Members of God’s Family – February 11, 2023

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 1:18

Members of God’s Family

Here was Mary, a young girl, perhaps still a teenager. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, but the wedding hadn’t yet taken place. Suddenly, she is obviously pregnant. They hadn’t slept together—Mary was still a virgin—but nevertheless, she was pregnant. The not-yet-born baby she was carrying was from the Holy Spirit. We don’t know how the Holy Spirit worked this miracle, but the same God who created the world and all things—the same holy and perfect God did this: he conceived a son with this young, virgin girl.

God brought his Son, Jesus, into this world in a miraculous way. He did this because he wants you and me to be part of his heavenly family. Jesus came to wipe away the guilt that we have for not being the kind of people that God wants. He was conceived in that miraculous way so that he was without sin. Therefore, he was able to be our Savior by taking our sins on himself and paying for them with his death. The miraculous conception of Jesus is more than something to marvel at. We give God thanks for accomplishing it because through Jesus we are forgiven, and by faith in Jesus we can call God “our Father” and enjoy the blessing of being included in God’s holy family.

Prayer:
My Father in heaven, the miraculous birth of Jesus proves to me the extent of your love to make me a part of your eternal family. Impress upon me every day the privilege I have in being called your own, and help me tell others that they also may be brought into a close relationship with you by faith in your Son, Jesus. Amen.