The most important part of this story is IT REALLY HAPPENED, IT IS HISTORICALLY TRUE, IT IS NOT A FAIRY TALE.
What a mom! She was a normal Jewish teenager, living her life like her friends were, dreaming about her future. Then heaven shattered 400 years of silence with these words to Mary, recorded in Luke 1:30-37: “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37For no word from God will ever fail.”
Then, having just heard the most unbelievable news that any Jewish woman had ever heard, here is how Mary responded: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me according to your word.” Then Scripture says that the angel left her. Her future was set; she had no vote, she wasn’t consulted for her wishes. But examine her reply carefully before you judge heaven harshly. “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me according to your word.” Mary only wanted what God wanted and God wanted what the angel said. Instant obedience, instant submission, instant willingness. What an example for us today. What a mom for the coming Savior!
What a dad! Joseph’s heart must have been crushed when he heard the news that Mary, his betrothed wife, had returned from helping care for Elizabeth and was PREGNANT. No husband can hear worse news than the betrayal of his wife. Surely he immediately went to find Mary and confirm her unfaithfulness. Even when she tried to explain, Joseph probably didn’t hear her words. But since he loved her so deeply, he chose to protect her from public stoning by putting her away privately. After tossing and turning for hours, he finally fell asleep that night and began to dream a heaven-sent dream. His heavenly news, recorded in Matthew 1, was just as unbelievable as Mary’s. “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. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
What then did Joseph do about that God-sent dream? “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” His future was set; he had no vote, he wasn’t consulted for his wishes. But examine his behavior carefully before you judge heaven harshly. “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him” Joseph only wanted what God wanted and God wanted what the angel told him in his dream. Instant obedience, instant submission, instant willingness. What an example for us today. What an earthly dad for the coming Savior!
What a baby! In the words of Travis Cottrell’s song, Glory In The Highest: “Who could have imagined this? Infant and the Infinite. Son of God, so wonderful. Heaven’s perfect miracle. Born to die and born to save; Born to take our sin away. Light and life to all He brings, With the Angels, let us sing. Glory in the highest, Glory in the highest, Prince of Peace, King of Kings
Jesus, Lord of everything, Glory in the highest.” What a baby! What a baby!
Mike Sublett is a pastor at Hi-Land Christian Church, 1615 N. Banks St., Pampa, Texas 79065. Email him at pawdad@nts-online.net.
