God With Us Brings Love

Throughout human history, we have been inspired by love and we try to understand it.

We write stories of love;

We sing songs of love;

And the most inspiring narratives of love inspire us to greater acts of love for another.

The story of God’s love for humanity is inter-weaved throughout the Scriptures.

In Luke 1:26-32, we come to the story of young couple not just engaged but starting out a marriage.

Luke 1:26–32 NRSVue

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.

Have you thought of the story of Mary and Joseph, as a love story?

Mary and Joseph lived in the days of Israel’s occupation under the Roman Empire.

Nazareth was a small village in the north, in Galilee, an area of mixed national heritage.

Joseph was distantly related to King David but lives as a humble carpenter in this small village.

Carpentry back then consisted of any necessary building tasks.

Trades usually passed down from father to son in those days.

Being a carpenter, in a small village, Joseph would have come to know most of the people, and they would know him.

Joseph had done well enough to be confident in providing a home for his future family.

Being around 20 years old, he was ready to establish that family, and Mary seemed to have caught his eye.

Marriage in Israel was very different back then

Mary came to be of age, back then a young woman around 12-15 years old.

Mary’s father would have approached Joseph to propose the marriage, apparently, thinking him worthy.

An agreement between Joseph and Mary’s father, including an exchange of funds, would have been signed and kept by a trusted mediator until celebrations were complete.

Instead of marrying right away after the agreement, it would take a year or more of becoming more familiar with each other, while Mary lived still lived with her family, before Joseph went with friends to celebrate the marriage and receive Mary to be with him.

Mary probably knew who Joseph was because it was a small village.

Maybe Mary saw in Joseph what is only hinted at in Scripture, level-headed, confident, and kind.

As Joseph increasingly joined in their family meals and festivals, they would have experienced twists and turns in their relationship as any couple growing to know each other.

Each day they chose to continue to love each other and all the family baggage that comes with marriage.

Then something happened.

Matthew 1:18–25 NRSVue

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.

Imagine the distress that would be caused when news came that Mary was pregnant.

One of the reasons why the bride stayed with her family initially was to insure infidelity.

Certainly, any infidelity or violation could break the marriage contract, but that would not be the worst of it.

Mary being pregnant before the marriage ceremony risked at least public shame and stoning to death at the worst.

Hearing that Mary was pregnant would have thrown Joseph for a loop, questioning how and why it happened.

Hearing God made her pregnant, but could he trust that? What would he do now?

Joseph would have to take time to a choose what to do.

This kind of crisis could destroy any good love story.

That’s when Mary went to visit her favorite cousin, Elizabeth for three months.

Mary was encouraged by the words of the angel and the words of her cousin.

She had to hold onto divine knowledge of this miraculous birth, if not her, who else would?

She had to believe God would make a way.

This is a truly human love story, but it is also a truly divine one.

We have read about God’s love, the character of that love, and how God has acted upon that love.

When Jesus came into the world as a baby, he embodied the gift of God’s love.

This is the prophesied one that John spoke of as the only begotten Son of God who gives to eternal life to those who believe in him.

John wrote it most simply, “God is love.”

John spoke of God’s only motivation in doing all of this, “For God so loved the world.”

That is the nature of God’s love in its purest form.

It was for love that God created the whole universe and formed people in His image.

Love (a verb) needs another as the object.

Love was still there as humanity fell for the lie that God’s love was as not pure.

Despite the results of humanity’s betrayal, love was there guiding the human family through a broken world.

Love was making a way to restore everything that had been lost, goodness of creation and goodness of humanity.

In Mary and Joseph’s story, love became human in Jesus, the Christ, Messiah.

Love is God With Us, and love would be with Mary and Joseph to care for them, guide them, and give them everything they would need.

Is this love strong enough or deep enough to stay true in the midst of a crisis?

God gives Love

Mary’s journey to see Elizabeth must have been difficult.

The conversations with the angel and Joseph would be repeating in her mind.

Joseph’s pained expression probably remained with her.

Disbelief, confusion, and distrust of those she loved would have weighed on her.

Still, the angel’s words of promise engendered hope.

God provided just the love that she needed.

Elizabeth greeted her with love, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!”

God knew exactly what Mary needed, a loving and supporting friend.

Joseph was back in Nazareth, presumably a ball of pain and confusion, deciding to “put her away” (to turn her away privately).

Legally, he could have taken Mary to the town elder for a breach of contract, but he still loved her and didn’t want to do that. A quiet, early divorce seemed best.

That’s when this became a supernatural love story!

God knew what Joseph needed; supernatural assurance from the one who caused Mary to be pregnant, and a declaration of whom their son would be and be named.

Joseph chose to love and trust God coming as their son.

The prophet Isaiah prophesied about the personified “the arm of the Lord”

You probably didn’t expect an image of a young, growing plant. Neither did most Jews in Jesus’ time.

Zechariah’s prophecy of the coming Lord fit with Isaiah’s of the “arm of the Lord”

Jesus would come to be the young, growing plant; the “arm of the Lord”

The love of God With Us is God’s perfect love comes in human form.

This is the love that knows who we are and exactly what we need, no matter what we experience today.

Whether we need the love and support of a friend in the moment, or a supernatural miraculous experience, or a confrontation when we are ready to do wrong, God is with you and making a way to accomplish the work of love in your life.

God’s Love is Eternal

Paul affirmed Christ who dies and was raised up to the right hand of God to intercedes for us, and that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Christ’s intercession is not just a hope and a prayer.

Christ’s intercession was brought to us through his life, death, and resurrection

Everything Christ did was interceding on our behalf out of love for us.

When Christ returns, God’s eternal love will be made complete throughout creation.

God’s Love Flows through Us

Mary and Joseph’s love did not end with themselves, it was built upon the foundation of God’s perfect, supernatural love by trusting and following God.

They opened their hearts to God’s love, and He allowed it to flow through them.

They were in for the long journey to Bethlehem, where they would have one crazy few days.

Remembering the words of the angel, they understood it was less about them and more about God who is love coming into the world, offering his selfless love to the world.

Because of what God had done in their lives, they chose to live out that miraculous love given to them.

Like Mary and Joseph, during Advent we reflect on how we can do the same.

When we open ourselves to God’s love, it grows in us and overflows in kindness, care, and support for others.

We can trust that this love holds us because God is With Us. Love is with us, and love flows through us out into the world.