The advent season is a beautiful time to reflect on God's adoptive love for a broken world. Join me in preparing for Christmas by meditating daily on the coming of Christ and praying for the fatherless.
An Earthly Father for a Heavenly Son
*Read Matthew 1: 1-17
Matthew 1:18-23
"This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
From the beginning of time, God planned to dwell among us. He would come to earth as the most vulnerable of humans and live a life that culminated in his death and resurrection. As Matthew begins to write his account of the Gospel story, he starts chapter one with the lineage of Christ. It is easy to glaze over these Old Testament names in Matthew 1 as though Christ's family tree were unimportant; however, as we read the genealogical account of Christ we realize that from the beginning of human history God had a plan and ordained for specific people to be a part of that plan.
If you have a general understanding of the Old Testament, then a light reading of Matthew 1 will include familiar names. But where do all these names lead as we read the opening of Matthew? They lead to a young man named Joseph.
Considering the religious cultural climate of the day the miracle is not only that Mary conceived a child while a virgin, but that her betrothed did not stone her when he found out she was pregnant. Israelites more religious then Joseph were known for stoning their betrothed for being unfaithful, but Joseph had in mind to divorce her quietly. He was a man who knew and loved the law, but also had the integrity not to expose her to public disgrace.
God had included an earthly father in his plans to unfold the story of our Savior. This earthly father would not share Christ's bloodline, but would chose to become the father of Christ because an angel of the Lord appeared to him. The angel that appeared to Joseph gave him the responsibility that all fathers have for their children, to name him. And with that responsibility bestowed on Joseph, the heavenly son Jesus the Christ was given an earthly father: Joseph the carpenter.
Consider the fact that God cared to provide an earthly father for the perfect Christ. Consider that our God who wrote a redemptive human history decided to include a physical family for Christ to be raised in. Christmas is not just about the family that we celebrate together during this holiday season, but is meant to remind us of the reality that family has always been and always will be part of God's story.
Prayers for the Orphan:
Pray for the fatherless and particularly for single mothers who are attempting to raise their children without dads. Pray that the church would wrap their arms around these mothers and provide multiple spiritual fathers and that the church would be a safe place for single mothers to find Christ and authentic community. Pray for the Lord to provide earthly fathers for the fatherless. Pray that the Lord would make known that he is the ultimate Father to the fatherless to each child going to bed tonight without a dad. Pray that the Fatherless would know this truth in a deeper and richer way then anyone else.
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