DECEMBER 7 THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARS TO JOSEPH By Chris Katulka Speaker, Writer, Radio Host, Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry
Today’s Passage: Matthew 1:18–25
The Gospel of Matthew captures a pivotal moment in history with the birth of Jesus – but it also highlights a deeply human experience often overlooked.
Joseph, a righteous man, is devastated when he learns Mary, his betrothed, is pregnant. In a culture where such news would bring shame and public scandal, Joseph resolves to end the engagement quietly. His decision is marked by both heartbreak and compassion. It is in this moment of emotional pain – what Joseph likely saw as one of the greatest losses of his life – that God intervenes. In a dream, the angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and reorients his understanding: “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” This divine clarity transforms Joseph’s sorrow into sacred purpose. He awakens and obeys, taking Mary as his wife and accepting the call to raise the Son of God.
The journey to the manger is not just one of prophecy fulfilled, but of emotions felt – confusion, grief, fear, and ultimately, joy.
Like much of life, the path is steeped in struggle. Yet it is precisely in those moments that God speaks. What Joseph once saw as betrayal became the very avenue of God’s greatest blessing. What he viewed as loss, God turned into eternal gain. This is the pattern of the gospel. In our own lives, what feels like personal hurt or emotional loss is often the soil in which God plants redemption. Jesus, born into a situation marked by misunderstanding and pain, came to redeem every corner of our brokenness.
The journey to the manger reminds us that when God speaks into our sorrow, He brings hope – and what once felt like the end becomes the beginning of joy.
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