And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 KJV
How do you tell a man who is engaged but not yet married that the woman he is engaged to will have a child that is not his own? We read it now and we gloss over it because it is not the main message, but imagine what was going on in the heart of Joseph. When the road ahead is uncertain and God is asking me to just take him at his word by faith, it is not always easy in the instant. The story of Christmas may have been differently told if Joseph did not trust God enough to simply let go. I take my first lesson from the life of Joseph: it pays to trust Jesus, even when I do not see clearly where he leads. All I need to be sure about is that He is the One leading.
The message to Joseph was very specific and left nothing to the imagination. The message was about a specific incident, which would be about a specific child, with a specific gender, a specific name and a specific assignment. God does not uncertainty or guesswork; He is too powerful to make anyone or anything that He cannot control. He is too wise to have any situation confuse Him. He is too connected to have anything render him powerless. What is that situation that has been threatening my peace and joy? I need to hand it over to this God today and let Him work out that which is His perfect will.
This child to be born is the secret to all of God's perfect will for life. You see, sin is the one thing that causes eternal separation between God and man, and the Son is also the key to the restoration of the relationship between God and man. That is why the Son was sent: no one and nothing else could repair that broken relationship. Man has tried to build the bridge with good and great works of service to humanity, but outside of total surrender and acceptance of the Lordship and authority of the Son of God, that bridge will never be built right. I have to come to God on his terms, and take him up on his offer, not what I think is right.
The name Jesus means Saviour. His name is the reflection of his assignment. As I call his name, I am asking him to come in and do the work He has been sent to do in me. All the other things we ask Jesus for: healing, provision, protection, power and possessions are all available in the name of Jesus, which means Saviour. If I only ask him for the benefits, I do not have his fullness. He may give me the benefits, but do I want to have all the good things of life, and yet lose eternal life? Would all of life's possessions help me on the day of God's wrath? I ask Jesus to come into my heart today, and do that which is in line with his name. I want to reign with him in eternity when this present life is all gone. God's time of favour is here.
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