I love the magic that comes with Christmas and the excitement that builds as we are drawn to the babe in the manger. Jesus really is “The Reason for the Season.” But the magic is in believing. So, do you believe?

One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is watching Christmas movies. My all time favorite is The Polar Express. There’s something magical that happens when the conductor says his famous line, “Seeing is believing but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.” Believing in things we can’t see is magic in itself.

Take Jesus for instance, how could this little child be the hope of all humanity? Yet we believe the prophesies of Old. We believe he was born to set his people free. The baby in the manger really was the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, our Emmanuel.

Do you believe?

Sunday night, I found myself sitting in a church service, listening to the pastor read Matthew 1:18-23;

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

²⁰ But after he had considered 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 home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel”^[(which means “God with us”).”

As I listened to the story of Joseph, the pastor brought one key point to light, something I had never thought about. It was Joseph’s belief that gave birth to this Christmas story. Joseph often takes a backseat to Jesus and Mary, being an insignificant character in this drama. But Joseph being Jesus’s earthly father was critical to the fulfillment of the prophesy and our destiny.

If Joseph had chosen NOT to believe; not to believe Mary, not to believe the angel in his dream and not to believe the prophesies, the story would have had a different ending. Instead Joseph’s belief gave way to the birth of Jesus. He chose to believe and that is where the magic happens!

Isaiah 7:14 NIV;

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Micah 5:2-5 NIV; 

Isaiah 9:6 NIV;

“For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Your Challenge;

Joseph believed and that belief enacted his faith. Hebrews 11:1 states;  “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  Joseph had faith in God, faith in the prophesies, faith in the dream of an angel and faith in Mary. In that not so simple act of stepping forward in faith and becoming Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph fulfilled the beginning of what would later become the greatest gift God ever gave. “Sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”

Don’t underestimate your significance in God’s plan.

Never underestimate God and never underestimate the power of believing.

Let us pray; Heavenly Father, you are the Alpha and the Omega. You are the beginning and the end. Thank you for our ability to believe. Continue to grow in us our faith that you are our God and you love us more than we could ever imagine. In Jesus Name, Amen. -M