...in Life's Circumstances Series

“…IN LIFE’S CIRCUMSTANCES” Matt. 1:18-25

FBCF – 12/11/22

Jon Daniels

INTRO – Saw a sign for a lost dog that read: “LOST DOG: 3 legs, blind in one eye, missing right ear, tail broken, recently castrated – answers to the name, ‘LUCKY.’”

Ever feel that way sometimes? One thing after another. Get disturbing text message that saddens you. Then phone rings w/ someone telling you more bad news. Then your child walks in w/ arm twisted at crazy angle b/c he just broke it when he fell off the trampoline. You rush him out to car to take him to doctor, but find a flat tire on your car. That’s just how it is sometimes. Life’s circumstances can quickly spiral out of control.

Today, we continue our “God is With Us” series & consider the truth that He is w/ us “in life’s circumstances.” And, oh how we need to know this truth today.

Sean Dietrich – “Sean of the South”: Christmas is a time when God says to humankind, “I’m coming to hang out with you guys. So, get ready.”

But the truth is, he doesn’t ONLY hang out with you at Christmas. God is with you year-round. Especially when you don’t notice him.

God is with you when you take your chemo transfusion. He is with you when you’re lying on your bathroom floor, weeping because the physical pain is unbearable.

He is with you when you’re feeling like a godawful failure because you’re jonesing for a drink. He is with you when your own children refuse to visit you because your family is screwed up.

God is with you when you feel like you want to take your own life. God is with you when you are mourning for your infant daughter who died from SIDS. God is with you always, even until the end of the age.

And that is what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. (https://seandietrich.com/this-christmas/)

EXPLANATION – Matthew 1:18-25

Alistair Begg sermon this week, “Why God Sent His Son”: The Bible is a book about Jesus.

- In the OT, Jesus is predicted

- In the Gospels, Jesus is revealed

- In Acts, Jesus is being preached

- In the Epistles (Letters), Jesus is being explained

- In Revelation, Jesus is expected (Alistair Begg)

And here we are in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus is revealed as “’Immanuel’ which means, ‘God with us.’” Some 700 years before Jesus came into the world, the OT prophet Isaiah made the prediction that the angel told Joseph. The fulfillment of this prophecy is one of the most hope-giving, courage-building, faith-growing truths about the coming of Jesus into our world.

Matthew, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, definitely needed to know that God is w/ us. As a tax collector, he would have been one of the most unpopular members of society. He probably had a lucrative income but left it all to follow Jesus.

- He believed Jesus was the King who would rule as God’s Regent on earth offering His Kingdom to His people.

- He believed Jesus was the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Chosen One of God who was the perfect Prophet, Priest, & King.

- He believed Jesus was the Savior of the world, the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, the Lamb of God who was the once-for-all sacrifice who would “save His people from their sins” (v. 21). He believed that He was the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world as 1 John 2:2 tells us.

- He believed that Jesus was the Son of God who suffered, died, & rose again to purchase our salvation, & that He is one day coming again to take His Bride & Body, the Church, home w/ Him.

So, as we look at & tell the story of Joseph & his part in the birth of Jesus, we are really just continuing to point toward Jesus.

APPLICATION – We can & must trust God in all of life’s circumstances.

Let’s look at Joseph’s circumstances & how he responded to them. But before we focus on Joseph, let me tell you about the circumstances of the world in which he & Mary lived. Political unrest & upheaval. Read article: “A Most Violent Year: The World into which Jesus was Born.” (https://www.abc.net.au/religion/a-most-violent-year-the-world-into-which-jesus-was-born/10097496) There were revolts, rebellions, tumultuous crises, wars – all of these characterized the circumstances & climate of the troubled setting that Joseph lived in when his world was turned upside down. While all these things were going on, we find these facets of Joseph’s immediate circumstances as we walk through these verses:

JOSEPH’S DISCOVERY – v. 18 – We all have high expectations of Christmas. Want everything to be perfect – kids playing, carolers & choirs singing, families laughing & sharing the perfect gifts w/ one another. We want the hot chocolate to be the perfect temperature & we want the temperature outside to be perfect. We want the Christmas tree to be the perfect height w/ all the lights working perfectly. We want perfect peace, harmony, & joy.