Day 244 – Jesus’ Gestation

• Today’s official readings account for only 13 verses, but there is a lot to be exited by in them, which we’ll dig into soon. For bonus marks, can I please encourage you to read the first 17 verses of Matthew’s gospel too? These are important verses too!
• Remember that Matthew was a Jew, and wrote his gospel for a Jewish audience. Think about how you might think the writings about Jesus would have differed in tone and text from the writings of a Roman, or of Luke, the doctor. Matthew was keen to show his readers that Jesus was the promised Messiah that they (the Jews) had been waiting so long for. This is one of the main reasons that he lists the genealogy we see at the start of his book; Matthew is highlighting Jesus’ credentials for being the Messiah by showing how he appears in David’s kingly family tree.
• What do you think about Joseph based upon Matthew’s description of him in verses 18-25?
• Remember that Mary and Joseph were not husband and wife. They were betrothed – which means that they were legally contracted to marriage. Joseph would have to divorce her to break this agreement.
• Joseph wasn’t Jesus dad, of course. How do you think he would have taken the news that Mary was pregnant? What did he think about doing, in order to protect Mary from gossip?
• What does Matthew quote from Isaiah? Think about his Jewish audience. Why would he he quote passages from the Old Testament? How would it have excited the Jews reading it then, and does it excite you now?
• Imagine that you had had the dream Joseph had. How do you think you would have coped with the awesome news that he was to bring up the Saviour of the world?!
• The passage in Deuteronomy is actually the only Old Testament law about divorce. It was permissible in certain circumstances, such as having an affair (which Joseph initially assumed Mary had done). It might have been a little hard to understand, but the law banning a husband from re-marrying someone he had previously divorced was to protect the woman in certain situations. You may find it helpful to read your study bible notes regarding this passage for more information.

Spend a moment thinking about how Joseph must have felt when he heard the news of Mary’s pregnancy. How did he react? Do you think you would have reacted in the same way – to try and resolve the matter as quietly and decently as possible?

It could have been very easy for Joseph to jump to conclusions and publicly disgrace her. Let’s be honest – Mary’s excuse was a rather unique one!