Interruptions at Christmas

Introduction

Introduction

Christmas comes with high expectations. We want everything to be just perfect, don’t we? We have pictures in our minds of children playing, church choirs singing, people smiling and getting along. But how often does it go that way? It is supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year”, but for many it is very difficult because something has interrupted the joy. It may be sickness, death, divorce, or loneliness.

We look to the Christmas season to be a time of perfect peace, harmony, and joy. The first Christmas was not that way. It could have been seen as an interruption.

READ

Matthew 1:18–25 CSB

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. So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. 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. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 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.” When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.

Interruptions can happen at any good time. Consider the timing of Joseph and Mary’s interruption. They were engaged to be married. Like Christmas, engagement is supposed to be a wonderful time.

It was during this time that an angel appeared and told Mary that she would conceive and give birth to the Son of God. Good news, right? Actually it was a major interruption. How would she explain this to Joseph? Would he believe her? Would he be willing to take responsibility? This was definitely not in the plans, and yet, she accepted it.

If we are not careful, our response to an interruption can send us down a wrong path. Joseph almost went down that wrong path. When he discovered Mary’s pregnancy, he was heartbroken. He loved her, but he couldn’t be with her. He could have had her put to death for infidelity, but chose to not embarrass her. This was Joseph’s human response to the interruption. But it would have been a mistake.

Often an interruption brings on a knee-jerk reaction. We make decisions that, if we were better informed, we would not make. We must be careful that when we face an interruption, we don't just react according to our own fears and feelings.

The key to handling an interruption is to get God's take on it. Thankfully, God rescued Joseph from his error. I can imagine Joseph, having learned of Mary's situation, tossing and turning in bed, trying to decide what to do. Finally, he decides. He will divorce her privately. But while he is sleeping an angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream and says,

“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. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” ()

Matthew 1:20–21 CSB

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. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Joseph awoke with a changed mind. He would not divorce Mary. He would take her as his wife and help raise this miraculous child. He had gotten God's perspective of his interruption.

When you encounter an interruption, don’t react according to your own feelings and thoughts. Seek God’s direction. Remember , “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5–6 CSB

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.

Three Words to Remember When You Face An Interruption

Prayer

The first thing you should do is stop and pray. Ask God for guidance. Ask God for courage. Ask God for help.

Perspective

The second thing you should do is put the interruption in the proper perspective. How bad is it really? How long will this actually be important? What difference will this interruption make in light of eternity?

Providence

The third thing that we should do is remember that God, in His providence, is still in control. Nothing can happen to you without God first knowing it and allowing it. Could it be that God is trying to tell you or show you something by this interruption?

Conclusion

Interruptions are not fun all the time, but they can positively redirect our lives. This was true of Joseph and Mary. Their plans were interrupted, but what an interruption! Can you imagine the privilege of being the human parents of the Son of God? The direction their future took was not what they had planned, but it was so much better.

Have you considered that God could do that in your life? God may take an interruption and use it to set your life on a new and better path.

Whatever interruption you might be facing, look at it in a different light. Ask, “God, are you using this to do something great in my life?”