An Angel Visits Joseph

Matthew 1:18-25

"This is how Jesus Christ, the Messiah was born. His mother Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the Marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. " Matt. 1:18 NLT

Jesus means "He shall Save".

Christ means "The Anointed One" and was translated from the Hebrew word for "Messiah", which is "Machiyach".

Jesus was and is God's Anointed One, His promised Messiah, Savior of Men

In  the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He made man and woman in His own image and likeness. Then Adam and Eve both sinned, eating the fruit they were commanded not to eat and were removed from the garden, so they could not continue to eat from the tree of life. During the despair of their fall, God made a promise, that one day the child of a woman would bruise the head of the serpent. Later God promised Abraham, "And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed, Long after God promised King David, "I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body.

I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father and He shall be My son" .vs 5,11-14 Even though mankind sinned, God had a glorious plan to bring salvation to us. So glorious was His plan that He sent the mighty angel Gabriel to announce the coming joy to Zechariah and Mary. Now we come to Joseph, Mary's betrothed husband, who was a son of David. As you read this section of Matthew's gospel (18-25), put yourself in Joseph's place as he discovers his beautiful, pure betrothed bride is pregnant and not with his child. As he considered breaking their engagement quietly, an angel appeared to him and said:

Angel Visits Joseph- Tissot, Brooklyn Museum

"Joseph, son of David, 

do not be afraid 

to take Mary as your wife. 

For the child within her 
was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 

And she will have a son, 
and you are to name him Jesus, 

for he will save his people 
from their sins."

Jesus is the "Anointed One",
God's promised Messiah, 

who does save His people from their sins,
even today. 

Praise God for His wonderful gift

of Jesus our Messiah and Savior.

Anointed One

Reading: Luke 4: 14-22

"The Spirit of the Lord 

is upon Me, 

because He has anointed Me."

Luke 4:18 

After Jesus was tempted by the devil, He returned in the power of the Holy Spirit to Galilee, the region where He grew up, as a boy. News of Him went out through all the surrounding area. He taught in their synagogues, and was praised by everyone who heard Him.

Then He came to Nazareth, His home town. And as he usually did, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. He was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

"'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, 

because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; 

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, 

to proclaim liberty (freedom) to the captives, 

and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, 

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' 

Then He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone were fastened on Him, and He began by saying to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.' All spoke well of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips.' Isn't this Joseph's son?' " Luke 4:18 NKJ/NIV 

What did Jesus mean when He said 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing'? Jesus revealed for the first time who He is... Messiah, The long awaited Messiah. There He was, standing right before their eyes. He grew up among these people for thirty years and they did not know who walked among them.

When He read this passage in Isaiah 61, He was reading the character and signs of Messiah. Here Isaiah describes the ministry of God's Anointed, God's Messiah, as a healer and a messenger of freedom and comfort. This is the very essence of Jesus' ministry... the very essence of who Jesus was and what He came to do.  Isaiah prophesied this description of Messiah some 700 years before Jesus came.

To anoint means to rub with oil, especially to consecrate; which means to set someone apart for a holy use. Jesus' whole life was set apart to please God, His Father. He is the Messiah and His title came to be "Jesus the Messiah". Messiah was translated into Greek as Christos, this is how we know Him today as "Jesus Christ".

Read through His reading of Isaiah 61:1, 2. Do you see yourself there? Poor? Broken hearted? Captive to sin or destructive attitudes? Blind to the kingdom of God? Oppressed? In need of God's favor and grace? Come to Him... be rich in Him... find comfort and joy in Him... find freedom in Him... find favor and grace with "eyes to see" the kingdom of God! Come!

How blessed we are that Jesus has come! Now, every year is the year of God's favor, because His Son has come! Through Him we may enter in to everything that He has accomplished through our faith and knowledge of Him. (2 Peter 1:3, 4)