 From a message by Jon Alsdorf
Life rarely unfolds the way we envision it. Most of us aren't where we thought we'd be when we were 18 years old, dreaming about our future. Whether it's career paths, relationships, raising children, or financial situations, our plans often get turned upside down. This universal human experience of disappointment and confusion can leave us wondering where God is in the midst of our circumstances. The Universal Experience of Broken Plans We all have stories of things not working out as expected. Sometimes we plan and hope for specific outcomes, only to face months or even years of closed doors and rejection. These experiences can be deeply discouraging and make us question whether we heard from God correctly in the first place. The Christmas story gives us a powerful example of how God works through circumstances that seem completely backwards from what we might expect. Mary and Joseph's story shows us that God's plans often look nothing like our plans, yet His ways are always perfect. Mary's Unexpected Calling The Angel's Announcement In Luke chapter 1, we read about the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary with news that would change everything. The angel told her she would conceive and bear a son who would be called the Son of the Most High, and that God would give him the throne of his father David. This wasn't just random news to Mary. As someone from the lineage of David, she would have understood the significance of these promises. Her question wasn't about the prophecy itself, but about the practical matter: "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" Mary's Faithful Response Despite the overwhelming nature of this announcement, Mary's response demonstrates remarkable faith: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word." She chose to trust God's plan even when it didn't make sense from a human perspective. Joseph's Difficult Decision A Man of Character Joseph's situation was even more challenging. He discovered Mary was pregnant, and no angel had explained the situation to him yet. The Scripture tells us he was "a just man and unwilling to put her to shame," so he planned to divorce her quietly rather than expose her to public disgrace. Divine Intervention It was only after Joseph had made his decision that an angel appeared to him in a dream, explaining that what was conceived in Mary was from the Holy Spirit. The angel told him not to fear taking Mary as his wife and to name the child Jesus, "for he will save his people from their sins." The Deeper Problem: A Broken Royal Line God's Promise to David To understand the full significance of Jesus' birth, we need to go back to God's promise to King David in 2 Samuel 7. God promised that David's throne would be established forever and that his kingdom would never end. This was a covenant promise that seemed impossible to fulfill by the time of Jesus' birth. The Curse on Jeconiah The royal line of David faced a major problem through King Jeconiah (also called Coniah). Because of his wickedness, God pronounced a curse in Jeremiah 22:30, declaring that none of Jeconiah's offspring would succeed in sitting on the throne of David. This created an apparent contradiction with God's earlier promise to David. The Babylonian Exile and Lost Kingdom After the Babylonian exile, the Davidic kingdom never truly returned. Various foreign powers ruled over Israel, and the royal line seemed to disappear into obscurity. By the time of Jesus' birth, the promise of an eternal Davidic kingdom appeared to be broken. God's Impossible Solution Two Genealogies, One Perfect Plan Matthew and Luke provide different genealogies for Jesus that initially seem contradictory. Matthew traces Jesus' lineage through Joseph, showing the legal royal line. Luke traces the lineage through Mary, showing the biological line from David through his son Nathan, avoiding the cursed line through Jeconiah. The Law of Levirate Marriage God had established a precedent in Numbers 27 with the daughters of Zelophehad. When a man died without sons, his daughters could inherit, and their husbands would be legally adopted as sons of the deceased father. This law provided the legal framework for Jesus to inherit both the biological line through Mary and the legal royal line through Joseph. The Perfect Fulfillment Through this intricate plan, Jesus became:
What This Means for Us Today We Are Also Restored to Royalty Just as Jesus threaded an impossible needle to restore the royal line, believers are also restored to royal lineage through Christ. Second Corinthians 5:17 tells us that anyone in Christ is a "new creation" - not just another descendant of Adam, but something entirely new. Children of God John 1:12-13 explains that those who receive Jesus are given "the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." We become direct creations of God, adopted into His royal family. A Royal Priesthood First Peter 2:9 declares that believers are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession." We are called to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Walking by Faith, Not by Sight It's Okay to Be Disappointed God doesn't condemn us for feeling disappointed when things don't work out as we hoped. These feelings are natural and human. However, we must remember that if things didn't work out the way we planned, it means God's plan is better than what we hoped for. Trusting God's Timing and Methods As followers of Jesus, we don't walk by sight but by faith. We trust that God is working things out in ways far better than we could ask or imagine, even when we can't see how. Perfect Peace Through Trust Isaiah 26:3-4 promises: "You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." Life Application This week, choose to trust God's plan over your own understanding. When circumstances don't unfold as you expected, remember that God specializes in working through impossible situations to accomplish His perfect will. Just as He restored the royal line through Mary and Joseph in the most unlikely way, He can restore and redeem the broken places in your life. Consider these questions as you reflect on this truth:
Remember, you are not just surviving life's disappointments - you are a child of the King, part of a royal priesthood, called to trust in the God who keeps His promises and works all things together for good Comments are closed.
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Apply it!Next Steps is a collection of articles drawn from the sermons of Pastor Jon Alsdorf, and guest speakers, written to help you connect God's Word to real life. Each post is designed to inspire, challenge, and encourage you to live out your faith in practical, everyday ways -- because following Jesus is more than words, it's actions. Archives
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