The Call of Christmas (3)
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Jospeh-Protecting the Call Even When You Don’t Have a Say
Jospeh-Protecting the Call Even When You Don’t Have a Say
One thing I noticed so far is that Zecheriah and Elizabeth prayed and desired for their miracle to happen.
Mary and Joseph didn’t really have a choice-they were told what was going to happen. Mary was told that she was favored and told that she would bear Jesus. Josheph in a dream was told to marry Mary and to call his this child Jesus. Notably Mary is with son, but Jospeh is told to care for Mary’s son
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,
25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
So here was have Jospeh, who is protecting a call that isn’t even his. He is told he was to partner with Mary while she received Jesus.
This idea some times the call is so big and so important it takes a team of people to carry out the call. In this team of people no one is less than or more than even though they all have different parts to carry. We will notice all throughout the call of Jesus that God is bringing people from all different areas and all different walks of life to celebrate Jesus and to carry this goodnews.
No calling is ever means to be walked out alone.
Some of those who join you will be closer and have more to do with the call than others, but it takes many people to walk out the call of God on their life.
And like Mary there are going to be people who don’t understand the call on your life.
I was in a zoom meeting this week and the discussion point was how to cast vision. The guy who was leading the sessions stated that one of the ways you know your vision is big enough and that it’s a call from God is if there are people who directly oppose your vision.
One thing we don’t see in the life of Jesus is Jospeh’s family or Mary’s mother and Father sisters or brothers.
Working through the pain
Matthew 1:18 (ESV)
18 …before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
So there are several things here.
She was found
It probably wasn’t Jospeh who found her.
During the betrothal period it was customary that the two to be wed had as little contact as necessary. The fact that she was found would bring us to assume that she was showing and couldn’t hide it any longer. Chances are someone in the family saw her pregnancy and told Jospeh about it.
and Joseph’s first response was to run away and some people take this position when they realize just how big their calling is. I know I did. I wanted nothing to do with the call of God on my life. So I ran. In that time of running I had to come to a point of healing. I had reasons in my life that I didn’t want to be called by God. I had unresolved conflict in my life.
Joseph was in pain. As far as he knows his wife cheated on him and got pregnant.
If you allow God to
He will always bring you to a place where you can embrace your call.
v19 Like any normal man would do he considered divorcing her and as he was contemplating running from his call
20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
God brought healing to his life.
God Brought Clarity
The angle brought clarity to how she conceived.
20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
The angle brought clarity to the baby’s mission
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
The angle brought scripture
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
God will always back your call with the bible. He will never call you to something that he can’t support with scripture.
Now I don’t know why this meeting wasn’t done before Joseph found out his wife was pregnant. Mary God informed before she was given child, but Jospeh finds out afterward. He learned that his call was bigger than he ever thought, but the process that comes next is usually harder than receiving the call on your life because for most people walking out the call often brings much opposition.
But immediately Jospeh took Mary to be his wife, which would have been highly rejected by the Jewish people. Jospeh, like Mary was opening himself to ridicule.
Sometimes your calling will get ridiculed the most by the people who are closest to you.
26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
by comparison- I don’t hate people who come against what called me to do—that wouldn’t be very biblical considering God called us to love our enemies. So in this instance one of two things happen. 1. The bible is contradicting itself-or 2. I lack understanding and need to deepen my understanding.
Hate-Greek- Miseo- to love less
Aramaic- sna- put aside
26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.
Paul experienced this while talking to the Corinthian Church
9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
We can’t put even our most loved people in our lives above the call of God in our lives.
God’s call must come first
24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,
But not only did he take on the ridicule and shame. He laid down his rights to follow the will of God
25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
People don’t often think about the significance of this verse. Women dream of the wedding day, men dream of the honeymoon. He now had this pregnant wife, who was bearing a child that wasn’t his. One that he would have to provide for and care for despite being poor. He was a carpenter form Bethlehem which consider job and location historically tells us that he wasn’t from a wealthy blood line.
35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
The call of God on your life is going to call you to make sacrifices normal people don’t have to make. The bigger of a call on your life the more sacrifices it will require.
