Today's scripture

"[An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream & said to him], '[Mary] will give birth to a Son, & you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.'"  Matthew 1:21

Today's devotional thoughts  

First of all, I'm "walking it back" a little today. No, I'm not "walking back" The Truth. However, the title of my previous devotional--"Everyone's Going to Heaven, Right? Not so Fast!"--may have been a little jarring. May have sounded a little confrontational. May have even caused some readers to stop right there & decide, "I'm not reading any further!

I hope you weren't one of those readers. In any case, I'm going to "walk it back a little today."

Secondly, this passage may sound familiar to some who recognize it as one we usually associate with the Christmas story *. An angel has already told Mary that she--a virgin ***--will conceive the Christ-child by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, that might rattle your typical, young virgin.

She tells her fiance', Joseph, about this supernatural message. As you might suspect, he finds it a little difficult to accept that she has conceived a baby by the power of anything other than basic human biology. It may be the 1st century A.D., but he knows that he is NOT the father.

And before you know it, an angel appears to Him in a dream & reassures Joseph that all is as it appears.

Here comes the shocker. Joseph accepts the angel's word in faith as The Truth, even as Mary accepted the angel's word in faith as The Truth.

Two quick lessons to consider.

• One involves the nature of The Truth:  Jesus was not an uncommon name at that time. It was basically the Greek form of the Hebrew word Yeshua or Joshua, translated as "one who saves."
• The angel adds just a little more, well, a LOT more, when he declares to Joseph that the boy will be named Jesus, because "He will save His people from their sins."
• Yeah, you might say that raises the stakes a "little," because it gets to the heart of who Jesus is & will be . . . the Messiah, the Savior who will take away the sin of the world!
• Second point:  Can you wrap your head around the absolutely, fantastic, incredible, impossible circumstance of the words conveyed by these angels--along with the manner in which they were conveyed to Mary & Joseph . . . 
• . . . Two relatively simple, uneducated, poor, Judean peasants??

Yet God worked such faith in their hearts! They heard. They believed The Truth. Is it really that simple?

It IS that simple. God has worked that Truth in your heart through baptism and/or His Word. Or He is waiting to work that Truth in your heart, because He loves you so much--He wants you to know The Truth & set you free!

Today's prayer thought

Give thanks for the example of the simple faith given to Joseph & Mary that enabled them to believe The Truth. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to The Truth about Jesus, found in God's Holy Word; to strengthen your faith in Jesus as your Lord & Savior

* Only 56 shopping days till Christmas, IF I counted correctly. **
** I was a secondary English major, NOT a math major, for which I do NOT apologize!
*** Yes, THAT kind of virgin. The real deal.