"The Caretaker of the Gift: Joseph"

An Advent Message

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 1:18-24; 2: 13-15, 19-23

INTRODUCTION

The story of Mary and Joseph is filled with high drama and intrigue. These two were no strangers to highs and lows, heartaches and joy. There is much on this side of eternity that we will never know. It will be quite a day when Jesus replays the whole epic saga for us.

Traditionally, Joseph receives little attention, seemingly playing a bit part next to Mary, shepherds, and wise men. But I submit to you that his role was much larger than we usually realize. It is Joseph’s genealogy that is recorded, Matthew tracing it back through David and Judah to Abraham (1:1-17); and Luke all the way to Adam, the son of God (3:23-38). It is through Joseph’s line, not Mary’s, through which Jesus is connected to David and can lay claim to the title: Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

Mary was betrothed to Joseph. Engagement is the only thing that approximates this for us. Though not a consummated marriage, by Jewish law it was a legally binding agreement. Only a legal divorce could break it. And this is where we get to enter the story. Joseph has become aware of Mary’s pregnancy, and for him, it is not a pretty picture, but Matthew tells us Joseph was a “righteous man” (1:19).

I. He Was An Obedient Man

When Joseph is informed that Mary’s pregnancy is part of God’s plan, there is no hesitation. He forsakes his gracious plan of private divorce for the Father’s plan of marriage. He takes Mary as his wife (1:24). When the Child is born he names Him Jesus just as he was instructed (1:21, 25).

Many months later when the second dream occurs, his response appears to be immediate. He arises that very night and departs Bethlehem for Egypt (2:14). Joseph is a no-nonsense man, and after he comes to understand that God is at work, he takes his role very seriously and without question.

The subsequent dreams produce the same kind of result. The angel of Lord leads Joseph and his little family out of Egypt, generally to Israel, and then more specifically, to Nazareth in Galilee (2:23). In a way in which mere human words cannot describe, the God of the Universe found a man who would listen and obey. And in that obedience the infant King of kings and Lord of lords was shielded from the evil that would have overtaken Him and extinguished the Light of the World.

It is astonishing that God would entrust this Treasure to one obedient man, but then again, it is astonishing what God can do with one person who will follow His lead!

II. He Was A Sensitive Man

Matthew tells us that Joseph did not want to disgrace Mary (1:19). Whatever conversation had taken place between Mary and Joseph, it had been unsatisfactory to him. Humanly speaking, the only logical explanation was adultery. Legally, that left Joseph with three choices. He could call for her death by stoning. This was, however, rarely practiced in first-century, Rome-dominated Palestine. More likely would be a public divorce which would leave Mary shamed, shunned, eventually destitute, and probably without hope of a future marriage. Joseph chooses high ground and seeks to “put her away” privately (1:19), a divorce that would take place simply in front of only two witnesses.

III. He Was a Man God Could Talk To

Some people are hard to talk to—difficult to have a conversation with. Perhaps even God struggles to have a conversation with us at times. After all, the problem lies more with the intended listener than the initiator of the conversation—especially in a “God talking to me” setting.

We all need to hear from God, though, and the question may not so much be, is He talking?—as it is, have we conditioned and positioned ourselves for hearing and listening?

The evidence shows that Joseph was a man God could talk to. In the first dream, the angel affirms that Mary’s explanation of her condition is true (1:20). In a way the angel is saying, “Joseph, this is for real!” How we need to hear those words sometimes. When we are surprised by a blessing and there seems to be no logical explanation except God, how we need to hear, “This is for real!” How we need to hear it about the Christmas story itself!

In the second dream Joseph is warned of the deceitfulness and evil intent of Herod (2:13). This time the admonition is, “Joseph, there is danger is your present surroundings.” There are times in our lives when we need to let God talk to us about the danger in our present surroundings. There may be people, causes, things, or habits we are allowing ourselves to be exposed to that may be hazardous to spiritual health, if not our physical and emotional well-being.

In the third dream which takes places in Egypt (2:19), Joseph is told, “Things have changed.” Sometimes God is saying that, but we’re not hearing it, or perhaps, don’t want to. The truth is, people can change when God gets a hold on their life. A situation or opportunity may have changed because of what God has been able to do in us, and we are not the same person we were. How we need to hear sometimes that things have changed and there are new possibilities for growth, service, and relationships!

The fourth dream seems to be a “course correction.” The angel told him in Egypt to return to Israel. In truth, God is now giving Joseph the specifics. He can do that, you know. Joseph is told to go to Nazareth in Galilee (2:22). The angel of the Lord is saying, “This is where I want you.” These are wonderful words to hear! To know we are in the place where God wants us and can use us is a happy place to be!

Oh to be a person God can talk to—ready to hear: “This is for real!” –attuned to the warning: “There is danger in your present surroundings.” Open to the possibility that, “Things have changed.” Moving in obedience and in His Spirit that we might hear, “This is where I want you.” Lord, condition and position us for hearing and listening!

IV. He Was The Caretaker of God’s Gift

Both Mary and Joseph are told to call His name Jesus, but only Joseph is told, “He shall save His people from their sins (1:21). Only Joseph is clued in as to the great mission of Jesus. To Joseph falls the awesome task of caring for God’s gift to the world, watching over His physical well-being, safe-guarding Him from the evil forces that would mercilessly overtake an innocent Child.

Twice the angel instructs Joseph to “take the Child and His mother.” Twice Matthew narrates, “Joseph . . . took the Child and His mother . . . ” (2:13-15, 19-21). This is a reversal of the typical order. There is an indication in some sense here that the Child, rather than Mary, is Joseph’s first responsibility. It is primarily the Child he is to remove from Herod’s grasp. It is the Child that he is to return to Israel. It is the Child that is to find a safe haven in Nazareth of Galilee.

Have you ever felt like you have been made the caretaker of a gift? Personally, it is not a role that I relish. It is an intermediary, third-party role. Bearing a gift from one person to another, though it is not from me, yet I must own the responsibility for it’s safe and timely delivery, and take the blame if something happens to the gift in the process.

Yet, Joseph was a man that God put His finger upon and said, “You can do this. You’re My man. Take care of the Child. Joseph willingly accepted and faithfully accomplished his world-changing assignment.

V. He Was Told, “He Shall Save His People From Their Sins

He—God’s gift to the world is all wrapped up in Jesus.

Shall save—we all need saving. We were born perishing. Lost is our first condition.

His people—that extends to us. The gift is not exclusive. His royal blood can course through anyone’s veins!

From their sins—someone once said, “From the biblical perspective sin is the basic (if not always the immediate) cause of all other calamities.”

He shall save His people—not as they sin, not while they sin, not so they can survive or get by in sin, but He shall save them from their sins. He has appeared to put away sin (Hebrews 9:26). Adam Clarke said, “The perfection of the gospel system is not that it makes allowances for sin, but that it makes atonement for it.”

CONCLUSION:

There are four things to realize today. First of all, Joseph was the caretaker of God’s precious gift of salvation—Jesus. Secondly, he completed his mission. He successfully delivered that Gift to the people of his day, and by extension, to us. Thirdly, if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal savior, you and I, also, are caretakers of this Gift. Finally then, we must ask ourselves these questions: Will you and I complete our mission? Will we successfully deliver this Gift of Jesus to the persons God puts in our path? Will we be willing to say to those God gives us the opportunity to love things like:

• “This Jesus is for real”
• “There is danger in the life you are living right now”
• “Things – and you – really can change”
• “This is what God wants for you—this is where He wants you to be”

This is Christmas—Jesus! He shall save his people from their sins. He is the greatest gift we can receive, and He is a gift of which we, too, are called to be faithful caretakers. For this Jesus is the greatest gift we can receive, and the greatest gift we can give!

Preached December 13, 2009, Gallatin First Free Methodist Church, Gallatin, Tennessee

The High Calling

This little article is by an unknown author and is published in The Covenant Series by the Francis Asbury Society. It is posted here with permission.

If God has called you to be truly like Jesus, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put on you demands of obedience that sometimes will not allow you to follow other Christians. In many ways he will seem to let other good people do things He will not let you do.

Other Christians, and even ministers, who seem very religious and useful may push themselves, pull strings, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do these things, and if you attempt them, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others can brag about themselves, about their work, about their success, about their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do such things; and if you begin bragging, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may only supply you daily, because He wants you to have something far better than gold---a helpless dependence on Him---that He may have the privilege of providing your needs daily out of the unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and keep you hidden away in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade.

God will let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him, and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing. And then to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done, and this will make your reward ten times greater when Jesus comes.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, with jealous love, and rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasted time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign who has a right to do as He pleases with His own, and needs not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you.

God will take you at your word; and if you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love, and let other people say and do many things you cannot do or say.

Settle it forever, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes in ways that others are not disciplined.

Now, when you are so possessed with the living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven.

He Was With the Wild Beasts

Mark is the only gospel writer who mentions that Jesus was with the wild beasts during his wilderness temptation experience (Mark 1:13). This may very well have come from Mark's primary source, Peter. As an outdoorsman, perhaps the big fisherman had made a special mental note of this fascinating detail.

There is no hint of an adversarial relationship. It appears to be a situation of companionship rather than opposition. The word “with” is the same word Jesus uses when He says, “He who is not with me is against me,” and likewise, Matthew explains the meaning of “Immanuel,” as God with us.

He was with the wild beasts, but they were not wild with Him! Why? It is not difficult to imagine after His baptism and the descending of the Spirit that Jesus had the Spirit of God all over Him. I can imagine this made for an atmosphere that was more like Eden than a dangerous, cruel world. I can imagine that the creatures had no problem recognizing the Creator.

Jesus has made provision for the Spirit of God to be all over us! And every day we walk among His creatures, not wild beasts, but men and women and boys and girls who have no relationship with the Master. Do they see any of Jesus in me? In you?

Many years ago Gordon Jensen put it this way in a song:

If not in you, I wonder where
Will they ever see the One who really cares?
If not from you, how will they find
There’s One who heals the broken heart and gives sight to the blind?

And if not you, I wonder who
Will show them love and love alone can make things new?
If not from you, how will they learn
There’s One who’ll trade their hopelessness for joy in return?

‘Cause you’re the only Jesus some will ever see,
And you’re the only words of life some will ever read.
So let them see in you the One in whom is all they’ll ever need,
‘Cause you’re the only Jesus some will ever see.

Checklist

While working in Alaska, one Sunday morning I drove from Anchorage down the breathtaking Seward Highway to visit a friend I had pastored with in Ohio. Before church started, Blair asked me what my plans for the day were, and when I indicated I had the afternoon free he said, “Good. We’ll have lunch.” Then he added, “I’m a pilot and I have plane. We’ll go for a ride; it’s a great day for it!” Was it ever! Seward, Alaska, and Resurrection Bay from the air – I’ll never forget it!

Before we took off, Blair handed me a clipboard with a list. After each item I read, he said, “Check.” It was a checklist. When everything on it had been checked, we knew we were ready to fly!

In the temptation incident (Matthew 4), Jesus gave us a “Checklist” for every day. After all, daily living and dealing with the devil can be just as hazardous as flying. Here it is:

Check your Master – Who do you serve? See Only.

Check your Manna – Where does your strength come from? The Israelites were to gather manna every morning. Like the Israelites took strength from the manna they gathered, we’re to take spiritual strength daily from the Word of God. Jesus indicates to Satan that it is just as important as physical food. See The Word.

Check your Mission – How do you keep score? What’s the purpose for which you are here? Don’t stray from your purpose. See Stay on Mission.

A surface reading of the temptation episode seems to indicate the purpose of it all was for Jesus to be tempted by Satan. I believe it was a little deeper than that. Jesus was showing us what to say to Satan; how to deal with the devil. He was giving us answers for the adversary.

Before you fly today, don’t forget your checklist!

Worth considering . . .

This is an article by my good friend, Dr. Stephen Manley. He has traveled the United States and the world for 41 years as an evangelist. He lives in Lebanon, Tennessee.

THE ANTIDOTE FOR DRIFTING

by Stephen Manley


The first recorded business meeting of the early church (Acts 1:15-26) was called to address the issue of the office left vacant by Judas. The reason given for calling the meeting was the Scripture. Peter said to the group, “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas,” (Acts 1:16).

There are several astounding implications from this statement! They believed that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. The Greek word translated had to be is often translated “must” or “ought.” It has the idea of “Divine decree.” The early church believed the sovereign hand of Almighty God was supporting the Scriptures. The document of the Scriptures is as sure and dependable as God is! If the Scripture is not true, then God is not true.

Jesus appeared to His disciples in the upper room. After eating with them, He opened the Scriptures to them (Luke 24:44-49). Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things MUST be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me,” (Luke 24:44). Jesus viewed His life experience through the fulfillment of the Scriptures. He based His purpose for living upon the Scriptures. God’s sovereign hand was active in producing the life of Jesus as God revealed it in what He said, the Scriptures.

A young college student indicated she was taught that only the actual words of Jesus were authentic in the Scriptures. Everything else was questionable because of hearsay, paganism and tradition. If you accept only what Jesus said then you will certainly embrace the entire Old Testament. Jesus speaks of it as the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms. According to Jesus, the sovereign hand of God brings this to pass. Remember the resurrected Lord is speaking these words. He is on the other side of the grave and has a better perspective than you or me. You or I may not agree with the authority and authenticity of the Old Testament, but you must admit the resurrected Christ believed in it.

If you believe the Living Word is actually speaking and directing the Written Word, would you not base your entire life upon it? Would you not search its pages night and day? Would not the Scriptures be at the heart of every sermon, Sunday school class and counseling session? If our children ask us a question, would we not immediately take them to the Scriptures? We would listen to the Scriptures before we would listen to Dr. Phil. If we did this would it not keep us from drifting? The popular whims of doctrine will not affect us as we allow the Author of the Book to continue to reveal Himself to us.

Another strong implication emerges from the statement Peter made at the first recorded business meeting in which the Holy Spirit spoke. Peter proceeds to quote two Scriptures from the Book of Psalms (Acts 1:20). He actually says that the Holy Spirit spoke these words. You and I might question it, but obviously Peter believed the Book of Psalms was spoken by God. In a moment of crisis, the early church (numbering in the thousands) broke into praise. In this praise session they quoted from the Book of Psalms. They cried out, “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:” (Acts 4:24-25). Evidently the entire early church believed God was responsible for speaking the Book of Psalms. Paul was imprisoned in a house in Rome. The Jews came to spend a day with him. During that time he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening (Acts 28:23). The truth of the Word divided the congregation. Before they left Paul had one more word to say, “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers…” (Acts 28:25). He then proceeded to quote from the Book of Isaiah. We argue about the authorship of this book. Some think it was a compilation of two or more authors. Paul, who was closer to its original writing than we are, believed it was spoken by God.

What would happen if you and I believed the sovereign hand of God was behind the Scriptures? What would happen if you and I believed it was actually spoken by God? When you read the Scripture, it is as if the lips of Jesus part and He actually speaks to you! Would we not constantly apply His instruction to our lives? Would we not make His Word the pivot point of every decision? Would this not keep us from drifting?

Drifting always takes place when we make the Scriptures only one avenue of revelation among many. The peak of self-centered carnality is to think my academic opinion is equal to what God has spoken. My thinking made superior to His wisdom and revelation is the pinnacle of folly. Folly still abides in believing God is speaking His Word, but I must interpret it for my day. A thorough knowledge of theology and my culture does not give me the ability to adequately apply truth. The indwelt Author must speak His Word to my life and I must listen intently as He applies it to my living. “Jesus is Lord of my life” means that I bend my entire life experience under the authority of what He speaks through His Word. I am not adequate to interpret it; I must surrender to it!

The Author of the Scriptures will not allow us to drift if we listen to His Word. He will not allow us to miss His revelation of truth for our day, if we will come under the authority of His Word. Is this not the solution for our drifting?
(Published on this site with permission of Dr. Stephen Manley)

Stay On Mission

The second temptation of Jesus, as Matthew records it (Luke reverses the order of the second and third temptation), is fascinating. In regard to the first temptation, Jesus has quoted Scripture to Satan to refute his reasoning—Scripture that emphasizes Scripture in fact: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Satan then quotes Psalms 91:11,12 as the basis for his next temptation, urging Jesus to throw Himself off the highest point of the temple, for surely the angels will not let him be harmed.

We would certainly do well to heed the warning here. A temptation may come to us clothed in Scripture and seemingly justified by God’s word.

Jesus replies with “Not so fast” (my paraphrase). “On the other hand, it is written, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” I believe Jesus was saying, “That’s not what I am here for, and I am not going to play your little game. You are not going to move Me off My mission.

How easy it is to play games with God’s word! And with our brothers and sisters—Christian and not so Christian! How easy it is to stray from the purpose for which we are here! How easy it is to move away from the particular mission God has given me!

Lord, help me today to stay on mission, doing what You have called me to do, and being who You have called me to be!

The Word

Matthew indicates that Satan’s first temptation for Jesus came after 40 days of fasting in the wilderness (4:2-3). It was a temptation for immediate gratification, and for self-display—a demonstrative proof of who He was: “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” Translate: You’re pretty hungry; you need to eat. You can take care of that and prove who you are at the same time.

Jesus responds to this temporal enticement with timeless truth. “It is written . . . .” Satan’s apparent theory is counteracted with God’s absolute truth. “It is not bread, or your words that I live by, Satan, but the Bread of life, the word(s) of God, is my sustenance, and the demonstration of Who I Am.

Today, Lord, whatever my immediate needs may be, and whatever temptations I may face, remind me that You have the words of life, and they will not pass away. Give me the good sense not to exchange the timeless for the temporal, and may the yearning of my heart be not for a sensational demonstration of Your power or even an acknowledgement of my own identity and worth, but for an attentive sensitivity to the still, small Voice that speaks truth in all my circumstances.

ONLY - "You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only" (Matthew 4:10).

The last temptation of Jesus as Matthew records it (4:8-10) is a presentation by Satan to Jesus of all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. They are offered as a gift to Jesus if he will simply fall down and worship Satan. What we discover is that Satan cannot command Christ’s worship, but Jesus can command the devil’s dismissal. Jesus tells him to go, with the explanation that worship and service are for God only, and he leaves (4:11).

Who do you serve? It is a great question! Jesus is advising us to be absolutely clear about whom we serve. Speaking to those in business, Brad Anderson writes: “Focus on one master, become expert at serving this master, and through the power of the ripple effect, you will wind up serving them all.”

That is great advice for every Christian. If we focus on Jesus, and become and expert at serving Him, He will show us how we are to serve our family, our friends, our community, and our world. And we’ll serve Jesus by serving others.

Lord, is ANYTHING getting in front of my worship and service to You? Help me to realize Your “first-ness” in all things, and that, through the power of Your Spirit in me, I can command the devil’s dismissal.

Blessings and Transitions

God blessed in the Sunday Morning Worship Service at Gallatin First Free Methodist! He is working in lives! Afterwards, it was an uneventful seven hour drive for me to our Mississippi home and Beth. A Facebook friend commented that this is a long commute. It will be a year of transitions. It is exciting and difficult at the same time.

My work over the next two days will include regular maintenance and projects that ready our Mississippi home for market. They include: mowing the lawn, hanging a folding closet door, and changing out a trash compacter (this is the one I dread the most).

At the end of the day, these three projects accomplished!

Friends

I talked with two friends today, one on the phone and one in person, and received a short note from a third I had not heard from in awhile. The conversation in person took place because I was being lent a helping hand with a household project.

All three went out of their way to connect. Each one was a blessing to me and I am grateful!

It was a good day! Coffee with a good friend this morning. In the midst of our discussion, my friend, Chuck Tucker, made this statement:

"Our world has mistaken our expansive access to information for enlightenment."

Wow. Now that is something to think about.

I Am Not the One

He is the first model in the New Testament for our relationship with Jesus, in terms of our relationships with others. They asked him, “Are you the Christ?” They could just as well have said, “Are you the big deal? Are you the big shot? Are you the most important thing going on here?” John the Baptist replied, “I am not the Christ.” He had spoken of “One” (Mark 1:7) who was coming after him. Perhaps he also said, “I am not the One.”

And there’s the model. Lord, in my relationships today, may I truly understand that “I am not the One” (the big deal, the big shot, the most important thing going on here). But like the Baptist, may my words, actions, and life be pointing to Another.