Notes
This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
Matthew 1:18-19
God’s plans are greater than ours. Joseph and Mary were in the middle of preparing for their future together when God stepped in and changed the course of their lives. We read this and remember the story of Christmas. But to Joseph and Mary, it was completely unexpected.
We have all experienced unexpected things, good or bad, in our lives. How we respond can either grow our fear or our faith. Let’s read the next few verses in this chapter to see how Joseph responds to these unexpected events:
As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.
Matthew 1:20-25
We we are facing the unexpected, we need to:
1) Stop
What are we taught as children to do if our clothes catch on fire? Stop, drop, and roll! Stopping doesn’t put the fire out, but it keeps you from giving into your natural reaction - running - and making the situation worse. Oftentimes, our initial reaction isn’t the best reaction. Joseph considered leaving Mary, but instead of reacting right away or making a rash decision, he slept on it. He thought things through.
When things happen that we didn’t expect, our first reaction might be to run away from God, the one who can help us, when we should run toward Him. He is the one who brings life and hope into lifeless, hopeless situations. Like Joseph, when something unexpected happens, we need to stop and think instead of just reacting based on our instincts.
2) Listen
Be still, and know that I am God!
Psalm 46:10a
After Joseph paused to think, he listened. He listened to what God had to say about the circumstances He was placing Joseph in. If Joseph hadn’t, he would have missed out on the opportunity to be a part of the birth of Jesus.
Spending time with God isn’t just about talking to Him, but about listening to what He has to say as well. Listen for what your heavenly father wants to do. You may not be able to fix the circumstances you are in, but you can listen to what He is telling you. Those quiet moments can change the way you are seeing your situation.
3) Trust
Stopping is to know, and listening is to hear, but trusting requires faith. It is one thing to stop and listen, but another to take action. Look at verses 24-25 in Matthew 1; Joseph not only heard what the angel said, but he acted upon it in faith, believing what he had been told. In his culture, Joseph was taking a risk with his reputation and future, but he chose to trust in God’s plan.
Group Questions
- When have you experienced something unexpected in your life?
- How do you tend to react when something unexpected or unlikely happens?
- What do we learn from how Joseph handled the situation he was in?
Prayer
God, thank you for coming to the earth to live among us and to rescue us from our sin. We will stop and listen to you when the unexpected happens, and trust that your ways are greater than ours.