You are Part of Christmas

Context

This Advent: awake, repent, be ready, the Christ comes.

Today: we approach the Nativity. The birth of Christ.

Lesson from Matthew chapter 1.

Matthew chapter 1:1-17 is a genealogy.

The genealogy begins with Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people, and the traces descent from father to son, noting illustrious figures such as — Isaac, Jacob (Israel), King David, Solomon, Josiah, Zerubbabel. Eventually, the line leads to Joseph…the husband of Mary, who gave birth to Jesus the Christ.

The importance of this genealogy is that it shows that with Joseph as his legal father, Jesus would be recognized as a descended of King David, from which royal line the prophets had foretold the Messiah would come.

Our lesson today tells the story of how this legal, royal lineage, was almost broken.

Text

Matthew 1:18–25 “Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do 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 as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.”

Introduction

Christmas a remembrance of the birth of Christ. A holiday. In religious terms a day of observance.

I want to encourage us all to know, however, that Christmas is more than an observance. It is not just an event we spectate.

Christmas is a calling to each of us and us together to participate in what God is doing.

The story of the annunciation of the Christ to Joseph illustrates this for us.

Exegesis

Joseph and Mary are engaged.

Legally contracted to each other.

They are in love.

They are on the precipice of starting their lives together.

The next step is to be formally married, move in together and start their family.

Then things take an unexpected turn.

Matthew tell us: Matthew 1:18 “…When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”

In other words, godly, faithful, just Joseph is preparing to bring his wife-to-be home and start a family….but she is revealed to be already pregnant.

We must note: It is not just that Mary was found to be with Child…which is to say, that she was showing physical signs of pregnancy,

It was found that she was with child…from the Holy Spirit. … the pregnancy was attributed to the Holy Spirit.

We have to employ some holy imagination at this point.

How was she found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit?

Most robust option.

Mary herself comes to Joseph along with her elder kinswoman Elizabeth, and her husband, the aged priest Zechariah.

They come together because even though Joseph is a just and spiritual man, such a claim — I am a virgin with child by God — would be hard for any man to believe.

So they come.

Mary tells her story. According to Luke: The angel Gabriel came to me and said I had been favored by God and I was to be the mother of the Christ. I agreed and now I am pregnant with that holy Child. Joseph: know that I love you. I have been faithful to you. Please, please believe me.

Elizabeth and Zechariah tell their story. Zechariah, Gabriel appeared to me. Elizabeth would conceive. Child to be the forerunner of the Messiah. I didn’t believe. I’ve been mute for the whole pregnancy. Elizabeth has the child right here.

Elizabeth, presents the infant. He lept for joy in my womb. Mary carries the Christ child.

So we can imagine that Mary, Elizabeth, perhaps even Zechariah too, told Joseph that Mary’s pregnancy was the work of God upon her as a virgin. There was NO earthly father. No infidelity. No physical event at all. She was a virgin, chosen by God to bear the Son of God.

The three of them exuding confidence and joy. And apprehension…how would Joseph react.

A just and godly man; so I believe they were hopeful for his positive response. Even so, emotional shock and disorientation.

Joseph to time to pray and think through what had been presented to him.

Two possibilities before Joseph.

Option 1: Mary was lying. There was another man involved. Willingly or unwillingly.

But to lie, and especially about something like this, was not in Mary’s character.

To lie, was not in keeping with Elizabeth or Zechariah’s character. A priest and an honorable matron would have no reason misrepresent their situation

These people genuinely feared and loved God. They would not lie about God…would they?

Option 2: Mary is telling the truth, the child really is from God.

This possibility…would have thunderstruck godly Joseph.

Mary has been chosen to be the virgin mother of the Holy Son of God…who was he to join himself to her?…to presume to be a father to God’s son?…who was he to intrude without divine invitation or approval? No angel had appeared to him.

Early church fathers peered into the heart of Joseph at this moment and assessed that Joseph was overwhelmed with fearful reverence.

It’s About Time: Following Jesus through the Seasons of the Church Year Chapter 4: Believing the Unbelievable

The ancient church father Origen says, “Joseph sought to put Mary away because he saw in her a great sacrament, to approach which he thought himself unworthy.”

Like Moses, Esther. Who am I?

Joseph resolves to put Mary away quietly. He does not claim that she is in the wrong, but seemingly he has no role to play in the divine events that are unfolding. So, he decides to step back, and to observe whatever divine events were going to unfold between Mary and the God who had chosen her…but not him.

Current Problem

The Christmas holiday is an emotionally complex time.

On the one hand, the holiday is festive and happy — decorations, shopping, food, parties, tree, stockings, Christmas morning present unwrapping.

On other hand, many of us also experience negative feelings.

loneliness. Lost spouse. No family. Moved to a new location, few friends. In the military far from home.

stress. Financial strain of buying gifts. Relationship conflicts.

sadness. Because reality just can’t keep up with the idealized expectations we have of the holidays. We don’t live in a Hallmark movie.

One person commented, “It seems like everyone else is enjoying Christmas but not me…I feel like an observer.”

On a spiritual level, this sentiment connects us to Joseph on that first Christmas long ago.

At Christmas time, we celebrate that God sent his Son into the world. We celebrate “Immanuel” God with us. Yet , ironically, we can feel that we are not really part of the miracle that is being announced.

Maybe other people are plugged in spiritually. Other people really believe. Christ has come into other people’s lives. God has important things for other people to do.

But we ourselves may feel like the miracle of Christmas does not apply to us. We may feel like spiritual spectators.

A little step, to feeling…I’m not really worthy.

So we respect the holiday, we respect spirituality, but we step back and say, I’ll put faith aside quietly.

Hinge

God does not want that outlook to stand.

God wants to draw us into the Christmas miracle.

Ancient Solution

An angel appears to Joseph in a dream. I would like to think that this was Gabriel, who also appeared to Mary and Zechariah.

A message for Joseph. Tailored exactly to his needs.

Matthew 1:20–21 “…, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.””

Information

You are a son of David

She is the virgin mother

Child is the Christ

Invitational

As a Son of David. Joseph must give the Christ Child a place the patriarchal lineage. He must claim Mary and Jesus so that the prophecies the the Messiah will be a Son of David will be fulfilled.

An invitation of divine love

God loves Joseph. Of all the descendants of David God has given Joseph the honor of pouring all his faith, piety, and strength into the Divine Son.

God loves Mary and wants Mary to have a husband, Joseph whom she loves. To love her, protect her and provide for her.

God loves his Son. God wants his Son to have a father. Had one in heaven, needs one on earth. To love him, to raise him and teach him and make him ready for the world he will have to face.

When Joseph awakes, he has a new outlook on life than he went to bed with the night before.

Joseph no longer fears that he is unworthy or a trespasser or unneeded. He is needed part of the Christmas miracle.

Employing again, holy imagination. In the morning, Joseph ran to Mary’s parents house. He found Mary. And told her the news — the angel has appeared to me!

What a relief and joy to Mary. Now they were sharing in the miracle together. “Whatever God plans, we are going to do it together, we are both called to this.”

Current Solution

Christmas is larger than life message: Christ comes into the world.

We may sometimes feel like we are unworthy of that message, not really needed…but God wants to assure us that we DO have a vital role to play in the Christmas miracle.

Through the Scripture, as through an angelic messenger, he speaks to us.

In God’s plan, not one of us is a mere spectator of Christ. No; each of us has a unique and important role to play.

Ephesians 1:4 “…God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.”

1 Peter 1:2 “ [we] have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ to be forgiven to have grace and peace….”

James 2:5 “Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?”

I Cor. 12: The church is like a body…each part is different, each part is needed!

Just as Joseph was chosen from eternity to be a husband to Mary and a father to Jesus, so throughout the New Testament, we are described as known and chosen by God.

Each of us has a role to play in welcoming Christ into the world. A unique role that only we can play.

SLIDE: There is no other (insert your name) _________ for God to include in his plans to bring Christ into the world.

God has placed you exactly where you are, in the relationships you have or don’t have, in what you own and don’t own, what you understand or don’t, strengths, weaknesses, …

To make a place for Jesus.

Joseph provided a place in the lineage of David.

Lineage: You are a son/ daughter of God.

You are placed in your family, friends, workplace, in this church. You are the only you in those relationships.

To show love of God to others

Joseph loved and supported Jesus and Mary

You are placed where you are to nurture, encourage, strengthen, pray for the people around you, as only YOU can.

God calls you into Christmas to fulfill your vocation

Joseph was never going to be complete without Mary, without Jesus, without becoming the Head of the Holy Family. So also, none of us will be complete until we step into the calling God has on our life.

Calling you into family of faith. Church.

The more we step into our faith, the more many will rejoice, including yourself. We are in this miracle together.

The gift God gave Joseph on that first Christmas was assurance that he was needed.

You too are needed, loved, you are invited to play a role.

Conclusion

Christmas message, Christ comes to us. This is not a spectator event. It is an invitation to participate. You have a role to play.