Fear Not: The Unknown

There is nothing worse in life than stepping out into the unknown.

Even things that are small and are unknown can fill us with anxiety and dread.

Illustration - Bus class - filled with the unknown - I wouldn’t know anybody, would it be hard?

I was filled with anxiety weeks before the class because I knew it was coming up.

Unknown situations in life can be terrifying!

Maybe you are in an unknown situation…

1) You took a new position at work and you have no clue what you are stepping into.

2) You are considering a career change but have no clue if it’s a good idea.

3) You are considering moving to a new city or a new house. But you are unsure, there are so many unknowns.

4) Maybe God has called you into ministry but you are scared of the unknown and afraid to take that first step.

5) You are dating someone and considering marriage but you just aren’t quite sure. There’s the unknowns ahead of marrying someone.

As we look at Joseph’s story, our glance turns to Matthew’s Gospel.

Matthew’s Gospel focuses mostly on Joseph, Luke’s gospel focuses mainly on Mary.

If there was ever a character in the Bible who dealt with an unknown situation, it was Joseph.

He had no clue what was in store for him. He had no idea what to do. We almost feel sorry for him.

Matthew 1:18–19 CSB

18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

I would like to notice a few things from these two verses:

1) Notice how Matthew specifically mentions Mary as “his mother” but does not call Joseph “his father.” Matthew was very specific in his language as to not mix us up. Joseph was technically his “foster father” not his “biological father.”

2) The Bible makes it clear that Mary had been engaged to Joseph and “before they came together” she found out she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit.

This phrase “before they came together” refers to cohabitation or physical union/ sex.

Meaning - they were betrothed but they did not cohabitate or have sex.

Can I say something and I am not trying to offend any of you, but I am as a pastor required to tell you the truth? Cohabitation or sexual union before marriage is sin. It is disobedience to God. Cohabitating with another person or having sexual relations are reserved, by God, for people who have made a deep commitment in marriage.

According to recent surveys, 41% of practicing Christians in the United Sates view cohabitation as a good idea.

It shouldn’t matter what the CULTURE says, it should matter what GOD says.

The Bibles teachings on this are clear. There is no ambiguity.

So if you are here today and you are cohabitating or having sex outside of a marriage relationship, I love you, but I am here to tell you that you are in defiance of the God of heaven. Here’s my advice as your pastor: Get married or separate until you can get married.

3) The reading of this passage and the Greek insinuates that Mary did not tell Joseph about the visit of the angel, nor of the virgin conception.

The way the sentence reads - it seems that Joseph “discovered” Mary’s pregnancy when she began to show.

After all, the angel laters has to explain to Joseph what has taken place.

You can’t blame Mary though, right? I mean WHO WOULD BELIEVE HER?

They should have. They should have remembered the prophecy.

Isaiah 7:14 CSB

14 Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.

Joseph decides to try and did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace, he proposes a quiet divorce. Also, Joseph could not in good conscience marry Mary who was now thought to be unfaithful.

Joseph decides the best way forward is to divorce her secretly. As I said last week, Mary and Joseph were “betrothed” which was the second stage of marriage. The only way to get rid of a betrothal was a divorce. And a divorce was a BIG deal in the 1st century. I know we don’t bat an eye at it much today, but this is something that as a JEW you did NOT do!

To the Jewish people of that day, betrothal was equivalent to marriage - except the man and woman did not live together. They were called “husband and wife” and at the end of the betrothal period the marriage was consummated.

He loves Mary. How can he end this without making her a spectacle? How can he end this without hurting her? What should he do?

When you read the Bible you have to see the humanity. These were REAL people in REAL stories. There was a REAL Joseph who was dealing with this situation. Put yourselves in his shoes for a minute. What would you have done?

Matthew 1:20–23 CSB

20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

Obviously from vv. 20 we can see that Joseph loves Mary and is having a difficult time making a decision on how to handle this.

This is where the UNKNOWN situation rises. Joseph doesn’t know what to do. He is stepping into unknown territory. He is headed to a place he has never been before. He is torn between what is lawful, what is right, and how he feels in his heart.

Joseph is entering “dragon territory.”

On old maps, back before the world was understood in modern terms, cartographers would put down what they knew, but at the edges of the map, beyond which were unknown territories, they would often write, "beyond here, there be dragons."

When we enter situations or places in life we don’t understand we often find them terrifying or “dragon territory.” That’s where Joseph was.

Joseph has no idea what the consequences of his decision will be.

As Joseph is thinking of the best way to handle the situation, God shows up. Right on time.

God sends an angel (Probably Gabriel) in a dream to share with Joseph what was actually happening.

Gabriel shares the entire process of what was going to take place.

The basics - Mary is pregnant with a baby and yes, she is still a virgin. She has conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. And she will give birth to a Son - His name will be Jesus - (“Salvation of God”).

Now one thing we need to tackle again is HOW IMPORTANT the virgin birth is.

There are many things we can debate as Christians and come up on either side:

We can debate the timeline of end times events.

We can debate sovereignty vs. free will.

We can debate how religion fits into society.

We can debate the age of the earth.

But my friends, there is NO debate on the virgin birth. You see if we take out the virgin birth, a few things happen…

1) We deny the prophecies (like Isaiah 7:14)

2) We deny the nativity narrative.

3) We deny Christ’s divinity.

4) We deny Christ’s impeccability.

5) We deny a Savior who can save us.

Matthew 1:24–25 (CSB)

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.

I am sure Joseph still had moments of dealing with the “unknowns” of life. After all, they are raising the Messiah to be their son. Who wouldn’t have unknowns?

TRUTHS ABOUT THE UNKNOWN

1. Just because something is unknown doesn’t mean we have the right to disobey.

Joseph’s lack of understanding what was happening didn’t give him the right to disobey God.

Joseph had some requirements God wanted him to accomplish:

1) Do not break off the betrothal - follow through and become husband and wife

2) There was also some insinuation that Joseph was not to have sex with Mary until she gave birth.

This probably wouldn’t be an issue in Jewish culture. They didn’t “shack up” before they got married like they do today.

This also destroys the Roman Catholic doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary. Mary did not remain a virgin after Jesus was born.

After all, Mary and Joseph had two other sons who wrote New Testament books: James and Jude.

Notice vv. 24 tells us that immediately once Joseph woke up he did exactly what the angel had commanded. He was IMMEDIATELY OBEDIENT. He did not doubt; he did not waver.

If there was ever anyone in the Bible who taught us this fact, it was Abraham. On two separate occasions:

1) “Abraham, I want you to get up and go to a land I will show you. I’ll let you know when you get there.”

2) “Abraham, I want you to go to Mount Moriah and sacrifice your son, whom you love, on the altar.”

Abraham’s faith is amazing.

Hebrews 11:18–19 CSB

18 the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring will be traced through Isaac. 19 He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking.

Abraham didn’t understand what He was doing. But he knew he didn’t have a right to disobey.

2.Don’t let the fear of the unknown paralyze you.

Have you ever been in a situation of fear where you were completely paralyzed?

ILLUSTRATION: Man at window in Clayton - “If you do that again I will drag you out of this car and beat the mess out of you.”

I was in an unknown situation, in an unknown town, with an unknown guy banging on my window and it paralyzed me.

Joseph was afraid. That’s why the angel said “fear not.” Wouldn’t we have been if we were in his situation?

I’m sure for a few moments Joseph was paralyzed. How could he accept this news?

But maybe he remember Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah 41:10 CSB

10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.

I’ll tell you the number 1 unknown that people fear - DEATH.

What happens when we cross that veil? What will it be like? What will we experience?

The Bible talks about the fact that people have been PARALYZED their entire lives by the fear of that unknown.

Hebrews 2:14–15 CSB

14 Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil—15 and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.

The Bible says that Jesus came to destroy the paralyzing fear of the unknown (of death).

God doesn’t want us to fear. After all, the Bible says 365 times to “fear not.” That’s one for every day.

3. When the unknowns arise, we must learn to trust the One who knows all.

One of the attributes we know about God is that He is omniscient - all knowing.

There are no “unknown situations” with God. We have to trust Him that He knows all.

1 John 3:20 CSB

20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things.

Psalm 147:5 CSB

5 Our Lord is great, vast in power; his understanding is infinite.

If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayer—His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable.”

John Newton

Recently I read a profound interchange documented in a book by the renowned ethicist John Kavanaugh. He tells of a time in his life when he went to Calcutta to work for three months at “The House of the Dying”. This experience was part of his heartfelt search for direction about his future. The first morning there, he met Mother Teresa. She asked, “And what can I do for you?” Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him.

“What do you want me to pray for?” she asked. He responded by explaining that he had come thousands of miles from the U.S. to find direction: “Pray that I have clarity.”

She said firmly, “No, I will not do that.” When asked why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.” Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for. She laughed and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.”

That, my friends, is what we need in moments of the unknown. Not clarity, but trust.

We must trust that we never enter an unknown situation that is unknown to God.

So what unknown are you facing? You’re not alone. Joseph faced an unknown situation too. But I want today to remind you of one simple fact.

FEAR NOT - the Unknown. God is already there.