An Unexpected Christmas

Introduction

I want to welcome you again this morning.

First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today.

I also want to welcome those who may be joining us in person for the first time today. I hope your time with us is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.

I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.

What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.

And for the last couple of years we have been doing that through the NT book of Acts. However, through the month of December we are going to take a break from our study of Acts as we focus in on the Christmas season.

I’d have to say without question Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Because for me it’s that time of year where everything I enjoy comes together into one event.

The time of the year when families who haven’t seen each other in days, weeks, months, or maybe even years, come together to celebrate.

The time of the year when you can put lights on your house and nobody thinks you’re some kind of decorating weirdo.

The time of the year when Christmas movies like“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”, “Frosty the Snowman”, “Christmas Vacation”, “Elf”, and a number of other Christmas classics show up on Netflix or Hulu.

The time of year when when watching the Hallmark channel actually makes sense.

The time of year where it’s ok to tell people what they can buy you.

The time of year when its ok to eat as much as you want knowing your New Year resolution is just around the corner.

Let’s just be honest, there’s nothing like the Christmas season.

But the truth is, as great as the Christmas season is, this year’s Christmas Season doesn’t feel as bright and cheery as normal, does it? In fact, it feels a little dark and cloudy. Have you noticed that?

So, why do you think that is? Why does Christmas feel different this year?

Well, it probably doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out, does it? Because I think if you asked anyone they would tell you the problem with Christmas this year isn’t Christmas. The problem is Covid. In fact, in 2020 that seems to be the number one reason for all of our problems. It’s because of Covid, right?

And the truth is, in 2020 Covid has caused a lot of problems. And as a result it’s gotten people down and it’s gotten people discouraged.

And not only are we down and discouraged, we’re tired.

We’re tired of the threat of lockdowns.

We’re tired of mask mandates.

We’re tired of the media doom and gloom.

We’re tired of social media wars.

We’re tired of the politics.

We’re tired of not seeing family and friends.

We’re tired of the uncertainty.

We’re tired of a virus that we all thought would go away by now.

I mean this started in March. It was only supposed to last for two weeks, you know, too flatten the curve. But here we are, months later, and nothing has changed. If anything, it’s gotten worse.

Now, at this point some of you are probably thinking, “Wow pastor, way to lift our Christmas Spirits. I was hoping to come to church today and find some encouragement. I was hoping to find some Christmas cheer. But here you are, reminding me of what’s gotten me down. Reminding me of what’s been robbed from me this year. Reminding me that as soon as I get up, I’m going to have a stupid mask on and walk out those doors where Covid will be waiting for me. Thanks pastor, that’s just what I needed this morning.”

Believe me, that’s not my goal this morning. But the truth is, in order to find our Christmas Cheer, we have to be willing to deal with the Covid problem. And in dealing with it, what I’d like to suggest to you this morning, is that the problem isn’t really Covid.

Now, you might be thinking, “What do you mean Covid’s not the problem pastor? I’m pretty sure that’s the reason. Because up until Covid showed up, I was doing pretty good. Up until Covid, my life was pretty hopeful.”

You know what, I get that. Because you’re right, before Covid hit, most of us were cruising along pretty good. We were comfortable. We were in control. We had our routines. We had our plans. For the most part, life was just the way we wanted or expected it to be. And then Covid hit, and in a moment, all our hopes and plans went out the window.

And it didn’t last for a couple of weeks, it’s lasted fro months. And now we’re weary, we’re down, and we’re discouraged, and more than anything we just want things to go back to normal.

But is that really the answer? In other words, is the old normal what we really need at this point to find our hope and cheer once again?

Now, you might say, “Well why wouldn’t it be Pastor. I mean, after all, I was pretty happy and hopeful with normal.”

Again, I get that, but here’s what I’d like to suggest to you. I’d like to suggest that maybe the real problem isn’t Covid. That maybe the real problem was our “normal”.

In other words, maybe what Covid has shown us, is that what we thought brought joy, happiness, stability, and comfort in our lives actually wasn’t as solid as we thought it was.

And that maybe, just maybe, what we’ve been putting our hope in isn’t really that hopeful. And the proof of that, is that when Covid hit, everything we’d put our hope in was suddenly in shambles.

That all it took to destroy our normal was the threat of one virus. One virus that within a couple of weeks wiped out our joy, our happiness, our comfort, our security, and left us all hunting for toilet paper.

I don’t know about you, but if our “normal” is that fragile if our “normal” is that unsteady, I’m not sure I want to go back to putting my hope in “normal” again. Which means, maybe when we come out of covid we do need a new normal.

And don’t get me wrong, when I say that I’m not saying I want to wear a mask and social distance for the rest of my life. I definitely don’t want that to be the new normal.

What I’m saying is, I don’t want my joy, my happiness, and my security to be based on something that can be so easily destroyed and taken from me.

And I think that’s what Covid has taught us. That for most of us, we’ve been putting our hope in the wrong things.

So, the question then is, “Moving forward, what should we put our hope in. What should we build a new and secure foundation of hope on?”

You know what I believe? I believe Christmas holds the answer to that question. In fact I believe it always has. And the proof of that is actually found in the Christmas story.

Because whether you realize it or not, the Christmas story is a story of hope. And not just a story of hope, but a story of hope in the midst of darkness.

And so as we move into the Christmas season, I want to take the next few weeks to look in detail at the Christmas story. Specifically into the lives of some of the key people in this story. People who were facing uncertainty in the midst of adversity. People who had their own version of Covid to do deal with. People who were looking for a solid foundation of hope.

And what I want to focus in on specifically is how each of these Christmas characters responded to Christmas. And in doing so I believe we are going to discover a couple of key aspects of Christmas hope.

First, we’re going to discover that how a person responds to Christmas will largely determine the level of hope they have.

Second, we’re going to learn that even when life isn’t what we hoped it would be, even when it feels like the rug as been pulled out beneath us, and even when there’s no toilet paper on the shelf, Christmas offers a lasting hope. A hope that can’t be stolen or taken from us. A hope that offers true happiness, lasting joy, and eternal security.

And so to get us started on our Christmas journey, I want to begin today by painting a picture of what the first year of Christmas was like. And in order to make it simple, we’re going to call this first year of Christmas, Christmas 00.

And what we’re going to discover about Christmas 00, is that like 2020, it wasn’t an ordinary year. In fact, it was a year full of the unexpected. but despite that, it was a year that culminated in the greatest gift of hope that was ever given to mankind.

And so, with that as our basis, maybe the best place to start in the Christmas story would be at the beginning of the story, as a young girl named Mary begins what she thought would be an ordinary day. A day that would change the entire trajectory of her life. A day where her world would literally be turned upside down. Listen to how the Gospel writer Luke describes that day:

Luke 1:26–35 ESV

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I read this passage, several things come to mind.

First, I have to think that when Mary walked into the year 00, never in her wildest dreams did she imagine a year like this.

For example, I doubt she ever considered this would be the year she would be visited by an actual angel. I mean that’s not normal, right?

That’s not something you write down as one of your New Year resolutions. “This year I’m going to go to the gym more, change my diet, quit drinking so much soda, oh, and have a supernatural encounter with an Angel.” I’m going to say, not something that was on her radar.

Not only that, but I doubt Mary ever considered along with an Angel, that by the end of the angelic encounter, she’d be pregnant. And not just pregnant, but pregnant while still a virgin.

Again, not on her radar. Not something she would have ever dreamed would happen.

In addition to that, I’m going to say not only was the Angel and non sexual pregnancy a shocker, but the news that the baby she would be carrying would be the actual Son of God had to have been a little bit of a mind blow for Mary . I mean can you imagine what must have been going through her head as the Angel delivered that message?

My point here is, when Mary walked into 00, she probably thought it was going to be a normal year. That 00 wouldn’t be much different than the previous year. But that wasn’t the case at all. Because in 00 her “normal” was blown out of the water.

It’s kind of like what happened with Covid. Because I don’t know about you, but when I walked into 2020, never would I have imagined that in the second week of March, our country would literally shut down.

Never would have I considered that for three months, I would preach to empty chairs while staring into a camera.

Never would have I believed that a cold virus would literally bring our nation and much of the world to its knees.

Never would I have imagined that in December of 2020 we would all be walking around wearing masks, fist bumping, and afraid of being quarantined.

I have to be honest, it wasn’t on my radar.

And I don’t think it was on yours as well. I don’t think any of us imagined that in literally a weekend life as we knew it would be blown out of the water.

And in 00, neither did Mary. And like us, now here she is in the middle of an unexpected phenomena.

The question then is, “How did Mary respond to this unexpected event? What was her response?”

Did she freak out on Facebook? Did she jump on her camel and make a mad dash to the nearest Walmart to buy toilet paper? Did she fill her shopping cart with more food than she needed?

Believe it or not, she didn’t do any of that. So, what did she do? How did she respond? Luke tells us. Because he says after receiving this message form the Angle, Mary said:

Luke 1:38 ESV

38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Wow! What an intersting response, and probably not what we would expect. Because Luke says after finding out she was supernaturally pregnant with the Son of God, Mary simply said, “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

In other words, “If that’s what God wants for my life, if that’s His plan, then let it be so.”

So, what kind of response is that?

What I’d like to suggest to you is that it’s not a response of panic and fear, but a response of trust and obedience.

Trust, in that regardless of the circumstances, Mary trusts God’s plan for her life.

And obedience, in that regardless of how crazy and uncertain God’s plan is for her life, she’s going to be obedient to what God has asked her to do.

I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty amazing. Amazing because now that she’s had an angelic encounter, now that she’s pregnant as a virgin, and now that she’s carrying the Son of God in her womb, Mary will have some explaining to do.

Because at this point Mary isn’t just some single mom. Mary is actually a married woman. Mary has a husband. We read about it in Matthew 1 where Matthew writes:

Matthew 1:18 ESV

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.

What I want you to notice in this passage is that Matthew says Mary had been betrothed to Joseph.

So, what does that mean? It simply means they were engaged.

But what we need to understand about Jewish engagement, is to be engaged was the same as already being married. In other words, by begin engaged they are legally married. All that needs to take place now is the sexual union.

And this was the case with Joseph and Mary. In fact, we know it’s the case because Matthew says while they were engaged, they hadn’t’ come together yet.

In other words, they hand’t sealed the marriage with sexual union yet. Which means, while legally married, Mary is still a virgin at this point.

But despite that, Matthew says Mary is pregnant. Because Matthew says while still a virgin, “she (Mary) was found to be with child...

Do you see where Mary has some explaining to do? Because this isn’t normal, right? Because everybody knows that a woman who is a virgin, can’t be pregnant. That’s not normal.

Talk about having to Trust God at this point. Talk about being obedient despite the circumstance. Because for Mary to be pregnant at this point could actually lead to her death. Because according to OT law, if a married man or woman committed adultery, they were to be stoned.

And from practical observation, it would appear that Mary has been unfaithful. Because according to Matthew, she and Joseph had not been together sexually at this point.

So, you can about imagine how that conversation went when Mary’s pregnancy was revealed?

Here’s how I imagine it. Joseph is just going about his day, when all of a sudden Mary shows up for a visit. He wasn’t expecting her but he’s happy to see her. But right away, by the look on her face, he can tell something is wrong. Guys we know that look right? But before he can say anything Mary blurts out, “Joseph, I’m pregnant!”

Can you imagine how Joseph must have felt in that moment? What must have gone through his mind?

I’m going to say it was a mix of emotions, with anger at the forefront as Joseph responds by saying something like, “Mary, have you been cheating on me?! Mary have you been unfaithful?!”

And I’m sure at this point Mary was scared. She might have even been crying as she cries out,“Joseph, I promise there isn’t another man. I swear! I’ve been faithful. I’m still a virgin.

I’m sure that statement left Joseph confused.

“What do you mean you’re still a virgin? Mary, you just said you were pregnant! I know I’m a Chiefs fan, but I’m not an idiot.”

But Mary replies:

“Joseph please listen, please settle down, please let me tell you what has happened.”

So he listens as she tells him the story:

−He listens as she tells him about the angelic encounter.

−He listens as she tells him how the angel told her she would supernaturally conceive a child.

−He listens as she tells him the angel told her the child would be the Son of God.

And he listens as Mary tells him she is going to trust God and be obedient to what He’s asked her to do.

This now leads us to Joseph’s response.

So, how did Joseph respond to this unexpected pregnancy? Matthew writes:

Matthew 1:19 ESV

19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

Matthew says in the midst of the hurt and confusion, Joseph decides the best thing to do would be to divorce Mary. Because at this point Mary is either lying or crazy, but either way, Joseph doesn’t need this kind of craziness in his life.

Because obviously, she’s nuts.

I’m sure Joseph was probably thinking, “Wow, I picked a real winner here. I mean I know all women are a little nutty but this one takes the cake. Glad I figured that out before we got too far down the road.” I’m just saying:)

So, here’s Joseph, in a situation he never dreamed he would be in. And now instead of planning for a wedding, he’s filing for a divorce. This wasn’t on his radar. This is the last thing he thought would happen in 00.

Again, I think we can all relate with Joseph. Because like Joseph, in an abrupt moment, we’ve lost things this year that were important to us. We’ve lost time with family. We’ve lost vacations we were hoping to take. We’ve lost opportunities. We’ve lost loved ones. We’ve lost jobs. We’ve lost money. We’ve lost our certainty. We’ve lost our confidence. We’ve lost our securities. 2020 has been a year of loss.

And this is where Joseph finds himself now. Right smack in the middle of loss.

So, what does Joseph do now? Where does he go from here? What next on the horizon for him?

Believe it or not, but more of the unexpected. Because as Joseph processes what has happened, look at what Matthew says happens next:

Matthew 1:20–21 ESV

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.”

Matthew says as Joseph considers his loss. As he considers everything that has been taken from him, he falls asleep and he has a dream. A dream in which an angel appears to him and confirms what Mary has told him.

In fact, the angel goes even further, and he tells Joseph that not only was the child conceived by the Holy Spirit, but this child will save people from their sins. In other words, He’s the promised savior of mankind. He’s the Messiah. The savior God promised back in Genesis 3. The one who would redeem mankind from his sins. That’s who Mary is pregnant with, and his name is Jesus.

Now, I don’t know about you, but over the years I’ve had some crazy dreams. Dreams where you wake up and you’re like, “Wow, that was crazy. Remind me to never again eat Pizza with ketchup before bed.”

Anybody ever been there?

So, if I’m being honest, if Denise came to me, told me she was supernaturally pregnant and carrying the Son of God, like Joseph, I’d struggle with that. I would think she is either lying or crazy.

And if I’m being super transparent, it would take more than a dream to convince me that what she was saying is true. That even if I had a dream where an angel showed up and told me Denise was telling the truth, I’m not sure I’d wake up the next morning and say, “Well, she must be telling the truth.”

In all honesty, I’d probably wake up and say, “Guess I better not eat hot wings again before I go to bed.”

But you know what’s amazing. That’s not what Joseph did. In fact, when Joseph woke up from this dream, he responded in a way I’m not sure most of us would. Because look at what Matthew says Joseph did after having this dream:

Matthew 1:24–25 ESV

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.

Matthew says after waking up, Joseph did what the angel had commanded him to do. He took Mary, and he married her anyway.

But not only that, he refrained from having sex with her. Because that’s what Matthew means when he says, “…he took his wife, but he knew her not until she had given birth to a son...” Matthew 1:24b-25a ESV

So, why is this important and what does it mean?

It’s important because it further verifies that Mary was in fact supernaturally impregnated. Because even after they were married, Matthew says Joseph waited until after Jesus was born to consummate the marriage.

And what it means is that Joseph believed what the angel had told him in this dream. That he didn’t blame it on pizza, but instead put his faith in what the angel had said. Which is amazing!

Because you know what Joseph could have done. He could have solved the problem by having sex with Mary in order to cover up the pregnancy. Because that would have solved the problem. I mean, they might have to explain the time line, but that’s better than saying, “Oh, she was supernaturally impregnated and an angel appeared to me in a dream to verify it.”

But he doesn’t do that. Why? Because instead of fearing what others might think, Joseph put his faith in What God had told him.

In other words, Joseph put his faith in Christmas. He put his hope and faith in a promised savior named Jesus.

No, it didn’t make any sense. Yes, it sounded crazy. Yes, people were going to talk. People were going to ridicule. But he didn’t care. Because his hope wasn’t in what he could see, it was in what he couldn’t see. And that my friends is what faith is.

The writer of Hebrews puts it like this:

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

That’s where Joseph’s hope was. Not in what he could see, but In what he couldn’t see, in what he couldn’t understand, and in what God had promised.

Now, at this point you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, that’s all very interesting. Good for Jospeh and Mary. But where are you going with this and what does this mean for me?”

Here’s what I want you to see. That in the midst of unexpected circumstances. In the midst of a year that went sideways. Instead of freaking out and losing hope, Mary and Joseph put their hope in the unexpected.

Here’s another way to say it.

Key Statement - Instead of putting their hope in the circumstances they had hoped for, they put their hope in the circumstances that God had determined for them.

And that my friends is a big lesson we all need to learn. Because I hate to say it, but back in March, most of us did’t do that, and many of us still haven’t done that. Because for many of us, all we are focused on is what we lost and what we hope to regain. And iI can tell you right now, that mindset is costing us our joy.

How do I know? I know because for most Christians, when Covid hit, we responded poorly.

For some, instead of trusting God, we put our hope in getting back to normal. Because that’s where our hope truly lies.

For others, instead of being obedient to the circumstances, we’ve choose to rebel. Because nobody is going to tell me what to do or what to wear.

And then for many, instead of putting our faith in the promises of God, we’ve allowed fear and dread to enter our hearts.

And then we wonder why we are down. We wonder why we have no Christmas cheer.

Could it be we’ve lost sight of where our true hope should be? Could be it that in the midst of losing our normal we have failed to see that God is the only stable foundation we have.

Here’s what I want to suggest to you. That regardless of whether you think Covid is a hoax or an actual threat, God allowed this world wide scenario to play out.

How do I know He allowed it? Because at the end of the day, God is sovereign, and nothing happens without His say so. And I’m convinced more than ever that for the church, Covid is meant to be a wake up call.

A wake up call to what our hope should truly be in. A wake up call to not put our hope in what this world offers. To not put our hope in what we consider normal. Because what the world offers as normal, and what we often put our hope in, can be gone in an instant. Covid has proven that. And I think we needed to be reminded of that.

Because can I tell you right now, there will always be a Covid. There will always be something that is trying to steal your joy and steal your hope. And if your hope is in what this world offers, or what “normal” offers, can I tell you it will always be stolen. It will always disappoint.

But the good news is, God offers us something better. God offers us His promises of hope. And Christmas reminds us of that. That at the end of the day, our true joy isn’t in what the world offers, but in What God did by sending His Son into the chaos of our lives, not so we could continue to live in our normal, but so that we could experience a new normal. A new normal that transcends this life and points us to the life to come. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

And that my friends is where true joy, lasting happiness, and eternal security can be found. Because at the end of the day, that’s what Christmas is all about. It’s about a new normal. A new way of living. A new hope.

But for you and I to find that hope, we have to be willing to take some steps. So, what are those steps?

Step #1 - We have to learn to trust God no matter what.

Like Mary, we have to learn to trust the circumstances God has allowed in our life.

For all of us right now, that’s Covid.

The question though is, “In the midst of Covid, Do we really trust that God is in control?

Do we really trust that He has a plan that was better than our normal?

Do we trust that through Covid God may do something our normal could have never accomplished?

Do we really believe what Paul says in Romans 8 where he writes.”

Romans 8:28 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

If I’m honest, I struggled with initially trusting God when Covid hit. Because from my perspective, normal was working pretty good for our church. The church was growing. People were putting their faith in Jesus. And we had big plans for Easter. It all seemed pretty good to me.

And then in an instant it all stopped. And for 3 months I struggled trusting God for a positive outcome.

But as I look back on the last several months, what I’m beginning to see is that because it hasn’t been normal, God has worked in ways normal wouldn’t have allowed.

For example, because it hasn’t been normal, we’ve reached more people through our online platform than we would have ever reached before.

Because Every week I hear stories of how people have started watching our online service as a result of Covid and how God is working in their life.

In addition to that, because it hasn’t been normal, somehow, and I’m still not sure how it happened, God provided the funds for us to redo and pay cash for our parking lot. Something I’m not sure would have happened in a “normal year”.

On top of that, I’m beginning to see that through Covid seeds have been planted for what I believe will be a great harvest for our church in the days and weeks to come.

The fact is, Covid has provided opportunities for MCF that would have never taken place if we would have stuck with our version of normal.

And I have to believe that’s not only been true for our church, but for individual lives as well.

That through the circumstances of Covid, God is trying to show you you can trust Him outside of your normal.

That you can trust Him with your marriage. You can trust Him with your finances. You can trust Him with your employment situation. You can trust Him regardless how abnormal the situation may seem. And that in the unexpected, in the non normal, you can experience hope and joy. How? The Psalmist puts it like this:

Psalm 5:11 ESV

11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

The Psalmist says, “Let all who take refuge in you rejoice...”

The phrase “who take refuge” could also be translated “who put their trust”. It’s the idea that for the person who puts their circumstances in the Lord’s hands, for that person there can be great joy. Why? Because when a person puts their trust in the Lord, the Psalmist says God spreads his protection over them.

All that to say, when it comes to Covid and the abnormal circumstances of 2020 in your life, the first step in keeping your joy is to learn to trust the Lord in the midst of those uncertain circumstances. To trust that regardless of what’s happening, God has a plan.

Step #2 - We have to learn to be obedient.

As we’ve learned, when the angel told Mary about her unexpected pregnancy, Mary’s first response was one of obedience as she said, “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word...” Luke 1:38

But that’s not the only act of obedience we see with Mary and Joseph. Because beyond just being willing to obey the Lord’s will in this situation, Mary and Joseph also demonstrated obedience when it came to the law of the land.

We know this because about 8 months into her pregnancy, the Roman government sent out a national mandate. What you might call it a “Census Mandate”. We read about it in Luke 2. Luke writes:

Luke 2:1–6 ESV

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

Luke says while Mary was pregnant, Caesar Augustus sent out a mandate that required everybody in the Roman world to be registered. But unlike today, you couldn’t register by dropping something in the mail or going online. In order to register you had to physically go back to your place of origin, which for Joseph was the city of Bethlehem. Which meant, in probably around her 8th month of pregnancy, Mary had to get on a donkey and ride 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, so what’s the big deal? It’s just 90 miles on a donkey.”

How about you tell that to a woman who is 8 months pregnant.

Which means, you know what would have been real easy for Joseph to do? It would have been easy for him to say, “Are you kidding me. Caesar wants me to drag my 8 month pregnant wife all the way to Nazareth on a donkey! Well, you can forget that. There’s no way I’m doing that. He can just take his Census mandate and stuff it!”

But Joseph didn’t do that. Instead, regardless of his own personal circumstances or even opinion, he was obedient to the mandate.

Now, some of you already know where I’m going with this. You’re like, “Pastor’s getting ready to bring the hammer down on wearing masks. He’s going to say, ‘I need to quit being difficult and quit complaining about the mask mandate’”.

It’s like you could read my mind, because that’s exactly where I’m going. Because unfortunately, the people who have complained and rebelled the most concerning the covid mandates and restrictions have unfortunately been Christians and people of faith. Christians who have made statements like, “Are you kidding me. The Governor wants me to wear a mask everywhere I go. Well you can forget that. There’s no way I’m doing that. She can just take her mask mandate and stuff it.”

I think if we’re all honest, that’s the attitude most of us have had through this entire ordeal. And ashamedly there have been moments where I would include myself in that group. And as a result, it’s allowed frustration, rebellion and anger to enter some of our hearts. And here’s the problem with that. When you allow rebellion and anger to enter your heart, it robs you of your joy. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:

Ephesians 4:29–32 ESV

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Paul says we need to be mindful of the words we use and what we allow in our hearts. Why? Because when our words and attitude are negative, it breeds a negative spirit. A spirit that greaves the Holy Spirit. A spirit that then removes the joy that God has given us.

And to be honest, that’s why some of you are struggling with your cheer. That’s why some of you have no joy. Because over the last several months you’ve allowed anger, rebellion, and negativity to fill your heart. And the proof of that is all over your Facebook feed.

Now, some of you might say, “But pastor, the constitution says...”

Listen, how about you set the constitution aside for a second and be more concerned about what the Bible says. Because here’s what the Bible says about the mask mandate:

Romans 13:1–2 ESV

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

Here’s the deal. I know the Covid restrictions are a pain. I get it. But by wearing a mask, nobody is asking you to deny Christ. Nobody is asking you to forsake your faith. All the government is asking you to do is help slow the spread of the virus. That’s it.

And constitutionally, you can rebel against that, and you can prove to the Walmart worker that you don’t have to wear a mask. But In the process you’re going to allow anger and bitterness to consume you. And as a result, you’re going to lose your joy.

Mary and Joseph did what the government asked. Was it pleasant? No. Was it inconvenient? Yes. But their obedience resulted in the greatest moment of joy that the world would ever know.

Listen, If you want your cheer back. If you want your joy back. Maybe it’s time to let go of the anger and rebellion in your heart. And when I say that, I’m not just talking about Covid. I’m talking about anything in your life where anger, bitterness, and rebellion have consumed you and robbed you of your joy. Maybe today you need to step out of disobedience and into obedience.

Step #3 - We have to have faith in what we can’t see.

Like Joseph and Mary, we have to learn to trust God even when we can’t see the outcome. And that kind of trust is called faith. And for the Christian, when we put our faith in God, it always produces joy. The Psalmist puts it like this as he puts his faith and hope in the Lord:

Psalm 4:5–8 ESV

5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. 6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” 7 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. 8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

The fact is, from Covid to a variety of circumstances in our life, there are going to be uncertainties and outcomes we can’t know or predict. And as a result, we can do one of two things. We can either give ourselves over to worry and fear and be robbed of our joy. Or, we can put our faith in God, trust that our circumstances are in His hands, and put our faith in His promised outcome.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what Christmas is all about. It’s about faith. The belief that God will protect and provide no matter what. The belief that God loved the world so much, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. The Apostle Peter puts it like this:

1 Peter 1:8–9 ESV

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Peter says through our faith in Jesus, we can experience joy. A joy that is inexpressible. A joy that comes as we not only put our faith in Jesus, but we put our current circumstances in His hands as well. Knowing that for those who He loves, He always comes through.

You see, the joy of Christmas isn’t something that can be stolen from us. But it is something we can lose when we lose sight of where real hope is found.

Even the Grinch eventually figured that out. Dr. Suess puts it like this:

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

Could it be that as we stand looking puzzled at the unexpected events of 2020 and all that it wasn’t, that maybe there’s something we haven’t thought of before. That maybe what God has been trying to show us, is that true hope and true joy will never be found in our normal. And that maybe, just maybe, true joy and true hope can only be found in the greatest gift that God ever gave mankind. That it only comes as we put our hope in Christmas.

Let’s Pray