Witness His Majesty – Joseph

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Luke 21:25-36

‘There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’

29 He told them this parable: ‘Look at the fig-tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

32 ‘Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The door to a new year and God’s new possibilities for you and us as his church open again. We are prepared by the Spirit to receive the newest thing that ever happened to the world besides its own creation – God’s makeover of that creation in this new-born arriving.

Those old words of the prophet Jeremiah about a new shoot popping up from the dirt come again. God’s transformation of us begins in a cow shed not a catwalk or red carpet or a sports stadium.

The signs of hope in all the desperation, disconnection and disease we now experience come again. Everyday people has cause to pause and catch a glimpse of God’s future of peace and joy. They were overwhelmed for just one moment – a moment that no doubt shaped the rest of their lives.

Like the completion of Yr 12 and school forever or the grand victory of the team in a close one, or the moment when she said yes to a life together, once you experience that moment, all other moment are shaped by it. You never forget it.  Jesus comes again in this moment.

But sometimes that new shoot of new growth seems impossible – the ground is just too dry, too wet, too flooded by worries and pride, to hard, too burnt, too uninterested to produce or grow.

Jesus really knows how it is for us …

The signs of hope in all the desperation, disconnection and disease we now experience come again. Everyday people has cause to pause and catch a glimpse of God’s future of peace and joy. They were overwhelmed for just one moment – a moment that no doubt shaped the rest of their lives.

Like the completion of Yr 12 and school forever or the grand victory of the team in a close one, or the moment when she said yes to a life together, once you experience that moment, all other moment are shaped by it. You never forget it.  Jesus comes again in this moment.

But sometimes that new shoot of new growth seems impossible – the ground is just too dry, too wet, too flooded by worries and pride, to hard, too burnt, too uninterested to produce or grow.

Jesus really knows how it is for us….

… nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world …

Maybe we know this ‘roaring’ more than we ever have in our lives so far?

Maybe we feel like we are fainting at times, with so may happening at once these days?

But, first signs of God’s firm future of joy waft through this building now …

14 ‘“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will fulfil the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

15 ‘“In those days and at that time
    I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;
    he will do what is just and right in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved
    and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it[a] will be called:
    The Lord Our Righteous Saviour.

For so many in our times, this whisper of God’s intentions is completely ignored. Many church people too miss the signs as the things Christmas has become, largely devoid of any repentance and faith, carry them on with their lives in the same old human lost way.

But Joseph got a splinter. Even a tried and true tradesman with his hard hands gets interrupted sometimes. Every now and again a splinter breaks through leathery hands.

Will this be a moment when the splinter from the wooden trough in the shed with the baby in it will pierce that busy, tired, self-focussed, distracted, stressed heart of yours?

Like the Aslan singers working hard beside the Premier or Police Commissioner at the bush fire update or covid announcement, God is signing.

His newness is coming. Will you be interrupted enough to lift up your head from your current tasks and goals and ideas and longings and see him, hear him, allow new things to form in you and those around you?

God’s new things for you will not be comfortable. They certainly were not comfortable for Joseph. He did not know what to do with Mary! The course of his work and family and expectations and values was shifted. Change came and it was hard to allow.

But going through God’s door was the best thing Joseph ever did. He got to play his part in the new thing God did for the world he loves. So much better than being closed to God’s hope, love and joy in this boy.

So, Jesus, “the door” to the new things you really need in these days of disease, fear, rules, restrictions, and disconnection is opening up again.

Will you keep Jesus and his people out and just keep your head down and avoid the disruption but then also miss the exultation, or will you let Jesus and his people in; let them stay at your place, in your place.

Whatever you do or don’t do does not change the great news that God did this and has got this.

Like a tradie giving his skill and time and thinking and effort and resources to bring something new into being, the Father did everything he could do to give of himself in this new-born. This boy lets you into his new space, new shoot of life, new possibilities for love and joy and healing and peace within and around.

Better look at the fruit trees as summer now arrives. The fruit on ours has appeared. We know what is coming….

‘Look at the fig-tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

If God is near, then no need to fear.

Like that splinter that causes you to pause and loft up your head, so this boy does the same.

Stand up and lift up your head, friend.

Stand up and raise your heads high, church.

Your redemption is here and yet still more drawing near.’

11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for you to come to him. 12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as his does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father as our Lord Jesus comes. (from 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13)

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