Have you ever asked God for a sign? By a sign I mean something that happens that you have attached special meaning to. Like God if I should do the dishes make a ufo crash in my yard. Have you ever bowed your head in all seriousness, settled your thoughts in your head, really focused and said, “God if I should take this job, give me a sign?”
Or “God if I should ask this girl out, give me a sign?”
Sometimes in life it can be hard to make decisions. Whether it be because we’re nervous or maybe we don’t feel like we’ve had enough time to reflect on certain decisions. We humans love certainty. Who can blame us in a world full of such uncertainty. Joseph surely thought he had his life on somewhat a certain path. He had found a woman who was marriage material. She was even of the lineage of David, royalty you could say.
You can imagine how happy Joseph was when Mary’s parents agreed to the marriage arrangement. That was Joseph’s certainty and answer to his question and probably prayers to God, “Should I marry this woman?” God gave him a sign by their faithful parents agreeing to the marriage. Now Joseph had a set amount of time to establish a home for he and Mary before they were fully married in the eyes of God. Joseph now had to show his worthiness to take Mary to be his wife. This was a sign to Mary and her parents that Joseph was a good man. A man of certainty. A man who was truly just.
Just when life was certainly going to go one way, Mary is found to be with child before they had come together. Now Joseph’s certainty had gone out the window. What he was certain of now was that Mary had been unfaithful. He was certain what his next steps in life were going to be. He didn’t need a sign to know what to do, divorce., he had God’s word. Sex outside of marriage is a sin and Joseph knew Mary was now not what she appeared to be.
There was no question Joseph was to divorce Mary, but what he finally decided was that he was going to do it quietly. You see Mary’s parents had given their approval, they gave a sign to Joseph, a promise with money attached to it that their daughter was a virgin and that they wouldn’t marry her off before giving Joseph a chance to prove his faithfulness and that he could provide a stable home. If they did allow Mary to marry someone else after this agreement, or Mary committed adultery, Joseph would get the money and Mary’s family name would be scorned. Joseph would have the right to publicly shame Mary’s family for their unfaithfulness.
Joseph though does something odd. He resolves to divorce her quietly. Quietly meaning though Mary won’t confess the truth of her supposed unfaithfulness he forgives her. He forgives her but will not marry her. He though will not punish her for her sin. Notice when he resolves to do this, before the angel comes to him and gives him a sign. Joseph is a just man. He is not a weak man, he still is faithful to God’s word, the divorce must happen. Joseph desires to be faithful to God’s word however he will not put Mary up for scorn. Maybe it’s because he thinks Mary might be telling the truth. He was a just man after all, a Christian, someone who believed God would send a Savior from the house of David of royal blood. Could Mary be telling the truth?
Before he can act though God gives Joseph a sign. Joseph didn’t even ask for a sign and God gives it. How gracious and merciful God is, giving so often before we can even ask. An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” God’s word attached to something, a sign.
Perhaps part of the reason we are so willing to ask for signs from God is because we have a yearning to connect with God in real ways. In a world of uncertainty to have something certain. Something to grab onto, something, if you will to be the object of our faith. What sign would you ask for to tell you, everything is going to be alright? Don’t worry.
God has given signs all through history. There was the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden. God attached his word to that tree, “Do not eat, you will die.” There was also the tree of life.
God gave a sign to Adam and Eve, “Your offspring will crush the head of the serpent.” A sign with a promise attached.
There was the Exodus and Moses asking God for a sign that he should go to pharaoh. God said, “Throw down your staff.” And it turned into a snake. Put your hand in your cloak, it turned leperous.
God gave the Israelites a sign that he was with them, the parting of the Red Sea, the cloud by day and fire by night.
This brings us to our OT reading. You even hear the word sign. God tells King Ahaz, “Ask me for a sign.” God is inviting Ahaz to ask for a sign! And God puts no restrictions on the sign. As high as heaven, as low as Sheol. God has promised Ahaz he will bring them through these hard times the kingdom is facing. What does Ahaz do?
Ahaz was the king of Judah, the southern kingdom. God had told the kings of Judah and Israel, “Do not look to foreign kings for protection. Live by faith in my promise to protect you.” But Ahaz would rather not live by faith. Ahaz wanted the securities of the other foreign kings. It wasn’t that Ahaz didn’t live by faith, it’s an uncertain world you have to believe in something, but what was the object of his faith? What did he want to trust in? He trusted in the kings, the power of his political posturing, he trusted in what his eyes wanted. Don’t we do the same? Isn’t it the things and powers of this life that allure our attention?
When the uncertainties of life rear their ugly head what is the temptation?
The temptation is to doubt God’s provision. To not hear God’s word, like Ahaz. To find signs of certainty in ourselves or in riches. To doubt his signs. God even gives Ahaz the chance to name the sign. God gives Ahaz the opportunity to hear the gospel! Ahaz should’ve asked to hear again the promises of God that would come true because God always keeps his word. But Ahaz didn’t want to hear that God is reliable. God is more trustworthy than any gift you will get this year. He is more dependable than anyone you’ve trusted in life. He will be good to his word.
This life is full of uncertainty. I’ve felt it and I know you have too. Many of you express your frustration, your uncertainty. You have shared with me the struggles, the uncertainties. The devil is active. He hates you. He hates God. He wants you to be uncertain. He wants you to not hear the word of God. He wants you to think you don’t really need God that there are more reliable things, like sleep or what you can buy or drink to deal with your uncertainty. But those are all uncertain in themselves. Or to repay hate with anger. To pretend like you have not caused uncertainty for someone else. WE’ve all done it.
But the thing for you to know is that you are not alone. Joseph wasn’t alone. Mary wasn’t alone. Even Ahaz was not alone. God is with his people and he loves to give signs. So what sign would you ask for? To know that everything is going to work out? To know that all your struggles all your stress. All your uncertainty? To know you are not alone. What sign from God would you ask?
Are you Ahaz? No I don’t want a sign. I’ll find my own false god. Well imagine that even before we have asked God has given a sign that he will not forsake you. The sign is not in the shape of a dollar sign. It’s not in the shape of power or might or the comforts in this life. The sign of God is the cross.
There is the sign for the whole world that God is merciful. That in Jesus Christ crucified for the sins of the world the uncertainty of sin and doubt is gone. Jesus was dead but is now alive.
In a world of uncertainty there is one thing that is always sure, God loves you. He gave his son to show you. The sign of the cross is that Jesus is true man and true God giving his life for your forgiveness. certainty that stands over all time and space.
What sign would you ask for to know that everything that God desires you to have he gives to you. Even before you ask for a sign? How about baptism? How about the Lord’s Supper?
This is why in all generations where uncertainty has shown it’s wickedness, the church runs to kneel at the altar of her Lord and asked the Lord for a sign of forgiveness. Knowing that God has not forsaken you. For the forgiveness of your sins. That is certain! Why doubt him?
God cannot lie. His faithfulness is to all generations. His faithfulness is to you!
So it is not out of God’s character to give a sign to Joseph. His word of promise. So he still now gives signs of his faithfulness. God doesn’t leave it up to us to ask for a sign, he gives us a sign written with the blood of his son. That’s what we see in this reading, God keeps his word. God keeps his promises and he still promises us just as he did to Joseph.
Ahaz didn’t want to trust God, Joseph did. Ahaz didn’t want hear of God’s promises. Joseph was glad to trust God. God’s promise, the sign he gave to Ahaz and to all who heard the word of God came true. A virgin conceived. What a sign! Would you have asked for a sign like that? Probably not. Too impossible. Too crazy. It’s not possible.
With God all things are possible. But what is even more amazing is the sign of the cross. That sinners are completely forgiven! That you dear saint can be certain. God has forgiven you. That your eternal life is certain. Death is not certain for you but life. That sinners are washed clean in water. Water that has a promise attached to it. That bread and wine give forgiveness of sins! These signs are the certainty of God’s love and mercy in an uncertain world.