“For as by one man’s disobedience
many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
Romans 5:19
Mary was not married to Joseph when she became pregnant with Jesus.
Immediately after she told the angel, “be
it unto me according to your word,” she left to visit her cousin Elizabeth
whom the angel had told her was also pregnant.
Mary was gone from her home town for three months before she returned
(Luke 2:38, 39, 56). Although Joseph
considered how not to marry his finance because she was pregnant, and he knew
that it was not his baby, he was obedient
to the words of the angel. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as
follows; when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came
together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man
and not wanting to disgrace her; planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an
angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do
not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived
in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will
bear a Son; and you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from
their sins…,’ And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the lord
commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave
birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus” (Matthew 1:18-25).
The Bible does not give us the details of what his or Mary’s family
thought of this pregnancy out of wedlock.
But in that day and in that cultural they were likely to have suffered
from cruel public opinion and rejection.
Joseph was a humble, but poor man and yet he was immediately obedient to the voice of God and was
willing to pay the price of being rejected by his own people for being
obedient. Furthermore, he was willing to
deny himself conjugal rights as a husband until after the Jesus was born. Some people are not willing to be apart from
their spouses to fast and pray; but Joseph chose to be obedient and pay the price.
As the time of the birth of Jesus drew near, Joseph was obedient to the government’s decree
that every one must go and register so that a census could be taken. He traveled about 80 miles with a very
pregnant wife to the city of Bethlehem to register braving the bands of thieves
and robbers. Once they arrived, there
was no place for them to stay, but in a stable.
The time for Mary’s delivery was at hand and an angel appeared to some
shepherds and said, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which
will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born
for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
This will be a sign for you’ you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling
clothes and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:10-12).
The men wore a garment under their clothes called, “swaddling.”
This swaddling was used to wrap the man in if he died while he was
traveling. The “swaddling” was used to wrap the body in. Joseph took his “swaddling” cloth and wrapped
the new born babe in “swaddling,” to
fulfill the prophetic word of the angel—that when they found a baby wrapped in
a manger with “swaddling” clothes this would be the Savior—Christ the
Lord. Joseph was obedient to take his death clothes to wrap the tiny infant
in so that prophecy would be fulfilled.
There is a price to be
obedient, but the reward is great. When we place our trust in a sovereign God and
wait upon His timing, we have nothing to fear from the world.
Prayer—Father I thank You that you have
a plan for my life. I may not always
understand everything that I am going through, but I trust in You and with Your
help I will always be obedient, in Jesus Name. Amen.
