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Responsive Reading: Luke 2: 1-7.
What is gift of Christmas?
The real gift of Christmas is the hope of better days.
We celebrate Christmas one day out of the year.
But the birth of Jesus Christ represents the coming a better days for the world.
Within the gleaming eye of every child is the hope someone sees the good in them on Christmas Day.
A good enough to reward them in tangible ways.
Parents gladly sacrifice by humble means to show love to bruised knees and scared hands.
Christmas tree rises to the heavens in the kindly home while the family meal points to the Great Table when we share the glorious feast at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
God will surely manifest our hopes with love and power.
“A virgin SHALL conceive and gift birth to a son, and you SHALL call his name Jesus; and he SHALL save his people from their sins.”
Angels proclaim Glad tidings of great joy can be found at the manger.
Wise men make themselves at home where there is no furniture.
They kneel before the cradle with the treasures of gold, frankincense and Myrrh to worship Immanuel.
The choir of angels signs, “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to whom God’s favor rests.”
They speak of better days.
Christmas declares the coming year offers no defeat, for we survived.
This last year has strengthened our resolve to press towards the mark.
Our faith is clear.
We take another step closer to the Great Recompense, when The Son of Righteousness will come again with healing in his wings and right every wrong.
Christmas announces The King is born and we are born again.
Tonight, we look towards better days.
The spot light has always been on Mary.
I raise a question.
“Do the other characters in the story of Jesus’ birth have anything to say to us?”
The answer is, YES.
Look at Joseph.
Look at him before the dream and after.
His life inspires us to hope for better days.
Joseph is the first true believer in the Messiah.
John Nolland of, The Gospel of Matthew: a Greek Commentary,” said, “Joseph is the first person in the Gospel called upon to commit himself to the significance of Jesus in the purposes of God.”
Joseph reminds us, in God’s kingdom, we all have a part to play.
Mary is the mother of Jesus, but Joseph was both Jesus’ earthly father and his spiritual son, for he too followed the angel’s command.
Joseph tells us the greatest thing to ever happen to you is to get thrown off course and find your way back on course again.
If you obey God and remove bitterness from your heart and give thanks for what God has given, you will have better days.
Better days come after difficult times.
Joseph’s hopes could not have been crushed more.
His betrothed is pregnant.
A betrothal was a marriage.
Being engaged today does not have the same weight of a betrothal in Joseph’s day.
When a man desired a wife, he had to secure permission to marry her from the maiden’s family.
Then he paid a dowry or offer years of service to the father.
Jacob worked 14 years for Rachel.
Once the family agreed, then a contract was signed a covenant.
Often covenants were marked by blood to secure the bond between the two families.
Afterwards the groom would present the bride with jewelry, as Isaac did to Rebekah.
Gen 24: 53 “Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother.”
Then there was a ceremony we're both families made the agreement in public.
To find out that Mary was pregnant by another brought shame to her family, to Joseph and Mary herself.
If the people found the betrothed was not a virgin, she could be stoned.
Joseph thought, this is end of marriage.
Save her from being stoned, but send Mary away.
But he loved Mary.
What could Joseph do? Exhausted from the weight of this doleful night, Joseph went to sleep.
Sometimes, the best and only thing to do after a bad time is go to sleep.
Let it go for now.
The Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph by night in a dream.
Joseph heard from God- by the angel of the Lord.
The was not just any angel.
God’s special angel.
“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.”
Matt.
1: 20-21.
JOSEPH WOKE UP.
Being “woke” is controversial today.
Being awakened to God is everything.
It is being enlightened to the Divine.
It is taking a new path.
It is the soul’s transformation.
Joseph did more than wake up from a dream, He awakened to God’s will.
The same angel who spoke to Mary.
Luke 1:30-31 “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.”
Joseph went from dismay to humility.
He no longer questioned his marriage.
he was in awe by the angel’s message.
THIS WAS JOSEPH’S MOMENT OF SALVATION.
Joseph did what the angel of the Lord commanded.
Joseph recommitted himself to Mary.
Joseph remembered the will of God for his own life.
The angel calls him, “Joseph, son of David.”
The Lord told King David,
Joseph is a son of David.
WAKE UP FOR YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE KING.
The holidays usually get us down.
The world is so unsettled.
There is so much violence.
People are dying.
We look back over our lives and wonder what we have accomplished.
Wake up child of God.
You are greatly beloved.
Once you wake up, STAY AWAKE.
Once you are awakened to the things of God, do what you are called to do.
The answers to our questions are in our commitment to Christ.
His love for Mary is from the Holy Spirit.
His fidelity was his own.
How much Mary loved him for keeping her safe.
BETTER DAYS COME WHEN YOU TAKE CARE OF LIFE’S BASICS.
Joseph did what the angel of the Lord commanded.
He took Mary home to be his wife.
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