I Don’t Mind Waiting (Joseph and Mary)
“But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
READ Matthew 1:18-25.
The ceremony and honeymoon will be postponed.
There will be a new addition to the family, but the baby didn’t arrive in the usual fashion.
We've never had sex, but there’s a baby in the oven.
No, it’s not my child, but I’ll love him like he’s my own.
Of course, Mary wasn’t unfaithful. God is calling her to carry the Messiah.
She really is a virgin, and no, she didn’t cheat on me.
The poor carpenter must have had a difficult time trying to find the right words to tell his family and friends how this thing went down. It must have been frustrating trying to answer all the questions and justify his current predicament while at the same time trying to protect his wife from the stares and jeers from their community. To make matters worse, he had to inform the wedding chapel and the hotel where they were to have the honeymoon and tell them the service was canceled.
Can you imagine the emotional toll they had to endure for the last few months? Joseph hearing the news that his wife was pregnant with the Holy Spirit's baby. Mary, nine months pregnant, making the long trek to Bethlehem on the warped back of a donkey. Watching as each door of the inn was slammed in their face as ALL of Joseph’s family was in the city, but NO ONE offered a helping hand to aid in the delivery of their Savior.
Nestled in the last verse of Matthew 1, we see a man and a woman that surrendered their will and desire to the plans of the Lord. Joseph did not have sex with his wife until after Jesus was born. Nine months of pregnancy. Six weeks (minimum) of recovery - almost a year Joseph and Mary waited to consummate their marriage. Without a word being recorded, the couple exclaim, “Jesus comes first. God will have priority over our passions and pleasures. The plans God has for our lives will supersede what we think is important. I don’t mind waiting.”
Thought Questions
- God’s response to prayer is not always “No,” like we learned yesterday. Sometimes, it is to wait. Have you ever had a time where you literally saw the possibility of God’s blessing in front of you, within your reach, and God still told you to wait? What did you do? Describe this moment to your spouse.
- Reflect on a moment where you did not obey and wait as you should have. Are there any lessons that you learned in the aftermath of your decision?
Life Lessons
- Waiting on God is just as hard, sometimes even more difficult than hearing No. But the result often is the same, when you patiently wait and allow God to work behind the scenes, He will blow your mind (Ephesians 3:20).
- Even if you feel that there is nothing on earth that can satisfy your longing for something more, always keep before you the special promise of heaven - something for which we all are waiting patiently!
Further Study
Read Isaiah 40:31. The Bible is filled with promises to those who wait on God. Take time with your spouse to share your favorite promise. If you do not have one, find one. :)
