Thoughts Of Some Guy In Ohio
Thoughts Of Some Guy In Ohio
Mary and Joseph's Faithful Journey
What if waiting was the key to unlocking the divine timing of our lives? Join us as we navigate the incredible journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, shedding light on the trials of waiting and the meticulous unfolding of God's plans. Through the lens of biblical prophecy, explore the profound significance of a 90-mile trek that changed the world forever. We reflect on Mary’s endurance and Joseph’s determination as they fulfilled ancient prophecies, culminating in the birth of Jesus. This episode highlights the power of faith and perseverance in trusting God's timeline, reminding us all of the hope nestled within divine purpose.
Experience the life-changing power of faith in Jesus Christ through personal stories that illustrate a transformation from despair to hope. This episode examines the miraculous fulfillment of over 350 prophecies, showcasing Jesus' unique role as the Son of God. Discover how faith in Jesus reshapes our lives, offering salvation and an eternal promise. With heartfelt testimonies, we invite you to consider this profound belief and the depth of God's love demonstrated through Jesus' birth. Listen as we share a prayerful hope for all to embrace this transformative faith and find their own path to salvation.
You know, last week we talked about the importance of waiting, and waiting oftentimes, I think, is the hardest part, especially when it comes to our relationship with God. We live in a society that's really like. I want it now, right, greg. I want my guitar now. Greg knows what I'm talking about, but we do. We live in a world where everything is so fast-paced and we don't get instant gratification. We feel like we've been cheated. But the beautiful thing about how God works is His timing is perfect, even if it doesn't line up with ours. You know, nick was talking about all the different prophecies that had to be filled. Micah 5.2 actually talks about the prophecy that speaks of the Savior, the one who would rule all things would come from Bethlehem, so prior to Mary and Joseph starting their journey, right. So that's what we're going to talk about today.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of discussion and debate on how long of a journey she had. Some scholars say 70 miles, some say 80, some say 90, depending on the terrain and the route they would have went. But here's the thing, real quick pop quiz. So Luke, chapter one and two, covers the basis of most of the story we have of their journey In Luke chapter two. What animal does it say that Mary rode on? What was it who said none? None, you're right. In the story, the narrative that we have it doesn't speak of any animal that she rode on. Now we assume it was a donkey because culturally it would have made sense and if Joseph wanted to make sure his wife wasn't miserable, being nine months pregnant, he probably would have acquired a donkey. But there's no guarantee. There's also a chance that she walked 90 miles on foot over a four-day span to get to Bethlehem to fulfill the census. But the crazy thing is, is that journey long before it happened? 400 years prior, in the book of Micah, god established that the Son of man would come from Bethlehem. So this journey might have been a surprise to them, but it wasn't to God. He knew where they were headed, he knew what had to happen. He knew what had to happen 90 miles, whether she walked or she rode on a donkey. I don't know if you've ever sat on a donkey, but they're not the most comfortable thing to sit on, especially if they're not well trained. But 90 miles they walked, mary being nine months pregnant.
Speaker 1:I remember when Danny was past her due date, everett came a couple about a week, week and a half late. I remember her walking. Is she in here? Okay, I don't want to get myself in trouble. Oh, she's back there. Hi, I love you. Take this for what it is. I remember she would like walk from like the bedroom to the kitchen and she'd be like out. She'd be like I don't want to do this anymore. And listen, I could sympathize with her because I mean, obviously I wasn't pregnant, but I can imagine. But can you imagine having to walk 90-some miles, being nine months pregnant? Can you imagine the sacrifice?
Speaker 1:Not only that, but what God did is he had already planned for it to happen. So Luke 2, verses 1-3 says In those days, caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. So this was the first census that took place while Koranis was governor of Syria and everyone went to their own town to register. So Mary and Joseph had to go back to Bethlehem, they had to register, and part of the reason they did the census is they were tracking people. They were trying to keep track of numbers. The Romans were if you were paying attention to them, they really were into numbers and keeping track of people and details and statistics.
Speaker 1:So this 90-mile trek with this nine-month pregnant lady and her husband who we all hope the guy got a donkey for his sake this journey would start the process of eventually bringing Jesus into the world. It wasn't a surprise. God knew that it needed to happen this way. Long before this trip took place, god had already decided that someone had to come into the world to save us. The sacrificial system of the Old Testament would never be enough. It was temporary. From the moment we lost the Garden of Eden, from the moment that Adam and Eve allowed sin to creep, creep in, god was making a plan, a journey. The entire Old Testament is the history of Israel, not only how they came to be, but everything that they suffered. But the entire Old Testament is leading to this one pivotal moment in the history of mankind. In the history of mankind, this 90 miles was the culmination of over a thousand years of stories, over a thousand years of different journeys, from the parting of the Red Sea, to David and Goliath, to the story of Daniel, to all the prophets, to the walls of the Red Sea, to David and Goliath, to the story of Daniel, to all the prophets, to the walls of Jericho. All of it was leading to this one moment in history when, at just the right time oh, miles is in here to cry, where's he? At At just the right time, a baby could be hurt. Luke 2, verses 4-5 says so.
Speaker 1:Joseph also wanted from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, in the town of David, because he belonged to the house and the line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. So prior to this moment and if you've never read the story I'm going to recap it because I think it's pretty crazy if you think about it An angel shows up to Mary and says hey, by the way, I realize you're not married and you're a virgin and you're about to have a child. And I can imagine her response was what? And the angel says to her you're going to have a child and the child's going to come from God. And you're going to have a child and the child is going to come from God and you're going to name him Jesus and he's going to be the son of God. So the angel comes to her at the start of her journey and says I know you don't understand this. You probably are wondering why I'm even here, but the Son of God is going to be born to you, and so he proves this right. He says go talk to your cousin Elizabeth. She's currently with child, even in her old age, and this child will understand and set the way for your son. John the Baptist would be the one to pave the road, to start the journey as Jesus entered into his ministry.
Speaker 1:So then Mary has to go to Joseph and say to this man that she's not quite married to yet but she's engaged to. She has to tell him, by the way, I'm pregnant with a child. It's not yours, it's God's. I can imagine Joseph's response was wait what? And then an angel comes to Joseph and he explains to him. And then an angel comes to Joseph and he explains to him this son, this child that's about to be born to your wife, is going to be the son of the Most High I always like to think of.
Speaker 1:I wonder what their story was prior to this moment. What were their plans? We're going to get married, going to buy a house, we'll probably have some farm animals. We'll live a life in obscurity. No one will probably even know who we are. Their plans were probably to settle down, to start a family, and then, all of a sudden, god shows up and he intervenes. God took them on a journey that they never expected would happen, 400 years from the moment Micah made the prophecy to the moment she arrived in Bethlehem.
Speaker 1:God always had a plan. Listen, I think it's so important to understand that, because you and I have to understand that Jesus was always the plan. It's not like God lost control of everything and it's not like God was operating on a whim and had to figure something out. God, in all of his knowing and all of his power and everything that he is, he knew that a sacrifice would have to come and it would have to come in the form of a man. A perfect creation would have to be sacrificed. Do you understand that the Old Testament system, the animals you sacrifice, had to be without blemish or it didn't count? God knew that a perfect creation had to be without blemish or it didn't count. God knew that a perfect creation had to be sacrificed and he knew that you and I would never be perfect. So, at just the right moment, at just the right time, god sent Jesus to be born in the town of Bethlehem. What a non-glorious entrance for the King of Kings. We were talking about this in my community group on Thursday.
Speaker 1:If I was in charge of writing the narrative for the Son of God, right, if someone had said, listen, I need you to explain Jesus to the world, I would have done something probably a lot grandioser, a lot bigger. I don't know what I would have said, but I would have made it big. And he arrived like this baby, unlike an angel came down and brought the baby and laid him down in choirs, and like I would have made it this incredible story. Because when you look at throughout history, when we talk about historical figures of the past Alexander being the great being one of them they always write incredible stories of their beginning. And yet here we have the Son of God arriving in the simplest way possible, in the simplest way possible, born to Mary and Joseph, who probably no one knew who they were prior to this moment, born in Bethlehem. Which what was so good about Bethlehem? It wasn't this giant story, it was humble, it was quiet. It was quiet, but the night of His birth would signify the change of everything. Had Jesus not been born, there would have been no sacrifice for you and me. I said it already, you and I would have been trying to fulfill the Old Testament way of doing it and sacrificing animals and hoping there was enough. But the story of the nativity is the night that hope stepped into the world.
Speaker 1:Mary's journey didn't just end in Bethlehem, that 90 mile walk, although I can imagine it was intense, especially for a lady 90, teenager, late teens teenager nine months pregnant. But the moment that Jesus was born her life would change forever, because not only was she responsible for witnessing the birth of the Savior, she would also watch her son die unjustly on a cross. She would watch this young man that she had raised up, the Son of God. She would watch him eventually be torn apart by the same people that were glad he was born in the first place. She would listen to the crowds as they mocked him and spit on him and beat him and tortured him and eventually killed him. I could not imagine for a moment watching anyone hurt my own kids. I can't imagine anyone laying a finger on my kids without me doing something in return. I can't imagine watching my son being strung up on a cross as those around him mocked him To have the beginning to hold him as a baby, to watch him grow up, to eventually watch his life come to an end, but knowing, knowing in her heart, that he had to do what he did, can't imagine being Joseph and going through the same thing.
Speaker 1:It said Luke, chapter 1,. This is where it all begins for Mary. It says God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said Greetings you, who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. The angel said to her Don't be afraid, mary, you found favor with God and you will conceive and give birth to a son and you will call him Jesus. This young girl has been given the privilege and the burden of bringing Jesus into the world. Joseph, in the same way, receives in Matthew 1, 19-21, a similar encounter, it says. But Joseph, her husband, was faithful to the law and yet he didn't want to expose her to public disgrace. When he found out she was pregnant, his intention was to divorce her quietly, but after he had considered this. An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give her the name Jesus, because he will save the people from their sins people from their sins. This couple was about to do something extraordinary. The birth of Jesus will change everything.
Speaker 1:You know, I've been a Christian now since I was 15 years old to going on 23 years. I've studied during my time when I was in school and just on my own. I've studied other religions. I've read other books. I've tried to understand where other people are coming from. Personally, I do it because I want to be more engaged in conversation with people who think differently.
Speaker 1:And someone asked me a couple years ago what is it about your?
Speaker 1:You know they called it my religion and I get that. They said what is it about your religion that's so different than every other one? And my answer was simple. My answer was Jesus. And of course, they either. We talked a little bit about it, but they believed that Jesus was a real person, but they don't believe he was the son of God. So they asked me again so what is it that sets what you believe apart from everyone else? And my answer is simple it's Jesus. Everyone else and my answer is simple it's Jesus.
Speaker 1:Not only did he fulfill his birth over 350 prophecies, by the way, most of them he had no control over. It's not like when Jesus was in the womb he was like hey, mom, let's go to Bethlehem so I can be born in Bethlehem? He didn't have any control over that. But if he fulfilled all the prophecies, as the Messiah was supposed to, if he really was the Son of God, as we believe that he is, because Mary and Joseph had a visit from an angel to tell them this if the nativity story is true in all of its accounts, it means that God stepped into the world in order to save you and me from our sin. What other answer do I need as to why I believe in Jesus? No one in my life has ever done anything for me and there's a lot of people that have done a lot of great things in my life no one in my life has ever done anything for me that has ever come close to what God did for me. On the night that Jesus was born, and all of my brokenness, and all of their brokenness and all of their sinfulness and all of the darkness of the world, god showed up and he changed the history of everything. Like I said before, the journey that led to his birth would be the same journey that would eventually lead to his death. That sacrifice that we celebrate on Easter is only able to happen because of the night that God allowed himself to come into our world. Mary and Joseph I would almost guarantee it had no plans to birth the Son of God. God rewrote their entire story in one night for our benefit. That's what God does he steps into life. He steps into our lives and he course. Corrects.
Speaker 1:I remember where I was when I was 15. Corrects, I remember where I was when I was 15. I was a depressed, suicidal teenager who, every day, the thought of waking up was I hated it. I didn't even have, I didn't even believe in God quite yet. But I remember thinking to myself if there was a God, if he could not make me wake up tomorrow, that'd be great. I remember feeling like no one cared about me, that no one loved me, that all of my friendships were like this facade that if people really knew who I was, they would reject me. I remember feeling lost. I remember feeling hopeless.
Speaker 1:Can you imagine waking up every morning wishing and hoping for death? But the moment God got a hold of me, it changed everything for me. The only reason now that I long for death is because heaven's going to be awesome. That's what I'm waiting for. If God gives me another 40 years, I'll be blessed. If he took me a day, I'd be okay too. My right knee, it hurts every morning in heaven. I'm banking on it, not Right. I cannot wait for the day to enter the kingdom of heaven, when my journey finally ends and I step into the presence of God and the gloriousness of heaven. And that journey for me, that end journey for me, is only possible because, at just the right time, at just the right moment, jesus stepped into the world to change my story.
Speaker 1:So when someone asks me, why do I believe what I believe? What is the answer? What sets me apart, what sets my belief apart from everyone else? My answer will always be Jesus, because that's the only thing that matters. I could not save myself, but one cold, quiet night in a manger in Bethlehem out of the sight of most of the world. God saved me. That night, changed everything. And if you don't believe that, I pray that someday you do. I pray that someday you understand that you were so loved that God sent Himself to be born of a virgin to save us from our sins, to someday be the ultimate sacrifice. And it all started one quiet night in a town called Bethlehem. Let's pray.