Unexpected Expected One

The word "messiah" comes from the Greek messias (cp. Jn 1:41; 4:25), which is itself a transliteration of the Hebrew mashiach (2Sm 22:51; 23:1), meaning one who is "smeared" or "anointed" (with oil). The Greek equivalent is christos (cp. LXX 2Sm 22:51; 23:1), which occurs some 500 times in the New Testament.

11 the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

King David reigned roughly around 1000 BC so from these explicit references of the Messiah, the Israelites had been waiting for 1000 years for the Messiah.

1000 years ago for us would be 1018 - toward end of the Middle Ages .

There were many writings, discussions, and conjectures about what the Messiah would look like, where he would come from, and what he would do.

Most agreed, however, that the Messiah would be a warrior king who would lead a revolt to overthrow the occupying forces (at this time, Rome) and reestablish the Kingdom of Israel as a central world power similar to what it had been with King David.

Amida Prayer:

“Return in mercy to Jerusalem Your city and dwell therein as You have promised; speedily establish therein the throne of David Your servant, and rebuild it, soon in our days, as an everlasting edifice. Blessed are You L-rd, who rebuilds Jerusalem. Speedily cause the scion of David Your servant to flourish, and increase his power by Your salvation, for we hope for Your salvation all day. Blessed are You L-rd, who causes the power of salvation to flourish.”

We all expect God to work in our lives and in the world.

More than likely, we have expectations about how God does and should work.

**The danger in thinking God can only work in ways that we expect is that while we wait for our expectations we may miss God’s unexpected work.

That is what happened to many in Jesus’ day especially the Pharisees and religious leaders - Jesus didn’t fit their expectation of the Messiah, and as a result, they missed the Messiah.

Caveat - God will NEVER work in contradiction to what he has said in Scripture.

The problem lies when we rely more on OUR expectations of God than the revelation of God.

Almost everything about this story is unexpected from a human perspective.

God sometimes works through unexpected people.

Neither Joseph nor Mary were of any significance in the world’s eyes.

Matthew 13:53-57a

53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.

6 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

The only thing that made Joseph and Mary a good fit for God’s plan was their willingness to be used for God’s plan.

2 Chronicles 16:9

9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (NIV)

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

7. . . For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

**The important thing is NOT that you can do God’s work; it is that you are willing to allow God to work through you.

Illust - Notorious Level to Warrior Level

give up expected belief about inadequacies / entitlements

inadequacies

You cannot do anything bad enough that God cannot redeem it and use you.

Illust - Notorious Level to Warrior Level

- Renee Martinez - co-founder of the Latin Syndicate in South Florida

- mother practiced witchcraft and sacrificed animals over him

- one of the most feared men in S Florida

- almost died many times on the streets with gang wars

- became top bareknuckle fighter

- Jesus got a hold of his life. Told him to ‘go and gather the fragments’

- now he preaches to the gang bangers he once led

"I take the tub on top of my truck and I baptize them according to in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost. And I do it right there in the projects," shared Level.

We must give up our expectations as to why God would use us.

ILLUST - Dr. Dorsey - brilliant mind, yet it was his heart through which God worked most.

God sometimes works with unexpected timing.

ILLUST - Babies’ timing never seem to be convenient. Brooks wasn’t

Here’s a young couple that seems to be doing the right thing when God breaks in with a different plan.

If God would have waited a year or two it would have made things easier for Joseph and Mary.

(Maybe Jesus was born first since most first-borns think themselves better than anyone anyway.)

“She was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”

‘with child from the Holy Spirit’ - -

Difficulties with the virgin birth:

It’s impossible / It is only impossible if you discount the supernatural. If God can create the world from nothing, then he can have a virgin give birth.

It’s a copy of other religions where the gods mate. / The context here and in Luke is drastically different from the pagan narratives.

The virgin birth is a fabrication by the Church to promote Jesus. / Why would the Church fabricate such a miraculous claim if they did not believe there was some truth? Why would the Church use something so difficult to prove.

Importance of the virgin birth: John Frame points out 5 reasons the virgin birth is important:

The doctrine of Scripture

The deity of Christ

The humanity of Christ

The sinless of Christ

The grace of God - God did not simply latch onto a human possibility; God took the initiative

‘betrothed’ - legally binding. Betrothal could only be dissolved through divorce - not equivalent to our ‘engaged.’ - states a betrothed virgin is equivalent to a man’s wife.

‘Joseph, being a just man’ - Joseph is a lawful man - Law actually stated that divorce MUST occur with unfaithfulness.

18 . . .When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

Full weight of the Law would have been stoning for Mary (though it was rarely carried out in the First Century).

The next option would be public divorce (which would have brought shame). The Law did also allow for a private divorce in the presence of two witnesses.

This was the option Joseph chose - it would follow the Law yet also be the most compassionate.

I find it interesting that the angel appeared to Joseph only AFTER he had contemplated a solution.

The question is less about timing and more about willingness.

Jesus is NOT convenient.

give up my expectations of when and how God will work.

give up my life plan for God’s plan for life.

God sometimes calls to an unexpected mission.

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

In this one moment, God was calling Joseph (and Mary) to a mission that would alter their lives forever.

An angel, really?

Name one Bible story that is expected from a human perspective:

Adam and Eve - You had one job

Noah - rain, really?

Jonah - a big fish - the first Meg movie

Jericho - walls fall from a good jazz number

Samson - Your strength is found where?!

Jesus:

water into wine, walk on water, blind see, lame walk, deaf hear, mute speak, demons run, food multiplied, dead people live again (Lazarus)

walk on waterblind see, lame walk, deaf hear, mute speakdemons runfood multiplieddead people live again (Lazarus)

**How willing am I to allow God to be unexpected in my life?

**Sure, an angel broke in, but without a prepared heart, Joseph could have called the angel “a bit of bad pizza”

**Without a prepared heart, both Mary and Joseph could have resisted what God wanted to do through them.

**What would God need to do to get my attention?

**Maybe some of us would need more than an angel (messenger)

give up convenience and comfort for God’s mission and glory

Francis Chan - Live in such a way that if the Holy Spirit doesn’t come through, I’m screwed.

ILLUST - Joni Eareckson Tada

God’s call may require an unexpected response.

24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him:

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles,

God’s unexpected work always fulfills his expected plan.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

And he called his name Jesus.

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

And he called his name Jesus.

(which means, God with us).

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

24c And he called his name Jesus.

Even though God may be to us unexpected, nothing he does is a surprise or reactionary to him.

Ephesians 1:3-4

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Galatians 4:4

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Galatians 4:4–5 ESV

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Through grace, Jesus will wreck your life until you make his life your life.

Jesus is not convenient.

The Pharisees missed the Messiah because Jesus didn’t come the way they expected, look the way they expected, or work the way they expected.

Ironically, the Pharisees were the ones who were best suited to recognize the Messiah and join him in his work.

Conclusion

How willing am I to allow God to be unexpected in my life?

Sure, an angel broke in, but without a prepared heart, Joseph could have called the angel “a bit of bad pizza”

Without a prepared heart, both Mary and Joseph could have resisted what God wanted to do through them.

What would God need to do to get my attention?

Maybe some of us would need more than an angel (messenger)

If God asked me to do something unexpected, how willing am I to respond as Mary?

Is God calling me to something unexpected even now?

What is your next step based on your answers?

What to do when you are unsure if God is doing something unexpected in your life?

Pray

Test

Confirm

What would happen if we all expected God to do the unexpected?

Do you have a story of God working through you in an unexpected way?

Do you WANT God to work through you in an unexpected way?

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