Assurance of God's PLan

Introduction

Last week, we looked at how people were anticipating the light of the world. We saw that Jesus, himself, stated that he is the light of the world (John 8:12).

Yet, after waiting for years for the light to appear, how could the people be assured that God’s plan was still going to happen?

Honestly, that is the same question that people are asking today. Today, in 2025, people still want to be assured that what the Bible teaches is truly God’s plan!

Our assurance that Jesus is truly God’s plan, comes from several places:

His plan was taught throughout the prophecies in scripture.

His plan was revealed by two appearances of angels. One to a young girl names Mary, and the other to her betrothed Joseph.

This morning I want to challenge you to listen to this story like you have never heard it before. I want to challenge us to experience the way Joseph experienced it when it happened over 2,000 years ago.

If you want to follow along, take your Bibles and turn with me to Matthew chapter 1, and we’ll begin reading with verse 18.

In Matthew 1:18 we read:

Matthew 1:18 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.

Matthew’s Nativity Narrative

We are alerted to the narrative, by the beginning of verse 18, “This is show the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about. . .” (v. 18a).

Mary was pledged to be married (Gk. betrothed, engaged it is a verb that means to be legally promised to someone in marriage. In this time period, it could not be broken without legal action, and that action would have been paramount to a divorce) (v. 18b).

Before the had sexual relations, it was discovered that Mary was pregnant (v. 18c).

And the pregnancy was “supposedly” by miraculous conception—pregnant through (or by) the Holy Spirit (v. 18d). To understand the significance of this part of the verse, we have to first remove our knowledge of the story.

Can you imagine how Joseph must have felt when he was told this “fantastic, fanciful, amazing, unbelievable” story. No one had ever experienced something like this before!

Thus, Joseph struggled with accepting and believing the story. Perhaps for a number of reasons:

It was an unbelievable story—too amazing to be true.

It was a convenient story. Here is Mary, caught in her sin, so she comes up with a “fantastic” and convenient story.

Believing Mary and going through with the wedding would cost Joseph his reputation. It would be assumed that he was just as much a part of the sinful act as Mary was.

There is a lot of potential emotion bubbling up in the last phrase of verse 1.

Joseph’s Character

Matthew 1:19 NIV

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.

First we learn that Joseph was faithful to the law. Joseph was a “righteous” man. His faithfulness to the law placed him in a significant dilemma.

Because of his “faithfulness to the law” he could not be associated with this kind of sin (worthy of stoning). It would have destroyed his reputation!

I think there may be evidence that he really loved Mary, and despite her perceived betrayal, he did not want to destroy her or her family.

But how could he get out of this situation, save face, but do it with grace and mercy?

This was the kind of struggle that Joseph wrestle with after he was told of the situation.

Joseph came up with two viable options:

He could expose her to public disgrace and humiliation. This was his right. It would have meant a public divorce proceeding that would ultimate destroy Mary, and probably her entire family.

Or he could have a quiet divorce settlement that would have spared Mary and her family much of the public humiliation.

Joseph landed on option 2, he decided that he would simply quietly divorce her. I think his decision shows two things.

It shows exactly how righteous he really was.

I think it shows how much he truly loved Mary.

Now look at verse 20.

Matthew 1:20 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.

One of the key things that I notice as we begin verse 20 is that the angel of the Lord did not appear to Joseph, until after Joseph had made a decision.

God didn’t step in and make the decision easy. He allowed Joseph to wrestle with it, and after wrestling with his options and making a decision, God stepped in! I think that God often does the same thing with us. He allows us to wrestle with decisions before He comes and in someway shows us what His will is for the situation.

The Greek wording seems to show two things.

The angel waited to come while Joseph was wrestling with his options.

And Joseph had come to a tentative decision before he had the encounter with the Angel of the Lord.

We’re told that the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream (cf. Matt. 27:19).

The message:

Don’t be afraid to take Mary home as your wife.

What is conceived in her is “from the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:21 NIV

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.”

She will give birth to a son.

You are to give him the name Jesus (Gk. this is from the Hebrew word Joshua meaning the Lord saves).

This will be his name because he will save his people (the Jews) from their sins (cf. Ps. 130:8; Jn. 3:17; Acts 5:31).

Side Note

Matthew 1:22 NIV

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

Matthew gives us a “side note” that all of the events in his account of the birth of Jesus were meant to show the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies which were given through the prophets (v. 22).

Matthew 1:23 NIV

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

One prophecy in particular, announced by Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14 (v. 23a).

The virgin will conceive a child.

She will give birth—specifically to a son.

And they will name the child, Immanuel

Which means “God with us.”

Joseph’s Response to the Angel’s Message

Matthew 1:24 NIV

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel had told him to do (v. 24a).

He ended the time of betrothal, and took Mary home as his wife (v. 24b).

Matthew 1:25 NIV

But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

But Joseph and Mary did not have sexual relations until AFTER she gave birth (v. 25a).

They also named the son, Jesus (Gk. this is a derivative of the Hebrew name “Joshua” which means “the Lord Saves.”

So What?

The amazing story, of Jesus’ birth should assure us of God’s Plan! The problem is many people do not believe the miracles of Jesus.

Yet, after His birth, God continued to give humanity assurance of His plan.

We receive assurance through the story of Simeon, a righteous and devout man.

God had revealed to him, by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.

In Luke 2:25 and following, we read his story. How God’s Spirit moved in him to go to the temple on the day that Jesus’ parents brought him to the temple as was the custom.

In verse 28 we read that Simeon took the baby in his arms and praised God saying:

Luke 2:29–32 NIV

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

And God continued to give His assurance in the plan through the prophets, Anna. Luke tells us that she was very old and lived with her husband through 70 years of marriage, and then lived as a widow until she was eighty-four.

We’re also told that she never left the temple, but worshiped day and night, while fasting and praying.

When she saw Mary, Joseph and Jesus she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who wore looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Today, God continues to assure us of His plan.

His word assures us of His plan.

His work in our lives continues to assure us of His plan.

God’s plan is summed up in verses like John 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19-20; and Acts 1:8.

And this Christmas Season, you and I can find wonderful assurance in the simple beauty of a Baby, Born in a Manger, whom the angels announced, shepherd sought to find, and a mother pondering the amazing events of that night in her heart!

God’s assurance of His Perfect Plan!