The Gift of Christ

Jesus Son of Joseph

I do not want this “Gift”

Have you ever received a gift that you just did not want?

Maybe if you are a man you received a tool kit from your wife, with the hidden agenda of fixing something in the house.

For the ladies maybe it was some kind of kitchen appliance with the line of “this is to help cook ____ this year”

For our younger people, it’s any clothes right, who wants clothes when you can get toys or video games or any new tech.

These things make us say in our minds, “I do not want this gift”

Maybe you have received a gift that you did not want.

When we receive a gift we do not want we often try to get rid of it or hide it. Trying to have as little of it as possible, either trading it off, returning it or selling it for some money back.

Trying to salvage the situation into something that is profitable for us, how can I turn this towards a better looking outcome.

See for us we can joke about how we do not like the socks that we got for Christmas, however for Jesus’ father Joseph it was a reality that he was receiving a Child that he did not want. A child that would have made him look like he and Mary committed adultery, That they conceived Jesus out of wedlock. Listen to this from Matthew 1:18-19

Matthew 1:18–19 NIV

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

This is a social suicide, just imagine. Naerazth where they were from was a small town, just like here in Vermilion, and suddenly the rumours go flying around town that Joseph and Mary’s son was born before they married.

Or even if he denies Jesus as his son, then the social ridicule falls on Mary who he loves.

So Joseph decides that he will save face and divorce Mary quietly so that nothing big would come out of this ordeal. He hides away the story from the public, this is the plan, quietly walk away with not commotion because that is not his son.

Invitation to receive Jesus

However he is met with an invitation from the heavenly host to change his plans because of a greater purpose.

Joseph is confronted with a angel in his dream, Matthew 1:20-21

Matthew 1:20–21 NIV

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Wow what a counter play to Josephs idea. However this still comes with the social flaws, that people will see that they had not married and now have kid. The invitation to Joseph changes his mind, he probably starts to think about this great blessing that comes with the hardships.

Jesus will save man from their sins

Jesus will be Immanuel

Jesus will be the fulfillment of the Prophecies that Jospeh would have grown up with.

Jesus would have the lineage of David if Joseph were to make him his son.

Even more Matthew 1:22-23

Matthew 1:22–23 NIV

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Joseph’s son would be God with us, what kind of blessing that would be to him, but to all of man kind.

All he would have to do is to recevie the invitation from the angel.

Jesus The King

Praise to the King whose come

So he goes and wakes up Matthew 1:24-25

Matthew 1:24–25 NIV

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

When Joseph goes and takes baby Jesus in his arms and gives him his name this is such a important piece of the story, that Joseph acknowledges Jesus as his son,

This plays out that he would follow in the family tree of David. Making Jesus’ Kingship that much more powerful.

If Joseph never received Jesus as his son there would be so many gaps in the prophecy.

Jospeh encountered the angle that changed his life,

It all came down to an invitation of if Joseph wanted to receive Jesus, and the commitment that followed.

His call was was to take Jesus as his son and name him Jesus that he would be God with us, the Baby who comes as a King, the saviour of man, that Joseph would take a Child that he was ready to leave and instead commit fully to his marriage with Mary and his fatherhood over Jesus, even if people talked about him behind his back. There was a greater purpose that Joseph was invited into.

Jesus The Redeemer

We must receive Jesus this season

Just Like Joseph we are purposed with a invitation.

Here is your invitiation today, will you recevie Jesus? Will you acknowledge Immanuel as your saviour?

Just like Joseph we receive Jesus as our own.

Altough you may not have a angelic being calling for you to receive Jesus, you are still invited into this Christmas story. It did not end in the cradle, but rather as we had read Jesus goes on to make true on what the Angel said, “He will save his people from their sins”