The Chronicles of Christmas: A Chronicle of Obedience

As we approach the Christmas season, I've chosen to preach a series of sermons entitled The Chronicles of Christmas. A chronicle refers to an extended account in prose or verse of historical events, and presented in chronological order. The Chronicles of Christmas reveal truth through biblical personalities and events. The Scriptures we will look at over the next four Sundays are a part of the historical record from which our faith springs.

The first message I've entitled A Chronicle of Obedience. Obedience is not a soft, syrupy word. It is a gritty, tenacious one. It challenges us to do what God commands, to go where He leads, and to speak what He inspires.

Mary and Joseph help us frame a picture of obedience in its full context and reveal to us the difficulty and delight of devotion to God.

I. MARY AND JOSEPH OBEYED IN SPITE OF CIRCUMSTANCES

1. Nazareth was a small, obscure village nestled in the hill country halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea

a. it was a town that had little to offer

1) Nazareth was so insignificant that it is never mentioned in the Old Testament ... never mentioned in other Jewish writings of the era ... never mentioned by the 1st-century Jewish historian, Josephus

2) it was not on any of the main roads of the day

a) no one just happened to pass through Nazareth

3) and it wasn’t just Nazareth—the entire region of south Galilee lay outside the mainstream of Jewish life and culture

ILLUS. No wonder the Apostle Nathaniel would quip “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” when his brother Phillip told him he had found the Messiah and he was from Nazareth!

b. I'm sure the teenagers of Nazareth dreamed about the metropolitan communities of their day

1) Athens

2) Rome

3) Cairo

4) even Jerusalem

c. any place had to be better than dull, monotonous Nazareth where nothing exciting ever happened

2. in Nazareth lived a young woman named Mary

a. to the human eye, she probably was an ordinary teenager

b. but in the heart of God, she was an extraordinary person whom He chose to favor

A. MARY EMBRACED THE CONSEQUENCES OF HER FAITH

1. God's grace was delivered by the angel Gabriel who called Mary God's favored one

2. the message from the angel was startling

“And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” (Luke 1:30–35, ESV)

2. the consequences of Mary’s obedience would be as equally startling

a. Mary was a virgin—perhaps a mere fourteen years old

1) but very soon she is going to be expecting a child

2) and what a child it will be

a) she will have a son

ILLUS. Here is the world’s first “reveal party” and the Angel Gabriel makes the announcement. Top that if you can!

b) his name will be Yeshua ben Yahweh—Jesus, son of the most high God

c) he will be a king who reigns over the house of Jacob, and his kingdom will never end

d) he will be called holy ... because he will be holy

3. but her faith would undoubtedly have consequences

a. what would people think and say?

1) her parents? “Mom, dad, I was minding my own business when the angel Gabriel appeared to me and you wouldn’t believe ... “

2) her friends? “Girls ... I’m expecting, and you would believe who the Father is!”

3) her fiancé? “Joseph; darling. Sit down ... we need to talk.”

b. ultimately, Mary considered the whole situation to be impossible

1) but Gabriel affirms "nothing is impossible with God"

B. MARY’S FAITH BELIEVED THAT GOD CAN MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE

1. Mary did not demand an explanation

a. she did not complain that she had insufficient information

2. she simply humbled herself and obeyed

v. 38 "Be it done to me according to your word."

3. obedience for believers is not an option that depends on the circumstances

a. too often our obedience toward God is conditioned on whether that obedience fits into our personal agenda

1) if we are not inconvenienced ...

2) if we are not overly burdened ....

3) if it makes sense ...

4) then we obey, if not, we don't

4. her faith in God would soon bring about difficult circumstances in her life-Mary obeyed in spite of the circumstances

II. MARY AND JOSEPH OBEYED IN SPITE OF CONFLICT

1. circumstances can make obedience perplexing, and conflict can make it painful

2. when Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant, the news must have been deeply painful for him

a. he assumed the worst

b. he thought that his betrothed had been unfaithful to him

ILLUS. In 1st-century Galilee, betrothal was a big deal. Parents often negotiated with other parents in a community to arrange marriages between children that were advantageous economically, and socially to each family. If the parents arranged the marriage while the bride, the groom, or both were too young for marriage, a long betrothal would ensue. What seems strange to modern Westerners is that neither sexual attraction nor love was considered a necessary prelude to engagement or marriage. Betrothal in most eras of Bible history involved two families in a formal contract, and that contract was as binding as marriage itself. A dowry or bride price agreements were included, so that a broken engagement required repayment of the dowry. After betrothal, all that remained were three matters: the wedding celebration, the bride’s move into the groom’s house, and the consummation of the marriage. Thus a pre-wedding pregnancy where the betrothed groom was not the father was not just a matter between the bride and groom, but between two families and even the larger community.

3. according to Jewish law, Joseph had two options

a. he could divorce Mary publicly and shame her in a court of justice

b. or he could "put her away privately" through a private divorce

c. the conflicting desires swirling around in his mind must have been agonizing

1) would he yield to legalistic dogma and make an example of her?

a) he could have—it would have been within his legal right to do so

b) revenge over such a betrayal, and embarrassment might taste sweet

2) or would he yield to the tender love he felt for Mary and save her from open shame and embarrassment?

4. the fact that Joseph did not want to disgrace her reveals the depth and tenderness of his love for her

a. in the midst of his own hurt, he was thinking of her feelings and welfare

A. OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WILL IS RARELY EASY OR CONVENIENT

1. before Joseph could act on his inclination to begin the process of divorce an angel of the Lord informed him in a dream that Mary was pregnant by means of the Holy Spirit and that he should take her as his wife

2. from the human perspective that revelation did not make things a whole lot easier

a. people would still point fingers, family members would still whisper, neighbors tongues would still wag

3. Joseph's obedience was bound to bring conflict

a. conflict with his family

b. conflict with his friends

c. conflict with himself

1) the selfish response would be so appropriate

2) the sacrificial response seems so difficult

4. Joseph’s decision reminds us that obedience does not afford us the luxury of being neutral

ILLUS. C.S. Lewis once wrote that, "There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan."

B. GOD OFTEN SHAPES HIS BEST WARRIORS IN THE CRUCIBLE OF CONFLICT

1. for Joseph, obedience meant yielding his opinions and desires to the will of God

a. such obedience is easy to write about and easy to preach about, but it is not always easy to do

ILLUS. Last Sunday, I told you part of the story of Eric Liddell, a Scotsman who loved to run. When he raced he felt the power and joy of God flood his life. His ability would eventually take him to the Olympics of 1924 in Paris where he would win a gold medal for Great Britain.

The movie Chariots of Fire was about the early part of his life. It portrays a young man who was willing to obey God and hold true to his convictions in spite of conflict. When he learned that the qualifying heat for the 100-meter sprint was on a Sunday morning, he refused to run rather than miss attending worship. It was his best event, and everyone believed he was the odd-on favorite to win the Gold Medal. But worship, and his witness for Christ were more important to him. His friends, his coaches, his team mates and even the Prince of Wales all prevailed upon him to reconsider his stance, but no avail. The papers in London ridiculed him. Only later, when a teammate switched races with Liddell, did he go on to become a gold medalist in the 400-meter race. He broke the Olympic and world records.

A lost of people know that part of Liddel’s life, but there’s so much more to his story. This same man, whose obedience was fired in the crucible of conflict, in 1925 joined his parents in China where the entire family served as Christian missionaries. When the Japanese invaded China during WW II, Liddell had the opportunity to leave. Instead he stayed an ultimately was interned to a Japanese concentration camp. Liddell busied himself by helping the elderly, teaching Bible classes at the camp school, arranging games, and teaching science to the children, who referred to him as Uncle Eric. His fellow prisoners said that he was overflowing with good humour and love for life, and with enthusiasm and charm.

Liddel died on 21st of February, 1945 five months before the camp was liberated. He understood the meaning of obedience in spite of conflict. Shortly before his death, he wrote: "Obedience to God's will is the secret of spiritual knowledge and insight. It is not willingness to know, but willingness to do God's will that brings certainty."

III. MARY AND JOSEPH OBEYED IN SPITE OF CULTURAL PRESSURES

1. the actions that Joseph and Mary took separately and then together as a couple went against the common wisdom and custom of their day

a. they were obedient to the will of God in their lives despite the prevailing wind of cultural opinion

2. Joseph and Mary submitted to God's purpose and accepted the embarrassment from a society that would spread despicable rumors and count the months from marriage to birth

a. surely they were aware of the stares and heard the whispers, even after returning to Nazareth after their sojourn in Egypt for several years

3. they learned that obedience to God’s will often puts the faithful believer into a pitched moral and ethical battle with one’s culture

a. they were willing to move against the current of society to honor God

IV. APPLICATION

A. CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO BE OBEDIENT REGARDLESS OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCES

1. like Mary and Joseph, we too, sometimes find ourselves facing circumstances that require obedience, even though we don't fully understand the details

a. when faced with an offer from God to accept the title of “mom” while she is a virgin, Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, may everything you have said about me come true”

b. considering that upon her return from visiting he Aunt Elizabeth, Mary has a pronounced baby-bump, Joseph could have chosen to listen to logic or advise of others

1) he chose to listen to God’s angel and parent Jesus

c. neither one of them had all their questions answered ... that’s were faith steps in and says, “I’ll believe even though I can’t see down the road to the end.”

2. if we obey only when we want to and believe only what is understandable, we do not really trust God; we trust only ourselves

a. real faith trusts the heart of God even when we cannot trace the hand of God

B. CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO BE OBEDIENT EVEN IF OUR OBEDIENCE BRINGS CONFLICT INTO OUR LIVES

ILLUS. I had been a Christian for approximately a year, when I announced to my parents that I felt the call of God to full-time Christian ministry. They were, to say the least, not pleased. My father simply said, “We were afraid something like this was going to happen.” My mother’s response was bitter and sarcastic, “You’ve got an entirely wrong-headed idea of what religion is all about!” It was hard. They pleaded with me to reconsider. They attempted to persuade me at every opportunity that it was folly to pursue such a vocation.

My best friend thought I’d lost my mind.

It meant changing my degree course, and changing schools because the college I was attending did not have a religion major.

I can remember thinking at the time, “God, if you’re really calling me to ministry, why do the some of the most important people in my life seem so opposed to be doing your will?”

1. too often we mistake religious feelings with devotion

a. but real devotion is about obedience–even when it brings conflict

C. CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO BE OBEDIENT TO GOD EVEN THOUGH OUR CULTURE IS IN OPPOSITION TO US

1. our culture is becoming increasingly opposed to the Confessing Church—those believers and those congregations that have remained loyal to the authority of the Scriptures

ILLUS. A decade ago this week a document was signed and released by so of America’s leading Evangelical theologians and pastors called “The Manhattan Declaration—A Call of Christian Conscience.” The document affirms basic Christian doctrine as well as support for the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty. The declaration calls for civil disobedience if Christians feel that their rights to civil liberties of free exercise of religion and freedom of speech are being violated. The last line of the declaration reads: “We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar's. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God's.”

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