All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Matthew 1:22-23 NIV
The birth of Jesus narratives in Matthew chapters 1 and 2 are not simply Christmas stories. They are a masterclass in trusting God without full understanding. Mary received the angel’s message about a miraculous pregnancy. Joseph received a warning to flee to Egypt in the night. Neither held the complete picture. Yet both obeyed, and every detail aligned with what God had already promised to fulfil.
When the angel appeared to Mary, she did not argue the logic of a miraculous pregnancy. Perhaps she knew Isaiah 7:14 — that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son. However, the prophecy gave no detail about who that virgin would be amd whether or she would married or engaged. Mary was pledged to Joseph. A miraculous pregnancy outside of marriage carried real social consequences. Yet her only question was about the how. She asked: how would this be? The moment the angel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, she surrendered. Her words were simple: “Let it be unto me according to your will.” She was ready to face whatever came next, trusting God without full understanding of how it would unfold.
Joseph faced a similarly incomplete picture. An angel appeared to him in a dream. God assured him that what was in Mary was from the Holy Spirit. He obeyed. He became part of a plan he could not yet fully see. Matthew 1:22 states it plainly: “All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet.” The events were not accidental. Indeed, God was honouring his word, and the people He chose to use were moving forward on trust alone.
When the Road Runs Through Egypt
After Jesus was born, King Herod sought to kill him. God warned Joseph to flee to Egypt. So they went, and remained there until Herod died — fulfilling Hosea 11:1: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” That prophecy did not reveal the crisis that would drive the family to Egypt. It simply named where God would call His Son from. Yet God remained faithful. He honoured every word he had spoken, even when those He was using could not yet see the full picture.
When Joseph returned from Egypt, another angel’s warning redirected him away from Judea and toward Nazareth. This too fulfilled a prophetic word — that Jesus would bear the name Nazarene (Matthew 2:23). At every stage, no one knew in advance exactly how each detail would resolve. They trusted God’s guidance one step at a time. Consequently, each step landed precisely where God’s word had already described.
Living It Out
God does not require you to fully understand His word before you trust it. Hearing it is sufficient. Whatever He has spoken to you, however incomplete the picture feels, choose to trust Him — unreservedly and unwaveringly.