God works out His will even in the midst of our pain.   ~~~   Matthew 1:1 “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of Abraham.” Matthew starts the genealogy by calling Jesus the son of David, which spoke of the divine promise of a royal lineage, a kingdom that would be established forever and ever, but also as the son of Abraham, which identified Jesus as the chosen one through whom all the nations would be blessed. And then we have the actual lineage, which is mixed with all sorts of characters, and of particular interest are five women that are listed: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, “the wife of Uriah” (Bathsheba), and Mary. The women who are listed show us that God kept his redemptive purposes alive, even through incredible hardship, impossible circumstances, and sinful scenarios. Tamar was taken advantage of; Rahab was a prostitute, Ruth was a widow, the wife of Uriah was an adulterer; and then there is sweet, unsuspecting Mary. This is not fate or chance that this line of families produced Jesus Christ, but rather the providence of God. God was at work each step of the way making sure the lineage continued to the next generation, in the face of poverty, barrenness, loneliness, sinfulness, and even in the case of virginity. But then we immediately come to the story of the birth of Christ, and in particular, Joseph’s part of the saga. Here is Joseph, this man who has come across the love of his life, the one whom he will marry. They have already had a betrothal celebration, declaring to the community their intentions of marriage. But then something happens. Perhaps a friend knocks on Joseph’s door late one night, and, not wanting to but knowing he had to, tells Joseph what he has heard about Mary. She is pregnant. You can imagine the flood of emotions that overwhelmed Joseph, because he knew the reality and purity of their relationship. This was not his baby. How could she do this to me? How could she value me so little and embarrass me in the community so greatly? There was no option for Joseph. Justice must be served, and it must be served swiftly. But it didn’t have to be loudly. So he decided to divorce his wife, but without fanfare. He would spare Mary that. But on the eve before this were to happen, Joseph gets a visit from an angel, and the angel reveals two immensely important pieces of information. One, Mary’s pregnancy is a divine pregnancy. Two, this baby would called Jesus because he would save his people from their sins. He must not divorce. He must take her, keep her as his wife. What is it that changes Joseph’s mind? What is it that dispels the fears, the concerns? What is it that makes it worth enduring the scandal of it all? An angel comes and tells all that is going on and how God is in the middle of it all. Now Joseph has hope and a purpose even in the midst of criticism, name-calling, dirty looks, that he would surely receive. God was providentially working something out that was greater than Joseph. Joseph was just one piece in the tapestry of redemption that God was weaving together. All of us know hard times. Some of you know hard times and heart break better than others. We know pain, sadness, loneliness, and the salty taste of tears that come streaming down our cheeks. But there is good news right here in this part of the Christmas story. Matthew wants his readers to know that God has been working out His plan of redemption since the beginning of time, even in the midst of hard, insurmountable odds. He is a providential God who can be trusted to work out His plan for His glory and our joy. Listen, if you are in pain or heartache right now, or are confused about your situation in life, I can almost guarantee that you will not get a visit from an angel tonight explaining all the providential things God is doing in your life right now, like Joseph did. The point of the text is not to make us hope for some angelic encounter, but rather to help us see that God is working out His will, for His glory and your joy, even in the midst of your pain. He can be trusted. And when you see Him as a providential God, then Hope is on the rise in your heart.