Description
Embracing Divine Messages: Joseph’s Dream and Our Calling
In this Advent meditation, we delve into Matthew 1:20-21, whe… (visit YouTube for more)
Transcript
Have you asked God to speak to you in a dream recently, my friends? In today’s Advent meditation, we’re considering something that happened to Joseph, Jesus’s father. It’s Matthew chapter 1, verses 20 to 21. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins."
Any encounter with the divine, with God, or with a messenger from God is going to be something quite special, isn’t it? And Joseph has this intrusion into his dream, joseph being a God-fearing man.
And he recognises that as a message from God, he recognises the messenger as an angel. An angel literally was a messenger from God.
Put aside for a moment any idea you might have of long robes and wings. This was a messenger from God, didn’t need to look like anything we think angels look like. Joseph simply understood this to be something God was telling him.
And God, of course, we know had put this plan in place where he causes Mary to fall pregnant. And she’s going to give birth to the Messiah. But Joseph has to be on board with this because he’s part of the plan too. He’s going to be the human, earthly father for Jesus.
And I think the challenge for us is, are we ready to listen to God like Joseph listened? Are we ready not only to listen, but to act on that, including when that goes against, our preconceived ideas, our customs, our cultural pressures, even if it threatens our reputation or our livelihood? Will we do what Joseph did and carry on, proceed with the plan, go God’s way, and lay down his life for the plans of God?
I hope we will do that, because we saw that in Mary and Joseph’s obedience, the greatest Gift of all came into the world.
