Christmas - The type of person God uses (The Birth of Jesus)

Raise your hand if you still have some Christmas shopping left.

Moms always have to be surprised when they get the robe, another bathrobe, or something else to hang up. But Christmas is, sometimes a season filled with unexpected happenings. A couple of years ago, my family and I were traveling across country and we stopped at a Chili's to eat lunch. And inside the restaurant, Sophia and I turned the corner and unexpectedly, we ran into Santa Claus.

Now, this wasn't just a guy dressed up. This guy was Santa. From his head to his toes. He was in a red hat. He had the jacket. He had the full beard, rosy red cheeks, little gold rimmed glasses. He had the big belt and the red pants and the white fur and the boots. This guy was Santa.

And at that point, Sophie was about nine years old. It was in late fall. Completely unexpected. We weren't thinking we were going to see Santa that day. So Sophie stood there looking at Santa's. Big smile on her face. Santa stood there looking at her. Big smile on his face. And no one said anything. So he bends down and he looks at her and he keeps smiling. She keeps smiling. No one saying anything. Sophie finally says, hi, Santa. And he still doesn't say anything. Finally, Sophie looked at me and said, I have to pee. So we went to the restroom. You know, when Santa shows up unexpectedly, he can be a scary thing to some children. In fact, when Santa shows up and he's expected to show up, it can be a scary thing for some kids.

Some kids just don't want to sit on Santa's lap. Maybe you have photographs like the pictures on the screen. Maybe you remember a time when you tried to get your child to sit still for Santa, and they freaked out and they cried and they screamed. And you were felt like the only people in line that had that happen. We have this big build up to the kids seeing Santa Claus. And when it occurs, it can be a nightmare. And I think I know why Santa is overwhelming to some kids. Think about it. He knows when you've been sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good. So you're pretty good. It's no wonder some children are afraid of Santa from the time they're little. We're telling them about. Santa is watching you right now. He sees what you're doing right now. Do you want me to put you on the naughty list? I'm going to write Santa a letter.

I think many people like the idea of Santa Claus from a distance. Many children like that idea of Santa Claus at a distance. But you get too close to Santa, and he's a little overwhelming.

And I think, like Santa is to children,God can be like that often for us big people. I think the idea that there is this omniscient, omnipotent, all-knowing, everlasting God who sees everything, who knows everything, who knows our thoughts before we think them. Well, gosh, that can be a little bit overwhelming. And then when we understand that that overwhelming God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, wants to use you and me for his work on this earth, it's a lot to take in. And it can be overwhelming. In today's passage, Mary, the mother of Jesus, learns from an angel that God wants her to be the mother of Jesus. That God wants this teenage girl to raise the Son of God. And we see her response. So let's read together Luke chapter one, beginning in verse 26.

Luke 1:26

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, greetings, favored woman, the Lord is with you. Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. Don't be afraid, Mary. The angel told her, for you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the son of the most High.

The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David, and he will reign over Israel forever. His kingdom will never end. Mary asked the angel, but how can this happen? I am a virgin. The angel replied, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age. People used to say she was barren, but now she's in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God. Mary responded, I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true. And then the angel left her.

And this passage of Scripture today, I think we're going to see some characteristics of the type of person God uses.

And it's very important for us to understand from the get go that as we read this story, we understand Mary was not a perfect person, yet God chose to use her to raise his son. Let me rephrase that. God chose to use an unwed mother to give birth to his son. God chose to use an unwed teenage girl to give birth to a son and to be the mother of Jesus.

Even at this young age, Mary had characteristics of the type of person God uses. Now, like you, I'm still in the process of becoming the person God created me to be. I'm still at work becoming the husband that I imagined I would be 25 years ago when we got married. I'm still in the process of becoming the daddy that I imagined I would be 17 years ago, when we had our first daughter.

I'm still in the process of becoming the pastor I imagined I would be. I'm in that process, and so are you. You are not yet complete, and I am not yet complete. But if we want to become the type of person God uses, then I think there are some characteristics that we can draw out from this passage of scripture that's going to help us fully understand, or at least get a little bit closer to being the type of person that God chooses to use.

Because God's not finished with you. God's not finished with me. God's not finished with our families. So let's press in to this passage of Scripture and really see how we need to develop as followers of Jesus to become that person God uses. So first understand this.

God works through people of faith

God works through people of faith. If you want to become the type of person that God uses understand first and foremost. God works through people of faith. God chose Mary, a teenage girl, to be the mother of Jesus. And because this pregnancy happened outside of wedlock, Mary would face a lot of shame from people in the community. Now, many of us, and maybe you're one that has experienced this. Many of us know people from our family.

Many of us know people from our, maybe our children that have gotten pregnant outside of marriage. And the first thing that we think about is maybe the first thing we think about is what are other people going to say? Well, let me just add this. If that's you today, I want you to know, look, this is a place where you can find hope and second chances.

And we want to do everything we can to come alongside you to be a blessing to you. Or if that's a family member, we want to be able to come alongside them and bless them and care for them. But the people 2000 years ago weren't filled with so much grace. 2000 years ago, if a man and woman were betrothed to be married and the woman ended up pregnant and it wasn't the fiancee's child.

Old Testament law said that they could that that man, the groom, could take his bride to the doorsteps of her parents house and invite the men to come out and stone her to death. There wasn't a lot of grace built into that law. This was a teenage girl that just learned even though she was a virgin. She was going to be pregnant.

What she faced, the challenges that she faced were insurmountable. And yet how she responded is not quite the way you and I might respond. God chose Mary. He knew she was a teenager. He knew that her pregnancy would bring disgrace. So why did he choose Mary? Well, I believe that it's because Mary's faith in God was strong enough to get her through the shame.

Her faith in God was strong enough to get her through the disgrace, through the rumors, through the gossip. I believe that her faith in God would guide her through those difficult conversations that she had with Joseph. Like, can you imagine sitting down with Joseph and say, Joseph, I do love you. I have been faithful to you. And it was the Holy Spirit that that conceived this child inside me.

Mary had to have enough faith to navigate through the conversation with her parents. Mom and dad, I promise you, I promise you, I have been faithful. God knew that Mary had the type of faith that could overcome gossip, overcome rumor, overcome disgrace. God knew that Mary had the type of faith that could navigate through the hard, difficult season that he was asking her to walk through.

Out of all the people on the planet, God chose a teenage girl named Mary because he knew her faith would get her through. And that's exactly what faith does for you and I. Faith helps us navigate difficult, embarrassing seasons.

Faith helps us navigate through hard situations in life. Faith helps us overcome situations, trusting that God is going to give us the next few words to say that he'll give us the right words at the right time, to say the right thing.

The author of Hebrews describes face this faith this way.

Hebrews 11:1

Faith is a confidence that what we hope for will happen. It gives us assurance about things we cannot see. As a follower of Jesus. We hope that one day Christ is going to return. We look forward to that day that we will be in heaven, where God Himself wipes away every tear from our eye.

Where there's no more sorrow, no more death, no more decay, that we are one with God and able to worship him for the rest of our lives. We can't see that right now, but our faith gives us hope. So we place our hope in what we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:6

It is impossible to please God without faith.

The moment you surrendered your life to Jesus, it was because you had faith that Jesus gave up his life for you. The moment you surrendered your life to Jesus, it's because you had faith that Jesus was the Son of God. You understood that you sin, that you deserve death, and that God, through Jesus, forgave you of your sins. That Jesus, when he died on the cross, he paid the price for your sin. You didn't see it. You weren't there 2000 years ago. But by faith you believe what Jesus did for you. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. So the very same faith that we put in Jesus to forgive us our sins is the same faith by which we ought to live.

Hoping for those things that have not yet happened. Believing God will work all things out for good. Believing that God will restore your marriage. Believing that God will restore your relationships. Believing that God will provide for you when you feel like you're at the end of your rope, and that nobody else cares. Believing that God will provide a way for you.

Faith. Faith is what we live by and it's by our faith that we please God. So God works through people who have faith in him.

God works through people who trust him

When we trust in God, that is a result of our faith. Faith is more than just head knowledge. When faith moves into obedience, it's called trust.

God works through people who trust him. Now, earlier in the gospel, the angel Gabriel visited a man named Zechariah. He was an old priest, and he showed up while Zechariah was doing his duties inside the temple. And the angel Gabriel showed up and said, Zechariah, have I got some news for you? Your old wife is going to bear child, and she's going to be called, you know, later on we're going to discover this John the Baptist, and he's going to prepare the way for the Messiah.

And Zechariah responded almost by laughing, how isn't that angel Gabriel? How? There is no way that's going to happen. How can I be sure? Send me a sign. Instead of trusting God would do what he had promised. Praying for a child is what Zechariah and Elizabeth did for years. And when the angel Gabriel showed up and said, okay, you're going to have a child.

He did not believe. He refused to believe the news.

Luke 11:8 - 20

Zechariah said to the angel, how can I be sure this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my wife also was well along in years. That's another way for saying my wife is old too. And the angel said, I am Gabriel. I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news. But now, since you didn't believe what I said, you will be silent and you will be unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.

Zechariah did not trust, and his lack of trust had consequences. And when you and I do not trust God, we will experience consequences. God desires to bless us. God desires to protect us, but we must trust him. And when we demonstrate trust, we're walking in obedience.

John 14:21

He who has my commands and keeps them, this is the one that loves me, and he who loves me will be loved by my father, and I will love him and show myself to him.

You and I are called to trust God, and we demonstrate our trust in God by keeping his commandments. And the greatest commandment that Jesus gave to us is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The greatest demonstration of trust for a follower of Jesus is not that you'll win the lottery one day, is not to spend $10 on $10 cards and scratch him off. And prayerfully, you win the lottery. The greatest demonstration of trust for a follower of Jesus is to love your neighbor, as you love yourself.

There are so many people in today's world that don't want to enter the doors of a church, because the church isn't loving their neighbor as they love themselves. And that's one thing that we've got to do a better job at. As followers of, Jesus is walking in submission, trusting him and doing and living obediently to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Look at the similarities between Mary and Mary and Zechariah and the angel Gabriel. Zechariah did not believe and he said, how can I be sure? I need a sign because my wife and I are way too old. But Mary trusted her and said, okay, how's this going to happen? I've never been with a man. I don't understand how this is going to happen.

God chooses to work through people who have faith. He's not afraid to answer your questions. He's not afraid to speak to you, but he chooses to work through people who have faith. Mary believed, and she experienced blessing. Zechariah later believed when Elizabeth had a son and he named him John.

God desires that you and I experience his presence through walking in obedience. Living by faith. Following him with a trust filled heart.

God works through people who have a servant's heart

Look at what Mary said in verse 38. I am the Lord's servant. Let it be to me as you have said. Mary could have come up with 100 different responses, and all of them, as a parent, would be what my daughter I would want my daughters to say.

If this was a situation that happened to them, I would want my daughters to say, God, could you use somebody else for this? There's no way my community is going to buy this. My marriage plans do not include having a baby bump on my wedding day. My wedding plans do not include being pregnant with the Son of God.

There's no way the people in the community are going to believe this God. Would you please choose somebody else? I don't want this weight. I'm a teenage girl. I don't want to carry this burden. And I think oftentimes when we hear that whisper from the Lord of of God speaking to our hearts, and he's leading us to do something, what we often say is, God could you please choose somebody else for this?

But I don't want to love my neighbor as I love myself the way you want me to. I want to love them from a distance, but I don't want to care for them. I don't want to become a servant to them. But instead of trying to convince God to change his mind, she accepted the plan and she submitted to God's leadership. And she said, I am the Lord's servant. That's because servants do what their masters ask them to do. Servants do what their masters ask them to do.

Throughout the history of the world. If someone has said to another you are the boss, that means they do what the boss asks them to do. When one of my daughters gave her life to Jesus and she was baptized at a young age, about six years old, I asked her. I said, so what does it mean now that you've given your life to Jesus?

And she said, he gets to be the boss of me for the rest of my life. And that is the correct picture of the Lordship of Jesus. When we surrender our lives, we're surrendering our lives. We're becoming a servant to the Most High God. And Mary's attitude was spot on. Could God have used somebody else? Yes. But he chose her.

And she said, I am but a servant. And because she had the heart of a servant, her life was forever changed. So if you have doubts that God can actually use you, become a servant. If you have doubts that God can use you in this world, become a servant to other people. Watch and see how God blesses humility.

Watch and see how God blesses those who try to bless other people. See, your whole role as a follower of Jesus is trying to bless other people. You're loving other people the way that Jesus loves you. When Jesus looked at his disciples and when they asked what the greatest commandment was, he didn't say, beat people over the head with the Bible, tell them how wrong they are in life.

He said, love your neighbor as you love yourself despite your differences politically, despite your differences socially. Love your neighbor as yourself. Love crosses every line, every border, every boundary. That's why love never fails. And when this Christmas season, when you're sitting around the Christmas table with your in-laws and you're sitting around the Christmas table with family and friends that you don't agree with.

Love never fails. Becoming a servant never fails. Beating him over the head with scripture will fail, but love won't.

So be a servant

Make those around you more important than you. There's a reason why we have the word called selfishness in the in the dictionary, right? Every every language on earth has a word for selfishness. It's when they're looking out for themselves.

This Christmas season. Let your family know how changed you've been by Jesus because of your selflessness. Because you're making them more important than you. You're taking care of them. You're tending to their needs. You're living like a servant. Will it get hard? Yes. God never calls us to easy. I wish he did. I wish God called us to easy things in life.

But he doesn't. God calls his followers to do the hard to take the form of a servant and to bless other people. If you want God to use you, be a servant and be committed to the Lordship of Jesus in your life. Demonstrating to your family and friends how much Jesus has changed you. By the way you take the form of a servant as well.

God uses people who are faithful. God uses people who place their trust in him, and God uses people who have the heart of a servant. Let God use you this Christmas season to make a difference.

Christmas - Tips For Surviving The Holidays

At some point this Christmas season, Kristy and I will pack up our four kids and two Goldendoodles and head to Georgia to spend time with her parents, her sister and husband, and our nephew.  I always look forward to spending time with family, especially around Christmas. Sleeping on air mattresses. Kids are cranky and fussing. Dealing with disappointment if you get the wrong gift. In-laws arguing in front of family. Strange odors around the house. The Christmas season COULD also be accurately called the awkward season.

Seldom does anything turn out according to plan. The food burns. The air mattress leaks and you wake up on the floor. The in-law's argument gets so heated people begin taking sides…

The strange odor around the house turns out to be your shoes…

Today, I want to pass along FOUR TIPS to help you survive Christmas Day, New Year's, and the Holiday season.

Matthew 1:18-25 (NLT2)

18  This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19  Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 20  As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22  All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23  “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” 24  When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25  But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

In the days of Mary and Joseph, the marriage process was FAR different than it is today. First, the marriage was arranged by the parents.   Second, a contract was prepared with the groom’s parents paying a “bride price.” Third, the marriage became legally binding after the contract and bride price were agreed upon.  Fourth, after the marriage became legally binding, the bride and groom still did not live together. The Bride and Groom would enter a season of purity testing.  The groom would travel to his home, get it ready for his bride, lock down a job and income if he did not have one, and when ready after the season of PURITY testing was over…the groom would travel to bring his bride home and then the marriage would finally be official after their first night together.

So, Joseph left to prepare the house for Mary. He waited for the season of purity testing to be over…It ended, with great excitement, he traveled back to get Mary… He shows up at Mary’s parent's house; she is seated, and she stands up…SURPRISE, HONEY! “I’M PREGNANT!”

Would you have been angry or devastated if this happened to you. So was Joseph. I am sure Joseph wrestled with thoughts like this:

I have been keeping myself pure. I have prepared our home. AND MARY has been sleeping with somebody else! Who is it Mary? Is it the mailman? Is it the Goat farmer down the street? And Mary replies, “It was the Holy Spirit.”  We see that Joseph really did not believe Mary’s story.

Matthew 1:19 (NLT2)

19  Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

If he had believed her, he would not have considered ending the engagement.

That takes us to our first Christmas survival tip. Like almost every Christmas so far, this season, you will have family tell you wild and unbelievable tales about their lives. They might brag and lie about being promoted at work…They might boast and lie about a dating life…

So…the first Christmas survival tip:

DO NOT ASSUME YOU ARE RIGHT; THERE IS ALWAYS MORE TO THE STORY (v. 19)

The story Mary told him was crazy!  “The Holy Spirit Got Me Pregnant.” He was embarrassed. He was angry. He was hurt.  But JOSEPH was WRONG to believe the worst about Mary.  He suffered emotionally because he was WRONG. He decided to divorce her quietly because he was WRONG.

This Christmas season, even if a relative’s story and life sounds made up and crazy…do not assume you are right. There is always more to the story… (Now, the more to the story may mean your relative needs therapy…) But do your best to not jump to conclusions.

Though Joseph was wrong about Mary…Joseph was still going to show great mercy toward her. According to Deuteronomy 22:20-21, after the Groom came for his bride, if the GROOM discovered she was no longer a virgin, she could be drug to the door of her father’s house and stoned to death.

I am sure that Joseph had some buddies that goaded him on…You don’t have to take that Joseph! But, even though he did not believe Mary, he chose to show mercy to Mary. He decided not to shame her publicly and would handle a quiet divorce.

Joseph’s reaction leads us to our second tip.  If this season gets too stressful and awkward and you feel like you are about to say something you will regret:

DO NOT LET YOUR FEELINGS DETERMINE YOUR BEHAVIOR; LET GOD DETERMINE YOUR BEHAVIOR (v. 20)

Despite how he may have felt, Joseph chose a gentler action.  He did not allow his emotions to lead the charge as he dealt with this challenging situation. Instead of choosing to stone her, he decided to divorce her quietly. Even though he was hurt, he did not wish for his wife and his wife’s family to be shamed and humiliated.

So, around your family, choose not to shame your relatives. Choose to swallow your pride, even when you know they are wrong…choose not to humiliate them. Choose to let yourself be wronged to keep peace.

Your feelings will get hurt this Christmas Season. Somebody is going to speak harshly to you.  Somebody is going to step on your toes. Somebody is going to give you the silent treatment. Somebody may gossip about you. Lie about you. Somehow, Cousin Eddie will show up and drain the joy from your life. If you want to survive and thrive during Christmas – you must NOT allow your FEELINGS to determine your course of action.

Paul, a follower of Jesus, wrote this:

Romans 12:17-21 (NLT2)

17  Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18  Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 19  Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD. 20  Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” 21  Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

See – if you are a follower of Jesus – If you have committed to follow Jesus by receiving Him as your personal Savior. If you received forgiveness for your sin and have entered a relationship with God through Jesus…then this passage gets to boss you around and prescribe how you get to live around a crazy family filled with Cousin Eddies…

When we respond to others based on our emotions, we will escalate the situation and make things worse for everyone else.  God has a better path and plan for us.

If you want peace, you must be the sacrifice. Retaliate with genuine kindness. Offer them something to eat and drink. Conquer evil by doing good. Even if you believe you are right.

Choosing to be the sacrifice leads us to the third tip.

DO NOT BE JUDGMENTAL
CHOOSE TO BE MERCIFUL RATHER THAN RIGHT (v.24)

Show kindness anyway. That is what mercy is. Mercy is undeserved kindness.

Scripture isn’t filled with passages about Joseph.  But from this sliver of scripture, we can see why God chose Joseph to be the earthly father to Jesus…Even though he made a wrong conclusion, Joseph could have chosen to stone Mary.  Instead, he decided to show mercy and divorce her quietly. Joseph was a man who demonstrated uncomfortable grace. There is no telling what impact Joseph had on Jesus.
Did Jesus learn to turn the other cheek from his dad?

Did he learn to show mercy from his dad?

Did he learn to forgive 70 x 7 from his dad?

I wonder if Jesus the boy learned to shoulder the weight of the sin of the world by watching how his father carried the weight of whispers in the community.

Parents and Grandparents, your family is watching and learning from you this season.  If you retaliate with vengeance and anger…they will, too.  If you choose to be merciful and kind – they will learn how to be compassionate and kind through you.

And finally, the behavior you model will lead you to this last tip:

DO NOT GET DISTRACTED
CENTER CHRISTMAS AROUND JESUS (v.25)

It is SO EASY to get distracted by family and gifts and lose focus.  Joseph finally came around and believed Mary’s story.  An ANGEL of the LORD spoke to him and told him that Mary was pregnant with God’s Son.

Because Joseph BELIEVED by faith what happened to Mary, the direction of his life changed.  Instead of seeking to divorce – he stayed in the marriage.  They had more children together, and for a season, until he died, Joseph raised Jesus as his own.

Every Christmas Eve, we have a birthday party for Jesus. Kristy will bake a little cake with the girls.  We will sing “Happy Birthday, Jesus.” We want to make sure our focus is on Jesus.

What will you choose to center your life around?  The things people say about you? The presents you give to others? Family? Food? Do not allow the distractions to build up and become the focus of your life so much that you lose your temper, retaliate, and hurt others.  Choose to center your life on Jesus.

Anticipation… - Herod

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah…
Luke 1:5a

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:1-2

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
Matthew 2:3-4

King Herod was disturbed because he wanted no other King.

Do you find it difficult to let Jesus be King of your Life?

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Matthew 2:5-6

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
Matthew 2:7-8

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
Matthew 2:9-10

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11

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

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

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Matthew 2:14-15

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
Matthew 2:16

Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Matthew 2:17-18

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

So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 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 2:21-22

How we respond to Jesus’ kingship affects everyone around us.

Who is sitting on the throne in your life?

Anticipation… - Joseph

• Just
• Righteous
• Good

“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:18 NLT

Engagement:
…can be broken off at any time, without penalty

Betrothal:
…morally & legally binding

1)  Get better acquainted

2) Give families time to prepare

3) Confirm chastity

“Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.”
Matthew 1:19

“Joseph, son of David, ” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:20-22

God was asking Joseph to raise the Savior as his own son.

RIGHTEOUSNESS
…love God’s Law and desire God’s will.

COMPASSION
…give priority to love and mercy as opposed to judgment and retribution.

FAITH
…trust God and make the difficult decisions.

How different would the Christmas Story have been, without Joseph…?

Who would have raised Jesus?

How would the prophecies have been fulfilled?

YOU MATTER TO GOD AND HE HAS PLANS FOR YOU!

Anticipation… - The Mysteries of The Magi

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Matthew 2:1-12

GOD CAN USE ANYTHING

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Romans 1:20

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalms 19:1

GOD IS NOT LIMITED BY OUR IMAGINATIONS AND UNDERSTANDINGS.

GOD USES EVERYTHING TO GET OUR ATTENTION AND ALWAYS POINTS US BACK TO THE FEET OF JESUS.