CONNECTING POINT: Big Surprise

Do you like surprises? I do but only if they are “good” ones. LOL. Honestly, I’ve become a more organized person and generally, I function by a schedule even though last-minute changes come up. Those “monkey wrenches” can throw us by surprise, right?

Luke introduces us as readers to possibly one of the most famous births in history. Of course, I’m referring to Jesus Christ’s birth. The “Good News” as many like to refer to this miraculous birth had to come as quite a shock for this young betrothed Jewish couple, Joseph, and Mary. “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’ ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’” (Luke 1:26-34).

Cultural norms often change but there is value in understanding them in the context of the era or society. Early Jewish custom had three stages to a

wedding day; engagement (formal agreement made by the fathers), betrothal (a ceremony where bride and groom made a promise), and marriage

(approximately one year later when the groom would unexpectedly arrive for his bride). The vows at betrothal were serious regarding faithfulness and sexual purity. In the case of Joseph and Mary, this is where everything became complicated. Here are some facts that may be unfamiliar to you.

One, Joseph could have killed Mary due to customary law. He even considered divorcing her quietly (Matthew 1:19) but was given assurance when the angel informed him of Christ’s unusual conception. Joseph was patient and honorable, he didn’t run away from the surprising circumstance

in fact, he embraced Mary and the soon-coming Messiah.

Two, Joseph’s reputation was most likely tainted by the birth of Jesus. Jewish people in general would shame anyone in such a circumstance, in time Mary’s pregnancy showed and this couple became the talk of the town. These factors made life challenging for a couple who faced a big surprise so well, the miraculous conception of Jesus. They trusted each other and trusted in God’s plan but that didn’t come without ridicule or question.

Another uncommon fact was that Jesus and David shared Nazareth as the same birthplace. Both Mary and Joseph were in the Davidic line, thus fulfilling the messianic prophecies. Nazareth wasn’t a popular place and was generally frowned upon, even Nathan one of Jesus’s disciples later said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46). They too were surprised. Four

hundred years from the time of Malachi (Chapter 4) there was silence from God and his prophets. Luke’s record along with Matthew, Mark, and John brings us the most important news in history, the Messiah would be born in a most unique circumstance. Such a surprise is still welcome news today.