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Rev. Keith can be reached at
MCCBR by telephone at (225) 248-0404 oror by email at
RevKeith@mccbr.org.
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Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 (The
Message)
The
birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be
married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she
was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph,
chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would
not be disgraced.
While he
was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream.
God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't
hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy
Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a Son to birth, and when she does,
you, Joseph, will name Him Jesus—'God saves'—because He will save His
people from their sins."
This would
bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term: Watch for this—a virgin
will get pregnant and bear a Son; They will name Him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God
is with us"). Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in
the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she
had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.
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