10 Days of Easter: Day 2

*All of the material was provided and put together by those at YM360. We just put together the pretty pictures.*

Truth from the Bible: Out of love for us, Jesus willingly embraced the suffering He was about to go through.
What Do I Do With It?: You'll reflect on what Jesus' sacrifice says about how valuable you are to God.

Begin today by taking the time to read Matthew 1:17-25. Reread the passage and note how the angel told Joseph that his son would take away the sins of the world. Why is this important? Because it confirms Jesus was truly God's son!

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah. 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. 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. 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. 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.”  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
-Matthew 1 (NIV)

For Joseph to follow through with marrying Mary, he had to completely trust God. Marrying a pregnant girl was a huge disgrace, but God had told him to stay with her. Joseph might have asked, "why me"? And, what will people think? Clearly, Joseph was a man who maintained an active relationship with God through prayer and a life of obedience to God's commands. Joseph knew God well enough to believe that the girl he was pledged to marry was carrying the Son of God in her womb.

Joseph's deeply rooted relationship with God withstood many trials and attacks, and carried him on a mission beyond anything he had ever imagined for his life.

Meditate throughout the day today with the following quote:

"The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack."
-Oswald Chambers