The Calling

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-25

 

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare^[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

(ESV)

 

The changes of the last two years have made planning difficult because of all the uncertainty. Thankfully, the Lord is not bound by time and therefore is not surprised by what happens in the world. With this truth in mind, the wisest thing anyone can do is determine God’s plan for their life and follow it for as Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, God has a plan for us and that plan is for our good, not our destruction.

 

Both Mary and Joseph were ordinary people living in the city of Nazareth. Joseph was a carpenter with Mary his betrothed wife. They were most likely planning their wedding with Joseph building a house for them to live in after they were married. This was most likely their plan, but God had something grander in mind.

 

In Luke 1:26-38 Mary receives a visitation from the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:26-27), Gabriel begins his message by letting Mary know she has favor from the Lord (Luke 1:28). As a young teenaged woman, Mary was troubled at the words of Gabriel trying to discern what she could have possibly done to have the angel Gabriel tell her she was favored by God (Luke 1:29). Gabriel continues his message, telling young Mary she will conceive and have a son, naming him Jesus. Gabriel continues, letting Mary know her son would be called the Son of the Most High (the Son of God) and will ascend to the throne of his father David (Luke 1:30-32). Mary’s son Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob forever with a kingdom that will never end (Luke 1:33). If Mary were puzzled at an angelic visitation before, this was even more puzzling for Mary was a virgin (Luke 1:34).

 

Gabriel goes on to explain how a virgin can conceive letting her know that the child will be from the Holy Spirit and not a human man (Luke 1:35). As confirmation that the message from Gabriel is true, Gabriel lets her know that her relative Elizabeth has conceived in her old age, something Mary will validate once she visits Elizabeth (Luke 1:36, 39-45). Gabriel lets Mary know that nothing is impossible with God with Mary responding that she is a servant of the Lord. At this Gabriel departs (Luke 1:37-38).

 

The discovery that Mary, Joseph’s betrothed wife is with child presents a problem for Joseph. In the Jewish culture at that time, a man espoused to his wife had to divorce her to end the engagement, something Joseph intended to do (Matthew 1:18-19). However, this was Joseph’s plan and not the plan of God so God sends an angel of the Lord to let Joseph know God’s plan using a dream (Matthew 1:20). The angel tells Joseph that Mary will have a son who will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). The passage then tells us that this is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah foretelling that a virgin will conceive and bear a son who will be called Immanuel or God with us (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23). Joseph awakes from his dream and like Mary, does all that the angel told him to do (Matthew 1:24-25).

 

Mary and Joseph had plans for their lives together after their marriage but after an encounter with God through an angelic visitation, they both had their plans changed by God. Mary’s calling was to be the virgin of Isaiah 7:14 and give birth to the Son of God, Immanuel. Joseph also had a calling to be Jesus’ earthly father who would soon after his birth, move the family temporarily to Egypt for their safety (Matthew 2:13). While Scripture does not provide much about what Joseph did during Jesus’ childhood, we can presume that he continued his role of a provider and protector of his family. This account shows us how two ordinary people fulfilled a significant role in God’s plan of salvation because of their willingness to follow God’s plan for their lives.

 

Most of the people reading this post lead ordinary lives. We go to work, work our businesses to provide for our families. We take time with our families and have plans for providing a good life for our families. However, we must always be conscious and willing to allow God to change our plans for as Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us, God has plans for us that are for our good and not our harm. Also, since God is not bound by time, he knows our future and since his plans are for our good, the wisest thing anyone can do is surrender to God’s plan for their lives.

 

However, the ultimate plan of God for everyone's life is accepting Jesus as their savior and entering into eternal life with Jesus (John 3:16). Accepting Jesus as one’s savior involves believing (John 3:16) and making a public profession of the belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Romans 10:9-10). If you have never made this profession of faith, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

I encourage everyone that just prayed to share their decision to make Jesus their savior with others, especially with anyone that has been praying for them. I also encourage everyone to share this post with others so they can benefit from following God’s plan for their lives. May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.