God’s Plans Are Perfect

 JOSEPH GOD'S PLANS ARE PERFECT

Read Matthew 1.18-24

Have you ever been surprised by God's plans for you? Maybe you've unexpectedly had to move or switch schools or jobs. Maybe you stumbled upon a hobby or sport you never imagined yourself being interested in. Maybe God has brought unlikely friendships into your life. Joseph's story teaches us that we can trust that God's plans are perfect and rejoice in them, even if they take us by surprise, for His plans are always greater than our own.

Meet Joseph

The Bible tells us very little about Joseph, but it does tell us what kind of a man he is. In Matthew, he is described as "a righteous man" (1.19), which doesn't just mean he is a good guy. In Joseph's Jewish context, righteousness isn't only about being a decent human, it specifically refers to a person's commitment to the Jewish Law and customs. Joseph, then, participates in the Jewish festivals, keeps the Sabbath and other laws, and offers sacrifices regularly. In a pre-Christ world, these are the things required to maintain a relationship with God. Joseph loves and trusts God and is determined to obey Him.

Being a devout and righteous Jewish man who follows the normal Jewish customs, Joseph is betrothed to a young Jewish girl, Mary, who also loves God. As we learned yesterday, betrothals in this day were legally binding, as legally binding as marriage itself. In fact, a formal divorce would be necessary to break off such an engagement, even before the official marriage ceremony took place.

So Joseph finds himself in quite the predicament in Matthew's Gospel. Mary is pregnant. As they've not yet consummated their marriage, he likely assumes the worst and is naturally concerned about the situation. He is a righteous man desiring to keep the Law, and marrying a girl who is already pregnant would not be considered a righteous practice.

But in his reaction to this news, we see another aspect of Joseph's character, his kindness. For all Joseph knows, Mary is pregnant with another man's child. But instead of making a scene, he resolves to secretly divorce her because he doesn't want to bring public shame upon her. This resolution will keep her from the town's judgment but will also allow him to marry someone else and go on with his life.

Imagine Joseph's surprise when he goes to sleep one night after making this resolution and an angel appears to him, sharing with him that Mary has not been unfaithful to him but is instead carrying the child of God who will save His people from their sins! The angel instructs Joseph to marry her, raise this child as his own, and name Him Jesus.

Joseph's Trust in God

With these two facts alone, that Mary is carrying the Son of God who will save people from their sins, Joseph trusts the words of God spoken through the angel and takes Mary to be his wife (Matthew 1.24).

God chooses to intervene in Joseph's life, using Joseph in His plan to redeem the world through Jesus. Joseph trusts God's plan, even when it comes as a great surprise to him, and he can rejoice in what God will accomplish through that plan. Divorcing Mary quietly would certainly be the easiest and most natural thing to do, but as a righteous man who loves God, he chooses to trust that God's way is perfect, even if it didn't make sense to others.

God uses Joseph as Jesus's earthly father, to raise Him and teach Him as He grows. Joseph would teach Him the Old Testament Scriptures, and later in the Gospels, we also see that he seems to teach Jesus his own trade of carpentry (Matthew 13.55, Mark 6.3). But all the while, Joseph knows this child does not solely belong to him but to the Father above his son is the Savior of the world.

What Does This Mean for Me?

Throughout your life, there will likely be many times when God's plan surprises you. But even then, you can rejoice that His ways are greater than your own (Isaiah 55.8-9). God is a good God, and His plans are for the good of His people. Although these surprises may be confusing in the moment, God has promised to work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called by Him (Romans 8.28).

We can look at the life of Joseph, Jesus's earthly father, to see how this plays out. Joseph did not expect to raise the Son of God, yet he walked in trust and obedience to God's plan. He could rejoice as he watched Jesus, our Saviour up to one day give His life for the sins of many. grow.

Application Questions

In what ways have you been surprised by God's plans for your life? 

How do you see God working in those situations?

What does it look like for you to personally practice rejoicing when things do not go according to your plans?

Pray and thank God that His plans are greater than yours and that He is in control of all things.