Comfort and Joy
“I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”
Jeremiah 31:13 (NIV)
For most of us, Mary and Baby Jesus are the main characters in the Christmas story recorded in the Gospels. But Joseph plays a pivotal role, not just in the narrative, but in Jesus’ life. God chose Joseph to be Jesus’ earthly father and gave him very specific instructions for Mary and Jesus’ care. Joseph received those God-given directives from four angelic dreams (Matthew 1:20,2:13, 2:19, 2:22).
Following each dream, Joseph demonstrated quick and exact obedience to God’s call for his life, protecting Jesus and his mother Mary. If we were entrusting the world’s Savior to someone’s care on earth, which one of us would pick an unknown carpenter from the tiny town of Nazareth? But God knew His man. God entrusted both Mary and His Son to Joseph. And Joseph delivered each time.
Joseph chose faith and not fear by taking Mary as his wife. (Matthew 1:24)
He named the newborn baby “Jesus” trusting God’s word that the child would save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21, 25)
After Jesus’ birth, in response to an angelic dream, Joseph got up in the middle of the night and quickly moved his family to Egypt to protect Jesus’ life. (Matthew 2:14)
He kept his family in Egypt until King Herod’s death. (Matthew 2:15)
When told in angelic dream #3 to return to Israel, Joseph gathered his family and returned to Israel. (Matthew 2:21)
When warned of danger to Jesus’ life in dream #4, Joseph moved his family to the small village of Nazareth. (Matthew 2:23)
Typically I don’t have dreams but when I do, I can’t usually recall them. Two weeks ago, I unexpectedly dreamed about James Bruce. It was the first time I’ve dreamed about him since his sudden death ten months ago. My dream wasn't surreal; it was almost as if it were real and in color.
James Bruce’s surroundings were somewhat hazy and he seemed to be a good distance away, but he was uncharacteristically (at least for him) standing straight and tall. He was well dressed wearing khaki pants, a long sleeve white shirt, and a yellow sweater vest (he never had one here!). James Bruce was talking, laughing, and interacting appropriately with a group of people in a "normal" way, which was totally unlike his “normal” behavior here on earth! In my dream James Bruce appeared to be happy and whole in a place filled with lots of light and music.
Unlike Joseph, I'm not sure what my dream means or represents, but the overall impression of James Bruce being happy and whole in a place of life, light, and music has stayed with me. Perhaps it was just a small glimpse of glory. Whenever I remember my James Bruce dream, the sweet memory brings a smile to my face and comfort and joy to my Mama heart.
Hope is a faith that looks and leans forward. Author Brett McCracken writing in The Weary World Rejoices says, “The essence of hope is not the downplaying, justifying, or avoidance of present pain and sorrow. Rather hope is the expectation that as real as the pain is now, it will one day feel as foreign as our faintest memories.”
The message of Christmas is the good news that God came to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. Jesus came down to save us. Melissa Kruger writes, “Without Jesus our belief has no merit, our faith has no basis, and our hope has no anchor. In Jesus, we find the joy of believing. In Jesus, we know this to be a season of hope. In Jesus, we find the substance of our faith.”
The angel’s message to the shepherds on that first Christmas night is still good news that brings us comfort and great joy today:
“Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10)
Tidings of comfort and joy! Merry Christmas!