What happens when the unexpected happens?
I don’t know about you, but I feel like every year at Christmas, something unexpected happens.
This is the premise of pretty much every great Christmas story you tell year after year, things were going in a certain direction and then…
You’ll never believe what happened next!
Maybe one of the greatest unexpected moments happened in the story of the Whos who lived in Whoville.
They woke up Christmas morning expecting to see presents under the tree. All the little Whos were excited! Some of them had trouble falling asleep on Christmas Eve because they were so excited. They couldn’t wait to wake up Christmas morning and open the presents under the tree.
But when they woke up that morning, there were no presents. Some of them were even missing their Christmas trees! Talk about an unmet expectation!
When they realized what had happened, that everything was gone, they all gathered in the town square. Everyone was sad but the town mayor have been the most upset. With everyone watching he throws an all out tantrum in the middle of town because the presents are all gone!
I’ve got an uncle who’s hilarious and a little crazy. One Christmas he dressed up like the Grinch and he did this. He stole all his kids Christmas presents! You can imagine how much fun that Christmas was at their house!
All the Whos in Whoville expected a big Christmas, lots of presents, smiles and laughter overflowing from every house as all the kids opened their gifts. But something unexpected happened when the Grinch stole Christmas!
Unmet Expectation
What do we do when the unexpected happens? When there’s a pretty serious unmet expectation?
Whenever there’s an unmet expectation there’s usually an immediate and negative reaction. That’s what happened with the town mayor.
We thought we were going home for Christmas, but plans changed. Things aren’t working out. There’s strife in the family, or sickness, or something else that’s causing plans to change and we’re feeling a little discouraged, disappointed, even angry about it.
We thought we were getting something we really wanted for Christmas, but it’s not going to happen. The money had to be used for something else. Another need popped up we didn’t plan for. We understand, but we’re frustrated, agitated, and annoyed.
We thought we would have another Christmas with someone we loved, but now we’re experiencing loss. And that loss can be for a lot of reasons and experienced in a lot of different ways. But while Christmas is a joyous time for everyone else in the world, we’re sad. Maybe even a little depressed. And we’re not sure anyone has noticed, if anyone cares. We feel alone.
What do we do when the unexpected happens? When there’s an unmet expectation?
Maybe we cry. Maybe we snap at the people we love. Maybe we yell at everyone on social media by typing in all CAPS! Maybe we complain about everything. Whenever there’s an unmet expectation, there’s usually a pretty immediate and negative reaction.
It’s understandable. Dealing with the unexpected is not what we expected. And when we have an unmet expectation our first reaction more often than not is to lash out.
The Story
So can you imagine how Joseph felt when he first heard the news?
Over the past couple of weeks we’ve talked about the Prophecy, we’ve talked about the Plan, today… I want us to lean into the Story.
Joseph had been betrothed to Mary. In his day, in his culture, according to his religion, they were not yet married but they might as well have been. They had been promised to each other.
Joseph’s expectation was that they would soon be married and that together they would start a family. He would continue his carpentry work to support his family and together he and Mary would raise their kids to know and serve the Lord their God.
Nothing wrong with that expectation. That’s what just about any man would expect in Joseph’s situation. But as the story unfolds it takes a very decisive and unexpected turn.
Joseph is faced with this exact question: What happens when the unexpected happens?
Here’s the story. It’s found in Matthew 1.18-25.
18 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. 19 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.
We’re only two verses into the story, three sentences into the greatest story every told, and it feels like this story is going to fall apart before it even gets started!
Not only that, but everything you thought you knew about God, everything you thought you knew about where babies came from, everything you thought you knew about everything is challenged!
The scene is barely set and there’s already tremendous tension introduced in the story!
We’ve got a devout jewish couple who love each other and who love God, they’re engaged to be married but before the marriage happens, the soon to be wife is pregnant!
There’s a child conceived outside of wedlock. And then we’re informed that the natural question about the identity of the father has a supernatural explanation!
Is it any wonder Joseph’s head is spinning right now?
The story has just started and we learn that the God over all the Universe has chosen to be God on Earth.
The Holy Uncreated One has chosen to enter into creation.
The God who spoke and said, “Let there be light,” has now chosen nine months of darkness in a mother’s womb.
The Infinite is about to become an infant.
Because of Mary’s faith and God’s amazing grace God’s Messiah would be born, God incarnate, the Word become flesh.
But what is Joseph going to do?
What Will Joseph Do When the Unexpected Comes His Way?
Talk about the unexpected! Talk about an unmet expectation! Mary is pregnant before the wedding and that can only mean one thing, however it happened it is scandalous.
No matter how you slice it, things were not going according to plan.
And the reason things were not going according to plan? God!
God’s plans for Mary and Joseph were different than Mary and Joseph’s plans for themselves!
Joseph was ready to push eject!
He didn’t know what else to do. That’s what every other reputable and righteous Jewish man would have done.
But because he was a “good man” he was going to dismiss Mary quietly, not going to make a big deal out of it, just move on. Just say things didn’t work out.
Disappointed? Certainly.
Discouraged? Absolutely.
But good men know how to move on quietly and that was his intent. Until…
20 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. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
23 “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.’”
1: Remember Who You Are
How would you feel if God came to you in a dream when your life went sideways, when you had more questions than answers, when things didn’t make sense and you were on the precipice of making a wrong decision and then God came to you in a dream to explain the unexplainable to you?
That’s what God does for Joseph right here. This is God’s grace. God’s mercy.
God appears to Joseph and he begins by reminding him of his IDENTITY.
“Joseph, son of David…” “Descendant of David…”
Joseph… Remember who you are. Remember your lineage. Your heritage. You are Joseph, son of David! And you know, because you are a righteous man, you know what the Scriptures say, you know that one day God’s Messiah will come through the line of David.
I’m sure Joseph never expected to be a part of God’s story, but God has chosen him for such a time as this and God reminds Joseph:
Remember who you are… You are a son of David!
So, because of that,
“Don’t be afraid…”
2: Do Not Be Afraid
Do what you’re supposed to do in this moment. Do the next right thing. Remember who you are. Trust me. Obey me. Believe in me and believe me when I say, “Don’t be afraid.”
And just so you know,
This is how Mary became pregnant…
It was by the power of the Holy Spirit. There’s no unfaithfulness on her part here. Actually, it’s exactly the opposite. There is incredible faithfulness on her part here!
She will have a son, but I want you to name Him. You are to name Him Jesus!
v21 …for He will save his people from their sins.
The name JESUS MEANS YHWH IS SALVATION.
Joseph, you have a part to play, an important role to play, in the story.
And in God’s grace, in God’s mercy, God sends Joseph this message.
When Joseph hears this name, remembers his identity, and learns how Mary became pregnant, everything changes.
And just in case Joseph needs more convincing… more reassurance… more confidence in making this decision to stay with Mary, the angel reminds Joseph of a prophecy from Isaiah that he likely knew but had never connected with the Messiah they were waiting on. And never in a million years would he have thought Isaiah’s prophecy would have such a direct connection to his life!
23 “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.’”
Behold.
Immanuel.
God with us… Forever.
3: Trust & Obey
What do you do after a dream like that?
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.
Joseph woke up and he OBEYED.
He still had questions. I’m sure Joseph and Mary were both still wondering… Why us? Why now? How will this work? What do we do? What’s next?
But their questions didn’t keep them from obedience.
Whether they had all the information or not, they decided and they determined to be obedient to God and that decision to trust and obey was never in question.
What Will You Do?
So what do you do when the unexpected happens?
When all the Whos in Whoville woke up Christmas morning and discovered their Christmas gifts were all gone, something unexpected happened. Something the Grinch never saw coming.
He was on top of the mountain proud of all the presents he had stolen, quiet satisfied with himself for ruining Christmas for all those below when… all of a sudden, he heard something.
He heard singing. He heard a beautiful song rising from the village below. He had thought that Christmas was something that came from a store but now he was beginning to realize that Christmas was about something a little bit more.
All the Whos in Whoville gathered around the Christmas tree in the center of town and they began to sing.
Although something unexpected had happened, they were not to be deterred. They gathered. They sang. And they continued to believe in each other and in the Spirit of Christmas.
And before they knew it the Grinch was standing with them, hand in hand, singing along.
When the unexpected comes your way, you too have a choice to make.
You can choose to be a Grinch. You can cry and complain. You can be grumpy about it. You can doubt and you can be discouraged. And sometimes that’s needed, that’s normal, that’s right.
You can choose to be the Mayor. You can yell, get mad, throw a tantrum. And maybe you need to get it out, but maybe do that in a more healthy way!
But my prayer is that you, like Joseph, would hear your God remind you of WHO YOU ARE! You are a son, a daughter of God.
My prayer is that you would remember His words. “Do not be afraid.”
And my prayer is that you would respond in faith and like Joseph…
When the unexpected comes your way, trust and obey.
Whether you have all the information or not, your decision and your determination to be obedient should never be in question.
In fact, maybe that’s the question you need to answer today. In what area of your life do you need to trust God? In what area of your life to you need to obey?
Once you’ve answered that question, remember that when the unexpected comes your way to turn to worship. Gather with others who are dealing with their own unexpected things, their own unmet expectations, their own questions, doubts, frustrations, and confusion… and sing.
In worship we declare who God is, who we are, and our decision to trust and obey come what may.
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