ANGEL GABRIEL’S VISIT TO THE PARENTS OF JESUS
Mary
The same archangel appeared to a devout, dedicated, and humble Galilean woman with the most crucial message of all. She was a virgin who had been betrothed to a man named Joseph. God’s message assured her that she was blessed and that the Lord was with her. She wanted to know how the things she’d been told would come to pass, not out of doubt, but so she could know God’s will for her and what she needed to do to carry it out. She was informed that the Holy Spirit would make the impossible possible and bring God’s desire to fruition.
There’s a lesson for us here as well. God’s directives are always His enablers, as we know. God finds a way when He directs. While we obey His will, it is not our business to question His will or dispute His provision for us. We can inquire, as Mary did, about the methods, the time, and the location that God has chosen. But we can’t question or argue about it. There will be blessings for us if we obey. There will be consequences if we disobey.
Joseph
Joseph, too, was in need of reassurance. God never fails to provide the consolation and certainty that His people require. He is always willing to assist, encourage, and steer us in the right direction when we are unsure.
The name of the angel that appeared to Joseph is unknown. It doesn’t matter if we know it or if the Holy Spirit has told us. The essential thing we need to remember is that God sent Joseph the message he needed and that He will do the same for us when we face challenges and require assistance and guidance. God can do this in any way He wants, but in this Gospel Dispensation, He has chosen to communicate His will and commandments to us through His Word. We can also find the motivation and inspiration we need to live out those commands in the Holy Bible. What a wonderful and merciful God we serve!
The angel directed Joseph, a righteous man, to the Bible for confirmation of the message he had received from God. The prophets’ remarks about Jesus provided clarification of the truths that had been bothering Joseph. This is a great lesson to emulate. Our theme and guide should also be “To the law and to the testimony,” If we believe we have received a message or command from the Lord, we should check the Bible to verify if that message or command is completely consistent with God’s Word. Only in this way can we be sure that we are hearing God’s voice, for God never contradicts His Word.
HIS UPBRINGING, HIS MINISTRY AND DEATH
The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life written by his followers. There are additional Jewish and Roman reports of his life from the first and second centuries.
After eight days, the child Jesus was circumcised and given the name Jesus, which an angel had given him before his birth. He grew up in Nazareth, a modest community in Galilee’s foothills (northern province of Israel).
Little is known about Jesus’ infancy, except that when he was twelve, his parents discovered him teaching in the Temple, which astounded the elders.
When Jesus was of the age of thirty, he began his public ministry. Jesus is supposed to have performed many miracles and healings in addition to preaching about the afterlife and salvation. At a wedding ceremony in Cana, he performed his first recorded miracle. Rather than seeing the bride and groom ashamed when their celebration’s wine ran out, Jesus, at his mother’s request, changed the water into wine.
Other miracles included feeding 5,000 people who came to hear him speak with only a few loaves of bread and a few fishes. (read Matthew 14:13-21).
It is reported that anyone seeking healing from Jesus had to show trust in him; for example, Jesus questioned a man seeking treatment for his son whether he truly thought that Jesus could heal him.
Jesus preached numerous sermons, the most famous of which is known as The Sermon on the Mount. (read Matthew 5 to 7). This was a brief morality lesson that emphasized God’s love and neighbor’s love. He also employed parables as a storytelling technique. In these parables, Jesus told stories about everyday life at the time, such as changes in nature or the goodness of a stranger and a despised outsider (the Good Samaritan read Luke 10).
Jesus’ mission had nothing to do with politics. He came to set men and women free from their sins, according to His message. During his lifetime, he gathered multitudes and drew large crowds. However, sentiments about him would soon shift. The political and religious authorities back then were upset by his views.
On Sunday, during his final week on earth, Jesus triumphantly arrive in Jerusalem. He showed his righteous rage on Monday by chasing the moneychangers out of the Temple. On Tuesday, he spoke on the government’s and religion’s responsibilities. He told a story about a widow who donated her last money to charity. He made prognostications regarding his own demise. While at Bethany, He was unwittingly anointed for burial by a contrite lady on Wednesday. On Thursday, he shared his farewell supper (the Last Supper) with his disciples. The Day of Passover Preparation fell on this day. He demonstrated humility at the time by washing the feet of his disciples. Jesus prayed alone—and agonized—on the Mount of Olives, near Jerusalem, before his arrest and betrayal by Judas.
Jesus was killed around 30 A.D., on what we commemorate as Good Friday. Jesus offered his life voluntarily to save souls and open the gates of salvation to mankind. But glory to God, Jesus later rose from the dead.
To be continued…..