Lessons In Faith from Christmas

Continuing our study of people of faith

Review: Definition of Faith: Faith is believing what God has said in the past (and the promises he has fulfilled), and looking to the future, believing he will do the same in the future with the things he has promised.

Last week, we also talked about how we often fail to live by faith because Instead of living for what God has promised in the future, we are too caught up with what we want today! 

Did you think about my question to self last week? “What do you want today, that is hindering you from living completely focused on living according to what God has promised?

• When what I want robs me of peace and joy, I have lost sight of God’s promises.
• (last night with the planer)

Last week we started our Christmas theme by examining Mary’s faith What would have happened if Mary chose to live for what she wanted today, instead of choosing to allow God to decide her future?

But, Mary didn’t.

1. Mary believed what God said in the past
2. Mary chose to let her future be decided by God
3. Mary found her joy in God’s lovingkindness and his promises

Let’s continue looking at the Christmas story characters, and see what else we can learn from the examples of their faith.

The next character to come on the scene is Joseph.

Let’s review where things are at.

The angel speaks to Mary. Mary agrees to be God’s servant, putting her life completely in God’s hands. But, it seems like before she told anyone about the visit from the angel, she went to visit Elizabeth. (Luke 1:38-39)

• At the time of the Angels message, Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant . Mary went to visit her, and stayed until after the baby was born. She would have been at least 3 months along (Luke 1:56)

Joseph: (Matt 1:18-24)

Matt 1:18

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

Buk Baibel: (Matt 1:18) Tasol taim tupela i no i stap wantaim yet, ol i lukim Maria i gat bel

Other English versions: “she was found to be with child…”

Whether Joseph found out because he saw her “bel”, or because Mary tried to tell her, either way, Joseph’s first reaction was to assume she had been unfaithful, and to privately get a divorce, Joseph knew the consequence. So, He was thinking about Mary and the consequence if he were to accuse her, and decided to “divorce” her privately, instead of accusing her and sending her to her death.

• While Joseph was thinking about her consequence, he was also looking out for himself in not wanting to go through with the wedding

(Matt 1:19)

Joseph could have very easily chose to live for what he wanted. What did he want at that moment?

• didn’t want to shame Mary…
• But was also not willing to carry her shame on himself… he wanted to be a good Jew..
• He wanted to keep his reputation
• He was thinking about what he wanted. God’s promise of the Messiah was the furthest from his mind.

Matt 1:20-25

• Upon hearing the angel’s message, Joseph chose to follow God,
  • What changed?
  • The circumstances didn’t change. Mary was still pregnant (not by Joseph)
  • They were still engaged. It would still appear she broke her commitment.
  • What changed?
• Joseph was now looking at the circumstances in light of God’s promise. When God’s promise was in focus, his circumstances didn’t matter any more. and face humiliation and probably public criticism etc… because he believed God’s promise (Matt 1:23)

What will change our focus? How can we get our focus off what we want, and our circumstances? For Joseph, it took an angel declaring truth of God’s promise. For us, it’s going to take speaking the truth and focusing on the promises of God. Then, like Mary, let God plan your future…

Lesson from Joseph: When the things of God are in focus, our personal circumstances don’t really matter

The next characters that come on the scene of the Christmas story are the shepherds. Let’s look at them briefly. We don’t know much about them. Their story is told in Luke 2:8-20.

Luke 2:8-15

Joseph left his personal plan behind when God’s promise was brought into focus. For the shepherds, they left their sheep behind when God’s promise was brought into focus. They were so excited about what the angel said, that they dropped everything to go and see it!

They didn’t doubt the angels word. They didn’t discuss whether it was true or not. They believed so much that it motivated their actions. They dropped everything to go and see. “Let’s go! Let’s see this thing that has happened.” (Luke 2:15)

Luke 2:16-20

Once the promise was in focus, the things of this earth were no longer very important. The truth motivated them to action. Then when they saw it, they were so excited, they told everyone they met about it.

When we see God’s promise fulfilled, and we see God at work, when we see Him do what He said He would do, it should excite us so much that it motivates us to action, to follow Him, and it should make us want everyone else to experience that too!

Luke 2:21 – after 8 days.. They weren’t still in the stable. We don’t know exactly where they were living, but somewhere in Bethlehem.

Luke 2:22 – Jesus purification – in Jerusalem. Bethlehem to Jerusalem 7 km – From here to Vidar

After the shepherds, the next characters that come on the scene are Simeon and Anna. (Luke 2:22-38.

These 2 people were people of great faith

• Simeon – (29-32)
• Anna – (36-38)

When we see God’s promise fulfilled, and we see God at work, when we see Him do what He said He would do, it should excite us so much that it motivates us to action, to follow Him, and it should make us want everyone else to experience that too!

Luke 2:39. Sometime before this, the wise men came to Bethlehem

The Wise Men (Matt 2:1-12)

Matt 2:11 “And going into the house, they saw the child…”

saw his star and followed based on prophecy… without any physical evidence.. they were so confident they would find what God promised, they brought gifts (Heb 11:1}

When we understand what God has said, we should believe with confidence and act like it’s true!

Faith Lessons from the Christmas story

• Lesson from Joseph: When the things of God are in focus, our personal circumstances don’t really matter

• Lesson from the Shepherds, Simeon and Anna: when we see God do what He said He would do, it should motivate us to follow Him and invite everyone else to experience that too!

• Lesson from the Wise Men: When we understand what God has said, we should believe with confidence and act like it’s true!