The topic of dreams has been something we have taught on Encounter School of Mission for a long time but traditionally it has been something that is not taught or given much focus within the church.

I understand why as the wider church the subject has been avoided, but the Bible is full of God speaking to people in dreams and by not teaching it are we closing off an avenue of availability for people to encounter Jesus?

Take a look at the first two chapters of Matthew. If it wasn’t for dreams the whole story of Jesus at this time of year would look very different. Let’s take a brief look at that passage of time and how dreams shaped the story.

Consider Matthew 1 after Mary becomes pregnant and Joseph is looking for a way to divorce her quietly because he likely believes she has been unfaithful.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, donot be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit Matthew 1:20

A dream changes the story.

What about when the Magi come to visit Jesus and had been asked by Herod to tell him where Jesus was so he “could come and worship him”

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:12

A dream stopped Herod killing Jesus as a toddler. Gods rescue didn’t just stop there.

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him Matthew 2:13

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead Matthew 2:19-20

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee Matthew 2:22

It was a dream that sent Joseph, Mary and Jesus to Egypt, a dream brought them back, and a dream that relocated them to Nazareth! I’m glad they believed in Gods ability to speak through dreams.

Maybe we should pay a little more attention to our dreams!