3. How to Respond in a Family Crisis
Joseph resisted the urge to act rashly. Even in his concern for Mary and her reputation, he was still determined to divorce her (in modern terms, “break the engagement”). Yet verse 20 reveals that he took time to consider his actions. When Joseph was faced with the impossible, he did not rush to judgment. The scriptures do not indicate how long he waited, but he took time to consider his actions. And in that period of time, Joseph positioned himself to hear from God in a most unusual manner …
4. God Speaks Through Dreams
“An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife.’” God gave Joseph a dream, a dream that would change his life forever. This must’ve been some dream, or Joseph must’ve been some righteous man, or both. Engagement, unexpected pregnancy and an out-of-this-world explanation would be enough to give anyone dreams. But God chose a dream as the means to provide divine direction, and Joseph recognized the dream as God’s personal leading.
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In fact, dreams are mentioned no fewer than four times in Matthew 1 and 2. I believe scripture is teaching us that God can and does guide his children through dreams. Imagine: In an emotionally charged situation, just when we would be tempted to ignore our dreams as a product of our subconscious, God is present: leading, directing and guiding—through dreams. By the way, there is no indication that Joseph heard anything else from God until after the baby was born. He remained faithful to God’s instructions for months, all based on one dream!
The Christmas season offers an opportunity to preach the truths found in God’s word. Some people think the Christmas sermons are the stuff of Christmas pageants and cheesy dramas. They are also the stuff of God’s instruction to his disciples.
