马太明确指出，大卫在耶稣的家谱中处于核心位置。但在约瑟这里是脱节的。他是大卫的子孙（后裔），但约瑟并不是耶稣的父亲。如果耶稣的出生让你困惑，想想约瑟该有多困惑。
约瑟与马利亚订了婚，他们梦想着共同组建家庭。但在婚礼之前，马利亚跑来告诉约瑟她怀孕了——藉着圣灵感孕。哦，是吗！
想像一下约瑟在困境中挣扎的情景吧。他想要按着神的方式行事。神的律法说，他有权拿石头打死她。但约瑟很仁慈，不想羞辱马利亚。后来主的一位使者向他显现，解释神正在做的事。天使这样开口说：“不要怕...”，又使约瑟确信，马利亚所怀的胎是从圣灵来的，且要成为应许已久的救主。这个孩子要取名叫耶稣，因为他要“把他的百姓从罪恶里救出来”。
过去，现在或将来有什么事让你感到惧怕吗？圣诞节让我们想起以马内利（“神与我们同在”）。在耶稣里，神与我们同在。祂在马太福音末了所应许的话，直到今日还在：“我常与你们同在，直到世界的末了”（太28:20）。
亲爱的耶稣，我们渴望摆脱惧怕。求使我们确信，无论发生何事，你都与我们同在。阿们。
马太福音 1:17-25
17这样，从亚伯拉罕到大卫共有十四代，从大卫到迁至巴比伦的时候也有十四代，从迁至巴比伦的时候到基督又有十四代。
18耶稣基督降生的事记在下面：他母亲马利亚已经许配了约瑟，还没有迎娶，马利亚就从圣灵怀了孕。
19她丈夫约瑟是个义人，不愿意明明地羞辱她，想要暗暗地把她休了。
20正思念这事的时候，有主的使者向他梦中显现，说：“大卫的子孙约瑟，不要怕，只管娶过你的妻子马利亚来，因她所怀的孕是从圣灵来的。
21她将要生一个儿子，你要给他起名叫耶稣，因他要将自己的百姓从罪恶里救出来。”
22这一切的事成就，是要应验主藉先知所说的话说：
23“必有童女怀孕生子，人要称他的名为以马内利。”（“以马内利”翻出来就是“神与我们同在”。）
24约瑟醒了，起来，就遵着主使者的吩咐把妻子娶过来，
25只是没有和她同房，等她生了儿子，就给他起名叫耶稣。
“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.” - Matthew 1:20
Matthew makes clear that David is centrally important in the family line of Jesus. But with Joseph there is a disconnect. He is a son (descendant) of David, but Joseph is not the father of Jesus. If the birth of Jesus puzzles you, think how puzzling it was to Joseph.
Joseph was engaged to Mary, and they had dreams of raising a family together. Before the wedding, however, she came to him with the news that she was pregnant—by the Spirit of God. Oh, sure!
Picture Joseph as he wrestled with his dilemma. He wanted to live God’s way. The law of God said he had the right to have her stoned to death. But Joseph was also gracious and did not want to disgrace Mary. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, to explain what God was doing. The angel began by saying, “Do not be afraid . . .”—and then assured Joseph that the child conceived in Mary was from the Holy Spirit and would be the long-promised Savior. This child was to be named Jesus, because he would “save his people from their sins.”
Is there something in the past, present, or future causing you to fear? Christmas reminds us of Immanuel (“God with us”). In Jesus, God is with us. And his promise at the end of Matthew still stands today: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
Dear Jesus, we long to be free of fear. Make us secure in the knowledge that you are with us, no matter what happens. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
