Theme: Do Not Be Afraid

The angel speaks to Joseph and quotes the words of Isaiah to King Ahaz, words which we read during week 2 (Isaiah 7). Now we see that God keeps his promises even if it takes a long time! Remember how God offered Ahaz a miracle, and the king was afraid of trusting God and said “no”? Well Joseph chooses to not be afraid of what God wants to do in his life. We don’t know much about the life or death of Joseph. The bible gives us precious little information. But what we do know is enough: he wasn’t afraid to entrust himself to the miracle of Jesus and his life was changed forever because of it. As you pray, ask God to help you to never be afraid of what he wants to do in your life through Jesus.

Excellent 2 minute video by Tom Wright that shows how Exodus & Passover connects with and shapes the Lord’s Supper.  Link

N.T. Wright from Sydneyanglicans.net on Vimeo.

Theme:  What’s in a name? Everything.

One of the great privileges of parenting begins before the child is born, as they (often) agonize for months on what to name their child. If they find out the gender, they can narrow down their choices, but still the burden can feel overwhelming. But as the time draws near, a preferable name is chosen, and from then on, all references to the baby will now have a name attached.  A time honored Jewish tradition was to give children special names that pointed well beyond personal preference, to hopes, dreams, or even memories of others. Mary never had to agonize over naming her baby, as she is told here what the baby must be named: Jesus. More than a popular boys name at the time, which it was, the name “Jesus” in Hebrew is Joshua, who brought the Israelites into the promised land after the death of Moses. Matthew sees Jesus as the one who will now complete what the law of Moses pointed to but could not of itself produce. He will rescue His people, not from slavery in Egypt, but from the slavery of sin.

This Advent season, thank God for His saving grace, and for a name that always reminds us that Jesus came to save us, not to teach us how to save ourselves.

Theme: The God Man

Imagine how Joseph must have felt when he found out that his fiancée Mary was going to have a baby. They weren’t married yet, and he was afraid that the Father was someone else. Imagine his joy when he learned from the angel that this baby didn’t have an earthly Father, but was “incarnate of the Holy Spirit,” what was in Mary’s womb was from the Holy Spirit. Now this did not make Jesus part God, and part human. The miracle of Jesus is that he is FULLY God and FULLY human. The other name he was called by says it wonderfully, “Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.” Thank the Lord that Jesus became one of us forever, and that God is with us!