Matthew 1:21 AMPC
[21] She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus [the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means Savior], for He will save His people from their sins [that is, prevent them from failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God].
The devotions over the past few days, as well as yesterday's focus, has been on the virgin who was to be the channel through which the gift of God was to be born. She was willing and ready to submit to God's plan for her and the world, and today, we continue to enjoy the fruits of that submission and surrender. We have not yet considered the role of the man who was already engaged to be married to the virgin. In those days, it was a taboo for a girl to be pregnant outside of wedlock. You can argue about changes in attitude, focus or generations, but you cannot argue with God's standards. Fornication or adultery was a sin before God, and no amount of education, enlightenment or earnings would change that fact. Joseph found himself at a crossroad: "here is my betrothed, already pregnant. I have not touched her. How do I explain a pregnancy I know nothing about?". I can imagine the many troubles in the heart of this man as he considered what to do.
We serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever. The problems of today will not change the plans God already has in place and there is no situation so bad that it can tamper with whatever God has planned. What He needs from me is total surrender to Him at all times. Joseph was a quiet man, and he cared about Mary so much that he did not want to subject her to public ridicule. He was planning to let her go quietly and secretly, but the God who sees the end from the beginning would not let go. He came to Joseph at night and explained the plan to him. The plan was to involve a working cooperation between God and man. God would always play His part and He will also supply sufficient grace for man to also play his part. I note that God will not force Himself on anyone, or go against the exercise of my freewill, but if I can cooperate with God, working step by step with Him on the journey of life, there is a guarantee that all will end well
Like all things that God does too, there is an eternal dimension to whatever earthly reality God puts in place. The virgin will bear a Son, whose name had been determined since the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah. The mission of the Son is to save people from their sins, and His name reflects His mission. The start of life that will please God must start with an identification with the cross. You cannot claim to please God without first getting the forgiveness and redemption made possible by the death of Jesus on the cross. That is the plan of restoration of man to God, and it is by my total embrace of that package that I get all of God. The verse above also makes an interesting conclusion: the person who does not identify with the Son's experiences will end up failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God. Reflect: it will not matter what else you have at the end of your life on earth, if you do not have God. The price paid by Jesus is to secure eternal life with God. No one and nothing else will secure it for you. God waits for us; may His life and death and resurrection not be wasted over my life. God's time of favour is here.
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