Divine Timing

Seeing Christmas Through Mary’s Eyes

I remember I was eating dinner with my daughter Amy and her family, and Ginny was there as well, just this past week or two. We started talking about what it must have been like to be Mary. That conversation is one of the reasons I wanted to play that clip earlier—it just grabs you.

As Ginny and Amy were talking about the birth of Christ and what Mary might have been experiencing, they brought up perspectives that, as a man, I had honestly never thought about before. Amy said, “Mom, was she even able to take a bath after that?” And I remember thinking, I’ve never thought about that before.

That’s one of the things I love about the portrayal of Mary in The Chosen. It grabs your heart. It brings you into the moment. The God of all creation—the incarnation of our heavenly Father—took on humanity, became man, and entered into the reality of human life in order to save us from our sins.

That’s why we celebrate Christmas. That’s the life change that comes from the Word of God.

God’s Divine Timing

Last week we looked at the visitation of the angel Gabriel to Mary, telling her she would be pregnant and give birth to the Savior of all humanity. This week, we move to Joseph and the birth of Christ.

Matthew 1:18–25 (ESV) tells us:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way…”

When the angel appears to Joseph and says, “Do not fear to take Mary as your wife,” one of the biggest takeaways for us is this: if you’ve been bound by fear when it comes to obeying the Lord, God is calling you to replace fear with faith and trust.

She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

The name Jesus means Yahweh saves. And this all took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel” — which means, God with us. ( Matthew 1:23 ESV )

Seven hundred years earlier, God had already promised this moment. And now, in His divine timing, He fulfills it. When Joseph woke from sleep, he did exactly what the angel of the Lord commanded him. He obeyed.

Recognizing Divine Setups in Your Life

The title of this message is Divine Timing. What is it in your life right now where God is putting His finger on your heart?

One of my regular prayers is, “God, help me see what You want me to see.” Help me recognize where You want me to step up. Where is the divine opportunity You’ve placed in front of me?

Too often we focus on the pain points instead of trusting that God is using those very places to shape us and move us forward. This Christmas season, don’t miss what God wants to do in your heart and life.

The Incarnation: God With Us

Christmas is about the incarnation—God becoming flesh.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” ( John 1:14 ESV )

The incarnation is central to our salvation. Jesus is fully God and fully man. He entered into our world so that we could be redeemed.

The Birth of Christ and God’s Perfect Timing

Luke 2:1–7 (ESV) tells us that it “just so happened” a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, requiring a census. Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem—exactly where the prophet Micah said the Messiah would be born.

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah… from you shall come forth for Me one who is to be ruler in Israel.” ( Micah 5:2 ESV )

Nothing about this was accidental. God’s timing was perfect.

Humbling Ourselves Before the Mighty King

God, the Creator of all things, came to us as a baby. That should move us to humility. Christmas calls us to bow our hearts before our Creator and trust His timing.

Don’t Miss What God Is Doing

Life is full of pressure, pain, and challenge. But instead of allowing pressure to squeeze the joy out of us, we are called to embrace the joy of what God is doing—even in the midst of difficulty.

Where is God speaking to you right now?

Responding to the Incarnation

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” ( Romans 10:9 ESV )

Jesus came—God Himself taking on humanity—to save us from our sins.

This is the incarnation. This is Christmas. And God’s timing is perfect.

DSB,

Pastor Joey