February 17th | Matthew 1
Doing It God’s Way, Not Ours
One of Frank Sinatra’s most famous songs is, My Way. It is a song about self-reliance, reliance, and personal strength. This song fits our culture and the American dream of pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, working hard, and doing things the way we want them done. However, as we look at the opening chapter of Matthew, we realize that, as Christians, this song cannot be our anthem. We must do things God’s way and not our way.
Joseph’s Choice: His Way or God’s Way?
Think about Joseph, a man who found himself in a situation that would challenge anyone's faith. His way would most certainly not involve having his engaged wife become pregnant by the Holy Spirit. He likely would have preferred a different way. But we don’t see Joseph complain, cast aspersions, or show discontentment at God. Instead, we see a life of obedience. A life that says, “I’ll do things God’s way and not my way.”
Obedience Leads to Adoption
Joseph’s way was different from God’s way. In Matthew 1, we see the genealogy of Jesus traced through Joseph. But here is the catch: Joseph was not Jesus’s biological father. Joseph had to adopt Jesus. Joseph had every legal right to walk away from Mary. She was pregnant, and Joseph wasn’t the father. Yet, Joseph trusted God, and Joseph obeyed God.
Joseph’s obedience points us to Jesus’ obedience. Christ did not have to go to the cross but willingly submitted to the Father. Jesus obeyed God the Father and walked up the hill to His death. Jesus’ obedience also led to an adoption. Christ obeyed the Father, and now we are adopted into the family of God. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:15-16:
"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
Jesus was obedient to the point of death on the cross, and because of His obedience, we can be adopted. We who were slaves to our sin and shame are now free and heirs of the king of the universe.
Will You Choose Obedience?
Just as Jesus obeyed, will you obey God when he calls? Just as Joseph might have chosen a different path, he submitted to God’s plan for his life. You have a choice to make today. Will you choose obedience like Joseph and Jesus? Will you do things your way or God’s way?
