Proof of faith
December 14, 2009 (Monday)
The Scripture verse, Luke 2:16, tells of “Mary and Joseph, and the baby.” Each of these individuals was fulfilling his/her role in the eternal plan of God to make salvation available to everyone in the world. Their cooperation and obedience was essential.
Mary was a young girl, possibly 16 years of age, a good person who was willing to risk her personal reputation by allowing God to integrate her into the plan of the ages. After hearing the angel explain to her that she would give birth to the son of God without going through the natural process of conception which involves another human being, she simply says, obediently, “I am the Lord’s servant; may it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38 NIV).
Joseph was a simple man who loved God. He was engaged to be married to Mary, and in the culture of that era, was, for all practical purposes, considered to be married. When he was told that Mary was pregnant, he could have publicly rebuked and shamed her according to law, but he planned instead to divorce her privately, thus minimizing her sense of guilt. When an angel appeared to him with the entire story of how God had selected Mary for the honor of bringing the savior into the world through a miraculous conception without a human father, he demonstrated his obedient spirit by agreeing to fulfill his role in God’s plan. He would become the adoptive father and provide a home for the family.
The baby Jesus lay in a manger, a trough for feeding animals, temporarily cradling the eternal son of the living God. John tells us “the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth.” This was a miraculous birth, because the Son of God had left Heaven with all its glory to become a human infant. He was the only God-man, fully God and fully man. A miracle. Only he could offer his life as a ransom for our souls. He would live a perfect life, and die an atoning death, validated by his resurrection. His life and work would be carried out in obedience to his father in Heaven.
Each person did what God wanted. Each was totally obedient. I have to ask myself today, “Am I obedient to God?”