As we pass through the Christmas season, which ends on January 6, it is important to remember that the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was prophesied 735 BC (Before Christ) by the Prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 7:14 (Isaiah, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB)
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel.”
Today, Mathew Chapter 1 is all about the preconditions of the birth. Mary and Joseph were betrothed at this point and not married. The Galilean custom of marriage starts with a woman and man promised to each other, but they cannot live together or have relations at this point. The man readies the place for them to live while woman prepares her wedding garments, etc. for that day. In their custom, when the father says to the son, “get your bride,” only then do the wedding bells sound and the festival begins. When the groom arrives at the wedding feast with his bride, the doors are closed behind them and no one else is let in. (A good article about the custom is on Robert Winer’s blog)
In the first chapter of Mathew, Joseph and Mary are preparing the place where they will live and her wedding garments, respectively. In Mathew 1:18, Jesus is conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit. Imagine the shock, hurt, and betrayal felt by Joseph. considering where they were in the marriage tradition. In verse 19, Joseph still loved her and wanted to divorce her quietly not to expose her to shame.
In fact, it wasn’t until an Angel came to Joseph in a dream saying that she was still pure, and her baby is actually the son of God. The angel also said that they will call him Emmanuel. He returned to Mary and took her into his home.
From a layman’s perspective, how does this affect us today?
I think is very important to remember what the Galilean Wedding tradition is, otherwise, we might misinterpret what is happening, when put against the filter of today’s society. It is unheard of to be married and not have sexual relations with your wife or, in most cases, before your married. Picture planning your wedding and your find out that your future wife is pregnant, but not by you. Verse 19 shows very little emotion, but picture yourself in that situation. When the angel came to him, informing him that it was a child of God, imagine how much faith you have to have to go alone with it. Joseph’s and Mary’s faith as described in this chapter was extraordinary. I wish I had that much.
Besides the glorious fact that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is about to be born, this chapter also informs us that God has a plan and we are not completely informed about it. For example, if you are married, was your spouse the first one you dated? Probably not. If you never broke up with him/her, would you have married your spouse today? Would you have your children if you never met your spouse? My point is, everyone at some point asks God for something and he says no, not to be mean, but because he has something in mind for you.
I think we all need to be more like Mary and Joseph. When the Lord asks us to do something, we need to just do it. Sometimes we do not understand the why or what the future impact is, but God’s plan is always better than ours.
