Christmas 2024 "Joseph"

Joseph

I know we have made it past Christmas Day this year and I hope that every one of us had a great time of celebration, but I hope most of all that you shared the hope, peace, joy and love with as many of your friends and family that you could over this last month.

I also pray that you continue to do that through out 2025.

I mentioned last week that I would like for us over the next couple of weeks to look a little closer at the people we see at all these manger scenes everywhere and of course they are there because the bible tells us that were a huge part of of why we celebrate Christmas.

Last week we looked at the first person and that was Mary. Remember that Mary is not a person we should be worshipping or praying to like many believe, but she is a person we should be highly admiring .

Every time you look at Mary in pictures, in these Christmas plays in these nativity scenes, ask yourself.

Am I available to God like Mary was, am I doing everything I can to keep myself pure and free from sin.

Do I believe the promises of God, am I willing to place God’s glory above my own reputation.

Am I willing to sacrifice that which is most important to me.

God uses those who are available.

So this morning I want us to take a closer look at Joseph.

Have you ever paid attention when a baby is born everyone always kind of flocks to the mother and the baby and rightly so she has gone through 9 months of pregnancy and the painful childbirth.

But the father is just kind of standing off in the corner a lot of times with no one paying him any attention.

That is fine I am sure but I think about Joseph and many times he is forgotten in this Christmas story. He is kind of left out of the picture many times.

I want us to be aware of some things and one thing specific is that if it wasn’t for Joseph this miraculous birth of our savior could not have happened.

Why is that he didn't participate with even getting Mary pregnant right?

The bible is clear when it laid out the requirement of the Messiah. Me and Kaden was talking about this the other night.

For the Messiah to be the King of Israel he had to be in the linage of King David he had to be a legal air of King David.

The right to be the Messiah always came through the father and although Joseph was not his biological father he was Jesus’ legal father.

So because of this relationship this gave Jesus the right to rule.

Luke 1:32 KJV 1900

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

If Joseph would have taken off and not stayed with Mary after he got the news she was pregnant then Jesus would not have been the savior of the world.

Think about this story from Joseph's point of view. What was Joseph’s job? He was a carpenter.

Most carpenter’s I know and you know are very precise when it comes to doing things. They like the measurements to fit just right they want everything to be in perfect order.

May not make sense to no one else but that is their personalities.

Joseph and Mary had been together as children. I am sure Joseph had a specific plan for him and Mary’s life.

They were going to get married, have their own children, build a house in Nazareth. Then one day Mary comes in and says Joseph I am pregnant and by the way the father is God.

If any man’s wife or fiance came up to them right now with that same story how are you going to respond. Probably in a very bad way. I am sure you would not believe her for sure.

We do see how Joseph responded the scripture is clear. He didn’t believe her, he was still very humble about it, he didn't want to embarrass Mary, he didn't want her to be stoned to death, but he did want to break of their engagement.

Can you imagine what that news was like to Joseph when he thought the person he loved most his childhood sweet heart that he was about to marry cheated on him and got pregnant.

By our human imaginations we could think of all kinds of emotions but God had the perfect plan like he always does. Look what happens next we are all familiar with this.

Matthew 1:20–25 KJV 1900

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

What I want us to get here is that Joseph reminds us that God will use and honor those who are obedient to him.

This angel comes and tells Joseph fear not to take unto thee , Mary thy wife and Joseph did not argue he did exactly what the angel told him. Where did the angel come from ? The Lord.

He didn’t understand how that happened or how things would turn out during the pregnancy or after the birth of the child. But in one of Joseph’s darkest times he obeyed God.

That is what it means to be obedient. Just like we ended with Mary and I asked you when you see her in these plays, manger scenes, movies. Ask yourself.

Am I available to God like Mary was, am I doing everything I can to keep myself pure and free from sin.

Do I believe the promises of God, am I willing to place God’s glory above my own reputation.

Am I willing to sacrifice that which is most important to me.

God uses those who are available.

So when you see Joseph in these movies, plays, manger scenes ask your self am I being obedient to God like Joseph was even in my darkest times.

Even when I think I know best am I obeying God.

Remember God uses those that are obedient to him.