One Unplanned Pregnancy Saved Us

I was really struck by this post and it reminded me just how scandalous the birth of Jesus would appear from a human perspective.  This was the viewpoint apart from heaven coming to earth. It was the unplanned pregnancy that saved us!  This is the birth that brought us to the place of full salvation.

However, from God's perspective it was all part of the plan and the timing was perfect.  We read in Galatians 4:4

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

"The time had fully come"  In other words, there was nothing unplanned from the viewpoint in heaven.  God in His perfect timing knew the political, social and cultural conditions were completely set to launch the plan for the Saviour of the world.

However, you still you just have to imagine the process that Mary went through and she, apart from Christ himself, is very necessary to this whole Christmas story!

The story that has been given to us Luke 1:26 – 56 is an incredible description of events for her.  Let's take a step back and imagine what she felt, what she struggled with, and what she believed, as she embraced the plan of God for her life.

Mary did you know? like the song written by Mary Lowry....  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U2G8wsbXBo

Did she know the far reaching implications of what was about to happen to her and through her to impact the world in a way that would change it forever?

What did she know?

She knew she’d been visited by an angel. Vs. 26

She knew by the angel’s words that God was with her.  Vs. 28

She knew that she had been chosen by God or had “found favour” with God. Vs. 30

She knew she was going to have a child… more specifically a son. Vs. 31

She knew what to name him. Vs. 31

She knew that he would be the Messiah, however she understood that to be. Vs. 32, 33.

She knew that God the Holy Spirit was the Father and that her child would be the Son of God vs. 35

She knew that this was somehow all tied to her cousin Elizabeth’s baby. Vs. 36.

It’s really not a lot of information to go on if you think about it.  And the angel didn’t address any of Mary’s questions beyond the “Do not be afraid,” basically, you got this comment.

Mary must have had questions although I’m not sure she ever had a chance to voice them.  Maybe even a few objections cropped up in her mind initially.

I’m not ready to have a baby.  This isn’t fair.

Why would God choose me?

I’m no one special.

How will I tell Joseph?… we aren’t married yet.

How will I tell my parents?

What will people say?

I don’t know what to do.

I don’t know how to raise the Son of God.

What if I teach Him something wrong?

What if I do something wrong to Him?

I’m sure all of these thoughts and probably more were racing through her mind in the wake of the angels visit.  But one thing the angel had said seemed a little out of place.  The angel had said that this whole thing was somehow tied to the baby that her cousin Elizabeth was carrying.  Mary knew about the miraculous conception of Elizabeth in her old age.  Elizabeth had been barren for so many years.  …What did that have to do with this baby?  Maybe Elizabeth could help her understand all this.

 Elizabeth lived up in the hills of Judea so Mary doesn't hesitate to make the journey to go and visit with her cousin Elizabeth. When she arrives, Elizabeth greets and prophesies over Mary, and it’s the verse 45  really stands out.  

“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” 

Mary’s response to what was happening to her would be wrapped up in her level of faith! 
 Blessed is she who has BELIEVED!!

You see Mary hadn’t been given a choice.  She was chosen by God.  The baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  She was going to give birth to the Son of God one way or the other.  The significant thing for us to note here is HOW she responds to the situation that has been thrust on her.

The question is whether she would go along be-grudgingly, an unwilling participant in a plan she had no control over?  Would she complain and shake her fist at God about how unfair it all was?  Would she do the bare minimum as a parent, providing basic nurture and food and water and clothing, but reserving her love because she had no choice in this whole scenario?

OR…

Would she feel like she was never doing a good enough job?  Always wondering if someone else could have done this better.

But this isn’t what we observe in Mary’s situation is it? 

Elizabeth hits the nail on the head when she says to Mary…Mary…where is your faith?  This is about believing.  If you believe Mary, you will be blessed and everything the Lord has spoken to you, this great plan of bringing hope, peace and a Savior to the world…Mary it will be accomplished because you believe!

I never really thought of it this way before.  That part of the plan for my salvation… for your salvation, hinged on the fact that a teenage girl chosen by God would have to choose incredible faith – would have to believe that what God had spoken to her was true and would come to pass, so that the Saviour of the world could come to earth and ultimately become the sacrifice for our sins.

And Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s words in the next 10 verses, tell us that she absolutely believed.  And in the moment of Mary’s believing, I believe the Holy Spirit revealed to her some things that we observe in these words of worship we now know as the “Magnificat”

Let's look at three main truths that really stick out of Mary's Song of Worship

1.            God’s Salvation Is Personal

vs. 47 …my spirit rejoices in God MY Saviour

She recognized her own need of a Saviour…that this child she was carrying who would be the Saviour of the world, would also be her Saviour too.

vs. 49 …The Mighty One has done great things for ME!

Sometimes we think that there are too many songs focused on me but here’s the truth, salvation is deeply personal.  It was for Mary and it is for us to.  God wants to meet us in that quiet place, a place of vulnerability and openness to Him.

vs. 50 …His mercy extends to those who fear Him.

Romans 3:10 states “there is no one righteous, not even one.”

Mary understood this.  We all need a Saviour.  If you’re here today and you haven’t come to that realization yet, consider this.  The woman who brought the Son of God into the world, understood that her child , Jesus, would be her Saviour.

And if you need a Saviour today, it’s really quite simple to receive Him.

Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

2.            God’s Kingdom is “Upside Down” to the way the world thinks

In vs. 51 – 53 Mary speaks of things that could only have been revealed to her by the Holy Spirit.  Most of the people in Israel were looking for a Messiah who would take down the Roman empire by force and set himself up as a king and deliverer over Israel.  They were looking for a revolutionary.

But in these verses, Mary has some insight into what Jesus’ kingdom will really be like.  It will be an upside-down kingdom in the eyes of the world.

…He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts

…He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble

…He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty

What are some examples of our upside-down kingdom and the way God has shown that to you personally?

•             the first will be last

When I got my first full time job as a youth pastor, my prof at Seminary said, “well, you were a dark horse!”

•             in your weakness will be your strength

•             God picks those who the world picks last…the choosing of David, the youngest…

The way of Jesus is countercultural. It is upside-down and inside-out—a kingdom, where weakness is power, power is weakness, and suffering leads to glory.

Really, it is the world that is upside down – God’s kingdom is what brings it back to normal.  Turns it right side up.

What Mary was saying was that Jesus came for everyone.  One preacher said it this way. 

“The humble are valued by God, and even the arrogant can humble themselves and become right with God.  The oppressed can find mercy and help.  The oppressors can stop their oppression, and find grace.  Those who are weak can be strong in God.  The strong can admit their weakness apart from God, and find true strength.”

Jesus wants to take your life and put it right-side up today.

3. God is a God of Covenant

God keeps His promises.  Mary spoke about God’s faithfulness to His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever.  This is a reference to God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants…the children of Israel.

He had promised them not only a vast land and numerous descendants, but also a deliverer.  A Messiah.  And at last, the Messiah was to come to them through Mary.

So Mary believed and in believing, she had revealed to her some incredible insight into the plan of God for the saving of the world. 

But there is one more thing I want to note about Mary – even beyond her faith.

She did believe, and that made an incredible difference in her attitude toward this whole scenario.  But she did more than believe. 

She EMBRACED what God was doing through her and she took it on as a joy. 

How do we know that?  Well, look at the song of praise we just spoke about.  As Elizabeth prophesied over her, her response was one of worship to God for what He was doing through her life. 

She was EMBRACING what God had planned for her as the mother of Jesus. 

She took the responsibility on whole-heartedly.  Later at the stable, after the shepherds had gone, we’re told that Mary “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

 That’s the kind of thing you say about a mother who is embracing what is happening to her. 

She and Joseph made sure that Jesus was presented for consecration at the temple.  Vs. 39 of Luke 2 says that “Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord…” with respect to raising Jesus. 

When He was 12 they took Him to the temple for Passover.  It’s the picture of a mother…and a father, who were embracing the responsibility of parenthood.

You see, believing in Jesus is one thing.  Lots of people believe in Jesus – they believe he lived and was a great teacher and that He died – some even believe he was raised from the dead – but they still haven’t EMBRACED Him for themselves.

Now to me, that’s what owning the miracle of Christmas is all about.

Mary made her faith in Jesus, personal.

Mary had a choice to make. She could play a role in this first Christmas story and just be a player in the miracle of the incarnation

OR 

she could literally OWN the miracle for herself?  Embrace the plan that God had for her life and be changed by what God was doing through her?

It took great faith for her to EMBRACE what was happening to her.  But what a difference it made! 

Remember Elizabeth’s words…”Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” Just for a minute, picture that scenario in your minds … how it might have played out.

Now…you might be here today and you’ve never owned the miracle of Christmas for yourself.  Maybe you’ve always believed IN the story; that God sent Jesus on that first Christmas to be born in a manger – but you’ve never EMBRACED the truth for yourself.

Today is the day of salvation!

My thanks to Duane McLean for his insights compiled in this post!

Overwhelmed by Wonder!

Every Christmas growing up my parents would make us reenact the Christmas story and it was always a good laugh.  I mean someone had to play the donkey so throw the brown blanket on one of us.  Rhonda was Mary and everyone else took their roles.  It was easy being a shepherd for the play because all they did was just show up!   However, as we will see, the fact that the shepherds were the first to hear the good news is no small story and God showed up in a huge way!

The shepherds lived most of the year outside, away from the townspeople. "Abiding in the field" "they were the true outdoorsmen”  Shepherds were constantly with their sheep, since the sheep were vulnerable to all kinds of trouble They had to move about during the rainless summer and to stay for months at a time in isolated areas, far from the owner's home. So, herding sheep was an independent and responsible job.

It was also significant to note that Migdel Eder is also right by Bethlehem as Micah 4:8 prophecies!  Here is where the perfect, spotless lambs were kept for the temple sacrifice and here is where the final sacrifice for our sins was born!

I want to talk about the overwhelming sense of wonder that was felt by the shepherds in
Luke 2:8-20  

Wonder Is Found In Simplicity v8

Now to understand why God got in contact with the shepherds, let’s skip forward ahead about 32 years or so and see what Jesus is doing. Because if we watch Him I think what we will discover is the plan was found in complete simplicity.

We also need to understand what God was up to on that first Christmas night and so let's take a moment to watch where Jesus showed up during his time on earth.  Here are two clear examples for us to see and both of them we can find in this gospel of Luke. So let's take a look at them one at a time.

Brennan Manning in his book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, says this about how intimate this act of meal sharing is. He says this, "Sadly the meaning of meal sharing is largely lost in the Christian community today. In the Near East, to share a meal with someone is a guarantee of peace, trust, fraternity and forgiveness. The shared table symbolizes the shared life. For an Orthodox Jew to say I would have dinner with you is a metaphor implying I would like to enter into friendship with you. To extend a dinner invitation is to say, come to the miniature sanctuary of my dining room table where we will celebrate the most sacred and beautiful experience that life affords. "Friendship." That's what Zacchaeus heard when Jesus called him down and invited him to dinner. And that's why Jesus practice of ‘going out for lunch’ caused such hostile comments from the very beginning in his ministry.

Look at Luke 5:27-32.   This time it involves Levi, the tax collector, who we later know as the disciple Matthew who wrote the first gospel.

So let's again reference back to that. Go back to Luke 2, 8 and 20. We have heard this story now. So you don't really need to read it again, but think about it. Of all the people that God could have announced the birth of Emmanuel to. God with us. The Savior. The Messiah. This long awaited One. You know if you want to get the word out, there would seem to be more influential people, more together people that you would want to go and make this announcement to.

One theologian remarks  that shepherds were those whose daily occupation rendered them ceremonially unclean and not in the Pharisee's eyes to be associated with. And because of the shepherd's job to be out in the fields, to be with the sheep, they literally were considered unclean. But being out there with the manure, with the uncleanness of the animal, they could not go into the temple until they were ceremonially cleaned and that was a big deal. And yet on this momentous night, who does the Father go straight to on purpose and with such a glorious show, do you think he was trying to make a point? I think so. Not only a point, but just as Jesus did again, Jesus was taking his cue from the Father making a very intimate point.  God, our Father, calls us into intimacy, community and He calls everyone, even the most unlikely!

Some of Israel's great heroes were shepherds -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. Both Psalm 23 and Jesus compare God's care to that of a Good Shepherd. But in the First Century, it seems, shepherds -- specifically, hireling shepherds -- had a bad reputation.

However, Jesus distinguishes between the good shepherd and the hired farm hand. (John 10:11-13). He tells a parable of the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine sheep in the fold while searching the hills to find the missing one (Luke 15:3-7). Perhaps this is because Jesus, who has fellowship with the despised and sinners, knows and appreciates them as people. 

Wonder Is Reflected In Glory  v9-14   

One minute the shepherds are talking quietly in the darkness of the winter sky. The next moment the hillside is ablaze with light and booming with the sound of an angel's voice."An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified." (2:9)

This appearance wasn't at a distance, but upfront and personal. "Appeared" is the Greek verb ephistemi, which here means "to stand at or near a specific place." Often this use of the verb occurs with the idea of suddenness.
The brightness is more than just mega-candlepower. It is the radiance of God's own glory. Doxa!!  Here it refers to "the condition of being bright or shining, brightness, splendor, radiance." Throughout the Old Testament the presence of God is referred to as overwhelmingly bright, burning as fire in the way that God spoke to Moses, led his people through the desert at night.
God's angels sometimes bear this same bright glory In this case the glory shines around the whole area .The result in the shepherds is predictable -- abject terror. "Terrified"
This Good News angel has the enviable task of being the first herald of Messiah's birth. "Bring good news" is the Greek verb evangelizo, from which we get our English word, "evangelize." Later in the New Testament it is widely used for "proclaim the message of salvation, preach the gospel.The message the angel brings is very good news that results in joy. "Joy" and it is joy intensified – great joy!!
Notice how broad is the angel's message. It's not for just the devout or pure of heart or the Jew, but "for all the people." It is truly amazing and wonderful news for all those who are apart from God and struggling with the purpose of life.
Shepherds were about as low on the social scale as it was possible to get.. They were the strangers in most minds that first night, but not with God.  Am I making myself clear? Isn’t it amazing? Isn’t it astonishing that God would say, “You know, the first people who are going to hear the message of the birth of My Son, the Savior, the Messiah, are one of the most despised group of people in that society. Isn’t that amazing?

Christmas is a glorious time for us to celebrate the birth of our King Jesus.  He is the absolute glory of God and our brightest hope.  This season once again gives us an incredible opportunity as I heard today that over 50% of Canadians polled say they will attend some type of religious service so I invited my whole hockey team to our Christmas

Eve service!  The beauty of Christmas to me is found in the verses of 2 Corinthians 3:18 where it states, And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  We as followers of Jesus are being transformed, we radiate the glory of  the Lord and just like Peter and John in Acts 4, my prayer is that people will see that we have been with Jesus. 

Wonder creates a sense of urgency! v15,16

One of the greatest joys for parents is to watch our children open their presents to exclaim… this is what I’ve always wanted.  The shepherds didn’t hesitate.  They didn’t doubt, they believed!

Wonder compels us to respond! v17-20

When God meets His people and speaks to them, they cannot either forget His word nor can they be unaffected by it. They worshipped, and they shared it. They had known the revelation of God, and it changed them.
True worship comes only when we have seen and heard God. It comes as a response to Him. Following that worship the message does not depart from the people; rather it creates a deep and irresistible desire to share that message.
So what can we do with this? How can we live differently this Christmas season in light of what we see God, Jesus, Levi and Zacchaeus and the shepherds doing? Can we make an agreement? That over the holidays we look for strangers in our midst? Would you imitate both the Father and Son as they made it their point to seek out those taking up the margins of their world?
Wait, wait, wait  Jack. Are you asking that I go out to the outcast, out there and reach out to them? Yes I am. And for some of you that might literally mean like going out to the street, a soup kitchen, the homeless shelters, where you can roll up your sleeve and be the gospel to those people. God is going to call some of you to do that and you need to be listening for it.

For most of us though, I want you to look for the stranger that may be right in your midst. Where there is a sole part of your routine that you don't even see him anymore. You know, what this might look like is going out of your way at the office Christmas party that's coming up to look for that awkward person or that person not like you and make your way to them. Now can I be so bold as to say, and don't just be polite. Try to connect with them. Be curious about them. Listen with your hearts. That's the start of intimacy.

Or maybe you've got a neighborhood Christmas party coming up. How about going out of your way to meet the people that you normally would avoid or at least the people that you don't naturally gravitate to, you don't talk to them because they are not like you or maybe they are not easy. Being an aroma of the gospel to those neighbors. Maybe you are a student. What would it look like this Christmas season to get outside of your comfortable and safe group to go across those lines? Find someone you could sit down with at lunch, in a class or a sporting event. Pursue them on a personal level and listen with care.

So, why would we do this? You know, to be honest. To go out of our way for these kind of people, it's a least a few things. It's uncomfortable. It's extra work. It can be awkward. There is risk involved and sometimes you know frankly it can be messy. Why would we do this? We do this because like Zacchaeus, Jesus has called us by name. He said, I want you. A Savior has been born for you!   I want to have fellowship with you. He wants to know us and has called us by name and we can do this because out of that overflow, that memory that Jesus has called us by our name, we have an unbelievable Christmas gift to share with others.

So again, if I could be so bold, if you would do this I will guarantee you two things. Two things I will guarantee you. That you will get at least two presents this Christmas. The first present you will receive if you do this, is joy. It's always the key byproduct of living outside yourself and in line with God and Jesus.

And secondly, I will guarantee you this present as well, you will be surprised. People because they bare the image of God are amazing creations. Be prepared to be surprised by their character and their stories if you allow them to connect with you and you listen.

So, we see in these passages that we read and many others, Jesus going on purpose to the left out, the sinners, the marginalized, and in his teachings in ministry he includes Samaritans, prostitutes, demon possessed, and strangers. Now why? Why would we do this? Well, we know obviously from his words much of the motivation that made him do this. He said, "I have come to call the righteous, not sinners." The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. And God knew exactly what He was doing that first night of Christmas

In my Father's footsteps

There are certain sayings we associate with our fathers. Here are some typical Dad quotes:

“Ask your mother.”

”What did your mother say?”

”Do I look like I’m made of money?”

“I’m not sleeping; I was watching that show.”

I’m not just talking to hear my voice.”

”A little dirt never hurt anyone; just wipe it off.”

”We’re not lost!”

”No, we’re not there yet.”

”Don’t make me stop this car!”

Well, my dad had a few too..

"Eat everything on your plate!"  

and

"Don't let that molehill turn into a mountain!"  I definitely was one who procrastinated.

I want to talk today about Joseph, the father of Jesus and focus on the grace of obedience and when we look at his life, there are no quotes, no words that Scripture records for us.

Let's look at Matthew 1:18-25 from the Amplified Bible.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by [the power of] the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her [promised] husband, being a just and righteous man and not wanting to expose her publicly to shame, planned to send her away and divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 All this happened in order to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet [Isaiah]: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel”—which, when translated, means, “God with us.” 24 Then Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and he took Mary [to his home] as his wife, 25 but he kept her a virgin until she had given birth to a Son [her firstborn child]; and he named Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation).

The family line God chose to raise His Son


Jesus hails from an impressive family lineup with men of faith like Abraham, Issac, Jacob, King David, Hezekiah and Josiah, but it is interesting to note that in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus that he includes women, something that very uncommon and there were both men and women who didn’t have the greatest backgrounds like Tamar, a Gentile, who seduced her own father in law, Rahab, who was a prostitute and Bathsheba who committed adultery with David.  Sometimes we fly through the ‘uninteresting’ genealogies in the Bible only to discover that there are significant lessons we can learn there.

1.      Being obedient means being a person of grace  v18

What stands out to me is that we have a God of grace who works through us many times in spite of ourselves.  We also see that failure in our past does not mean that we are unusable to the Lord.  We serve a God of grace who wants us to live in light of how God sees us and not how we see ourselves.

There are some people listed here that were far from perfect, but God used them all to bring in line to Jesus.  Matthew, himself was a tax collector.  He was not very popular by any stretch of the imagination with the Jewish people so if anyone knew that God could save sinners and transform them, Matthew did. 

Isn’t it incredible that God used some pretty ordinary, everyday people to be chosen to give birth to His Son. 

How particular do you suppose God was when He was choosing the family that would raise Jesus? I think that God would want to find a family that would treat the child good, that would train Him up in the way of the Lord, to lead by example to  Jesus
More often than not, the emphasis is placed on Mary and her choice to become the mother of Jesus. Yes, she deserves to be thanked and held in great respect, but too often, we forget about Joseph. His example and lifestyle were very influential in the life of the Lord Jesus.
Grace is the unmerited favor of God…but it’s also the power of God to obey!

2.       Being obedient means  being a person of righteousness v19

In v18-19, Joseph is confronted with a dilemma.  He was pledged to be married and when a situation arose with Mary, he could have easily cried foul, but the way Joseph handled himself revealed a lot about his true character, he was an upright man who was focused on doing the right thing.  To use righteousness as a word to describe him was no small statement for Matthew who spoke of those who hunger after righteousness and seek first his righteousness = dikaioma – the concrete expression of righteousness, conduct in agreement with His will.  It should be noted that this ‘situation’ during the betrothal or engagement period was a serious offense.  The Betrothal period was considered as binding as a marriage. How respond in a time of crisis reveals our true nature! When things are going smoothly, we are able to hide a lot that becomes clear in a crisis! Joseph’s reaction reveals a man under control! Jesus was always in control of Himself and God knew this trait in Joseph

The decision to divorce her quietly was uncharacteristic. Most men would have divorced Mary and this would have left her poverty stricken and because of the baby, no other man would have dared marry her. Joseph was "Just" – Righteous! He wanted to do the right thing by Mary! Joseph displayed his patience, calmness and wisdom in the situation.

He made an uncommon decision as by right, he could have invoked the death penalty – Deuteronomy 22:13-21. He could have Mary stoned to death publicly. However, he chose to spare her the shame. Again, this reveals compassion on the part of Joseph.

Scripture has left us with the most important knowledge: who he was: "a righteous man" (Mt 1:18). Joseph may have thought that being righteous involved doing the proper thing; he found out that it is also about being the right person. Robert Leroe

3.       Being obedient means  being a person of revelation v. 20-23

The Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream
Joseph is confronted with 3 truths as God speaks to him
1.  The Truth Of The Pregnancy Is Revealed – Joseph discovers who the real Father is. Joseph realizes that he has been chosen to be part of a glorious plan.

2.  The Child’s Title Is Revealed – Joseph is commanded to name the child "Jesus" – Jehovah Is Salvation! The Lord Saves

3. Joseph’s Task Is Revealed – Joseph would have to live with the shame that would be placed upon Him by others through rumours and disbelief.   It is all and well for us to say Jesus was God’s son and what is the problem with everybody. Other than schooling the religious leaders in the temple, Jesus lived a very common life, the son of a carpenter and didn’t begin his public ministry till He was 30.
 But right at that time, know that for the most part that everybody could do the math and know that according to their thinking this was an illegitimate child.  This isn’t the case so much today, but in that culture and during that time, it was deeply frowned upon and seen as a disgrace.   Realize that there were several traditions surrounding the birth of Jesus. 1.) He was indeed Joseph’s son; 2.) Mary had a secret lover; 3.) A Roman soldier raped Mary.
Again, this speaks well of Joseph, he was willing to bear this cross for the glory of God. Certainly, Jesus learned much from watching his father suffer in silence!

Joseph’s love for Mary was an example of Paul’s definition: "Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast; it is not proud or rude. Love is not self-seeking or easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but it rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (I Cor 13).

How does God speak to us today? How has God spoke to you? 

The fact is that God still speaks and we need to be ready to hear his voice.  For some it is clear as an audible one, for others, it is a strong impression.  The Lord uses us to speak into other’s lives to confirm where He is leading.  It is also through events and circumstances.  He also clearly speaks to us through His Word and brings conviction.  2 Timothy 3:16,17 

All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

4.      Being obedient means being a person of  Integrity v. 24-25

He obeyed The Lord’s commands 

Obedience reveals the heart of man like nothing else!  John 14:15; 1 Sam. 15:22. When we obey the Lord’s command, even when they are unpleasant or hard, it proves our love for Him and reveals where our loyalty truly is. 

Joseph listened and he followed through

In Luke 1:56  Mary disappears for 3 months to the hill country and stays with Elizabeth after she discovers the news that she will give birth to Jesus and now she comes back from being away, she showing and the people are talking.  And now, here we are in V24 and it says… He took her home to be his wife.  There is no mention of a wedding, no mention of a celebration, all we know is that he took her home and honored her purity. Mary and Joseph never came together physically until after Jesus was born, thus fulfilling the Scripture – v. 23. This is another indication of the man’s moral standing. 

Following the Lord isn’t about being noticed, one day it will be when we stand as the pure spotless bride of Christ, but until then, there will be many acts of obedience, sacrifice and humility that will mark our path.

      He Obediently Named The Child

 The right of naming the child was in the hand of the Father. Joseph knew that the child’s true Father wanted the child called Jesus. Therefore, Joseph named the child Jesus.

 Joseph was chosen to be the surrogate father of Jesus because he was pure of life and pure of heart. He was the kind of man God could use, because God didn’t have to worry about Joseph getting in the way. In other words, he was yielded to the will of the Lord. We ought to look at our own lives tonight and ask ourselves, "Are we the kind of person that God could use in a significant way?"

 To Joseph was given the unique task of being guardian and protector of the infant Jesus and His mother Mary. He provided security by becoming the legal husband of Mary and father of Jesus, and thus he protected her from shame and accusation that otherwise would have continued to follow her.

Being used by God, being a person of integrity does not come without a struggle.

Joseph did not embrace the will of God without a struggle. The fact that he wanted to put Mary away quietly indicates that there was a reluctance to fully endorse the will of God. Again it required the verification of an angel who came to him in a dream before he could find himself at peace with the way that God wanted him to go. Yet the truth is that he did come to the truth and he did actually embrace the way and the will of God. Each of us can struggle with God’s will as it is revealed through His providence. We do not always understand, and we come slowly to the place where we can accept what God wants us to learn and to do.

However as we started this message it is the grace of God, that is, in fact, the power and ability of God to obey & to live the Christian life!

God’s grace enables us to stand strong in afflictions/sickness/persecution/disasters – 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – “But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”

Grace is everything we need to serve God 

Hebrews 12:28 – “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”

Romans 1:5 – “Through him we have received grace…to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name.”


John Piper said: “Grace is God’s free gift before we do anything good and His enabling of us to do anything good!”

Grace is therefore, the pathway to both our empowerment!

2 Thessalonians  1:11-12 - So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

The obedience that glorifies God is produced by the power of God’s grace through faith!

Joseph, in our story today—received that grace and it moved him to obey!

Spy Games!

So, last night I was at a fundraiser event and the person who was hosting my table looks at me and says, “I’ve been creeping you on Facebook”. I laughed and then he shared I noticed that you went to Prairie Bible College and so began a conversation that led us to discovering our mutual friends, old teachers etc…  Now, think if someone you really knew from your HS years reentered your life but this time they weren’t revealing their identity, in fact they were in disguise to see if you are who you really say you are.

It might be a little unsettling maybe to know that you are being followed, watched closely.  However this is the story we are going to be discovering today and that is when your character is being put to the test.

Have you ever heard the saying “past performance is the best indicator of future behavior”.  Joseph was in the business to see if there was any noticeable difference in his brother’s behaviors. He wanted to see if they were the same old, same old guys or if their lives had changed since they betrayed him as a teenager out of their jealousy.

Approximately 20 years had passed since his brothers had sold him and now at this point the famine hit the land hard and Joseph’s brothers were forced to go to Egypt to buy grain.  Now, remember, Joseph had put in charge of the land  When he recognizes them coming, he completely creates and cleverly disguises himself by speaking through an interpreter, wearing his fine Egyptian clothes and even swear by the life of Pharoah.  Almost right away his dream as a young man is fulfilled as his brothers bow down to him.

He spoke to them harshly to set up the stage with them.  He brought accusations against them to see how they would handle themselves.  He places them in prison for 3 days because he again is seeking to test their character.  Are they all for each other or are they ready to throw one of their brothers under the bus so to speak.  Read Genesis 42:18 and the story unfolds here.

Joseph then sees the recognition of their guilt in the own awareness of what is taking place.  This is happening to us because of how we treated our younger brother Joseph. They are feeling through all of this that they are reaping the effects of their sin.

You can see implied from their return back to their father, that Jacob does sense that the brothers were involved in the loss of Joseph.  There is a huge level of distrust going on here.  The joy of life was completely sapped from him when he lost Joseph.  Read Genesis 42:35-38

Reuben makes a very rash call

Judah steps up to the plate

He tests his brothers by giving Benjamin 5x the portion to see if their jealousy was still at the root of their character.  Read Genesis 43:29-34

He then sets them up once again to test their attitude and heart towards Benjamin. He places his own personal silver cup in the sack of Benjamin.

We live in a broken world and we live with our own brokenness.

How many of us walk around carrying our guilt?  How often do we live believing that we ultimately have to pay for our sins? 

Joseph’s brothers were wallowed in the misery of their past mistakes, they didn’t know about the cross.

When Joseph took the opportunity to even bless them on their way home from their first journey, guilt made them believe that they were being set up for punishment instead of receiving it as blessing.  When we live with guilt and “covering up” sin, we always will be suspicious.  A guilty conscience can’t see grace, the blessing and undeserved favor of God.

27 At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. 28 “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

Joseph was trying to ascertain if they had a humble and honesty inside their inner man.  He wasn’t interested in how much could they pay for the grain.  Joseph had reconciled himself with the reality of his situation and why God led him ultimately to Egypt.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Psalm 51:16,17

We serve a merciful God.

How often have you tried to bargain or make a deal with God?

In the midst of our own brokenness we try to barter and bargain with God.  We may say God if you just get me out of the situation, I will (fill in the blank) – serve you , give to the church,  never ever doubt you again…  Thankfully our prayers get sifted through the interceding Spirit of God and Jesus Himself.

Reuben said if he didn’t bring Benjamin back said both his boys could die.

Judah when trying to convince his father that they should take Benjamin back to Egypt with him said Jacob, I will bear the blame all my life.

Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

He is a merciful God, He doesn’t hold us up on our feeble promises, we stand only because of Jesus’ final and complete payment on the cross.

What is real repentance?

Read Genesis 44:27-34

Is it saying “I’m sorry”? Is it always living with regret?  Is it living with a label? Once a thief or liar, always a thief or liar… what is it and what was Joseph looking for?

He is looking for real change, that they have given up on their old ways of doing life and trying to get ahead.  He is looking for us to give up on trying to do it our own way and we are ready to trust God and His ways.

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?  Romans 2:4

Joseph is an incredible picture of the grace and forgiveness of God

He had every opportunity to use this opportunity for some real pay back.  Now, while we may not agree with Joseph’s approach and methods, he brought about an incredible opportunity for his brothers to see the ultimate hand of God.  He ultimately reveals himself to his brothers.

Joseph had to learn the hard lesson of forgiving his brothers.

Joseph had to learn what it meant to display the forgiveness of God.  He had to forgive his brothers.  Father forgive them for they know not what they do.

What wounds are you possibly still carrying?  Joseph had been victimized, abused, abandoned.

Matthew 18:21  We need God’s Spirit to enable us to learn to forgive us.  We also need to recognize how we have offended God and how He, being so rich in mercy, has lavished his love on us.

There is another level beyond forgiveness and that is reconciliation.

Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Search your heart to see if there are people that you still have outstanding issues with.

I met with a guy last week and as he opened up to me about faith and God, he shared how he was both physically abused and sexually abused as a child by someone in a leadership position.  It was a hard conversation as he asked where was God when that happened to him.  However he realized he couldn’t be bitter forever and he needed to discover that even in our darkest moments our Father is with us in that pain.

Learning to TRUST others who have hurt you is not an easy step, but here’s the really important part.  Forgiveness on our part is always something we must act on.  Reconciliation however requires humility and grace on both parts and is not entirely dependent on you, the one offended.  Prayer is always required and the belief that God can change anyone.

2 Corinthians 5: 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Knowing Contentment In Every Situation

In many ways what I want to describe today is living in the favor of God. It is really an incredible gift of God to be in a place where you can be settled, confident that you don’t have to strive to earn His favor, you don’t have to escape a situation to discover His incredible grace either.

Often we want an intervention of a situation with God, but often what God will give us is a different interpretation of the situation.  S. Furtick

Our interpretation often goes through many filters, our life experience, our culture and often we things so simplistic when they are much more complex.

Let’s look at the story of Joseph and where He finds Himself.

In Genesis 40,41, Joseph is in prison and he should be having a pity party for himself, but he has enough presence of mind to recognize that there is something wrong with someone else in the prison.  He could have been so wrapped up in his own resentment, but he had empathy, he was so aware of the needs of those around him.

Don’t interpretations belong to God?  He can make sense of this.  He didn’t strut his stuff and say, “I’ve got the power”

He brought it back to God and said He can speak into this and can make sense of your situation.

quick synopsis...

Chief cupbearer – brought the king his wine.

I saw a vine with three branches, squeezed the grapes and gave the king his wine.

You are going to return to your rightful position

Chief baker

I had three baskets of bread and birds came and started eating the bread out of the basket on my head.

Joseph didn’t have the power to change the outcome of the dreams.

Now, Pharaoh has a dream in Genesis 42 and no one can interpret it two years later...I heard about you Pharaoh shared to Joseph. The shameless cupbearer forgot about him, but remembered him at this time.

7 fat cows, 7 skinny cows.  Save up in the fat years so you are ready for the lean years.

Joseph became the second in power in Egypt next to Pharaoh due to his interpretation and then application of the dream. It reminds me a little bit of Pastor Andrew Brunson, the pastor of Resurrection Church in Turkey, who had a church of 2 dozen people.  He was serving God faithfully and ended up going to prison for 2 years for what they called 'political crimes'.  Mercifully he was freed from prison and returned home to the US only to end up in the Oval Office with the opportunity to pray over President Trump.  What a journey.

I will mess up the message every time if I allow myself to focus on you are receiving the message instead of being faithful to the message that God has given me.  Joseph couldn't choose the outcome of the messages he received.  He couldn't sweeten the deal or try make things better for the baker. He spoke the truth and led from a place of humility.

We need to place our confidence in God, not confidence in confidence.  Joseph was completely confident in the God that He served and in his ability to enable him.

It is often our interpretation of the event that changes the outcome and often our lens is flawed...

We are interpreting our present through our past

We are interpreting our purpose through our pain

We are interpreting our whole life through one little situation.

We are interpreting our future through our flaws.

Steven Furtick

If you don’t heal what hurt you, you’ll bleed on people who didn’t cut you.  –Unknown-

The enemy of our souls often will just get us to focus on what is wrong with us

Don’t forget the promise that it is His strength that is made perfect in our weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

What we look at as a deficiency is what He often will use to bring meaning into our lives.

Pray for the power to interpret your desires -  I need the Holy Spirit to show me why I want what I want.

The enemy takes a God given desire and works hard to distort it.

Pray for the wisdom to interpret your rejection -  When I learn to let go of the resentment, God wanted to do something.

I’ll never forget when I finally became a full-time pastor.  I know I have maybe told this story before, but it is so important to reiterate the point where God wanted my confidence to rest.  It couldn’t rest in my own abilities, my experience, my education, my upbringing.

God wanted me to make absolutely sure that my confidence was solely and completely in Him.  So, I will always remember how I started and I will never take for granted that He was the one who opened the door to my first pastor position.  It really had nothing to do with me, I didn’t even apply for it!!

Pray for the insight to interpret your emotions – Are we living at the level of reaction or responding?

When I react, it’s my flesh, it’s a knee-jerk reaction, it is my natural learned tendency.  When I respond, I pause, I learn to

I learn to interpret my purpose even through my pain and learn to interpret my feelings through my faith.

When I lost my father to cancer at the age of 21, it was a very difficult time for me.  It would be a process that took months for me to deal with the loss.  I can remember just crying, weeping with Sharon after we got married because all the emotions just flowed out.

However, it would be in my first youth ministry position that I would find myself coming alongside a student who lost her mother to cancer, another student who never really experienced the love of a father coming from a single parent home.  God gave me an opportunity to really connect, to understand and to come alongside these students at that time.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18

Pray for clarity to understand why God has given you favor or opportunity or an advantage  in a given situation.

Learn the peace of contentment especially in the middle of a situation or place that God has you in right now.

The world is always giving you an interpretation of life through the lens of fear.

We need to come through all things through the lens of trust.

When we come to God, look at it through the lens of what He has told you in His Word, what He has whispered to you in your inner being through His Spirit!