Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Key Words: trusting, longing

Big Idea:  Joseph trusted and obeyed God even when things didn’t go the way he expected.

We love Advent traditions at our house.  We always wait until Thanksgiving to blare our Christmas music.  The kids get so excited when it’s finally time to go into the storage room and get out the various green and red boxes filled with all our Christmas stuff.  They can’t wait to unpack the stockings, the ornaments, the books, and their favorite…the nativity.  We have several.  A nice decorative one, a painted wooden one, a magnetic one for the refrigerator, and everyone’s favorite – a “Little People” Nativity we got about 10 years ago.  The kids love to help set them up, and play with them throughout the Christmas season. The nativity is probably a familiar sight in many of our homes.  Whether wooden, magnetic, painted, or plastic – big or small – we see nativities everywhere during December.  Where do you put your nativity?  Who do you see in your nativity?

We have one nativity that shows only Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. Another shows animals and shepherds as well.  Of course, all of these are characters we find in the Bible.  Our tradition is to talk about all of them at various times during Advent.  Today we are going to spend some time with Joseph. What do you know about Joseph? 

 Last week, if you read through the long list of names in Matthew 1, you found Joseph down at the bottom in verse 16.  Joseph was one of Abraham’s descendants.  He had the privilege of seeing God deliver on His promise to Joseph’s great, great, great, great, great, great (etc) grandfather.

Now, Joseph had his life pretty well mapped out.  He had a career as a carpenter and was engaged to be married to a nice girl in town named Mary.  When Mary was found to be with child, Joseph’s world was changed.  Have you ever had your plans not go the way you expected?

Matthew tells us that Joseph intended to end his relationship with Mary, but all that changed when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.  The angel told Joseph that he shouldn’t fear, this was all part of the God’s rescue plan, the very plan that Joseph and generations of his family had been looking for! And do you know what Joseph did?  The Bible says he woke up and “did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.” Do you think this was easy or hard for Joseph?  Is it easy or hard for you to do things that are different than you expected?

Joseph was being told to do something that was uncomfortable and unexpected.  The Lord didn’t tell him every detail of how this unexpected life change would pan out.  He simply said, “Do not fear, I’m working out my plan.” Joseph woke up and did as he was commanded. He trusted the Lord.

Romans 8:28 tells us that all things work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.  If we belong to Jesus by faith, we are called according to his purpose, and the Lord’s plan – as uncomfortable or unexpected as it may be – will work for our good.  It is important to understand that the “good” promised here refers to our good in the kingdom of God, not earthly comfort or ease. Joseph took Mary as his wife and named the baby she had Jesus, as commanded, but the road was not easy.

What are some hard or scary things the Lord has asked or is asking you to do? 

While we may not be asked something as drastic as Joseph was, the Lord will ask us to do some things that are uncomfortable and even unexpected. Sometimes it is to change our plans, to talk to someone about Jesus, or even to let go of something important to us.  Whatever it is, Joseph – that quiet character we see in every nativity scene at Christmas – reminds us how to respond: trust and obey.

[To keep Christmas all the year in 2018, commit Romans 8:28 to memory]