Advent Reading for Thursday, Week 4 (December 22, 2022)

The Season of Advent prepares us for Christ's coming--both on Christmas Day and when we comes again in glory.  This year, we will spend each week exploring a different way we can prepare ourselves.  The post for each day will include a scripture, a song, a few brief questions to reflect upon, and a prayer. 

 

Week 4 Introduction

As we enter into the 4th week of Advent, the time has come to proclaim that our Savior is about to arrive.  The Hebrew and Greek words for "proclaim"  give us a variety of ways to share the Good News.  For a more in-depth introduction to the idea of proclamation, please refer back to our post for Sunday, Dec. 18.

Scripture

Matthew 1:18-25

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But just when he had resolved to do 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 as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

²³ “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,
    and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” ²⁴ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife ²⁵ but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.  (NRSVUE)

 

Hymn

Questions

Joseph was asked to believe some pretty wild claims. 

• If you were Joseph, which claim would you have found more improbable:
• that the Holy Spirit had impregnated your fiance?
• that your soon-to-be adoptive son would save us from our sins?
  

• Would you have believed the angel and stayed with Mary?
  
• How does Joseph sticking by Mary to raise this child proclaim who Jesus is?
• What do you make of Joseph's decision to follow the angel's command and name the baby Jesus (a name that means "God is Salvation")?
  

Prayer

Christ, may we trust you enough to proclaim the Good News by following your will.  Amen.