Matthew 1:18-25
"'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.'" (Matthew 1:23)
When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, his first reaction was to divorce her secretly so that she wouldn't become a public example. Perhaps he felt betrayed and cheated. But he still loved Mary. He knew that they couldn't be together, but he didn't want to make a scene either. An angel appeared to him and explained that Mary was carrying the Son of God, and that he should not leave her. If we look at the story in Luke, we find that the angel first appeared to Mary to announce that she had been chosen to birth the Savior of the world. Mary had not been intimate with any man, and it also was not yet time for her marriage to Joseph to be consummated, so she wondered how this could be possible. In a nutshell, the angel's response was along the lines of saying that with God, all things are possible.
A few of my friends and I have a small group Bible study once a week. Recently, we came upon the section of Scripture where God tells Abram that he is going to have a son, and that his descendants will become a great nation. Since his wife was barren, Abram also wondered how this could be possible. "But Abram said, 'O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?'" (Genesis 15:2) As we studied that section, it reminded me of Mary, asking essentially the same question of the angel. "How can this be?" she had asked. I pointed this out, and wondered how often we ask the same question of God…even after He promises us something. "But how, God? It's impossible!" God went beyond what was "possible," and gave Abram a son and a great inheritance. God went beyond what was "possible," and gave the world His own Son through Mary, who had not even been with a man. The prophet had said that He was Immanuel, which means, "God with us." Out of the depths of impossibility came God's presence.
As you go through life, you may find that although you have given your life to God and have been following His way, you sometimes will face a battle to lose a bit of the old way of life or your old way of thinking. Some old temptations may come along or some little things will pop up from time to time. Pull away! It may, at times, seem to be almost impossible, but we have a God that is in the business of transformation. He starts a work and completes it. It's time to be free! "But, how can this be?" you ask God. God is greater!
I can free you from those bonds. I can do the impossible. I can save you. I will come and be with you. I am Immanuel. I am God With You.
~ Joel Warren
