Matthew 1:20
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

Let me start with a question for men. How would you respond if you found out your fiancé was pregnant, and you knew the child wasn’t yours, and she swore up and down that she had not been with another man? Joseph had every legal right to have Mary judged publicly and stoned (Deut. 22:23-24). But being a righteous man, he “did not want to expose her to public disgrace.” He planned to simply sign the necessary legal papers and let her go her way. But then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and confirmed what Mary asserted. In obedience (and an amazing step of faith), Joseph took Mary as his wife. 

Never forget that the essential doctrine of the virgin birth was lived out in ridicule and scorn by a young man and woman seen by others as having conceived out of wedlock. There was no way to explain what they could not understand. Without a visit from an angel, who would ever believe the story? Jesus would grow up known as an illegitimate child. The Jews reminded him of this with some cheap shots later in his ministry (see John 8:39-41). 

Amazing, isn’t it? Jesus was born to a poor teenage girl amid misunderstood circumstances, carrying the title “bastard” throughout his life. When God sent his Son, he stripped him of all royal privileges…all the way to the cross. Nate Saint, who gave his life for Christ as a missionary, said it this way: “If we could only grasp the significance of the Incarnation, the word sacrifice would disappear from our vocabulary.” Jesus is our great hope!

Father, we cannot even grasp the sacrifice of Jesus. From his birth to his death, he demonstrated ultimate humility. Give us the strength to follow his example. In Jesus’ name. Amen.