Courageous Obedience (Mary & Joseph) - March 6

Read Luke 1:35-38

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Reflect

What fears might Mary and Joseph have had when Mary was expecting Jesus? How did they demonstrate their courage and faith?

We don’t know for sure how old Mary, the mother of Jesus, was when the angel visited her and announced that God had chosen her to give birth to the Savior of the world. Most historians believe she was probably just a teenager. But we do know that she was betrothed to Joseph and it was common in that day for young teenage girls to be promised in marriage.

GotQuestions.org explained how betrothals are different from engagements today: “Betrothal in most eras of Bible history involved two families in a formal contract, and that contract was as binding as marriage itself. Betrothal then was more of a business transaction between two families than a personal, romantic choice. Dowry or bride price agreements were included, so that a broken engagement required repayment of the dowry. After betrothal, all that remained were three matters: the wedding celebration, the bride’s move into the groom’s house, and the consummation of the marriage.” Because of this, Joseph was already considered Mary’s husband.

Now, put yourself in Mary’s shoes. She is a very young woman, she’s just had a supernatural experience with an angel, and the news that he declared to her was going to change the trajectory of her life forever. She had found favor with God, yes. What an honor to be chosen to be the mother of His Son! And yet, she had to have many questions and concerns running through her mind. She knew that she was a virgin and that she was not guilty of sexual immorality but would anyone else believe her? A virgin birth doesn’t sound very believable…What would Joseph say? Would he believe her? Would he reject her? Would he report her to the authorities?

If Joseph did not believe that this child was from God, he would understandably assume that she had broken their betrothal contract and was guilty of adultery. Under the Levitical law, adultery was punishable by death (Leviticus 20:10). So, if Joseph did not believe her, one of two things would happen, he’d either report her adultery to the authorities or he’d simply divorce her.

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that Joseph initially chose option two: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband, Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 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 will save his people from their sins.’...When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus” (Matthew 1:18-21,24).

Both Mary and Joseph had valid reasons to be afraid to parent the Son of God. And yet, both of them demonstrated their trust in the Lord by their obedience. Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (v. 38). Joseph did exactly as the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary as His wife and raised a son that was not his own, as his own. In their courageous obedience, they had a front row seat to God ushering in His plan of salvation. They were given the immense privilege to raise the Savior of the world!

May we be like Mary and Joseph. Even though we don’t fully understand His ways, even when we have our reservations, even when we are afraid of the potential consequences, may we have the courage to be faithfully obedient to God. Always.

Respond

Lord, I don’t always understand what You are doing in my life but I trust You. Help me to be faithfully obedient, even when it requires courage. Amen.

Reveal

Prayerfully consider how your faithful obedience reveals Christ to the world.