12.21.2014 Sweet Joseph and Mary! She's Pregnant!

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12-21-2014 from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

CHRISTMAS 2014 December 21, 2014

Mike talked to me perhaps 2 months ago to see if I would be available to do the Christmas Service. I was excited about it and immediately addressed my first major decision; what do I wear? I came up with a brilliant idea.


THEN I TRIED IT ON.

That’s me behind the mask. But my family vetoed the idea.

So then I decided to start thinking about an actual direction for the teaching. It needed to be something unique and thought provoking. That means totally off the wall and possibly a little blasphemous. So I came up with a great idea and outlined the story of Christmas focusing on fear and violence, murder and mayhem. I took all the sections of the narrative and tried to fit them into the story in my head. After a while it occurred to me that none of the sections from the Bible exactly fit the story I was trying to tell and that maybe I needed to re-think the whole thing. Plus it took a little over 59 minutes to read. So I re-worked everything and that is what we will look at today.

Several years ago someone gave me a red letter edition of the Bible. You know the Bibles where all the words that Jesus actually spoke are in red. One series of quiet times I read through the gospels only reading the red letters. I was amazed at what Jesus was actually saying. You read the stories and see that Jesus was answering but when you read just His words you see He was quite clear who He was and what He was doing.

Today I want to walk through Joseph and Mary’s life focusing on Jesus’ birth. But I want you to pay close attention to what was actually said to them. These messages will tell a story of what this Messiah means to us today. And it tells a story why Christmas is such a special time of year.

So let's look at the story from Joseph and Mary's point of view.

ELIZABETH AND ZACHARIAS:

Let’s start with Elizabeth and Zacharias. Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin. Zach was Elizabeth’s husband and he was a priest who always followed the rules carefully. They were advanced in years – meaning they were really old – and she was barren. I think the correct term is she was a baroness but I could be wrong. One day while doing his priestly duties an angel appears to him telling him not to be afraid and that they would have the child they have been praying for.

A bit of a segue here. As I wrote this revised version I was wondering how I could explain the concept “Do not fear” since it shows up so often in this narrative and I think it is important. But I really didn't have the time. So I am thankful that Mike went covered it thoroughly a couple weeks ago. However there were a couple items that I felt needed to be clarified: First, many of the times this “command” was given there was definitely a very good reason for those people to be afraid that would soon be revealed to them. Next, there may be 365 or 366 “commands” to not be afraid and this may be more than the commands to love one another but we all know from the great spiritual classic movie Pollyanna that there were far many more “happy texts” like rejoice in the lord always again I say rejoice. Pastor Ford from that movie told us there are 826 of those; he looked them all up one night.

The angel tells Zach not to be afraid he will have his child a son. He was a bit incredulous “What you think I could have a baby at my age. Have you seen my wife? Look at my wife. She’s too old to have a baby. What are you talking about having a baby?” To reward him for his doubting and for talking too much the angel tells him he will be unable to speak until the baby comes. That is more than nine months away. As a priest I imagine that speaking is a major part of his responsibility and now that ability is gone. I would think it would get kind of tiresome with his teachings being “two syllables - first sounds like…”

Even though he couldn't talk I am sure he was able to communicate to Elizabeth maybe he wrote or texted her. It seems from Elizabeth’s response to seeing Mary that she knew what had been told to her husband.

Let’s look at what the angel actually said to Zach.

SLIDE 5
Luke 1: 13-18
Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

I am sure with all of Zach’s studies he understood that the angel was talking about their child being the forerunner to the Messiah that Israel had been waiting for hundreds of years; really since Abraham. The time was indeed close. Their only question would be, “Who is the Messiah?”

Zacharias heard God’s word and as he silently thought about it he understood.

Here is what he was finally able to say after John was born:

SLIDE 6
Luke 1: 68-79
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of David His servant—
As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—
Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES,
And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US;
To show mercy toward our fathers,
And to remember His holy covenant,
The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.

This portion was for all mankind. What promises and hope!

SLIDE 7

Then he goes on speaking to his son.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS;
To give to His people the knowledge of salvation
By the forgiveness of their sins,
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.

MARY’S VISITATION:

Mary was a teenager living in Nazareth in Galilee who apparently had everything going her way. She was from a poor family but now she had a fiancé who was skilled in carpentry and they were soon to be married. They would raise a family and she would tend to their domestic needs and he would work in construction. They would have a nice little income and a nice little house with a white picket fence all built by Joseph, a dog and a cat in the yard a couple kids. They would have all the family's over for the Holidays and life would be perfect.

Then God happened. With the announcement “Hail favored one. The Lord is with you.” Mary knew something was up. Then the angel goes on saying “Do not be afraid.” Here we go!

The angel goes on to explain that she will get pregnant – and the father will be God. I can imagine what might have been going through her mind. What am I going to tell Joseph? “Guess what honey? I'm pregnant. I know that you are not the father but that is ok. Because God is the father!?!” What if he doesn't believe me? Mary was pregnant and it wasn't Joseph's child. If he had any suspicions about the baby’s progeny then the correct action would be to expose her deeds publically, totally humiliate her as a witness to others, and she probably would get stoned. And I mean that in the biblical sense not the Bob Dylan’s “Everybody must get stoned” way. Rocks being thrown hitting your head and you die kind of way. Not anything a teenaged, betrothed woman would want to spend the rest of her life.

But I think Mary believed the angel's story and was not afraid and was able and willing to share the news with her husband – and probably others as well. Would anyone else believe? What do I tell my parents? For anyone to believe Mary’s preposterous story they would need to believe that she was carrying God’s Messiah because the angel’s message was pretty clear.

SLIDE 8
Luke 1: 28-33
Hail favored one. The Lord is with you.”

“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 name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

SLIDE 9
Luke 1: 35-38
The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.”

All Mary could say to this revelation was “As you wish.” And she pondered it in her heart. She pondered a lot. This was a lot to ponder. I think as she pondered she was able to get a pretty clear picture of what was happening.

Mary heard God's message and she pondered and believed and grew in faith.

JOSEPH’S VISITATION:

Joseph was a carpenter. He will also be called “righteous” which would indicate that he knew all the scriptures probably had most memorized and practiced all the rituals and tithing the offerings etc. And he was betrothed. That was like being engaged on steroids. It was a legally binding state. They were basically married with only thing left being the wedding ceremony. He is thrilled to have a nice Jewish girl and all looks fine.

Then God happened. The account in Matthew says Mary was found to be with child. That had to be a major shock to him. He knows the child is not his and his fiancé is saying it is Gods child. Joseph has two options here; to believe Mary or not to believe. I think Joseph chose to believe Mary's strange story. If she were pregnant from another man I could see Joseph feeling betrayed and hurt and angry with Mary. Since they were basically married and the only righteous way to break the engagement would be due to adultery, he had the right to send her away.

It would not be unheard of for a couple to get pregnant during this period. If he took her as his wife they could live together with little or no suspicions from the public. That would be the safest and probably the most merciful. There is only one reason to get a divorce. That was in the case of adultery. It says “Being righteous” he chose to put her away secretly. If broke the engagement in any manner he would be saying he believed the child was due to an adulterous affair. That would cast her as an adulterer the rest of her life.

But instead he wanted to put her away (divorce her) silently. I think it is highly possible that since Joseph was considered a righteous man that Maybe he knew the Messiah would come from virgin birth and in the line of David. Mary was a virgin; he was in David’s line. They fit all the criteria. The angel doesn’t appear to address Joseph thinking Mary is adulterous by saying “Do not be angry with her” but instead he seems to address Joseph’s fear of raising the Holy child in his home. I think Joseph trusted and honored Mary. I think Josephs fear was not that Mary was adulterous but that he was unworthy to father the Holy child. God had selected Mary to bear the Holy child and he was left a by-stander. The angel seems to address that it is good for him to accept this child into his home and to name it Jesus. Joseph was to have an important role in fathering the Messiah. Joseph was chosen for this role just as Mary was.

As Joseph thought of putting her away an angel of the Lord appears to him and says:

SLIDE 10
Matthew 1:20,21
Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Joseph does exactly what was stated and takes Mary as his wife and then he keeps her a virgin until the baby is born. All you children can ask your mom and dad what that means later tonight.

Joseph hears God's word and believes and obeys.

I think we see a few interesting thing here. I don't think Joseph felt an integral part in Mary's adventure. He maybe didn't feel adequate or equipped to accomplish such an important task. He didn't see himself the way God did. But God saw him perfectly equipped and told him so.

That brings us to Gideon in the book of Judges. OK he was not exactly part of the Christmas story but it relates.

We find him hiding in an underground room threshing wheat. He was afraid of the Midianites who had been attacking Israel for 7 years. God comes to him and greets him “The Lord is with you, oh valiant warrior”

I was able to find what many scholars think to be a picture of Gideon

“The Lord is with you, oh valiant warrior”; a valiant warrior – a powerful, fearless man equipped with all the weaponry and highly skilled in their use. Not exactly how he saw himself, frightened by an enemy army. Not exactly how anyone else saw him, cowering in the wine press. Maybe he saw himself too shy or too short or maybe he had some bad events that had affected him from his childhood. Maybe other chariots always cut him off in the highways of life. He certainly didn't see himself as a valiant warrior. Gideon saw these details as hindering him from becoming valiant. God saw all those details as building him into this valiant warrior.

God has been crafting each of us to become the person he envisions. How many of us have been able to see ourselves as God views us? How many of us have been able to find that identity that God sees us as. How many of us have heard God but not believed? I have read some verses over the years that have stuck with me and molded me. I don’t know if an angel will appear to you calling you “O valiant warrior” or “Hail favored one. The Lord is with you” but God has very specific goals for each of us. I think He will often speak to us out of His Word showing us who we really are – who HE sees us as. Just like Mary, Joseph, Zacharias, we need to hear, to listen, to believe and to act.

OK Back to the story.

MARY AND ELIZABETH:

You remember that Mary went to stay with her cousin, Elizabeth, and her husband, Zacharias, for about three months. Mary came towards the end of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, months 5-8, and the beginning of her own. I think Mary couldn’t wait to tell the news that God’s Messiah was being born through her. Let’s face it, if this were a true story this is really worth talking about! Before she even spoke, Elizabeth knew immediately that the child Mary was carrying was the promised King, shouting out:

SLIDE 12
Matthew 1:42-45
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

I think she had heard Zacharias news and knew the baby in her womb knew the baby in Mary’s womb was the Christ, was filled with the Holy Spirit and leapt for joy. Elizabeth listened to Zach’s story and knew this leap was one of recognition and then experienced Gods working.

Elizabeth heard God's word and believed and experienced.

BETHLEHEM:

Toward the end of her pregnancy a census taken that required and Mary and Joseph to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, which was Joseph’s home land. He was in the line of David and this was David’s city. He would probably be viewed as someone of some merit in his home city being in David’s line. The trip is probably 80 miles and in Mary’s condition could have taken a week. They get there and could not find room in the inn. We often view that word as a Motel 6 or something. The word room in the inn more closely resembles what we would call a Guest room. Just to clarify, Luke uses this same word for inn in the section in Luke 22:8 when Jesus sends the disciples into a city to secure rooms for the Passover. He tells them to enter the city and a man will be there holding something, then follow that man to his house and knock on his door then tell him the teacher has need of your guest room tonight. In another section Luke uses a word that is more typically associated for what we would consider a Motel 6 type inn. This is used by Luke 10:34 when describing where the Samaritan man took the attacked traveler.

It is most likely that they came to Bethlehem to stay with relatives but all the relatives guest rooms were already taken by other relatives who had arrived earlier. The Bible says Jesus was born in a manger which is literally a feeding trough. In those times it was common for people living within the city to have their few animals come in for the night, kind of like parking our cars in our attached garages. That would be for their safety and the animals would also provide a bit of heat on cool nights. A real win win situation. There would have been a permanently fixed manger in that area and that when cleaned up and filled with hay would work well to keep a child specially wrapped in swaddling clothes. I believe that is where Joseph and Mary ended up. And they probably stayed in Bethlehem for a while not just a night.

But the time did finally come and they gave birth to a fine young Jewish boy.

SHEPHERDS

Giving birth, especially the first time through, can be a draining experience. I can imagine that Mary and Joseph were treasuring their time together with their newborn when late at night there is a knock on their door.

Picture Mary and Joseph, sitting by a fire rocking baby Jesus to sleep and changing diapers and enjoying a quiet evening together. They are in that garage area where the animals often sleep so there is a nice earthy smell. There are many relatives holed up in the house somewhere and maybe there is a good bit of chattering going on. Very family. Very relaxing. Then the knock.

They open the door to see a ragged group of men who smelled bad. These men were shepherds. Shepherds were considered a lowly group. In fact the only group viewed more lowly were the lepers. They spent all their time with flocks of sheep and other shepherds and likely were not typically dressed in designer tunics or air sandals. I cannot imagine what Mary and Joseph must have been thinking upon seeing them at the door but then these uneducated men started talking of a great scene they had just experienced. “it was real dark like, you know how it gets out there in the desert at night. We was just setting and playing cards and singing Christmas carols cause you know it is Christmas an all. When all of a sudden this thing appears and there is this bright blazing light shining all around us. And it was like really scary stuff. And then we heard a voice kind of like Boris Karloff telling us not to be afraid. Yeah right. That was all we could be! Remember he said that to us? And then this unearthly voice goes on and says :

SLIDE 16
“for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

And then all of a sudden there was a whole bunch of these things. They filled the entire sky end to end saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Someone said that a multitude of the heavenly hosts doesn't refer to 10 or 20 or 100 or 1000 but horizon to horizon totally filling the sky. If they weren't frightened before they sure must have been by now.

It says the shepherds went straight to Bethlehem to see this baby. When they related all they heard from the angles it says that “all who heard it” wondered at these tidings. Mary pondered. You get an idea that another group of people hear this amazing story of their Messiah being born into this earth.

The shepherds told their story then went back to work. So much of God's work is like this. A spiritual high, then back to the mundane. However the shepherds went back as changed men. They went back glorifying and Praising God. They had seen their savior and were become new men. Have we forgotten our first love?

The shepherds heard and believed and acted and became renewed.

MAGI:

Remember that Jesus was taken to the temple after 8 days to be circumcised and Mary after maybe 41 days for her purification. They returned from Jerusalem and after some time another knock on their door. This time Mary opens the door to a group of men dressed to the nines. And they all looked foreign. You would think Mary and Joseph were getting used to seeing all sorts of strangers showing at their door. I can only imagine that she hears another strange story.

She learned that these wise men came from Persia in the east.

(Here is a detailed map showing the relation between Israel and Persia.)



She learned that these wise men had leaned many years ago from a wise Jewish man named Daniel that a new king would be born and a star would lead them to his location. Once they saw the star they began assembling the team for the journey, they needed cooks and helping hands and an armed guard and the provisions and the gifts. They thought of what would be appropriate and chose gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And then they finally took off on their journey of 500-1000 miles. All the preparation and this journey took some time possibly up to two years. And now they arrived and here is the promised one from of old, the Messiah.

They bowed and worshiped the new King of kings. Before they left they told another story. They told how they met King Herod who had asked them to return and tell him Jesus location. But they had heard God in a dream and they were going to leave by the back door and skip returning to Herod. The Magi were clear to discern God's words from Herod's and they acted upon his word.

That very night Joseph had a dream where an angel directs him to take his family and leave for Egypt. So immediately that night Joseph packs up and leaves.

I want to stop here. Obviously the story goes on and this is really my original halfway point. We have seen several players in the greatest story of all time; Elizabeth, Zacharias, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men. All of these heard a message from God and their lives were changed.

God has already spoken. We need to be sure to listen and act and become part of Gods story.

SLIDE 17

Some like Mary and Joseph who were a carpenter and his wife became the parents to God's Messiah and their lives took on a total different direction. Some like the wise men and the shepherds heard the message and were moved to come see the new king and then went back to their lives. All were forever changed. The message they heard, the messages were read today all made it quite clear that this was the promised Messiah and his forerunner. The messages also made it quite clear what this Messiah's mission was to be; to save the world from sin to conquer oppressors. I think Zacharias and Mary saw enemy people as oppressors. We can see bosses as holding us back or teachers as demanding too much of our precious time or lack of certain abilities or some events that happened in our childhood or finances. All these are oppressors but the most they can ever do to us is to oppress us. Sin is the ultimate oppressor. It controls us and it is the only one that brings death. That is the ultimate oppressor that Christ dealt with our sins. He has set us free from our sins power and effects. That is the essence of this message and this season and our reason to rejoice.

God speaks, these people hear, they believe, they acted, and the world is changed. God was truly at work and he was using everyone. A young teenaged virgin, a carpenter, a priest, shepherds. God is not a respecter of men. He is a lover of men. He loves each of us no matter our standing and he desires to work through any one of us to accomplish his miraculous work.

God desires to use everyday people to accomplish his eternal purposes. He desires to use each of us just as he desired to use Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth and Zacharias. They heard Gods word and quickly obeyed. They listened to God’s word for what he was saying not just if he was confirming what they were going to do. They acted on what they heard not what they wanted to hear.