We’re past Christmas. We want to be done with it. But one word lingers because of Christmas.

Immanuel.

In the middle of Matthew 1:17-25. Matthew quotes Isaiah (a prophet) who uses the name Immanuel and then helpfully explains it: God with us.

This quote is an aside to the audience in the middle of a pretty tough story. Joseph has discovered that his fiance is pregnant and he knows he isn’t the father. He could make a big spectacle, but he plans to be a gentleman.

And an angel shows up in a dream and tells him the whole story. And Joseph believes it.

We struggle with faith. We struggle with believing. We struggle with knowing what to do next. Or I do.

Then I think of Joseph who has about the worst news you can have (your fiance has apparently betrayed you) and dreams about an angel who says the the Holy Spirit made her pregnant and the child should be named Jesus (the Lord saves) because he will save people from their sins.

Joseph believes that this was really an angel and that he really needs to do what the angel says.

He believes in Jesus even before he knows who He is, before he meets Him.

For Joseph, following Jesus, following God meant

1. taking a risky action. In going ahead with the wedding, Joseph risked his reputation as a “righteous man.” In fact, he probably gave it up.

2. confirming a relationship with another follower. There was one other person on the face of the earth who wouldn’t laugh at the thought of an angel talking about this child being from God. He was probably apologetic the next time he saw Mary.

These two steps are always part of following Jesus. It’s the challenge of Immanuel. God with us.