Joseph Shows Us God's Way To Cope With A Crisis Series

Joseph Shows Us God's Way to Cope with a Crisis

The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1:18-25

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(New version prepared December 4, 2022)

MESSAGE:

*One of Dave Berry's favorite childhood Christmas memories was the annual Children's Christmas Program at his church in Armonk, New York. Dave said, "Shepherd was my favorite role, -- because you got to carry a stick. Many were the happy rehearsal hours we shepherds spent whacking each other with sticks."

*But nobody wanted to be Joseph, because "Joseph had to hang around with Mary who was played by a girl. You had to wait backstage with this girl, and walk in with this girl. Needless to say, you felt like a total goof, which was not helped by the fact that the shepherds and Three Wise Men were constantly suggesting that you really liked this girl. So during the program Joseph tried to keep the maximum allowable distance from Mary, as though she was carrying some kind of deadly bacteria." (1)

*Being Joseph wasn't easy, in the Christmas play, and it surely wasn't easy in the real world either. Mike Fogerson explained that "Joseph and Mary had been planning a wedding when God told them to prepare a nursery.

*Verse 18 tells us that 'Mary was betrothed to Joseph.' That meant a whole lot more than being engaged today. Hebrew marriages had two stages. In the first stage called 'betrothal,' the couple was considered to be legally married, even though they did not live together as man and wife.

*This period of being separate, but legally married could last as long as a year, and it was far more binding than modern engagements. Only divorce could break it apart. And if they had been unfaithful to each other, it would have been counted as adultery punishable by death under Old Testament law. (2)

*Joseph and Mary had been joyfully making plans for a wedding. But then Mary gave him the shocking news that she was pregnant. Talk about a crisis for Joseph! With those unbelievable words from Mary, Joseph's world began to fall apart, so "the first time we see him in the Bible, Joseph was planning a divorce." (3)

*Crisis at Christmas. The hospitals don't empty out at Christmas. The funeral homes don't close down. Marriage problems don't magically go away. Rebellious children don't always come to their senses. Dreams still get shattered. People still get hurt.

*There will be crises at Christmas and every other day of the year. But Joseph shows us how to cope with any crisis that comes our way.

1. FIRST: WE MUST PURSUE GOD'S PLAN FOR OUR LIVES.

*Verse 18 shows us the Lord's unique plan for Joseph and Mary. Here God's Word says: "The birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit."

*Think about the plan Joseph had for his life. I'm sure he was planning for a good life. But he probably thought he would have a simple life: Build up his carpentry business, marry Mary, have lots of children, follow the Lord, strive to be a good and righteous man.

*Joseph had planned for a simple life, but God had other plans. Joseph could have never imagined the mission that God had planned for his life: "Me the adoptive father of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the promised Messiah? My life story in God's Word? No way!" (4)

*Joseph thought he would have a simple life. But God had a different plan. And in today's Scripture, Joseph got to the point where he was open to God's plan. Joseph fully embraced God's plan, even though it took him to difficult places in life, and that's what God wants us to do.

*How do we know that Joseph embraced God's plan for his life? Verses 24-25 tell us that after Joseph had that Heaven sent dream, he "DID as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus."

*Joseph was totally committed to do everything God asked Him to do. He obeyed God. He took great care of Mary and little Jesus. Where would Mary and Jesus have been without Joseph? He stood in the gap to provide for them and protect them.

*Think about that trip to Bethlehem they had to make just before Jesus was born. They had to go, because of the Roman census. They also had to go, because God had prophesied that His Son would be born in Bethlehem. Mary was very pregnant when they made that 70-mile journey to Bethlehem. They were on foot, or maybe Mary was able to ride a donkey.