12/25/11 - Christmas Day - Matthew 1:24

LISTEN CLOSELY

Not Much Known

            We don’t know a whole lot about Joseph.  What we’ve already read earlier in this worship service comprises the majority of what is written about him in all of Scripture.  Of course, other than what we’ve already reviewed, we also know that he and Mary went to the temple on the 8^th day after Jesus’ birth for the purification rite; and we know that he brought his family every year to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration, but that’s about it.  Most think he was a little older than Mary - partly because of the custom of that time and partly because he wasn’t around anymore by the time Jesus died on the cross.  But what we do know about this man named Joseph, descendant of David, husband of Mary, father of Jesus, is all good.  There’s not really one unflattering thing said about this man who played such a key role in Jesus’ young life.  He was a faithful Christian, an obedient citizen, a loving husband and, by all accounts, an exemplary father for Jesus to have while he was growing up.  But in all of the different parts of the Bible where Joseph is mentioned, it’s interesting to note that he never said a word.  You cannot find a single quotation of Joseph saying anything.  Such a main figure in the early life of Christ, such a key influence in a way on Jesus as a boy, and yet he is not given even a single line to say.  But he certainly listened.

He Listened to the Lord

            When the angel appeared to him in a dream and told him about the miraculous thing that had happened to Mary, Joseph didn’t question this impossible announcement, he simply listened.  And “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”  As simple as that.  It seems to be an ordinary thing to take a woman for a wife, but it was definitely an incredible act of faith considering the circumstances, don’t you think?  And after the wise men visited Joseph and his young family, an angel appeared to him again, sending him to the land of Egypt.  But Joseph didn’t complain about the long trip to a place with a different language, a different culture, and even farther from home than he was already.  He simply listened and left that very night.  When an angel came to him a third time and told him to go back to Israel, Joseph didn’t question the wisdom of such a plan; and when he was warned in a dream to go back up to Galilee that’s exactly what he did.  He listened.  He did not complain; he did not question; he did not offer up his own ideas or insights or suggestions.  He kept his mouth shut and kept his ears opened.  He respected who his God was and trusted that the Lord’s will was always best.

We Challenge the Lord

            I’m not so sure I would have just listened if I were placed in those same situations.  “So you’re telling me that Mary is pregnant for what reason, Lord?  It seems a little far-fetched to me.  And even if that is true, what are people going to say about Mary and what are they going to say about me if I do stay with her?...  You want us to go all the way down to Egypt?  It’s 300 miles away, I don’t speak the language, and how am I supposed to take care of my family?...  We’re supposed to go back to Israel now?  You do know that the son of the king who tried to kill Jesus is on the throne right now.  Are you sure this is a good idea?...  Nazareth is the new destination?  My hometown?  How am I supposed to explain everything that has happened after all this time?  Who’s going to believe me?  How are we going to avoid being ostracized by our family and friends because of this seemingly illegitimate child?  Wouldn’t it just be easier to start all over in a new place where no one knows us?”  I’m sure I would not have been as noble as Joseph was in the pages of Scripture.  I would have questioned the Lord’s plans; I would have hesitated in carrying out his decisions; I would have challenged the Lord’s will. 

            But that’s what I tend to do sometimes.  That’s what we all tend to do sometimes, isn’t it?  When life isn’t going as you had planned or things are a little tougher than you expected or something is not turning out no matter how hard you try, we can get a little discouraged with the Lord and challenge what he is doing.  “Why are you letting this happen, Lord?”  “What is taking so long, Lord?”  “Why can’t I have this, Lord?”  “How can this terrible thing possibly be according to your will, Lord?  I’m hurting!  I’m suffering!  I’m lonely!  I’m depressed!  I’m at my wit’s end!”  And we might not say those kinds of things out loud all the time, but I’m sure many of those same kinds of thoughts float through our minds.  They might even color our prayers to some extent.  But we do have to be careful.  We have to be careful not to challenge our God, not to question his wisdom, not to complain about the way he is doing things.  That is very disrespectful and borderline arrogant.  Just because we can’t understand it doesn’t mean that it needs to be changed.  Just because we don’t like it doesn’t mean that we don’t need it.  Just because we were thinking something different doesn’t mean that the Lord has to change his plans to pander to our opinions.  God knows what he is doing.  And he does it all for you.  He just wants you to listen to him.

Listen to What He Has Done

            And so listen to this: Listen to what Joseph listened to when the angel appeared to him for the first time.  “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.   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.”  Did you hear that?  Joseph certainly did.  God’s plan was to send his Son to this earth through the womb of a virgin girl by the power of the Holy Spirit.  It was an unconventional plan to say the least!  It was impossible as far as the laws of nature are concerned.  But that’s exactly what God had planned for the salvation of our souls.

            Listen to this: Listen to what Joseph listened to from the mouth of an old man named Simeon who was holding the baby Jesus in his arms at the temple: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”  Did you hear that?  Joseph certainly did.  God had planned all along that Jesus would be revealed to all people and that he would be a light to bring people to faith.  It took 4000 years after the first promise of Jesus until he was born in Bethlehem, but Jesus came at just the right time in just the right place in just the right way.  Just as God had planned. 

            Listen to this: Listen to what Joseph had to listen to from Jesus himself when he had found his 12-year-old son in the temple of Jerusalem after three days of searching for him: “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”  Did you hear that?  Even Joseph didn’t understand the Lord’s plans sometimes!  Even Joseph didn’t foresee what had to happen and why it needed to be done in every situation!  But Jesus did; God the Father did; the Holy Spirit did.  And together as one God they have continually planned and carried out the exact blueprint of our salvation from beginning to end for the last 6000+ years.  In fact, they had it all figured out before time began.  Every detail.  Every supposed setback.  Every moment in your life - good or bad - they have planned for.  Nothing escapes the notice of your Lord.  Nothing takes him by surprise.  Nothing is out of his control.  From the very moment he thought about creating you, he thought about saving you.  And with the birth of Jesus into this world, that forgiveness and salvation that you and I so desperately needed was well under way.

            And the reason why we’re looking at the things that Joseph listened to - and hopefully listening to those same words ourselves - is to help us understand why there’s no reason to question the Lord’s plans now.  There’s no reason to complain about his timing or get frustrated about the decisions he makes.  He planned your salvation, after all!  He orchestrated the impossible rescue mission that won for you eternal life!  He can handle things just fine.  He’s always been able to handle things just fine.  And he knows exactly what needs to be done.

            And so just listen.  Listen to what he says in the pages of the Bible.  Listen to what he has done about your sins.  Listen to what he has done for your salvation.  Listen to what he has done concerning your future.  And listen closely.  Because when you listen closely you’ll notice that everything he has done, he has done for you.  And everything that he will do will be with you on his mind.

            Amen.

12/24/11 - Christmas Eve - Gen. 49:10

IT'S HIS

Christmas Passages

            We’ve already looked at eight different lessons from the Bible tonight - all pointing towards or explaining the details of the birth of Jesus.  Both from the Old Testament and the New Testament, prophecies as well as recorded accounts of the actual events in and around Bethlehem.  And we could have looked at even more!  There are a number of portions of Scripture that talk about the birth of Christ that we haven’t even mentioned.  For example that wonderful prophecy in Isaiah 7 wasn’t on the list: “The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.”  We didn’t refer to Galatians 4 where Paul looks back at the birth of the Savior and says, “When the time and fully come, God sent his son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”  We didn’t even spend any time on the ninth chapter of Isaiah that contains one of the most famous prophecies of Christ’s birth: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  There is just not enough time in one worship service to cover all of the different passages in the Bible that refer to Christ and his first coming.  But out of all these great Christmastime sections of Scripture, out of all the passages we have to choose from, did you notice on p.10 of your bulletin what part of the Bible our devotion is based on this evening?  It’s not a familiar verse from the prophet Isaiah.  And it’s not a selection from Luke or Matthew that describes the actual birth of the Savior either.  The basis for our devotion tonight is taken from the book of Genesis 49:10: “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.”

An Ancient Prediction

            Now why would we go back to the very first book of the Bible and spend time on this little known passage of Scripture during the great and grand event of Christmas Eve?  Why not a more familiar verse?  What not a part of the Bible that lays out for us the cute manger scene of Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus that we are all so used to?  We are focusing our attention on Genesis 49:10 this evening because it not only predicts this coming of our Lord, it also points to what would rightfully be his when he got here.  “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.”  Jesus was the one who was to come.  And because he would come from the family of Judah, everything that belonged to Judah would be his.

            The people of Israel were divided up into 12 different tribes or families.  And that was because of the 12 original sons of Israel from which the rest of the Israelites came.  One of these 12 sons was named Judah and the Lord had made it clear that Jesus would one day come from his family.  And so here at the end of the book of Genesis, the promise is given that the scepter would not depart from his family “until he comes to whom it belongs.”  Jesus was coming.  Not for many, many years after this prophecy of course, the people would have to wait for about 1700 years after these words were spoken, but Jesus was coming nonetheless.  And when he arrived the scepter would be his; the ruler’s staff would be his; the obedience of the nations would be his; and there would be no doubt that he was the King they had all been waiting for, he was the Messiah that would rule on his throne forever.  That’s why we’re going back to Genesis 49:10 this evening.  It shows us who this baby in the manger really is: the King to whom everything belongs.

Opening What is His

            Over the past few weeks we’ve been getting packages in the mail from parents and brothers and sisters that contained Christmas presents for our kids.  And whenever a package has come, we have taken out the wrapped gifts and have put them under the tree.  Each one has a nametag on it of course and we tell the kids that, although they are chomping at the bit to rip them open, they cannot open them until Christmas morning.  In fact, they aren’t even supposed to touch them.  They are just to leave them there undisturbed.  But a couple weeks ago I walked into the room where our Christmas tree stands and I saw our two-year-old, Seth, opening one of the presents.  And if that wasn’t bad enough, the present he was opening wasn’t his, it was his older brother Elijah’s.  And so of course I immediately stopped him, taped up the present, and told him, “You can’t open this.  It isn’t yours.  It’s Elijah’s.  Don’t even touch it.  It’s his.”  He hasn’t tried to open any other presents since then, but I’m sure as a two-year-old he has a hard time holding himself back sometimes.  Because a two-year-old doesn’t usually care if it’s rightfully his or not, he just wants it regardless of whose name is on the nametag.

            Sometimes we can act like two-year-olds with the things that rightfully belong to our Lord.  Remember that the scepter is his, the ruler’s staff is his, and the obedience of the nation is his.  And so that means all power and authority, all control and supervision belong to our Lord Jesus and no one else.  He gets to call the shots; he gets his way; he gets to make the final decisions.  But we try to rip open that present and keep it for ourselves anyway, don’t we?  Because sometimes we aren’t too thrilled about the decisions he makes.  Sometimes we aren’t too happy about “his way.”  Sometimes we get so frustrated that we try to take things into our own hands and sort things out by ourselves. 

            But that box is not yours to open.  Your name is not on that nametag.  And neither is mine.  I’m not even allowed to touch what has been reserved for my Lord even though I like to grab that scepter from time to time; I like to tear off the wrapping paper and hold that staff in my hand and put that crown on my head and attempt to control things in my life - regardless of my limited knowledge and my inadequate abilities.  As if I could do a better job!  As if I actually knew what was going on in this world and had the power to do something about it if I did!

            Of course, whenever I or anyone else attempts to open up what rightfully belongs to our Lord, that demonstrates a serious lack of trust in what he has promised.  It shows how thin our confidence in him actually is and how judgmental we are of what our God does and how he does it.  And the Lord knows!  It’s not as if we are sneaking around behind his back!  He is aware of every time we try to take what is his. 

Gifts for Us

            But whenever our Lord walks in on us - once again opening up what belongs to him alone - he doesn’t yell at us.  He doesn’t lash out in anger or even punish us like we deserve for trying to take the scepter away from the King.  Instead, he gently instructs us to put back what is his and points us to another box under the tree, to another package that has his name on it.  “Look,” he says.  “This is the one that should catch your attention.  Because not only does this one also belong to me; this one is from you.”  And sure enough, there’s your name written on the “From:” line.  But it’s not your handwriting - it’s far too neat - it’s wrapped in black paper and you don’t even remember giving anything to the Lord in the first place.  “It’s because I took it,” Jesus says.  “I took it.  I wrapped it.  I signed your name.  I addressed it to myself.  Because it wasn’t something that you could give to me on your own even if you wanted to.  It’s filled with your sins.  All of them.  The big ones, the little ones.  The blatant ones, the secret ones.  And every consequence that your sins have earned.  They are mine now; you do not have to be burdened by them any longer.  In fact, you don’t ever have to mess with them again.”

            And then he leads you around to the front of the tree and shows you three others presents, gifts with your name on them this time: the first wrapped in straw-colored wrapping paper, the second wrapped in a dark red - almost the color of blood, the third wrapped in paper so white it hurts your eyes.  And you know what they are before you open them: the first is the manger where Jesus was born, the second is the cross where Jesus was sacrificed, the third is the empty tomb where Jesus used to lay.  “I know,” the Lord says, “I know that I gave you the same things last year - and the year before that and the year before that.  But there’s nothing better.  And there’s nothing else you need.  Those boxes over there filled with power and authority, glory and honor, praise and respect - those are mine.  And I forgive you for trying to take them for yourself.  But that’s why these gifts of my manger and my cross and my tomb are yours to keep.  And with these gifs in hand I will allow you into my heaven that they have earned for you.”

            My fellow Christians immersed in the sights and sounds of this Christmas Eve night, keep in mind that your God has created everything.  He owns everything.  He claims everything.  All things are his.  But the best of what is his, that which he has emptied himself for, that which he has sacrificed himself for, that which he has proven himself victorious for, those are the very gifts he has given to you.  The gifts of salvation and forgiveness and eternal life.  What an interesting gift exchange, isn’t it?  The worst of you he has taken for his own.  The best of what is his has been given to you.  And you will be able to enjoy these gifts for the rest of eternity.

            Amen.

“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.” - Gen. 49:10