the first joseph

I normally don't do this, but this Sunday's sermon is totally last minute. We plan our teaching out about a year in advance around here- so it's somewhat unusual for me to do something different from the prescribed plan.

But that is what happened this week.

The old plan has been thrown out and a new one has emerged. Stop the presses and don't tell Norman- we're changin the plan.

And it happened as a result of a conversation I had with one of our church members last Sunday.

She said, "Pastor, I have enjoyed our study of Jacob- but I'm a little disappointed that we aren't getting to Joseph. I really like Joseph."

I was a little dumbfounded by that statement. It struck me as odd because I didn't remember saying that I wasn't covering Joseph. She must have deduced it because I have said that I was planning to talk about Jacob to the end of the book of Genesis. But certainly, Joseph is tied very closely to Jacob. I had in fact planned on dealing with Joseph for at least one lesson before finishing Genesis. But not this next Sunday.

This next Sunday I had put just one word in the slot for our teaching calendar- "Christmas".

My plan was to cover the Christmas story in the way I have every other year- from the angle of the gospel text covering the doctrine of incarnation. It's pretty cut and dry. Most pastors can cover the Christmas story with their Bible's tied behind their backs.

It's a no brainer.

So on Monday as I began to pray about and meditate on the text I would use for my usual Christmas sermon- will it be Matthew or Luke this year? Or maybe John 1?- I just couldn't get Barbara's words to me out of my head. "I really like Joseph," she said.

"I'm disappointed that we aren't covering Joseph".

I kinda smiled to myself- how on earth do you get through Christmas without covering Joseph? I mean, the story of Christmas has a Joseph too.

Hmmmm- I thought, a connection maybe?

Well, as it turns out- yes.

As my mind began to move in the direction of the Genesis account of the first Joseph, it all started pouring out of the text like a flood. I sat up straight and leaned into the Bible as the realization hit me. Of course! How on earth could I have missed it.

Joseph...

the man born of a barren woman under miraculous circumstances,
the favored son,
the coat of splendor bestowed upon him,
the jealous older brothers
cast into a pit
struck down
sold for pieces of silver
losing his status as favored son
his coat removed
becomes a slave
falsely accused
betrayed
rejected
forgotten
by a miracle brought out
responsible for the salvation of many from famine and death
forgiving his brothers and bringing them in
redeems God's chosen
restored to his father.

THAT Joseph. The one who, you know, points to incarnation!

So, anyway, when I use Genesis 37 as my text for this Sunday's Christmas sermon- just pretend that I planned it that way all along.