Matt. 1: 18-19: Mary found herself as a single mom with an unplanned pregnancy. She was engaged to Joseph in what was a powerful engagement that needed a divorce in order to get out of it. It was a legally binding contract. Mary needed to tell Joseph what had happened.

Luke 1:28-29 relays Mary’s encounter and response. “Why me?” she may have thought. Verses 30-33 tell that the baby would be king, but there was already “King” Herod. This child would be a blessing and a burden in one–the Son of God. Even though she understood the consequences, her response honors God. “I am the Lord’s servant,” she says (v. 38).

The angel left Mary with a big problem. How would she tell others? She would need to walk all of this out through FAITH. She obeyed God through her fear and shame.

It would have been right, and common to the culture, for Joseph to divorce her under such circumstances. (See Matt. 1:19.) Instead, an angel confirms Mary’s encounter with him in a dream (vs.20-21). Jesus, which means, “The Lord saves,” would die for the sins of all. Matt. 1:22-23 echoes Messianic prophecy from the book of Isaiah. Joseph, being a righteous man, did what the angel told him.

Think about it! Jesus’ birth was SHAMEFUL, and He came into this mess of a world with us! God is WITH us. God is with ME. Remember what Matt 28:19-20 says? In Isaiah 7: 1-2, God gave this word when 120,000 people were lost. God is still with us! Be glad when God is shaking a situation. Worry and anxiety in a sin. Check your soul. Don’t be afraid, but rest (Is.7: 4-5). If we aren't in peace, do we really believe God is who He says He is?

In II Chron., God tells Ahaz to ask Him for a sign, and God said a virgin would give birth to a child and the surrounding kingdoms in place at that time would be no more. Seven hundred years later, Jesus would fulfill that prophecy. Ahaz, instead, developed his own plan without God. Is. 8:11-13 warned against conspiracies. We can learn from this not to give conspiracy theories any power over us. We are not to rely on fortune tellers (vs. 19-20) but Scripture. We can see that trusting in anything else but God turns out bad (vs.21-22). Trusting in God, however, results in a good outcome (Is. 9:1-2, 6-7). Ps 2:1-4 shows that God laughs at man’s feeble attempts. No one wins against God.

The challenge today is to renew our faith by trusting and obeying in God. JOY TO THE WORLD! We can walk in faith and not fear.