October 2, 2019 - We continue reading through the Gospel of Matthew. Our survey brings us to a particular section that I wish to highlight.

Matthew 1:20-21 which reads, “But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”  The question that I ask and what I want you to think about is this: why? Why do we have a birth of Christ? Yes, we can point to how this fulfills what the Lord has spoken by the prophet Isaiah. Matthew continually mentions the connection between his Gospel narrative and Old Testament messianic prophecies. However, I still ask the same question. Why? If the Son of God, if the Messiah, was to come, then why did it not happen the way we might expect? With grandeur, with pomp, with pyrotechnics, and a stork that comes down to drop off a kid. With someone as important as Jesus, why does the birth seem so ordinary? Don’t get me wrong, there are things surrounding the birth that are not ordinary. The birth, however, is very normal. The text simply says she had given birth to a son. A very ordinary delivery of Jesus Christ.

There is a comfort to be found in this folk. A comfort in knowing that God uses ordinary means for his purpose. We can see numerous examples of God uses extraordinary means in Scripture, but we might miss the ordinary means as well. In your life, when you practice your vocation brothers and sisters, you are acting as masks of God. Take comfort and find solace in knowing that as we strive to love our neighbor and love the Lord our God, it is all for the glory of God. That includes the birth of Christ and salvation found in Him.

Wynter is an Elder at Mariposa Reformed Baptist Church. Find out more at MariposaChurch.org or email him at wynter@mariposachurch.org. Visit Mariposa Reformed Baptist Church on Facebook.

Pastor’s Corner is a column from Pastor Wynter Sturtevant III of the Mariposa Reformed Baptist Church.

The Church has moved locations, services are now held at the Bootjack Stompers Hall (located at 4662 Morman Bar Crossing) across from the Mariposa County Fairgrounds.

Time of service is still 10:00 A.M. on Sunday.

Note: Area churches interested in submitting Articles of Faith are welcome to contact us. 

Please email the Sierra Sun Times at sst@goldrushcam.com for more information.