Day Three Matthew 1:18-25
18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. – Matthew 1:18-25 (NLT)
Discover
1. What do you learn about Joseph from this passage?
2. Despite the incredulity of the message from the angel, how does Joseph respond to it?
3. What stands out to you in Matthew’s quoting of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah in verse 23? Why does he quote him?
Respond
Joseph isn’t mentioned much in the Bible apart from the accounts of Jesus’ birth, nor do we find any recorded words of him there. But his story serves as an example of obedience in the face of major disruption. Think back to the last disruption you faced in your own life. How did you respond? With hindsight, can you see how God used it to refine or redirect you? Spend some time now asking God to grow in you a heart of obedience. Continue to hide the Word of God in your heart as Joseph did so that the disruptions of life can’t shake you.
For Families with Kids at Home:
For Mary and Joseph, God asked each of them to do something important, but also something very difficult. Both Mary and Joseph chose to obey God, even though they knew things might not be easy. Are there any examples of this from your own life? If so, take time to share those times with your kids and encourage them how you saw God work through the process. If you can’t think of any immediately, share the story of Mary and Joseph and their example of obedience to God!