I know we haven’t even gotten to Thanksgiving yet. But we’re still very close to Christmas. So, I want to look at a marriage from the first Christmas and see what we can learn from it.
God could have sent His Messianic Son to earth in any number of ways. He could’ve, like Hanna with Samuel, entrusted Him to the high priest. Imagine the miracle of a baby being delivered to the temple without any woman conceiving carrying or birthing Him; the priests just find Him in the temple one morning. Or what if God had given a child to one of the religious groups, like the Pharisees, the Saducees or the Essenes. He could’ve had King Herod one day discover a divine baby in his royal palace.
But God chose man and woman betrothed but not yet married. Here are some gleanings from the Marriage of Mary and Joseph.
A High Purpose and Calling. Joseph and Mary were given the greatest responsibility of any couple ever, to bring up the one who would save the world from sin’s consequences. I believe God has a high calling and purpose for every married couple, something neither of them could do alone, something they can accomplish only as a one-flesh married couple.
This is an awesome prayer focus for a married couple, to ask God what it is that He wants them to accomplish together.
A Sacrificial Love. Joseph risked his reputation by marrying Mary; surely people thought the child was his. And Mary risked a broken heart; would Joseph stay around to raise a child that wasn’t “his”?
It’s certain that God wants married couples who will humble themselves for each other and for carrying out God’s plan and calling for them.
Spontaneous Obedience. Joseph moved his new family to another country after a dream in which God warned him to do so. He and Mary didn’t require any preparations or long-advanced notice from God. They just left.
Would you, as a married couple, do the same? If God made it clear to you that He wanted you to make a major change in your life immediately, and His instruction was the only reason for doing it, no other factor supporting that message from Him, would you do it?
May your marriage be merry and bright, like the Christmas marriage was!
And Happy Thanksgiving!
