“…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.
But we all know that there always exists the possibility of interruptions to these perfect circumstances. Consider the timing & circumstances of Joseph & Mary’s interruption.
- “betrothed” – Betrothal in biblical times was a legally binding agreement. Much like engagement in that it was a relationship between a man & a woman & was time of preparation for the upcoming marriage. But it was a deeper commitment that was a legally binding as a marriage contract. The fact that Matthew says that they were pledged to be married & yet called Joseph “her husband” shows that this was more than what we know as engagement. And the fact that a divorce was required to break the betrothal also shows that.
- “found to be w/ child” – “found” – lit means to discover; to learn something previously not known. Certainly describes this discovery that interrupted Joseph’s plans & life.
JOSEPH’S DECISION – v. 19 – Joseph had a monumental decision to make. If Mary had been unfaithful to him, he could legally divorce her b/c she would have been guilty of adultery as a betrothed woman. Though it would have been devastating, he would have been well within his legal rights to divorce her.
Joseph was a “just man” – meaning he was living his life according to God’s standards. And Joseph loved Mary. So, in his own mind, he had a double problem. First, he knew he shouldn’t go through w/ the marriage b/c he obviously was not the father of this child, & naturally assumed that Mary had had relations w/ another man. But secondly, b/c of his love for her, he did not want to shame & embarrass her & make a spectacle of her suspected sin, which was a common practice in that day w/ an adulteress. He actually could have demanded that she be stoned to death. His decision was to divorce her quietly & secretly. That would have, at least for a little while, protected Mary & she would live. But what a mistake that would have been b/c God was at work in these circumstances in ways that Joseph had no idea about but was about to find out about.
JOSEPH’S DREAM – v. 20-23 – “But as he considered these things…” – Thank the Lord for a little divine procrastination! Joseph knew this was a big decision & he needed to think it through. While that was happening,
“behold” – means “pay attention to this, something is about to change” – That change was a supernatural encounter w/ an angel – probably Gabriel – who gave him some news that changed all of his circumstances. This news?
- Don’t fear
- Take Mary as your wife
- The Holy Spirit has done something miraculous
- She’s going to have a Son
- Name Him “Jesus” – “God will save” b/c that’s what this baby is going to do – “He will save His people from their sins” – (Isaiah 41:2; 53:6; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Daniel 9:24; Zechariah 13:1)
- This fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 7:14)
- He will be “Immanuel” – This is the very essence of Christmas. It’s the core message of Christmas. Jesus has come! Jesus will save! Jesus is w/ us! Hallelujah!
Man! What a dream! What a change in circumstances! Which led to a change in Joseph’s decision to divorce Mary…
JOSEPH’S DETERMINATION – v. 24-25 – Joseph’s determination was fueled by his obedience to the Lord’s command. His determination is defined by 2 things:
- GET UP!
- GO!
- It’s just simply obedience – the foundation of the Christian life. Just get up & go do what you’re supposed to do in obedience to God.
CONCLUSION – Point is: When God speaks - & He has spoken through His Word & still speaks to us through His Holy Spirit – we have the confidence to know that HE IS WITH US, no matter what our life circumstances are.
“I am with you always”
Joseph Damien was a 19th century missionary who ministered to people w/ leprosy on Hawaiian island of Molokai. His unselfish, sacrificial service to those w/ this disease was incredible. One morning before he was to lead a worship service, he was pouring some hot water into a cup when he accidentally spilled some on his foot. Took a moment to realize that he had not felt any sensation or pain. Gripped by what that could mean, he poured more hot water over the same spot. There was no feeling whatsoever. He immediately knew what had happened. As he walked tearfully to deliver his sermon, no one at first noticed the difference in his opening line. Normally, he began every sermon by saying, “My fellow believers.” But this morning, he began by saying, “My fellow lepers.” He identified w/ them in a much more intimate, personal way now. Their suffering was now his suffering.
In a much greater way, Jesus came into the world to say, “My fellow humans. I am w/ you now & will always be w/ you, no matter your circumstances.”
Matthew begins his Gospel w/ this news about Immanuel. And he ends his Gospel w/ Jesus’ final words, “I am w/ you always, even to the end of the age.” That is still true for us today!
