The Father on Earth

Think back to when you were a little kid. What did you imagine you would be like when you became the age you are now? What do you imagine your life will be like 5 years from now, 10 years, 25 years?

Thinking about the future can bring out different emotions for many of us. It can be a scary exercise to think about the future if you are uncertain about what you will do next in life. If you have your heart set on a certain path you want to take it can be exciting to work toward accomplishing your goals. But what if life takes a turn you weren’t expecting?

That’s the situation Joseph found himself in when the angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him the news that his fiancée would give birth to a son. It’s highly unlikely Joseph thought that being married to Mary would include the responsibility of raising God’s son as his own.

If that seems like a lot of responsibility, that’s because it is! But Joseph was a righteous man and even though we don’t really see much more of him in the Scriptures, we see that he joyfully commits to staying engaged to Mary and raising Jesus as his own son.

While the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth were a surprise to His parents, they were not a surprise to God. In our own lives, there will be things that disrupt our plans. Circumstances will change in ways we don’t anticipate and while they will surprise us, we must remember God is never surprised by our circumstances.

He has planned everything according to His will for you to walk in it. In the same way, He didn’t choose Mary and Joseph by accident to be the earthly parents of His son. He has chosen to use you even if His plans are not what you expected.

Reflection Questions:

1)We often think of Jesus as being a little baby and then a great teacher, but what do you suppose it was like being the parent of Jesus?

2)Do you think it came with a lot of joy?

3)What is one way God has used surprising circumstances in your life in ways you didn’t expect?

Verses:

*“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.” -Matthew 1:18-24

*“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” -Ephesians 2:10