Virtual Nativity: Joseph

Series: Virtual Nativity
Joseph by Ted Beasley, December 9, 2007

In this message, Ted painted a picture of a “life interrupted”: In so many ways, Joseph’s life did not turn out as he had probably planned it. That will be the theme for this discussion too: How have our lives been interrupted and how do we respond?

1. Start by getting Joseph into better focus. What is our “typical” view of Joseph? DO we even HAVE much of a view of Joseph? Talk about that and talk generally about what he might have been like. (5 – 10 minutes)

2. As Ted said, Joseph was real flesh and blood… a very young man who surely had ideas about the kind of life he would live and build for himself. Life sure turned out differently. Ted focused on three areas where Joseph’s plans tanked: His plan for love, his plan for comfort, and his plan for vocation. Take a look at these and then think about your own life. Think about the point where you felt like your “adult” life was just about to start (you were likely a bit older than Joseph, since people “grew up early” then). What did you think your life would be like in terms of love, comfort, and/or work… or something else that you had a plan for?

a. If you are in a group, pair off and take some time to describe to each other a few of the key features of your plan/life vision at that point. (10 minutes)

b. Still in pairs, take a minute to select one aspect of your “plan” that turned out differently than you thought, and then describe what happened and why. In addition to the events, describe how you thought/felt about the change of plans, both then and now. (10 minutes)

c. Next, look back at that one aspect of your plans and see whether you can see God’s hand in the change of direction – either in the change of direction itself or in the outcome. Talk about that with your discussion partner. How/why do you think God was involved? When did you see it that way? (10 minutes)

3. If you’ve paired off, discuss this next question in the group as a whole. Given that things did not turn out as Joseph planned, what might he have said about how it DID turn out? Do you think he would say the interruption was “worth it”? (Clearly Joseph would have thought it was worth it, but try to use your paired discussion about your own life as a basis to talk about the different ways God worked through the interruptions in Joseph's life.) How about most of us… how do we humans typically respond when our plans get detoured by life? What is different between Joseph and most of the rest of us? (5 – 10 minutes)

4. Close by bring it up to the present and reflect individually on some of Ted’s questions from the message. Have you had an interruption in your life this past year? Are you in the middle of one now? Do you think God might be trying to say something to you in this? Do you want to hear? These are tough questions, but think about them and try to write a short list ways you can view your own interruptions differently. Thank God for what He can do through this – or if that doesn’t feel real, ask Him to help you see and appreciate His purposes. (5 minutes)

Bible verses from the message

Those who love their life will lose it, while those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
John 12:25

"Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
John 12: 27 – 29

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind 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 him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.
Matthew 1:18 – 21, 24 – 25

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
John 14:2 – 4

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world . . . And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1, 3 – 7

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