As Was Supposed

 Luke 3:23 

Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

Why would the doctor Luke include this small subsection into this statement?  Why does this statement differ from what Matthew tell us in Chapter 1 where he says Jacob was the father of Joseph?

Matthew 1:16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, 

of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

We all know that Joseph was not the natural father of Jesus. God was his Father.  Mary was a virgin and the Holy Spirit came upon her to conceive Jesus.  The Seed of God was placed into her and the result was baby Jesus.

Skeptics want to tell you the Bible is incorrect because of these two different lines of genealogy but they are wrong.  The two lines are from the two people who raised Jesus as their son.  One, Mary, had her blood, her DNA in the Messiah and  Joseph, the supposed father, but only the adopted father, was the other. Two separate lines for two separate people who both were the worldly parents of Jesus.  One by blood and one by adoption.  

All of this to fulfill the prophesy from hundred of years prior to the birth of Jesus.  Joseph was from the lineage of King David and fulfilled the prophesy from 2 Samuel 7:12–16; Isaiah 11:1; and Jeremiah 23:5–6.  While there was no blood DNA of Joseph in Jesus he "as was supposed" the father of Jesus.  Remember that in those times women's rights were nothing. There were no women's rights.  A woman pregnant out of wedlock, which made her guilty of fornication or adultery were killed.  Very little things about women were noted in the Bible due to the times of the day.  

When Matthew gives his linage it goes all of the way to Adam, the original son of God.  Jesus was from the seed of Adam because of his blood DNA from Mary.  What a miraculous thing to contemplate!  The writer of the Bible included both linages of Jesus.  One to fulfill prophesy and the other to fulfill God's promise to mankind that He would save them.

A SEASON OF MIRACLES

I have never really thought about this verse much in the past 50 years.

Isaiah 11:1 - A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 

In the next verses it goes on to speak about the coming Messiah.  The people God had chosen from the time of Abraham had gone through a lot to trouble, turmoil, persecution and revolt.  They had honored and praised Him in some time periods and turned on Him and denied Him and followed other gods in other times.  They had almost been wiped off the face of the earth several times yet a small remnant remained and this remnant happened to be of the linage that would fulfill the words of the prophet Isaiah.  Throughout scripture God spoke to the prophets, the prophets spoke to the people and in time the prophesy came to pass.  What Isaiah spoke in this verse came true about 400 years later when the Jewish people had been almost annihilated by their enemies during that 400 years.

Jesus was a miracle from birth to death to resurrection! 

I AM was here on earth in the flesh!

This verse is also for us as followers of Jesus Christ. God can take an old dead stump and turn it into a living branch that will bear fruit.  Gardner's and landscaper's will tell you they have seen this happen. Life can dish out the very worst but God can make something good out of each tribulation if we are willing to work with Him and trust Him. Just like that dead old stump He can grow a new branch in each of us so that we can bear fruit for His kingdom.  

My own life took a huge turn when my husband died two years ago.  I have been feeling like an old dead stump since then but today this verse has hit my spirIt and I hear the Lord telling me to watch what He can do.  He can send up a new shoot, a new branch in me!  One that can bear fruit for Him! It does take time for a branch to grow into a fruit producing branch so I will need to be still and have patience as this newness takes hold of me.  

John 15:5 - I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:4 - Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

I have great hope and trust God that something miraculous is happening in my life and I know this can be the same for so many others.  The seasons of life can be very hard but just knowing our Father can cause a new branch in an old dead stump to grow is a hope in miracles.  

HOLIDAY DELIGHT

Our Power of Twelve group word this month has been delight and this morning I feel anything but delight.  It was a restless sleepless night and now I am a grumpy grinch.  I came downstairs and turned on the Christmas tree.  That helped a little bit.  I chased off the deer eating all of my shrubs in the front yard and looked at the few strings of Christmas lights I put up and that helped a little bit.  

I know why I have no delight and that is because I am still living in widowland.  This is my third Christmas season without my husband who was there for 40 Christmases and now is not.  These past three Christmas holidays are how I will spend them from now on.  There will be no other husband.  There will no longer be another human being beside me on Christmas or any other day.  It will be me.  Only me.  It's hard to be happy and smiley on the outside when one is sad and crying on the inside.

So now how do I wrap my mind around this and find the delight in the day?  I love my friends but they have lives.  I love my family but they have lives.  I love my community but everyone has lives.  So I guess I have to find my life and that is where I am today. I do not want to finish my life as a complaining, old, bitter woman who has run everyone off.  I want to be a delight to others and be one who people do like to be around when they can. 

I know in my heart and spirit that the Lord is my Shepherd. I know He leads me beside the still waters and restores my soul.  I know He is the only one who is with me through the valley of the shadow of death.  I know there is a reason I am still here on this earth and that He wakes me for each day but right now the purpose is not revealed to me.

Today I will continue the search for me.  The new me.  The new normal.  The new everything.  Today I will find some delight in the day and enjoy breathing.  Today is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it.  No matter how my brain is acting I am going to find some holiday delight this fifth day of December!