What Jesus Did : Matthew 1:22-25 - God's Promise Comes True
by Phil Ware
God's Promise Comes True - Matthew 1:22-25
All this happened to make clear the full meaning of the things the Lord said through the prophet: "The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him Immanuel." (Immanuel means, "God with us.") When Joseph woke up, he did the thing that the Lord's angel told him to do. Joseph married Mary. But Joseph had no sexual union with Mary until she gave birth to the son. And Joseph named the son Jesus. (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
What if the fulfillment of God's greatest promises depended upon my faithfulness? Ouch! That's a tough question. But verses 23-24 emphasize how this happened with Joseph and Mary. In very simple and straightforward terms, Matthew tells how God spoke his will through the prophets and angels as well as how Joseph and Mary obeyed what God told them to do. That's still the same way God's promises to people come true today. God uses the simple obedience in matters big and small to bring about his promised salvation. We will not always know why God calls us to some task, challenge, or opportunity, but we can be sure that he will use our faithfulness to him to his glory and our greater good.
Today's Prayer
Majestic and loving God, forgive me for my lack of obedience. Please give me a deeper understanding and appreciation of how my obedience also helps you fulfill your promises and bring Jesus into the lives of others. In the name of Jesus I thank you and ask for this grace. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
The mother of Jesus Christ was Mary. And this is how the birth of Jesus happened. Mary was engaged to marry Joseph. But before they married, Mary learned that she was pregnant with a child. Mary was pregnant by {the power of} the Holy Spirit. Mary's husband, Joseph, was a good man. He did not want to bring shame to Mary before the people. So he planned to divorce her secretly. But after Joseph thought about this, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to accept Mary to be your wife. The baby that is in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son. You will name the son Jesus. Give him that name because he will save his people from their sins." All this happened to make clear the full meaning of the things the Lord said through the prophet : "The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him Immanuel." (Immanuel means, "God with us.") When Joseph woke up, he did the thing that the Lord's angel told him to do. Joseph married Mary. But Joseph had no sexual union with Mary until she gave birth to the son. And Joseph named the son Jesus.-- Matthew 1:18-25 (ERV)
URL: http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/matthew/0107-wjd.html
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