Introduction…
Life is a journey/ an adventure. And as we journey on the road of life we sometimes encounter unexpected curves:
· The medical report you didn’t expect
· The accident you didn’t see coming
· The job being over
· Having a baby
· Losing a baby
· Losing someone without warning
· Moving
Mary and Joseph knew about curves in the road. In fact, the Christmas story is a story with unexpected events and curves in the road.
Let’s join the journey of Mary and Joseph as we explore how to deal with the unexpected curves on the journey of life.
Luke 2:1-7
Mary…
Who she is…
· Cousin to Elizabeth
· Perhaps of the tribe of Levi, perhaps a descendant of David since her mother was from Bethlehem
· Parents were Joachim of Nazareth and Anna of Bethlehem.
· Sister was Salome, wife of Zebedee, mother of James and John.
Her Character…
· Sexually Pure and Moral
· Woman of Faith
· Spiritual
· Obedient
· Willing Servant
· Attitude of Praise
Her Assignment…
· Give birth to and be the mother of God’s Son.
Joseph…
Who he is…
· Tradition says that Joseph was a widower, an older man.
· Taxpayer - Luke 2:1-5
· Common Man
· Carpenter – probably good with details. Measure twice before you cut once.
His Character…
· Sexually Pure (Matt. 1:18)
· Man of Integrity (Matt. 1:19) – Look at his reaction when he discovered Mary was pregnant.
· Man of Faith
· Sensitive (Matt. 1:19) – not a cruel, cold hearted individual
· Level-headed (Matt. 1:20) – thought about and reflected on situations rather than simply reacting.
· Spiritual (Matt. 1:20, 2:13) – he as in touch with his God
· Obedient (Matt. 1:24,25; 2:13,14) – we see Joseph obeying God immediately.
· Willing Servant – Willing to obey, not close-minded to something that had never been done before.
His Assignment…
· He was chosen by God to be the earthly father to Jesus. He was the man God chose to raise His son.
· He was content to be a role player and not the star attraction.
· So very little is known about Joseph.
What we do know is a good example to the men of our day.
World Events: Judea was under the tyranny of Roman rule. Caesar Augustus decreed that there was to be a census and taxation of the entire Roman world. Every one had to go to their hometown to register.
In this story we learn first of all that…
1. There were unexpected curves on the journey of life.
· Mary’s pregnancy
Mary was engaged to Joseph. The marriage customs of the day include three parts: first, the promise of marriage, which may be broken or informally canceled; second, the betrothal was legally ratified by both families through a covenant (often the prospective husband paid a bride price at this time) with an intent to finalize the marriage vows at the appropriate time; finally, the groom went on the marriage day to the home of his bride to bring her into his home (cp. Dt2223-24; 28-29 note the distinction between these two events).
Joseph and Mary were at stage two, and though the marriage was not consummated, Mary would have been considered to belong to Joseph even though she continued to live with her parents for a year or more after their formal engagement. A formal engagement of a year or more before the consummation of the marriage was not uncommon. Sometimes it was because the bride was too young, sometimes the groom needed the time to establish himself financially.
Before Mary and Joseph consummated their marriage she discovered that she was expecting a child.
Talk about a curve! Can you imagine the emotions that Mary dealt with? Here was a young lady preparing for her wedding day. She was busy making sure everything was in order and right in the middle of all of this an angel appears with some very astounding news.
Hope/Dreams: Dreams of a perfect life together. Excerpt from a wedding ceremony speaks to the Father of the Bride and says, “You have hoped, and planned, and dreamed of a life for her, of one that will be lived with a man to love and cherish her forever.
That Mary became pregnant before the wedding day has a far more serious consequence because she was formally engaged to Joseph. It seems apparent, comparing the Luke narrative with Matthew, that Mary went to visit Elizabeth immediately after the announcement from Gabriel. How Joseph discovers Mary’s pregnancy we cannot be sure; however, she would be at the end of her first trimester when she returned from her visit with Elizabeth. Joseph’s love for Mary is such that though he believes her to have been unfaithful to him, he does not seek any type of financial or punitive retribution which would have been his right under the Mosaic Law. Neighbors in the small town of Nazareth may have assumed that Joseph was the father. However, Joseph, as a morally upright man, cannot marry her and plans privately to write her a bill of divorce which would save Mary from as much public humiliation as possible (Ps 3120).
· Elizabeth’s pregnancy
Mary then went to see her cousin, Elizabeth, who was expecting a child in her old age (John the Baptist).
Talk about a curve! But, together, Elizabeth and Mary confirmed the will of the Lord.
· The appearance of angels
Talk about a curve!
We last saw the angel Gabriel in the Temple informing the priest Zacharias that his prayers had been answered and his wife was going to have a child. Not just any child, but a prophet like none other.
The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her what was happening.
In the meantime, when Joseph discovers that Mary is pregnant, he decides to treat her fairly by not exposing her to public disgrace or even death. He would simply divorce her quietly. But an angel appeared to him in a dream and explained the situation to him. He immediately obeyed the Lord and took Mary home has his wife.
After the revelation Joseph immediately takes Mary into his home as his wife. Mary is in a most vulnerable position with respect to the rest of the village. The villagers no doubt considered Joseph the father of Jesus (cp. Matt 1355). While it was wrong to have sexual relations during the betrothal period, there was no formal punishment for it except to advance the marriage date. By taking Mary into his home Joseph removes the social stigma that would have been associated with Mary. He took on the role of protector and provided Godly leadership in their relationship. He is clearly a man of faith and strength. His willingness to obey God demonstrates that he, like Mary, has a servant’s heart toward God and is fully obedient to the call of God on his life.
· The journey to Bethlehem
Then the event of apparent bad timing occurred – they had to go from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for a census and taxation. It was too close to the time of the birth of Jesus. Talk about a curve!
Mary and Joseph went together to Bethlehem in obedience to the Roman and Jewish governmental authorities, although Joseph could have probably have registered for both of them. They went together because Mary was in her final three weeks of pregnancy, and Joseph didn’t want to leave her alone with the possibility that the baby might come while he was gone. Luke tells us that she had spent the first three months of pregnancy with Elizabeth. Mary then returned to Nazareth to hear the wonderful news that an angel had appeared to Joseph and convinced him, as Matthew tells us, to marry her, taking her as his beloved and caring for her. They spent the next six months. Joseph made a decision not to consummate that marriage.
· The inability to find lodging
However, after arriving in Bethlehem from the tiresome journey, there was no place to stay, no place to sleep, no room in the inn. Talk about a curve!
Surely God did not intend this. Did they make the wrong decision? Should they have stayed home until the baby was born? Joseph must have second guessed himself many times that night.
· No one around for the birth of Jesus
They were directed to a cave/stable of some sort. And there, in a humble stable – not in splendor – away from anyone familiar – not in the comfort of home – God entered the world as a dependent infant. Talk about a curve!
· The Shepherds’ story
Talk about a curve!
· Simeon’s Prophecy
· Anna’s Words about Jesus
· The visit of the Magi
· The need to escape to Egypt
Talk about a curve!
Secondly we see that…
Often unexpected curves produce tension and stress in our lives.
Conflicts/Tensions:
· The Dream vs. Reality: The dream of a perfect wedding vs. the situation of pregnancy under a cloud of suspicion. Talk about tension and stress!
· Jews and the Romans – stress of having to go to Bethlehem. Talk about tension and stress!
· Legal duties of registering and the personal situation of your wife expecting a baby. Talk about tension and stress!
· Lodging and Mary – No room for your pregnant wife. Talk about tension and stress!
· Decisions – What should they do? Do they travel to Bethlehem, away from home, away from the crib Joseph so carefully constructed, away from family and friends? Do they follow the law away from the security of the midwives they know? Or do they choose to stay in familiar territory?
Talk about tension and stress!
Application to today…
In each of our lives there are unexpected curves in the road – situations we didn’t see coming – happenings we didn’t plan for – apparent setbacks.
· The medical report you didn’t expect
· The accident you didn’t see coming
· The job being over
· Having a baby
· Losing a baby
· Losing someone without warning
· Moving
It seems as though every curve produces tension and stress in our lives. What should we do? What is the right thing? What is the easiest thing? What is the best thing?
Possible Choices…
1. Make the choice that seems best in my own mind. That’s what Joseph had decided until the angel came to him in a dream.
Isn’t that what we often do – reason it all out before we pray? Weigh out all the options and make a business decision before we seek the will of God or the mind of Christ?
Reasoning it out is not necessarily a bad thing. But if we neglect seeking God, then we can become our own worst enemy.
2. Make the choice that will benefit those closest to us. That’s what Joseph and Mary could have done by not going to Bethlehem. But then, prophecy would not be fulfilled that said the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.
This often seems like the most noble thing to do. But again, if we don’t seek the will of God, we can become our own worst enemy.
Notice what Mary and Joseph did.
Main Preaching Point: At every curve they chose to trust God. They chose to express faith in God.
They chose to do the right thing, the ethical thing of following the law, no matter how difficult it might be. They chose to trust God for guidance and provision.
Joseph and Mary chose to express their faith by obeying God.
· Mary obeyed
· Joseph obeyed
Jesus was born into a godly home.
God continued to lead them on their journey in life.
Response:
Have there been any unexpected curves in your life lately? Is there tension and stress because of these unexpected curves?
Will you choose to make the choice that seems best in your own mind?
Will you choose to make the choice that benefits those closest to you?
Or, will you choose to seek God and to trust Him?
Here’s the interesting thing: God will always do what is best for you and for those closest to you. So, if you really want what’s best for all concerned, trust God.
Trust God enough to express it in obedience.
God will continue to lead you on your journey of life.
Invitation to…
· Talk to God about the curves along your journey of life.
· Seek direction from God concerning His will for you.
· Commit yourself to obey what you already know to be the will of God for you.
