me as you have said.” And Joseph obeyed. He stayed married, and named the baby Jesus as the angel had directed.
Being able to respond by faith in the way that they did didn’t just happen. I believe it makes sense that they were prepared to receive God’s call for them by having hearts that walked by faith before the Lord called them to this “assignment.”
I think they were prepared. Hearts that are tender towards God are hearts that practice daily obedience and communion with Him. As the calendar barrels towards Christmas, in our season of Advent we can prepare to celebrate Jesus by being obedient in the small and big things He has laid before us to do. Are we working? Then we are to work faithfully and excellently, filled with the Spirit. Are we in school? Then we can prayerfully study and use our minds for the glory of God. Are we parents? Then we can gently and truthfully point our children to the grace of Jesus. Are we single? We can rejoice in our friends and the ways God uniquely uses us in the lives of others.
Two lowly and humble people were part of the plan to do the miraculous— that is, to allow the Savior of the world to be born, grow, and eventually die for the souls of men and women who were lost in darkness.
How can you prepare your heart to celebrate the coming of Jesus as a babe? We don’t know what God will call any of us to do in the future, but our daily obedience, Bible reading, confession, and prayers are the tilling of the soil of our hearts so that God might use our lives for His glory.
The ripple effects of God’s plan being carried out by these two lowly people changed the course of mankind for eternity. Their hearts obeyed because they were prepared. Oh, Lord, let us obey because we, too, are preparing our hearts to celebrate your coming and for whatever you may call us to. Amen.