Weekly Devotion no 36
4 December 2020
Bible reading – Matthew 1:18-25[1]
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about:
his mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came
together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because
Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose
her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘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. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you
are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their
sins.’
22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said
through the prophet: 23 ‘The virgin will conceive
and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means
‘God with us’).
24 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 did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave
him the name Jesus.
Reflection
The first part of chapter 1 established Jesus’ pedigree. But today’s passage tells us who Jesus actually is: he is both human and divine; he is man and God.
Mary and Joseph had been engaged, probably for a long time, and a year before their marriage they were betrothed. This meant that, whilst they weren’t yet living as husband and wife, they were legally bound to one another and this bond could only be broken by divorce. It was during this time that Mary found out she was pregnant, not by Joseph, but through the Holy Spirit. Joseph didn’t yet understand how this had happened and, as he was an honourable man and didn’t want Mary to be disgraced publicly for bearing an illegitimate child, he decided to divorce her privately.
At this point an angel intervenes and explains the situation to Joseph. Joseph accepts the explanation and doesn’t divorce Mary, therefore ensuring that the lineage of Jesus does extend from Abraham through David to Joseph, fulfilling God’s plan and the many prophecies about the Messiah. As was custom at the time, Jesus’ name would tell people who he was - he was God incarnate!
What hope for a
nation under the control of an oppressor?
What hope for a
pregnant teenager and no one but she knows the father?
What hope for a good
man disappointed by his partner’s apparent unfaithfulness?
What hope for parents
weeping for children slaughtered by order of a king?
Lord, your prophet
spoke of Immanuel, ‘God Is With Us’.
Not just in days of
joy and celebration.
But
When the atmosphere
in a nation turns sour,
When lives are
troubled by mistakes made and hard decisions which have to be taken,
When tragedy breaks
into quiet and settled lives,
Lord you are with us,
The God revealed in
Jesus,
The Jesus of the
wilderness temptations under pressure from the subtle and vicious power of
Satan.
The Jesus of
Gethsemene in torment as he focuses on the ordeal to come.
The Jesus of Calvary
brought to the point when he can no longer experience his Father’s presence.
The God revealed in
Jesus.
So we can pray confidently today that you will be with us and all those going through their worst of times.
In this we place our hope, a hope that in the end will not be denied but will overcome everything that ever made hope seem out of reach, that day when the voice of Jesus will be heard: ‘Now I am making all things new.’[1]
Come Lord Jesus, come!
Hymn
Verse 1
O come O come Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee O Israel
Verse 2
O come O come Thou Lord of Might
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee O Israel
Verse 3
O come thou rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee O Israel
Verse 4
O come thou Dayspring come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine Advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee O Israel
Verse 5
O come Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heavenly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee O Israel
Prayer
Merciful God,
you sent your
messengers the prophets
to preach repentance
and prepare the way for our salvation:
give us grace to heed
their warnings and forsake our sins,
that we may greet
with joy
the coming of Jesus
Christ our Redeemer,
who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for
ever. Amen.
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