God’s Mission
Matthew 1:18-25
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son
18 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. 19 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.
20 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. 21 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.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Pondering Point
The night of Jesus’ arrest and impending crucifixion, He shared this prayer for His disciples, lifting them up to His heavenly Father:
John 17:13-19
I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they (his disciples) may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
~ Jesus
This is one part of Jesus’ prayer with His Father that night. He had been sent by the Father, and now is on the verge of completing the ministry tasks He came for. Having set Himself apart to help His disciples (“sanctified” Himself), He is prayerfully preparing to send them into the world to complete the ministry He started with His life, death and resurrection. To that end, he prayed these four prayers over them:
- To experience a full measure of joy
- To have protection from the Evil One
- To be sanctified by the truth
- To be sent into the world
Prayer
Lord Jesus, angels sang for joy after Your birth. You prayed for joy before Your death. Both instances were about joy to the world, and both centered around You – the real joy of the world. Conclude your prayers by asking Jesus to intercede for you regarding the four points shared above.