photo by Sebastian Leonhardt
This December, enjoy this re-posted episode of Love Notes: Timeline Edition from our archives.
Emily: “Welcome to Love Notes, Timeline Edition. I’m Emily Cox and today I’m traveling back to First Century Judaea to interview Mary and Joseph, the mother and earthly father of Jesus Christ. *turning to Mary and Joseph* It’s an honor to have you both on the podcast.”
Mary: “It’s an honor to be here.”
Joseph: “Yes.”
Emily: “I really want our listeners to hear about the circumstances leading up to your marriage – your love story is probably the most unusual one in history. Could you tell us more about that? What was your engagement like?”
Mary: “Don’t you mean our ‘betrothal?’”
Emily: “Oh – yes..right. What’s the difference between an engagement and a betrothal?”
Joseph: “In Hebrew culture, a betrothal is a binding commitment before God and our community that we will come together as husband and wife in the future. Betrothal can only be broken by death or divorce.”1
Emily: “That sounds serious.”
Mary: “It is.”
Emily: “But something happened that impacted your betrothal – and the whole world, actually. What was it?”
Mary: “I became pregnant.”
Emily: “What was special about this pregnancy?”
Mary: “Believe it or not, the child growing inside me was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The angel Gabriel appeared to me to tell me that I would bear a Son who would sit on the throne of David and rule over an endless kingdom.2 And I was a virgin! It was all so sudden and overwhelming. But I believed that God would fulfill His word to me.”
Emily: “What did Joseph think about all this?”
Joseph: “I’m sorry to say I assumed the worst. When I heard that Mary was pregnant, I was shocked. I felt betrayed and I felt like I didn’t know who she was anymore.”
Emily: “So what did you do?”
Joseph: “*sighing* I decided the best option was to divorce Mary quietly. Even though I believed that she had done something to hurt me, I didn’t want to humiliate her by making our separation a public spectacle.”
Emily: “What changed your mind?”
Joseph: “A dream. An angel appeared to me in a dream and told me not to be afraid to take Mary as my wife. He explained that her conception was a miracle from God, and not only that, but this child would save His people from their sins!3 Before I received this message, I was surprised by what I thought was undeserved betrayal. But when God revealed what was really going on, I was humbled and amazed that God would choose me – an ordinary carpenter – to raise this miraculous child.”
Mary: “I felt humbled as well – I was in awe that I was the recipient of this wonderful gift and beautiful promises from the Lord.”
Emily: “When we recognize the amazingness of God’s grace and the depth of our unworthiness, isn’t it hard to not respond with awe and wonder?”
Mary: “I certainly found that to be true in my case.”
Emily: “Thanks for sharing this amazing story with us today. Before we go, I’m going to ask both of you a question I usually ask on this podcast. I’ll start with you, Mary. What’s something you love about your husband?”
Mary: “Hm, probably his thoughtfulness. When he makes decisions, he considers the needs of others, not just his own. I really appreciate that about him.”
Joseph: “That’s so nice of you, Mary – but I feel like you’re more thoughtful than I am. And your walk with the Lord is inspiring to me – the way you treasure His promises in your heart and meditate on them. I love that about you.”
Emily: “I think you just answered my second question, Joseph.”
Mary: “He’s right that I treasure God’s promises in my heart, but I still have a lot of questions of my own – when will He save His people from their sins? When will He set us free from this Roman oppression? Between unfaithfulness in Israel and the tyranny of our enemies, the future looks so dark – and yet the prophets foretold an everlasting kingdom, and the angel Gabriel said the same.”
Emily: “I think I see where you’re coming from. When we compare God’s promises to our circumstances, there can be a disconnect. That’s why it’s a relief that His grace doesn’t depend on us. He reaches past the darkness and even uses the darkness to bring about the rescue of His people.”
Mary: “You’re right. I know you’re right. But waiting is still hard.”
Emily: “It is.”
Joseph: “We need to have faith, Mary.”
Emily: “Thanks so much for talking with me today, Mary and Joseph. I’ve really enjoyed this.”
Mary: “So have we.”
Joseph: “The Lord bless you and keep you.”
Emily: “And you.”
Works Cited.
1.
John Macarthur Study Bible, ESV, study notes pg. 361.
2.
Luke 1:32-33
3.
Matthew 1:20-21
Read More:
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 9:6-7
Matthew 1:18-25
Luke 1:26-38
God Calls it Good 