The Christmas story starts like so many others in the Bible. It’s about the lives of ordinary people affected by divine appointments. Unexpected interventions cause believers to trust in the God of the impossible.
Mary, a young unmarried lady, had an unscheduled meeting with an angel. Gabriel told Mary she was soon to be with child. She inquired. How? Gabriel answered, “The Holy Spirit will overshadow you, and you will conceive and bring forth the Son of God.” She replied, “Okay,” and accepted Gabriel’s words by faith.
When Joseph, Mary’s fiancé, realized his future wife was with child, he didn’t know what to do. The legalism of the Old Testament would have her stoned, their method of public execution. As a man of integrity, he wanted to do what the Lord wanted him to do. The only spiritual recourse for him was to pray, and God answered. “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife (Matthew 1:20); the infant inside her is the Son of God. His name shall be Jesus (Matthew 1:21).”
If you were Joseph, what would you do? The groom-to-be had a big decision to make. Wed or not to wed, unite or separate. Raise a child that is not yours, or abandon the love of your life. Instead, Joseph chose to obey God and ignore human reasoning.
Now think about the conversation between Joseph and Mary. Each tried to explain God’s intervention. They both sat in awe as the other explained what the angel said. When their explanation ended, they sat and stared at each other, asking themselves, “Who are we that God should use us?” By faith, they committed themselves to each other and to the will of God. They trusted their Creator to fulfill his purpose through them.
The faith of ordinary people can do marvelous things by simply trusting in God.
