Like many people. We go through Christmas time clinging hard to the fact that 'Jesus is the reason for the season'. We know it and we believe it. But we often read through and liten to various accounts of the Christmas story and fail to truly soak in the richness of this story, the redemption that can be seen even now. As I read through Luke and 'glance' through the specific details about the census and Joseph being pledged to be married to Mary, I have often wondered about some of the facts. 1. Joseph seems to be the one who fits the qualifications of 'line of David, and from Bethlehem' NOT Mary.
2. It seems that at the point of Jesus birth (definitely conception) Joseph and Mary are not Married, yet.So, doesn't that mean that Jesus wasn't born in the house and line of David? That is what some might conclude. But if you take a good look you can see the message of redemption even here. The fact that Joseph had the right credentials points to the fact that God's salvation was promised and planned. God put thought into His plan for salvation and even let us in on part of it. It shows that there is a special-ness to it, that it just wasn't going to happen 'when He got around to it'. (There are a tons more signs that God had pre-planned this an other parts of His redemption story.) Also, The fact that Jesus was born of Mary, yet she did not have the right credentials, shows us the adoptive nature of our salvation. We, as humans, have no real claim to salvation. God had every right to exclude us from salvation, just as Joseph had the right to exclude Mary from his family (because she was pregnant). But Joseph 'chose' her. Then, even more, we can see God's redemption in the pledge to be married. Salvation is a covenant made with God, one that supersedes rules, guidelines, or technicalities. Joseph made a promise and he followed through on that promise, even when it was hard. he even allowed Mary the benefits of his family and name when they weren't technically married yet. And to think, if there wasn't a census, all of these details would not have had the stage on which to com forward. It is because of the census that all of these details became relevant in that day. Not that those details weren't there or wouldn't have still been true, but through the census they were verified and recorded. I always breezed past the details of the census, but now I see God's redemption even in those 'small' details...
2. It seems that at the point of Jesus birth (definitely conception) Joseph and Mary are not Married, yet.So, doesn't that mean that Jesus wasn't born in the house and line of David? That is what some might conclude. But if you take a good look you can see the message of redemption even here. The fact that Joseph had the right credentials points to the fact that God's salvation was promised and planned. God put thought into His plan for salvation and even let us in on part of it. It shows that there is a special-ness to it, that it just wasn't going to happen 'when He got around to it'. (There are a tons more signs that God had pre-planned this an other parts of His redemption story.) Also, The fact that Jesus was born of Mary, yet she did not have the right credentials, shows us the adoptive nature of our salvation. We, as humans, have no real claim to salvation. God had every right to exclude us from salvation, just as Joseph had the right to exclude Mary from his family (because she was pregnant). But Joseph 'chose' her. Then, even more, we can see God's redemption in the pledge to be married. Salvation is a covenant made with God, one that supersedes rules, guidelines, or technicalities. Joseph made a promise and he followed through on that promise, even when it was hard. he even allowed Mary the benefits of his family and name when they weren't technically married yet. And to think, if there wasn't a census, all of these details would not have had the stage on which to com forward. It is because of the census that all of these details became relevant in that day. Not that those details weren't there or wouldn't have still been true, but through the census they were verified and recorded. I always breezed past the details of the census, but now I see God's redemption even in those 'small' details...
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