"When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus."

Now listen, this is the key to the whole passage. When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He did not argue. He did not negotiate. He did not try to figure out how to make God's plan fit into his own framework. He simply obeyed.

Peace in your family does not come from what you can provide. It does not come from the stability you can manufacture or the comfort you can afford or the opportunities you can create. This new family would orient themselves around who Jesus was, not around what Joseph could provide. Peace comes when Jesus is the center.

Joseph was a carpenter. He had skills. He had the ability to provide shelter, income, and protection. And all of those things were good. But none of them would become the foundation of this family. Jesus would be the center. Emmanuel. God with us.

Here's what I need you to know. The peace we follow is a choice. Following is a decision that you make. Joseph woke up and chose obedience. He chose to surrender his plan for God's purpose. He chose to let Jesus be the center instead of himself.

Jesus said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." The peace Jesus gives is different from the peace the world offers. The world's peace depends on circumstances. Christ's peace depends on surrender.

So let me ask you something. Is Jesus actually the center of your family? Not in words, but in practice. Not on Sunday, but on Tuesday. Not when it is convenient, but when it costs you something.

Because true peace comes through obedient faith. It is not something you construct. It is not something you receive passively. It is not something you achieve. It is Someone you surrender to. Emmanuel. God with us.

Right now, some of you are trying to be the center of your own family. You are trying to hold it all together through your effort, your provision, your problem solving. And you are exhausted. You were never meant to carry that weight. Only Jesus can be the foundation your family needs.

The question is not whether you will have a center. Every family orbits around something. The question is whether that center will be Jesus or something else.

Tomorrow we will look at what happens when we refuse to follow. Israel had the same opportunity Joseph had. They made a different choice.

1. If someone observed your family for a week, what would they say is at the center of your home?

2. What is one practical way you could reorient your family around Jesus this week?

Gather your family together today, even if just for five minutes. Read Matthew 1:24–25 together and discuss what it would look like for Jesus to be the true center of your home. Then pray together and commit to following Him.