All This
Matthew 1:22-23
Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel.
The virgin birth of Christ was necessary; otherwise, He would have been merely a man. He was not just any ordinary man but much more. He was the Son of the living God. He was man through the birth of the woman, but He was God through divine conception. When two sinners come together, they give birth to another sinner. God overshadowed the woman, however, and gave birth to the Son of God, who was also the Son of Man.
As the Son of God, Jesus had all power and authority given Him by the Father to heal the sick, raise the dead, and perform miracles. As the Son of Man, He was the sacrificial Savior who gave His life as a ransom for ours. Such a man could not have inherited the sinful nature, lest he, too, would be in need of a Savior. The Son of God as the Son of Man was, indeed, Immanuel – God with us. He was God living in human flesh and living in our world so that we might one day live eternally with Him.
Joseph’s pain and dreams of a future with Mary were changed because all this took place. When the greatness of all this is compared next to Joseph’s disappointment, letting go of a little hurt seems trivial. God still works all this in our lives today. He still has greater plans for us than we can imagine for ourselves if we can only let go of the pain and unmet expectations long enough to catch a greater glimpse of what He is doing. Jesus is still Immanuel – God with us – and He has not abandoned us. He is the reason all this has happened in your life, and life with Him is worth all this! Embrace it, and look forward to this life all this has purposed for you!
Have a blessed day!