Unity Baptist Church

December 6, 2015
text: Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-25

The theme of last week was Hope and we lit the Prophet’s candle in our Advent wreath. This week our theme is Faith and we light the Bethlehem candle.

It took great faith to make the journey to Bethlehem. I want to draw your attention to two verses, Luke 1:38 and Matthew 1:24. After Gabriel delivers God’s message to Mary her response is that she is the servant of the Lord, adding “let it be to me according to your word.” After Joseph is told to take Mary as his wife, despite the fact she is already with child, he did as the angel commanded. The message and the circumstances were extraordinary but Joseph and Mary responded together in faith. We don’t know what their respectively families must have thought or said about their situation. We wouldn’t think twice today about meeting a single mother; our culture is about to the point that marriage is frowned upon. But think about first century Israel. Joseph was going to very discreetly get a divorce and not make a public example out of Mary. He could have taken before the city elders and had her stoned to death! That would have been normal in their society. Regardless of the looks, the talk behind their backs and what have you, they proceeded to follow God’s instructions. On top of everything else they were about to make a long journey with an expectant mother who was nine months along. Then when they got there… they couldn’t find a room.  Continue reading →