Not The Plan

Growing up, I loved to watch the TV show A-Team. Toward the end of the episode when things were working out, Hannibal would say: “I love it when a plan comes together.” He always had a plan and no matter how complicated or dangerous, the plan always worked. Hollywood fantasy. Very seldom, if ever, does a plan work exactly like I planned it.

I think it is safe to say that 2020 is a year that did not go to plan…but whose plan? My plan? Yup…I had 2020 going a little different. God’s plan? I think 2020 has gone exactly how He saw it. That is a difficult thing to say because there are a lot of things that have happened that are just flat out terrible and to say out loud that God had it planned isn’t easy to agree with, but if we believe in the sovereignty of God, that his is complete control of the world, then He is sovereign over 2020.

The Christmas story - the birth of Jesus was always a part of God’s plan for humanity, but a baby was certainly not the plan for Mary and Joseph before they were married. Yet in the midst of an unplanned pregnancy, God was at work. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 1 and we are going to read Joseph’s reaction to God changing Joseph’s plan.

Matthew 1:18 NIV

18 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.

Joseph and Mary are pledged to be married. Really, this means that they were in fact married legally, but they had not yet consummated the marriage or had a wedding. At this time in history, the pledge to be married was more significant than the wedding. The pledge comes with a financial gift from Joseph’s family to Mary’s and once that is done, legally, they are married.

Once a pledge happens, there is a period of preparation that happens. The bride prepares to separate from her family and gathers her belongings to move. The groom builds or purchases a house and prepares it for his bride. Until the house is ready and all other preparations are complete, the wedding does not take place.

Mary and Joseph were in this time of preparation and yet somehow this virgin is pregnant. This was not part of Joseph’s plan. Mary was supposed to be his and now she’s pregnant. That only happens one way and he knows it wasn’t him. I can imagine for myself how I might react to being wronged in this way, but Joseph had a different plan:

Matthew 1:19 NIV

19 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.

Joseph knew that by the law, he had the right to have her stoned to death, but he also knew that was his choice. He could respond by law, or by grace.

This is our first lesson for today. When things don’t go to plan:

Respond with grace

I saw this reaction early on in this Covid pandemic. People were so understanding and had a “we’re in this together” response to most things and then something changed. People started demanding justice for wrongs rather than showing compassion and grace. Then somehow we get to this place where everyone is angry and there are two distinct sides and rather than responding with grace, people expose one another to public disgrace.

Matthew 1:19 NIV

19 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.

That phrase “expose...to public disgrace” is another way to say shaming. We are in a shaming culture where any perceived wrong or difference in opinion could result in being publically shamed. Let this be a warning to followers of Christ that public shaming is not what Jesus wants from us. The only people’s sin Jesus ever publically exposed were the self righteous religious leaders. Let us be like Joseph and be quick to extend grace instead of disgrace or shame.

Joseph had decided to divorce her quietly. This was his right to divorce her. It means to set her free from her promise to him. He was going to quietly forgive her for this wrong and let her go quietly. Given the very public nature of engagements and the pending birth of a child, she certainly would have had to answer questions about what happened, but he was not going to hold the full extent of the law over her head.

Matthew 1:20–21 NIV

20 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. 21 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.”

Our next point for when things don’t go according to our plan:

Wait for a Word from the Lord

Joseph had spent some time considering his options. He thought it over. He reflected on what had happened, worked out what the results of his next actions might be. This was not a quick decision. This allowed time for Joseph to get a word from the Lord.

I can get myself in trouble by reacting to quickly. Certainly, there are times to react quickly, but overall we are being taught to act more quickly than we should. How many times has a report come out and it is shared quickly only to be completely refuted or proven false later.

Had Joseph picked up a rock to stone Mary as soon as he found out she was pregnant, as was his right, he would have missed the miracle of God that happened in Mary.

God is always at work. Even in our mess. Even in our failed plans. Even in the perceived wrong doing of others. God is ALWAYS at work.

How can know where he is at work when we are too busy making our own plans? We have to take the time to wait on a word from him.

When our plans fail, Respond with Grace and Wait for a Word from the Lord.

Let’s read to the end of the chapter:

Matthew 1:22–25 NIV

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

If we just look at Joseph’s situation from the perspective of man, there is just one conclusion: Mary had an affair. But from the perspective of God, he has been planning this for a while. God revealed these plans to Isaiah nearly 700+ years before revealing the plan to Joseph in a dream.

After hearing from God Joseph makes the decision to

Follow God’s Plan

God might reveal something crazy to us and he just wants us to react in faith to what he is telling us to do. Joseph does the illogical and based on the revelation from God, takes Mary home as his wife as if the baby were his.

The very first Christmas starts with a man accepting a baby that wasn’t his. Joseph accepts Jesus as the son of God - as God with us, Immanuel.

I know you’ve had plans…I’ve had plans.

Respond with Grace

Wait for a Word from the Lord

Follow God’s Plan

Can we respond with grace when our plans have to change? Can we take some time and wait for a word from the Lord? And whatever he tells us can we follow God’s plan?

Following God’s plan starts with accepting Jesus as God with us. He’s come that our sins would be paid for. He’s come to reconcile us to Him. He’s come to set us free from the bondage of sin in this life and to free us from the penalty of hell.

Will you accept Jesus as the son of God? Will you make him Lord and Savior? Maybe you’ve had a rough go at it and you’ve fallen away for a bit and he’s calling back now. Will you make the decision this morning to recommit your life to following Him.