December Mary and Joseph
Good morning, Zion's Refuge. Today we'll be looking at the life of Mary and Joseph the parents of Jesus. Get your bibles ready, we'll be reading today from the book of Luke chapter 1:26-38. This story is unusual, the real father is the Holy Spirit, and the mother is a young virgin whose name is Mary. Please open your Bibles to Luke 1:26 and start the journey.
Mary
- Why did God choose Mary?
- And in the sixth month the Angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, named Nazareth. 27. To a virgin espoused to a man, his name was Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28. And the Angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that are highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women. 29. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30. And the Angel said unto her, fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. 31. And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus. 32. He shall be great, and shall be called the son of the highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33. And he shall reign over the House of Jacob forever; and of his Kingdom there shall be no end. 34. Then said Mary unto the Angel, how shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35. And the Angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall over shadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God. 36. And, behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the six month with her, who was called barren, 37. for with God nothing shall be impossible. 38. And Mary said, behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the Angel departed from her.
The Bible does not tell us how long that God's searched for a special woman to be the mother of his son. We know that it was a very difficult decision to make, who would be worthy to bring the Messiah into this world and raise as their own? There were some qualifications she had to pass to be the mother of Jesus:
First, she had to be a direct descendant of Judah. (Genesis 49:10: The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh (Messiah) come; and onto him shall be the gathering of the people be.)
Second, she must be a virgin in order to be the mother of Jesus. ( Isaiah 7:14: Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, answer call his name Emmanuel.)
Third, the baby Jesus must be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5: but thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yea out of these shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Finally, Mary’s personality had to please God. For Mary to be able to raise God’s Son, she needed a strong belief in God. She had to have a spirit of humility. She must possess a gentle and loving disposition. She must have a tremendous amount of grit to face the ridicule being the mother of the Son of God. God found all these beautiful characteristics in the heart of a young teenager girl name Mary.
Note: The unsung heroes in this story are the parents of Mary. Her parents came from a long line of priests that were looking for the Messiah to come. What joy this brought to her parents when Mary confided in them that she was going to give birth to Emmanuel.
Are you raising your children to please God? Could God use you or your children to lead out nation back to God.
Angel appears to Joseph
- Why did Joseph want to leave Mary?
Matthew 1:18-21: Now the birth of Jesus was on this wise: when his mother Mary was espoused (engagement) to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately (a private divorce). 20. But while he thought on these things, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people from their sins.
Joseph listens and obeys
- What is the meaning of Emmanuel?
Matthew 1:22-25: Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying. 23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall be call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the Angel Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25. And knew her not till she had brought forth her first born son: and he called his name Jesus.
Joseph takes Mary to Bethlehem to pay taxes
- Why did Joseph pay his taxes in Bethlehem?
Luke 2:4-7: And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and the lineage of David:) 5. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife: being great with child. 6. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7. And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a Manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Angel tells Jospeh to go to Egypt
- Who wanted to kill baby Jesus?
Matthew 2:13b-15: The Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, arise, and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt, and be thou until I bring word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, out of Egypt have I called my son.
Angel tells Joseph it is safe to go home
- What city was Jesus raised in?
Matthew 2:19: But when Herod was dead, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and Egypt, 20. Saying, arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel.
- But when he had heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither; notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into parts of Galilee. 23. And he came and dwelt in the city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, he shall be called a Nazarene.
Joseph’s Character
The last time we see Joseph in the scriptures, is the time that he took Jesus to Jerusalem at 12 years of age. In the scripture Joseph was never given an opportunity to talk. There are no recorded words that were spoken by Joseph. He was a man of impeccable character. He totally trusted God with his entire life. He listened and obeyed the voice of the Angel of the Lord his entire life. He protected his precious family he worked hard and provided a meager living for his Holy family. This speaks volumes to families today who have adopted children into their home and raise them as their own. A true mother and the true father are the ones that loved their children and teach them the ways of God.
Moment of wonder:
As a pastor I feel it's very important to let everyone know that Mary and Joseph we're only teenagers when God called them to raise his son to be the Messiah. Behind the scenes and never mentioned the dedication of these two parents pour their heart and soul into these two beautiful children. There was a special bond between the parents Anne Mary and Joseph. That God looked down from heaven and said yes. These two special teenagers raised a son to save the world. Parents draw close to God and seek his advise on the raising of your family! Your love for God, does not go unnoticed by him.
Invitation:
This Christmas season is a season of counting your blessings. Take time every day to count your blessings. If you would only write down 3 blessings a day for 30 days your joy would be increased. Studies prove that people who are thankful and help others live satisfying lives with no regrets. Time is precious and so is your life. Today, call upon the name of the Lord. Repent of your sins and serve God and others for the rest of your life. Please keep your families close.
Questions:
- Why did God choose Mary?
- Why did Joseph want to leave Mary?
- What is the meaning of Emmanuel?
- Why did Joseph pay his taxes in Bethlehem?
- Who wanted to kill baby Jesus?
- What city was Jesus raise in?