The Birth of Jesusنموونە

Mary’s Pregnancy

The first thing the book of Matthew tells us about Mary is that she was engaged to Joseph and pregnant through the Holy Spirit with a child Who had been promised to her. Every other time in Scripture when God promised a child to someone, the child had two parents: Abraham and Sarah (Isaac), Manoah and his wife (Samson), Zechariah and Elizabeth (John the Baptist). And every time, God used these special children as integral parts of His plan to redeem His people.

But Mary’s baby was special. Because Mary was pregnant through the Holy Spirit and not through her future husband, Joseph, or any other man, there was no earthly explanation for her pregnancy. What did the townspeople think about Mary’s pregnancy, or about Joseph? The Bible doesn’t tell us. But it does tell us how Joseph reacted to Mary’s pregnancy.

Joseph’s Role

We don’t know why God chose Mary to be the mother of His Son, but we do know that when He chose her, He also chose Joseph to be Jesus’ earthly father. The first thing Matthew tells us about Joseph when Joseph learned about Mary’s pregnancy is that he was a righteous man. God chose a man who honored Him to be the earthly father of His Son, and this was no mistake.

Joseph, when faced with the fact that his fiancée was pregnant with a child that was not his, could have slandered her publicly and broken all ties with her. After all, this would have seemed to be an act of adultery. But instead, he cared for her reputation and was “unwilling to put her to shame, [so he] resolved to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1:19b, ESV). And even then, Joseph took time to consider his plan of quiet divorce to be sure this was the best decision for them both. But God had better plans for this righteous man.

God sent an angel to tell Joseph in a dream that he should not be afraid to take Mary as his wife, that her child was from God Himself, a baby Who would save the world. How amazing this would have seemed to Joseph! Not only could he marry his betrothed in good faith, but he would also be the earthly father of the Son of God. He, along with Mary, was chosen to have the most important parenting role in history.

Reflection

What does Matthew tell us about the importance of Mary and Joseph’s relationship? How does God provide direction in our relationships today?