In preparing my Sunday school lesson for this week, I read about three key individuals in Jesus' young life. The first two are Mary and Joseph. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, saying, "thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus." Thou troubled and unsure as to how this would happen her simple response was "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." On the surface, what was asked of her by God was ludicrous. She would conceive by the Holy Ghost? I am sure that most of her friends and family scoffed at her and that she was shunned. Who would believe that she had not been unfaithful to her betrothed Joseph? In fact, according to Jewish law, being found pregnant prior to her wedding was reason for a public trial, enforceable even by death. The scriptures indicate that Joseph was deeply troubled by this. He did not want disgrace or punish Mary so he sought to "put her away privily," to break off the engagement. He too was visited by the angel and comforted by him saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Now since the days of Abraham it was prophesied that the Messiah would come through his loins to David and from David to Jesus himself. The first part of Matthew outlines Joseph’s ancestry directly back to both of the Fathers. This tells me two things. One, Joseph was required to give up all of his family’s standing in the community to obey. Indeed later in life when Jesus read Isaiah in the synagogue and pronounced that the words had been fulfilled before their eyes, the people of Nazareth wondered and said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” They were unaware that Joseph was David’s son. The second lesson I take from this is that though Jesus was sent to the House of Israel, his mission would encompass all of humanity. He himself was adopted into the Abrahamic line and received all the blessings as any other heir.
The third individual who was prepared by the angel Gabriel was Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. He obviously held a high position in his religion as he was administering the ordinances of the Holy Temple when he was visited by Gabriel. He too, received a powerful witness of the coming of the Lord Jesus to the world and that his son would play an important part in preparing the world for that holy mission.
It struck me that it was significant that in preparing the world for the birth of Jesus, God sent angels to teach and comfort those who played a pivotal role. Angels are mentioned other times during the New Testament era; the most significant coming while Jesus was suffering the agony of the atoning sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane. Wanting the “cup to pass,” but willing to fulfill the will of His Father, “there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
The glorious news is that God is the same today as he was before. In preparing the world for the Savior’s return he again has sent angels to the earth. He has restored the same pattern through the foundation of apostles and prophets. Thank you for sharing with me my thoughts on the scriptures. If any would like to attend my Sunday School class, I would be honored. It is the second hour of our services, which begin at 11:00 AM. 15081 Clayton Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017
