ニューイングランドの母校からアドヴェントカレンダー 12月25日（木）

Christmas Day
Matthew 1:18–25
Dennis P. Hollinger

In the Christmas story, God becomes one of us in the person of Jesus Christ. “They shall call his name Immanuel (which means God with us)” (1:23). This marvelous act is, of course, from the hand of our sovereign God. But it also entails the cooperation of human beings—in this text, Joseph. God could have and would have sent his Son into our world without Joseph’s willingness to take Mary as his wife. But Joseph is part of the story. For despite his concerns for propriety in the community, Joseph “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife” (1:24). His willingness, despite the potential accusations of neighbors and friends, gave Mary the courage to carry the Christ child, the Savior of the world. Joseph allowed God to work through him as our Maker accomplished his purposes for the human race.

As we seek to carry on the Christmas story in word and deed, we do so with the same two-fold recognition. This is God’s doing; it is his work. But as with Joseph, God invites us to share in the amazing work of both telling the story and living the story— that God came and lived among us. And we have never been the same since. Let us join the chorus of angels and redeemed believers proclaiming, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King!”