When God's Plan Contradicts Your Good Plan: The Story of Joseph

Nate Frederick
3 hours ago
9 min read

Learning to Trust God When Nothing Makes Sense

The Plans We Make

We all have a plan for our lives, don't we? Close your eyes for a moment and think about the plan you had for your life five years ago. Maybe it was the career you were going to build, the position you'd have by now, the salary you'd be making. Maybe it was the family you were going to have, married by a certain age, kids by another age, living in that perfect house in that perfect neighborhood.

Or maybe it was the retirement you were going to enjoy, the travel plans, the hobbies you'd finally have time for, the peaceful life you'd earned after decades of hard work. We map everything out. We create timelines. We set goals. We make five-year plans and ten-year plans. We know exactly how our story is supposed to go.

And then, inevitably, life does not cooperate. We get fired from a job we thought was secure. A family member gets sick. We don't get accepted to the school we wanted. The relationship we thought would last forever falls apart. The business fails. The diagnosis comes. And suddenly, all those carefully laid plans crumble.

Today, we're continuing our Christmas series called "Messengers," where we're looking at the angelic appearances in the birth narrative of Jesus. We've seen how an angel appeared to Zechariah in the temple, announcing that his prayers had been heard. Today, we're looking at another man who received a message from an angel, but this message didn't answer his prayers. It contradicted all his plans.

His name was Joseph. A good man with a good plan. And how he responds to God's message teaches us something critical about following God when nothing makes sense anymore.

Joseph's Shattered World

Matthew 1:18 introduces this part of the story:

"This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit."

We know the end of this story. We know about the virgin birth, the angels, the miracle. But put yourself in Joseph's sandals for a moment. He doesn't know any of this yet. All he knows is that Mary is pregnant, and he knows it's not his child.

In Jewish culture, betrothal lasted about one year and was much more binding than our modern engagement. It was a legal contract, terminable only by death or divorce. The man was already considered the husband, but the woman remained in her father's house. They were legally married, just not living together yet.

So Joseph and Mary were in this betrothal period. They're planning their life together. Joseph is probably building furniture for their home, saving money, and preparing. And then Mary comes to him with news that shatters his world: she's pregnant.

Can you imagine that conversation? The confusion, the betrayal, the heartbreak? Everything Joseph hoped for was gone in an instant. The future he'd been planning was destroyed. The woman he loved, carrying another man's child. Or so it seemed.

A Righteous Man's Dilemma

Watch how Joseph responds. Matthew 1:19:

"Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly."

According to Old Testament law, Joseph had options. He could have made a public accusation. This would have resulted in a public trial. It would have vindicated him and destroyed her. His reputation would have been protected.

But that's not what Joseph chose to do. Instead, he decided on a private divorce before two witnesses. This would minimize Mary's shame. It would allow him to move on with dignity. This was mercy within the bounds of the law.

Think about what this tells us about Joseph's character. He was righteous. He followed God's law and wouldn't compromise his integrity. He was merciful. He didn't want to shame Mary publicly, even though she had apparently betrayed him. He was thoughtful. He carefully considered his options instead of reacting in anger.

This was a good plan. It was righteous. It was merciful. It was the best possible outcome given the circumstances. Joseph had thought it through, weighed his options, and chosen the path that honored both the law and Mary's dignity as much as possible.

Joseph had a good plan. But it wasn't God's plan. Sometimes our "good" plans prevent us from seeing God's "better" plans.

Heaven Interrupts the Plan

And then everything changed. Matthew 1:20:

"As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. 'Joseph, son of David,' the angel said, 'do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.'"

Notice this isn't just any angel, this is "the angel of the Lord." This specific designation appears throughout Scripture at crucial moments in history. When the angel of the Lord shows up, history is about to change.

The angel's first words are significant: "Do not be afraid."

Then comes the instruction: "Take Mary home as your wife." This is the exact opposite of Joseph's plan. He planned to divorce her quietly. God intended to marry her publicly.

And then the explanation: "For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit."

Everything Joseph thought he knew was wrong. This wasn't adultery; it was a miracle. Mary hadn't been unfaithful; she'd been faithful. This wasn't shame, this was glory.

The Name That Means Salvation

Matthew 1:21 continues:

"And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

Names matter. They carry meaning, legacy, and identity. The name "Jesus" comes from the Hebrew "Yeshua," which means "salvation." The angel was instructing Joseph to name this child "Salvation" because that's precisely what he would bring to his people.

The Impossible Choice

Think about Joseph's situation. An angel appeared in a dream and told him to do the opposite of what made sense. He was being asked to marry a pregnant woman, knowing the child wasn't his. He was being asked to sacrifice his reputation, his dignity, his future as he'd imagined it.

When God's will contradicts everything you know, you have a choice. You can trust what makes sense to you, or you can trust what God is saying.

Every day, we face moments where God's will contradicts our logic. God says forgive, our logic says they don't deserve it. God says give, our logic says we can't afford it. God says go, our logic says it's too risky. God says wait, our logic says we're running out of time. God says trust me, our logic says we need a backup plan.

Joseph had to decide: Would he trust his reasoning or God's revelation? Would he follow the plan that made sense or the plan that required faith?

The Cost of Obedience

Let's see what Joseph decided. Matthew 1:22-24:

"All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: 'Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God is with us.' When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife."

"When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded." One sentence. No debate. No argument. No negotiation. He just obeyed.

But let's talk about what this obedience cost him. It cost him his reputation. Everyone would think he couldn't control himself. It cost him his plans. Everything he'd imagined for his life was gone. It cost him his comfort. It cost him his pride. He had to humble himself and accept shame.

The Shame He Willingly Bore

Nazareth was a tiny village. Everyone knew everyone. And Mary was visibly pregnant when Joseph married her. Everyone could do the math. The wedding happened, but the baby came too soon. You couldn't hide that.

The whispers, the stares, the knowing looks. The sudden silence when he walked into a room. The way people would shake their heads.

And here's the thing: Joseph couldn't defend himself. He couldn't say "An angel told me in a dream." Who would believe that? He couldn't explain the Holy Spirit. He couldn't prove Mary's purity. He just had to bear the whispers and the stares and the judgment.

Joseph chose obedience over reputation. He knew the truth. He knew this was God's will. But he couldn't make anyone else understand. So he let them think what they wanted. And he obeyed anyway.

When Obedience Looks Like a Mistake

From the outside, everyone thought Joseph made a terrible decision. Marrying a pregnant woman. Raising another man's child, as they saw it. Disgracing himself and his family. It looked foolish. It looked desperate. It looked like the worst decision a man could make.

But Joseph's "mistake" saved the world. That child he agreed to raise was the Messiah. That shame he agreed to bear was for our salvation. That sacrifice he made changed all of history. What looked like the worst decision turned out to be the best decision he ever made.

This is how God works. God's plan often looks like a mistake to observers.

Noah building an ark looked crazy until the flood came. Abraham, leaving Ur, looked foolish until God made him the father of nations. David facing Goliath looked insane until the giant fell. Jesus' dying on a cross looked like failure until the resurrection.

Every one of these "mistakes" was God's perfect plan.

The Challenge

Joseph teaches us that obedience doesn't always make sense. That God's will sometimes contradicts our logic. Following Jesus might cost us our reputation. That doing the right thing might look like doing the wrong thing to everyone watching.

But he also shows us that God is trustworthy. That when heaven speaks, we should listen. That when God gives direction, we should obey, even when we don't understand, even when it costs us everything, even when everyone thinks we're making a mistake.

Joseph could have said no. He could have stuck with his plan. He could have protected his reputation. He could have chosen what made sense. And if he had, the whole story of Christmas would have been different. But he said yes. He obeyed the angel. He trusted God's plan over his own.

And because of his obedience, Mary had a husband. Jesus had an earthly father. And the world had a Savior.

What is God asking you to do that makes no sense? What dream is He asking you to lay down? What plan is He asking you to abandon? What "mistake" is He calling you to make?

Small Group Questions

ICE BREAKER QUESTIONS

Tell about a time when your carefully laid plans fell apart. How did you respond? Looking back, can you see any good that came from it?
Have you ever made a decision that looked foolish to others but felt right to you? What gave you the courage to move forward despite others' opinions?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Joseph had a "good plan" to divorce Mary quietly—it was righteous, merciful, and dignified (Matthew 1:19). Yet God interrupted with a "better plan." Why is it sometimes harder to let go of a good plan than a bad one? How do we discern when God is calling us to abandon something that seems wise and prudent?
The sermon stated: "Sometimes our 'good' plans prevent us from seeing God's 'better' plans." Can you think of a time when your logical, well-thought-out plan actually kept you from something better God had in mind? How did you eventually recognize God's plan?
Joseph was described as "righteous" and "merciful"—qualities we all admire. Yet even with his strong character, he needed divine intervention to see God's perspective. What does this teach us about the limits of our own wisdom and character in discerning God's will?
The angel told Joseph, "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife" (Matthew 1:20). What specific fears do you think Joseph faced in this decision? When God calls us to do something that contradicts our plans, what fears typically hold us back?
Joseph chose to obey immediately—"When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded" (Matthew 1:24). There's no record of debate or negotiation. What do you think enabled Joseph to obey so quickly? What typically causes us to delay or debate when we know God is calling us to do something?
The sermon detailed the enormous cost of Joseph's obedience: his reputation, his plans, his comfort, his pride, and his future as he'd imagined it. Which of these would be hardest for you to surrender? Why do we sometimes act as though obedience to God should be comfortable or cost us nothing?
Joseph couldn't defend himself or explain the truth to his community. He had to bear the whispers, stares, and judgment in silence. How do you handle it when doing the right thing makes you look wrong to others? What helps you persevere when you can't make people understand your obedience?
The sermon said, "From the outside, everyone thought Joseph made a terrible decision... But Joseph's 'mistake' saved the world." Have you ever witnessed someone's obedience that looked foolish at first but proved wise later? How should this affect the way we judge others' decisions?
Pastor Nate asked: "What 'mistake' is God calling you to make?" This could be a ministry that makes no financial sense, forgiveness others say you don't owe, or a risk that looks foolish to observers. Is God asking you to do something that contradicts conventional wisdom? What's holding you back?
The sermon's key principle is: "Trust God's plan even when it contradicts your good plan." What plan, dream, or future have you mapped out that God might be interrupting right now? How do we practically distinguish between our good plans and God's better plans?