Our theme this school year, “Focused, Fearless, Faithful”, urges us to a life that looks like that of the heroes of old. As we take a few moments to contemplate the word “faithful”, it cannot go unsaid that we are in the middle of the holiday season-- “The most wonderful time of the year!” This is a time when we are reminded that we have much to be thankful for and much to celebrate.  As Christians, Christmas is a time when we celebrate the greatest act of faithfulness the world has ever known. Jesus was willing to leave the glory of Heaven, clothe himself in human skin, and be born as a baby--for the sole purpose of ultimately dying for our sins. 

            In the first and second chapters of the Gospels of Luke and Matthew we see in beautiful detail the events that surrounded the first advent of Jesus to this Earth. Angels, stars, mangers, and kings all tell the story that we all know by heart. Each year we spend one month with all the jolly fun that is the Christmas season, but do we really think about who it is we are celebrating? Do we really take to heart the act of the faithfulness that compelled Him to leave the glory of heaven to come to the darkness of a sin sick world? 

            The word “faithful” according to the Oxford Dictionary means “remaining loyal and steadfast.”  In the account of the first advent of Christ, we see faithfulness lived out by not just Jesus, but also His parents. Let’s take a few moments to focus on the two people that helped to welcome the Savior into the world. Mary and Joseph…they faced their fears, focused on what must be done, and remained faithful—(loyal and steadfast) in the face of hardship.

            “Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’ And then the angel left her.” (Luke 1:38 NLT)  This is the response of a teenage girl when she is told that she is going to have a baby even though she has never been with a man. I’m sure she was scared; we cannot even begin to comprehend all the emotions that filled her head and heart. She could have said, “You have the wrong girl”! She could have said “This doesn’t fit into my life’s plan.” She could have said “No, choose someone else.” But that was not the answers that she gave to the angel. “I am the Lord’s servant.” Even though her entire life was going to change.  She would be looked down on, she would struggle both physically and spiritually, she would give birth in a barn, she would feel the Savior of the world grow and kick in her womb, she would question the whole process, and finally she would watch her son be crucified on a cross. Her willingness to remain faithful— (loyal and steadfast) in the face of all that lay before her is an example that we must all strive for.

            “When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.” Matthew 1:24 (NLT)  In the book of Matthew, when we first meet Joseph, we see a man that is in turmoil. The woman he loves and plans to marry is with child. He is not sure who the father is…except that it is not him. However, because he is a righteous man, he decides that he is going to break the engagement quietly to avoid disgracing her publicly. When he is visited by an angel in a dream to let him know that the child within Mary is the long-awaited Messiah, there had to be a million and one questions that filled his soul. Questions like “How do I raise the Savior of the world?”. “What will people think of us?”. “How will I not mess this up?”. It was not an easy path that lay ahead of this simple carpenter. But God knew he was the man for the job. Even in the few texts that tell us about Joseph we see the love and loyalty that was in the DNA of his character. He was faithful— (loyal and steadfast) in the face of the unknown. His gentle love and loyalty for both Mary and Jesus were felt in their home as Jesus grew in wisdom and favor with God and man. 

            As we look toward the second half of the school year, let us all strive for faithfulness— may we all remain both loyal to the call of Christ to educate for both this world and the world to came and steadfast in the face of exhausting days. 

Multi-grade and Standards Based Learning video series now available on the Adventist Learning Community!