THE ROAD TO CHRISTMAS

Well, it's almost Christmas. This year has been a tough year - Covid - elections - trouble and hatred on all sides. It feels like the road to Christmas couldn’t be any harder than what we’ve been through in the last 12 months.

We tend to think of the very first Christmas as a time of God-given beauty and peace. We all have an image in our mind about the Christmas story. We’ve seen pictures of Mary on the donkey on the road to Bethlehem - beautiful pastel colored robe, a halo over her. And we’ve seen the nativity scenes – Mary and Joseph, a little baby in a nice little manger - angels - wise men and shepherds -- the glory of God casting a beautiful golden light. It just looks so beautiful.

But, Mary and Joseph were real people, just like us. The road they had to travel to first Christmas wasn’t easy for them. The road was hard. But their story is a story of what faith can accomplish even when the road is hard.

A little background will help you understand how tough the road was.

1. Nazareth was just a small town in ancient Palestine – a Roman province.

2. Small villages – everybody knows everything and

a. Lots of gossip

3. Normal way of beginning a family was for

a. Girls 12 – 14 to marry

b. Boys 16-18 to marry

4. Parents would get together and sign a contract about the marriage.

5. Bride and groom would be “betrothed”

a. Was legally married – required divorce to end it

b. One year before they lived together or were intimate

Joseph was probably about 17 when the story begins. He was a carpenter by trade– probably a construction worker rather than a shop keeper. Mary was girl of about 13 or 14.

Respectability was extremely important in that culture -- Particularly in small towns. Respectability meant keeping all the Jewish social rules and traditions.

Scripture tells us that both Mary and Joseph were respectable. So, they got betrothed in the traditional manner.

Then it happened. Imagine Mary, standing alone in her house on a nice sunny morning, when:

Luke 1:26-31

“. . . the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. . . And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”

Mary didn’t say “No” or “Hey, wait minute, I have to ask my mother.” She only had one question.

Luke 1:34-35

“And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 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.”

What went through Mary’s mind. Did she consider the consequences of agreeing to what the angel said? Did she think about how she is going to explain this to Joseph or to her family? Is her family is going to dis-own her? Are the village gossips are going to rip her apart? And, is Joseph going to go crazy. Surely she must have. So, this was a real test. Is her faith in God’s word stronger than her fear of what people around her would say?

We all have moments like that. What will people say about me!!! We don’t always pass the test, but Mary did. She just said “yes.”

Luke 1:38

“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.”

So, all of the sudden, this 13 year old girl is standing there alone and realizes that she’s pregnant. After a few minutes, the reality of her situation started to dawn on her. Mary probably didn’t know exactly how to deal with the situation at that point. She needed encouragement, support from someone who could believe her. And, God provided that encouragement and support.

Mary had probably heard rumors that her cousin, Elizabeth, in her old age, was pregnant, and that an angel had predicted it. So, Mary left Nazareth and went to visit Elizabeth without telling anyone what had happened.

Luke 1:39

“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah . . .”

Bear in mind that this was a 60 or 70 mile walk on dirt roads through dangerous country side. But, Mary had nowhere else to go.

Luke 1:40-46

“. . . and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! . . . And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Elizabeth told Mary that an angel had predicted her pregnancy, and that God’s plan of redemption was on the move. So, Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months receiving encouragement and strengthening her faith. Then, it was back to Nazareth - another 60 mile walk on dirt roads.

Luke 1:56

“And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.”

Being three months pregnant, Mary had no hope of hiding the pregnancy.

Matthew 1:18

“When [Jesus’] mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

In the original Greek, that word we translate as “found” indicates something surprising being discovered. You can bet that her parents were surprised. But, nobody would have been more surprised than Joseph.

You can imagine the conversations Mary had to go through. “Let’s see -- Tell me again Mary. There you were, and this angel came down and God made you pregnant, and you left town to go see Elizabeth without telling anyone about it. Then, three months later you come back to town pregnant. And it’s all OK because the baby will be the Son of God. Did I get that right?” Good luck Mary! Your reputation is ruined.

Well, Mary had faith in God’s word. But, what about Joseph?

Matthew 1:19

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

Joseph is a nice guy, but staying with Mary is asking too much isn’t it? So, he resolved to divorce her. That word “resolved” means that he had made a firm and final decision to divorce Mary.

Matthew 1:20-22

“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. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Now, it’s Joseph’s turn to have his faith tested by the angel. He can go ahead with the betrothal. But, if he does that, he’s admitting that he was the one who caused the problem and he brought shame on both families and defiled his betrothed. Or, he can protect his reputation and his family’s reputation by divorcing Mary.

You can imagine Joseph saying “God, why is this happening to us?” But it had to happen because 600 years before, Isaiah prophesied

Isaiah 7:14

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (which means God is with Us.”

God had chosen Mary to be the virgin in the prophesy.

It’s easy to forget that the prophets were foreseeing real events that will happen to real people – like you and me.

And, it’s easy to say “trust God,” when you are saying it to someone else. It’s not so easy to say it to yourself when you are put to the test.

But, Joseph passed the test. Joseph’s faith in God was stronger than his fear of what people might say. He trusted God’s word. He agreed he and Mary would share the shame together.

Well, six months go by and Mary is about due to give birth. The village gossips have been terrible, and the parents are ready to dis-own Mary and Joseph. Joseph is being ridiculed at work, and has probably lost his job. They are no longer respectable.

It can’t get any worse, can it? Never ask that question. God is going to test their faith again.

The next day, Joseph gets a notice from the IRS that he has to show up for a tax audit. And he has to show up in Bethlehem – 100 miles away.

Luke 2:1–5

“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. . . . And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem . . . to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.”

This had to happen because 500 years before, Micah prophesied that the Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem.

Matthew 2:6

“ And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”

I bet Mary and Joseph didn’t know they were making the prophesy come true. They just trusted God on their road to the first Christmas.

Today, all of our Christmas cards and posters show Mary, looking content and beautiful, riding on a donkey to Bethlehem. But, the bible says nothing about a donkey. A donkey was a valuable asset, and the bible says Joseph and Mary were dirt poor at this point. They probably just walked for days - an unemployed construction worker and his pregnant teenage wife. It’s a 100 mile walk on dirt roads. In dangerous territory.

Putting yourself in this picture. 9 months pregnant and you have to walk from here to San Diego – just to meet the tax collector.

When they arrived at Bethlehem, they needed a place to stay. Matthew tells us there was no place for them at the “inn.” I doubt there were any inns and anyway they couldn’t have afforded one. Not even a Motel 6.

The word translated as “inn” is actually a Greek word that means “the upper room.” Joseph and Mary probably went to the house of a distant relative seeking shelter The houses in those days were usually two story affairs. The upper room was for meals, sleeping, and general living. The first floor was divided into a small storage room, and a small stall for the family goat or donkey. It was an windowless, smelly, stall. That’s where Joseph and Mary ended up.

Luke 2:6

“And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.”

No angels, no wise men, no family, no neighbors. Maybe a little light from an oil lamp. Just a cold night in a smelly animal stall. That was the way Jesus was born.

Luke 2:7

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

I’m sure Joseph and Mary were very happy the new-born baby was healthy. Any of you who are parents know the relief of having a baby born healthy. So, they probably wanted some sleep after all the ordeal of birth. It must have been a surprise, when several shepherds showed up at the door and started talking about angels and saviors and so on.

Luke 2:8-13

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. . . . And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

What a great encouragement, and a validation of all that the angels and Elizabeth had said.

That’s how the first Christmas ended. A young couple and a new-born baby. God’s plan of salvation to the world made possible by the faith of Mary and Joseph.

Unlike a movie or a book, the road to Christmas didn’t end there. True enough, the first Christmas was over, but the road has kept going for 2,000 Christmases and will keep going until the Lord comes. But, to keep the road going, one more act of the faith was required of Mary and Joseph.

When people talk about the Christmas story, you always hear about the wise men. They weren’t there in the stable. They came about a year later.

Joseph and Mary stayed in Bethlehem for about a year. Joseph probably found work, and Mary cared for the baby. All of the sudden one evening, traveling wise men from the east came to visit them. The bible doesn’t say how many, just that it was more than one. They worshiped the baby Jesus, and left gifts of gold and valuable perfume. What a great encouragement, and a validation of all that the angels and Elizabeth and the shepherds had said.

Mary and Joseph probably thought that their troubles were finally over. Now they had some relief from poverty and gossip. But, a couple of nights later:

Matthew 2:13

“. . .an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”

Trouble again. They had to get up in the middle of the night and run - it was a walk of 250 or 300 miles to Egypt. Try that some night.

Matthew 2:14

“And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod.”

Again, this had to happen because 500 years before, Hosea prophesied “Out of Egypt I called my son”

The Christmas story has real lessons for us.

The first is what faith can accomplish. Mary and Joseph had great hopes and dreams for their life, just as we did when we were teenagers. When God called, they answered, taking the hard road to Christmas. And, in doing so brought the hope of salvation to the world. That road to the first Christmas is the same road that brought us together here today to celebrate Christmas again. And, if we are called to take God’s road further, we need to be willing to take the hard road.

Mary and Joseph left their homes, their reputations, and everything to travel the road to Christmas. But God provided what was needed – encouragement, support, and even gold. He will provide for us if we trust him and do his will. No need to be afraid of what other people will say or try to do.

Just being here this morning, on the road to the 2,021st Christmas makes us part of something much greater than ourselves. We were willing to do that. And, if God calls us to do more - trust Him. The task we are called to may seem impossible, but he will provide. When He calls, just say what Mary said:

Luke 1:38

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS