“Birth of a Lord”

Matthew 1:18–19 ¹⁸Now 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. ¹⁹And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

            Everything just has to be perfect, family is coming, friends will be there, and every preparation must be completed just right.  I’m cleaning the house so don’t get it dirty, and if you have any trash take it out to the garbage can because I’ve emptied the waste paper basket, and trash receptacle and washed them too.  So… don’t you dare get anything dirty or messed up!  The wife has put in many hours to make sure everything is perfect from a clean house to the baking of Christmas goodies, to making sure the perfect meal is being served on the perfectly set dining room table with all of the festive decorations. It’s just perfect.  What! Why did you have to go and touch something?  .Now look at it!

            Something to that effect, had to be going through Joseph’s mind.  Everyone will be looking, the law included, everything must be perfect for this marriage to start off right.  You know those Jewish traditions.  What happened should not have, his bride to be was with child and it wasn’t his and this means it is against all the laws they were taught.  If anyone finds out Mary will be stoned.  Thank God for His intervention, without it everything about this marriage would be going south and I don’t mean Bethlehem.

            This is the Son of God, the promised savior; should He have come into this world respecting all of the laws of those God has called His chosen people?  After all, didn’t our God make the laws?  Why was this child born in such mean estate?  Not only was He born in a stable, resting in a feeding trough, and wearing rags, He was born of a mother who was to be betrothed to man who would only be the His stepfather.  This just doesn’t seem right it surely isn’t perfect, especially for one who is to be the savior for all people, and especially a savior to God’s chosen Jews.

            Romans 1:1–6 ¹Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, ²which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh ⁴and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, ⁵through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, ⁶including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

            He is our Lord in the flesh, “Immanuel,” God with us fulfilling the scripture of the Old Testament, Genesis, Isaiah, and others.  He came in such mean estate to face a people who lived in the meanest of estates, the one we call sin.  Not to punish those who sinned but to save them from the consequences of their sin.  Just believe and it will be done.

            The Christ came to us in the poorest of means to gift us with the mercy that keeps us out of the clutches of a spiritual death and the grace of His salvation that gives us eternal life and close relationship with our God.  Christ was not born to force our allegiance and lord it over us.  Who would you follow?  Would you follow the one who bosses you around?  Would you follow the one who shows you that you are not being asked to do something that the one asking would not do too?  Would you follow the one who takes or the one who gives?

Matthew 1:20–25 ²⁰But 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. ²¹She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

²³“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). ²⁴When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, ²⁵but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

            Our God, our Savior, our Lord came to us humbled coming not as a great and powerful God, rather coming as a simple peasant child.  Though Jesus Christ came in such humbleness, He proved to be the greatest of Lord’s to a people who needed mercy and also turned everything around to give us Saving Grace through eternal life and relationship with our loving God.

Romans 1:7 ⁷To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

GO and Serve The Lord; Being Excited in What He Gives You.

God Blesses Us Always, Christ and You are Living Proof

of It.