A Thrill Of Hope.
Week #2: Joseph.
O Holy Night.
“Long lay the world in sin and error pining till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”
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. 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.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. 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.”All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew 1:18-25
Try to put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. As a good Hebrew living “faithful to the law”, what would you think and feel on discovering your betrothed is pregnant? What impact would this news have on Joseph’s previous hopes for his life and future?
How do you think the angel’s words might have created new hope and fresh expectations for Joseph? And how might these be different from Joseph’s previous hopes and expectations for his life?
‘Immanuel’ means ‘God with us’. God enters our story. For Joseph, God demonstrated this by stepping into his dreams and into the midst of his circumstances. How did this change Joseph’s actions and plans? (Look at the passage, before and after the encounter.)
As God enters Joseph’s story, Joseph discovers that it is not even his story – it’s God’s story! How do these truths – that God enters each of our stories as Immanuel, and we discover this is actually God’s bigger story – change your outlook, expectations, and hopes?
What can you do in this season to ensure that your hope is shaped by the knowledge that God has personally entered your story and chooses never to leave you nor forsake you? Share your thoughts and ideas.
Pray for one another.
Take time to pray together (in pairs or groups) in response to the above.