"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'" (Matt 1:18-21, NIV2)
This was a pure tragedy. Mary faced adversity from the very man who wanted to
marry her. Never in her dreams could she have fathomed to be carrying a child
"through the Holy Spirit." Never had this ever occurred on our planet. Is it any
wonder that Joseph didn't believe her?
"You are pregnant?"
"Yes, by the Holy Spirit."
I can imagine him saying: "Stop telling tales. Who is the real Father?"
"God Himself!"
Let's remember that stoning for infidelity was the norm in these days, and
therefore Joseph's response went something like this: "No way! However, since I
don't want you to be stoned, the only way to save you is to divorce you quietly.
Sorry about that, but I cannot marry you any longer. You have been unfaithful."
How would we have felt if we had been in Mary's situation? How could Joseph
reject her for something she hadn't done?
Yes, we, too, have experienced numerous calamities. Every time they have left us
wanting; but what are we supposed to do when facing these trials?
The son that Mary was carrying would later give us the solution: "Do not let
your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me." (John 14:1,
NIV2) All we need to do is trust in our Heavenly Father and in Jesus, and He
will see us through every time. I can personally vouch for that!
Mary did leave this calamity in God's hands, and she was rewarded. An angel from
God appeared to Joseph in a dream and gave him evidence that Mary had indeed
never betrayed him. It must have been hard for Joseph to come back to Mary and
tell her how sorry he was for not trusting her; however, Mary was a godly woman,
and she eagerly forgave. The trial led to jubilation, not only for
reconciliation between Mary and Joseph, but also for anyone living on our
planet, for the Son she bore truly saves "…his people from their sins." Hope
came forth. Thanks to Mary's sacrifice, the light of the world came amidst us!
The apostle John said it well: "In him was life, and that life was the light of
all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome
it." (John 1:4-5, NIV2). Since we erred, we were in utter darkness. Now the
Light had come to show the way.
This reminds me of a story that was told to us when we visited the Linville
Caverns in North Carolina last year. Two chaps decided to visit this cave in the
1900s. With one light to guide them in the deep darkness, they succeeded in
reaching the farthest stretch of the cavern…and then their light stopped
working. They were stuck in complete blackness.
After turning in circles for a while, they heard the gurgle of an underground
stream. They knew this stream ran through the caverns towards the outside, and
this underground stream would be the means to their salvation. It took them two
days to reach the outside, and although the stream guided them, there was still
consequences: they were frozen, thanks to the cold water; and they were covered
in bruises from the sharp rocks. Nonetheless, they were so thankful to see the
sun shine again.
If we had been in their place, lost in the dark caverns, we would also have
hungered to see light again, for the darkness in these caves is complete: you
cannot even see your hand in front of your face!
This is the condition of those who know nothing about our Heavenly Father or
Jesus. Once in the heavenly light, however, we heal, and we find abundant love
from the Most High. This is what Christmas is about. Christ led us from our
tribulations to jubilation: we have a Father who is nuts about us!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.