MAKING PLANS FOR CHRISTMAS

MAKING PLANS FOR CHRISTMAS 28

It s Christmas. Time for a change. What are you doing for Christmas? We hear this question a lot at this time of year. Assumed in that question is that we certainly are planning something around the holiday, whether it is traveling to celebrate with family or friends, buying gifts for everybody we know, hosting or going to parties, preparing special kinds of food, or any number of other things. How would you handle your Christmas plans being changed? Some of us could go with the flow, but some of us would let the disappointment get to us, especially since we often anticipate this season of the year with excitement. It s interesting that the coming of Christ into the world brought about a huge change in the plans of two people: Mary and Joseph. The first chapter of Matthew s Gospel tells us the story of Joseph s response to this drastic change of plans God brought into his life. How has God s plan to send His Son into the world changed your life? How will your celebration of His coming affect your life this year? When Joseph accepted God s plan, his life changed forever. This year, when we encounter what may be to us the very familiar story of Christ s birth, let s invite God to change our plans to match His, not only during the Christmas season, but all year long. Then, let s see how His plan will change our lives. Johnny Hunt Since 1986, Dr. Hunt has been the pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Georgia. Johnny also leads men s conferences and a ministry to pastors called Timothy Barnabas. He and his wife, Janet, have two daughters and four grandchildren. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 29

MAKING PLANS FOR CHRISTMAS 30 CHRISTMAS

When have you experienced a surprising change of plans? QUESTION #1 #BSFLChristmas BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 31

THE POINT God s Christmas plan will change your life. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE By now, most of us already have plans in place for Christmas. We ve planned where we re going to see family or who s coming to see us. We ve planned how much time (if any) we ll take off from work. We ve bought gifts or planned what we ll buy soon. Plans can change quickly, however. A storm or delayed flight can keep us from seeing the people we hoped to see. A job change alters our plans for gifts. And for some, reminders of loved ones who ve passed away can overshadow any Christmas plans. I hope your plans for Christmas are good this year. But remember this as you celebrate: Christmas is really about a change of plans in the heart. As we look at the life of Joseph, we ll discover a man whose life was drastically changed by God s plan to bring Jesus to us. And God s plan was to bring a greatly needed change for all of us. 32 CHRISTMAS

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? Matthew 1:18-25 (HCSB) 18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, don t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: Key Words Engaged (v. 18) Very similar to our custom of engagement but much more binding. Unfaithfulness was considered adultery; only divorce could break it off. Secretly (v. 19) Joseph did not know the exact circumstances of Mary s perceived infidelity and was not obligated to expose her publicly. He decided on a private annulment of their relationship. 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated God is with us. 24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 33

THE POINT God s Christmas plan will change your life. Matthew 1:18-19 Joseph was probably like most men about to get married: envisioning a future of marital bliss with his wife and a life well-lived with their future children. But then Mary, his fiancée, turned up pregnant. This was a problem. Joseph and Mary had not consummated their relationship; therefore, Joseph knew he wasn t the father. Mary was engaged to Joseph, which meant she was already legally bound or betrothed to him. Jews in that time actually committed their marriage vows to one another at their betrothal, and it took a divorce to end the commitment. The custom of the day usually involved about one year of betrothal, and after that time the bride and groom took up residence together and consummated their marriage. How do you typically respond when people let you down? QUESTION #2 The Old Testament law gave Joseph the right to have Mary stoned to death for her apparent infidelity (see Deut. 22:13-29). Thankfully, verse 19 lets us know Joseph was a gentle and fair-minded man who did not want to pursue such a harsh course of action. Surely he was extremely disappointed, but he chose not to make a public display of Mary. His decision to quietly and privately end their relationship was a gracious act on his part. Even so, he had to be reeling from the pain of the apparent betrayal. Like Joseph, our journey on God s path will have many twists and turns. Maybe you re caught in a difficult or unusual predicament even now maybe you wonder where God is in your situation. You can rest assured that He knows of your circumstances. He s never caught unaware. In fact, He is orchestrating everything that happens in your life so that it will ultimately bring Him glory and illustrate His adventurous plan for you. When we choose to follow God s plan, however, we ll have to make adjustments in our own plans. That s what Joseph quickly found out. 34 CHRISTMAS

CHANGING PLANS Take a moment to reflect on your past and present plans for life. PAST What were some of your major plans or life goals five years ago? PRESENT What are some of your major plans or life goals today? How has your life been influenced or redirected in recent years by God s Christmas plan? BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 35

THE POINT God s Christmas plan will change your life. Matthew 1:20-23 As Joseph pondered his circumstances, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream. Up to this point, Joseph only had Mary s explanation and his own human perspective with which to evaluate the situation. He needed to hear from God. He needed God s perspective. God s adventurous plan also contained a divine truth: What has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit (v. 20). This was a game-changer! What had previously appeared disastrous was actually divine. Joseph was being schooled in the doctrine of the virgin birth foretold in Isaiah 7:14. This doctrine is directly tied to the doctrine of salvation. If Jesus were conceived like all other children, then He could not be God. All people alive today are descendants of Adam. Our human characteristics are inherited from our common ancestor including our inherited sin nature (see Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:21-22). For Jesus, though, that line of descent was interrupted. Jesus is fully human because of Mary, but God s Holy Spirit came upon her at Jesus conception. God was the source of Jesus holiness and moral purity. God imparted His divine nature and prevented the transmission of a sinful nature. As Gabriel told Mary, The holy One to be born will be called the Son of God (see Luke 1:35). Why did God work in this way? He loves us and wants to bless our lives with abundance. At Christmas, our focus is on gifts, but God s plan at Christmas was to give us the greatest gift: Himself. Even the names the angel spoke to Joseph reflect God s goodness and abundance to us. Jesus. The angel told Joseph he was to name the child Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins (v. 21). Jesus comes from the Hebrew name Joshua, meaning Jehovah is salvation. Immanuel. The name Immanuel means God with us. Therefore, Immanuel identifies Jesus as God. Even more, Immanuel points to Jesus as an involved, personal God. He sees us, hears us, knows us, and is with us. What do these verses teach us about God? QUESTION #3 36 CHRISTMAS

Matthew 1:24-25 Can you imagine the amazement and joy that now flooded Joseph s soul? Not only had his trust in Mary and her word been validated, and not only could he restore his confidence and relationship with her, but the angel also announced they were a part of God s abundant plan for humanity! That didn t mean Joseph s life would be problem free or that he would never have another fear (see Matt. 2:13-15,19-23). But now he knew a divine plan was at work. What do these verses teach us about Joseph? QUESTION #4 Still, Joseph needed to act on God s plan. If Joseph had stuck with his own human reasoning, he never would have taken Mary to be his wife. If Joseph had walked away from Mary and divorced her, he might have been culturally correct, but he would have been outside of God s will. The plan wasn t what Joseph originally envisioned, but He trusted God and obeyed. He did as the Lord s angel had commanded him (v. 24). The angel revealed to Joseph all he needed to know in that moment. Joseph didn t know about the travails of traveling to Bethlehem with a pregnant wife. Joseph didn t know his young son s life would be threatened by King Herod, and he would have to take his family to Egypt for safety. Joseph didn t know how people would whisper and treat his wife and son for years to come. Verses 21-23 summarize God s Christmas plan. How does His plan influence your plans all year long? Joseph didn t have the full picture, but he acted on what he knew. Following God s plan has an adventurous element to it. It may be full of trials and challenges, but it s also filled with God s presence and goodness. Be obedient and tap into the adventure God wants your life to become. QUESTION #5 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 37

18 HOMELIFE DECEMBER 2013 the Christians who are often the most cranky during the Christmas season? Complaining has almost become required. We hear sermons on how to deal with the stress of Christmas. We read ominous-sounding emails and Facebook posts on the so-called War on Christmas. And of course, cable news shows ramp up the debates on whether an elderly greeter in Dinkytown, USA, articulated her Merry Christmas greeting in a way that satisfies the Westminster Confession. And let s not even get into the tiresome annual debate about the chubby guy with the beard decked out in red from head-to-toe. Pastors, as part of their sober calling, are often summoned to decide whether using Santa wrapping paper is grounds for church discipline. Is it just me, or have we Christians the ones who know and believe God visited this sin-soaked world in the form of a baby so He could save the world from sin completely sucked the joy out of what should be the most joyous season? My goal this Christmas season is to call Christians back to joy. These are five reasons why. stops and listens to the miracle of the incarnation. Yes, our culture is becoming more post-christian, and yes, there are things that should trouble us as a society. Have you, however, considered that most of the world stops what they re doing for a month to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ? Of course, most people shopping for that last-minute itunes gift card at the drug store probably aren t pondering the Baby who received gifts from the magi. Still, even the most hardened skeptic is subject to carols that extol the theology of the first Advent and at least minimal knowledge of the Christmas story. More than 2,000 years after a Jewish baby was born in a cattle trough, the world s calendar marks time to stop and consider this event in human history. This fact alone should cause Christians to be full of joy. Christmas is an opportunity to share the good news of Christ s birth. If there s a war on Christmas, it isn t the politically correct school boards who ban Christmas trees for faculty parties, it s the Enemy s attempt to get Christians to be defensive. Yes, there s a reason for the season, but let s give the watching world, lost in their sins and trespasses, a reason to celebrate Christmas. In other words, if Christmas really is about Christ and not Santa, smelly trees, and knee-capping shoppers in Walmart, then it should be Christians who lead the way in joyfully living out the story we claim deserves center stage. The harried cashier who forgets to utter, Merry Christmas as you ring up your third ipad is in need of a Christian who, by their countenance, demonstrates why this season is the basis for the world s hope. Let s not demand unregenerate people acknowledge our Jesus. Let s make our worship so obvious and compelling that they can t help but worship Him. Christmas reminds us of a gift-giving King and compels us to give to others. A chronic complaint is that Hollywood and Madison Avenue have conspired to make Christmas more about getting stuff than about Jesus. There s truth to this gripe and yet, we as Christians must not allow our critique of culture to adopt a minimalist, bland view of God. Jesus Himself is God s grand gift to us. His life, death, and resurrection compel us to be gift-givers to others. The wise men understood this. They brought their best to the baby King. And so should we, both by pledging our lives and loyalty to Jesus, and by extending ourselves in service to others. Properly understood, the exchange of gifts on December 25 doesn t have to be an exercise in consumerism. The gospel can transform greedy takers into generous givers. And in doing so, we reflect God, who delights in giving good things to His children. We ve been invited to sit at the King s table and eat of His bountiful feast. We tend to think, as Christians, that the only time we can express the real meaning of the season is during a Christmas Eve service or during the production of the annual Christmas pageant. Though that worship is beautiful, important, and necessary, it s not the only way Jesus incarnation is celebrated. The actual gathering of people in homes, the eating of food, the opening of gifts, the festive decorations, and the DECEMBER 2013 HOMELIFE 19 THE POINT God s Christmas plan will change your life. LIVE IT OUT How will God s plan for Christmas make a difference in your life? Consider the following suggestions: Seek God s plan. God reveals His plan and direction through His Word. Read the Bible every day this week. Submit to God s plan. God always leads us in the right direction, but we don t always follow. Choose to take action this week in submission to God s will. Share God s plan. You likely know people who see Christmas as a festive holiday but nothing more. Introduce them to the story of Jesus and to the plan God has for them because of Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection. As you celebrate Christmas and prepare for the new year, plan to have a wonderful holiday season. More importantly, plan to embrace the change God is already working in your life. Repeat the Sounding Joy Why Christians, of all people, shouldn t be cranky during Christmas Repeat the Sounding Photo: istockphoto.com by Daniel Darling Have you noticed lately that it s Christmas is a rare time when the entire world 1. 2. 3. 4. Jesus Himself is God s grand gift to us. His life, death, and resurrection compel us to be gift-givers to others. Have you noticed lately that it s the Christians who are often the most cranky during the Christmas season? Complaining has almost become required. We hear sermons on how to deal with the stress of Christmas. We read ominoussounding emails and Facebook posts on the so-called War on Christmas. And of course, cable news shows ramp up the debates on whether an elderly greeter in Dinkytown, USA, articulated her Merry Christmas greeting in a way that satisfies the Westminster Confession. To continue reading Repeat the Sounding Joy from HomeLife magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles. 38 CHRISTMAS

My g roup's prayer requests My thoughts BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 39