First, God's plan for Joseph (18-20, 24-25)

Jesus was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit; thus, he is the Son of God. When Joseph, Mary's fiancé, first heard that she was pregnant, he could not understand this. But he showed good character by planning to break off the marriage quietly, preserving Mary's honor. Then God sent an angel to tell Joseph that Mary's baby was from the Holy Spirit and that he should still take Mary as his wife. God had a good plan to use Joseph to build Jesus' family environment. Joseph obeyed God's direction. God's plan for us may not bring us glory in this world, but it always makes us a blessing.

Second, Jesus is salvation (21-23)

The angel also revealed to Joseph the greatness of the child Mary would bear. The name 'Jesus' means 'the Lord saves.' Jesus would save people from their sins, solving the true problem of humanity. Jesus' coming is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Immanuel, 'God with us'; in Jesus, God came to live among us to bless us eternally.


Application: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to save us from our sins. Thank you for the role you gave me to support Jesus' salvation work.
One Word: A supporting worker in Jesus' salvation