Mary's Faith

Mary's Faith - Luke 1:26-38, 46-55 December 3, 2023 This morning, we continue in our Christmas series we're calling "Hidden Christmas" which is based on the book by the late pastor and writer, Dr. Timothy Keller. As many of you know, I didn't grow up in church, in fact, I wasn't saved until I was 17 years old. However, every Christmas time, my parents would ask my brother and I if we knew why we celebrated Christmas. We both replied, "the birth of Jesus." The same was true of Easter, of course. That was, in effect, my exposure to Christ growing up. I was familiar to the story of Christmas, you know, Mary and Joseph, the Inn, the visit from the Angel ... you know, all those basic things. But that's the thing, the story was familiar to me, even some 30 years ago. That's part of the problem with the Church today, Christmas time has become familiar. That's why I like the way Keller defines Christmas: "It means illumination and spiritual light from God; it means reconciliation and peace with God by grace; it means God taking on a human nature." Keller writes "Christmas is not simply about a birth but about a coming." He continues that the genealogy account in Matthew records the account of Jesus' birth, not as a story but, as history. I think is key. Because today we will be looking at Mary's faith. As with the rest of the story of Christmas, Mary's faith can become too familiar. Let's begin first with Luke 1:26-38: 26 IN THE SIXTH MONTH THE ANGEL GABRIEL WAS SENT FROM GOD TO A CITY OF GALILEE NAMED NAZARETH, 27 TO A VIRGIN BETROTHED TO A MAN WHOSE NAME WAS JOSEPH, OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID. AND THE VIRGIN'S NAME WAS MARY. 28 AND HE CAME TO HER AND SAID, "GREETINGS, O FAVORED ONE, THE LORD IS WITH YOU!" 29 BUT SHE WAS GREATLY TROUBLED AT THE SAYING, AND TRIED TO DISCERN WHAT SORT OF GREETING THIS MIGHT BE. 30 AND THE ANGEL SAID TO HER, "DO NOT BE AFRAID, MARY, FOR YOU HAVE FOUND FAVOR WITH GOD. 31 AND BEHOLD, YOU WILL CONCEIVE IN YOUR WOMB AND BEAR A SON, AND YOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS. 32 HE WILL BE GREAT AND WILL BE CALLED THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH. AND THE LORD GOD WILL GIVE TO HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID, 33 AND HE WILL REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOREVER, AND OF HIS KINGDOM THERE WILL BE NO END." 34 AND MARY SAID TO THE ANGEL, "HOW WILL THIS BE, SINCE I AM A VIRGIN?" 35 AND THE ANGEL ANSWERED HER, "THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL COME UPON YOU, AND THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH WILL OVERSHADOW YOU; THEREFORE THE CHILD TO BE BORN WILL BE CALLED HOLY-THE SON OF GOD. 36 AND BEHOLD, YOUR RELATIVE ELIZABETH IN HER OLD AGE HAS ALSO CONCEIVED A SON, AND THIS IS THE SIXTH MONTH WITH HER WHO WAS CALLED BARREN. 37 FOR NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD." 38 AND MARY SAID, "BEHOLD, I AM THE SERVANT OF THE LORD; LET IT BE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD." AND THE ANGEL DEPARTED FROM HER. I think there are some questions from this text that we should take a look at. I won't spend a lot of time here, but I think there are some important things to unpack here. First, who is Mary? We don't have a lot of information about her, but what we can deduct from this biblical account, other accounts, and the culture of her day is that she was a devout young woman from Nazareth, she was betrothed to Joseph, and she was a virgin. We'll come back to the virgin piece shortly, but Nazareth is reportedly nothing to write home about. Writer David Jeremiah called it "remarkably unremarkable" and reminded us how future disciple Nathaniel proclaimed that nothing good can come out of Nazareth. So, Mary's hometown was quite unremarkable. What about Mary herself? Well, she is called "favored" in verse 28. But how does a young woman become favored in God's eyes? In short, she was called. She was chosen. But her song later in this same chapter reveals that she was a devout person who trusted God. We also know that she later became a disciple herself, but aside from that, we really do not have a lot of information about her. As a betrothed young woman - scholars believe she would have been anywhere from 12-16 years old, which was the common age for betrothal - she was practically married to Joseph at this point, but he could not be with her until after the marriage ceremony. This does beg the question of why she needed to be a virgin. Well, Romans 5:12 semes to give us the answer to this, Paul says: 12 THEREFORE, JUST AS SIN CAME INTO THE WORLD THROUGH ONE MAN, AND DEATH THROUGH SIN, AND SO DEATH SPREAD TO ALL MEN BECAUSE ALL SINNED. This is also what Paul alludes to in Galatians 3:16. So, the short answer is that if Jesus was born of Joseph, then the sin would have passed from Joseph to Jesus, so Mary had to be a virgin in order for Jesus not be born with the sinful nature of man. Oswald Chambers put it this way, "Jesus was born into this world, not from it." As such, Jesus' mission on earth was to die for our sins. He could not have done this if He were not sinless. In passages like this, it is easy to get into all the details, but let's instead search this passage to understand what we can learn from the example of Mary's faith. So, here's the main idea I want to pull from this passage: Having faith like Mary means I trust God with all the details. So, we read that Gabriel the angel appears to this young woman, and what are some of the first words from his mouth? "Do not be afraid, Mary." Fear is one of the most common responses from people in the Bible who encounter an angel have. They understood that an angel was a messenger from God, so when an angel appears, they knew it was important. Gabriel then gives her the most unbelievable information. She would be giving birth to the Savior of the world. Yet, as we established, she was a virgin. I really want to make this sermon practical today, so let's see what the text can teach us. So, let's look at ... HOW TO TRUST GOD WITH THE DETAILS First, * Take God at His Word (v.38) o I'd say that verse 37 and verse 38 are my favorite verses of this entire passage. o Verse 37 reminds us that there are no limits to what our God can do - which includes changing the hearts of sinners like you and me. o Then, verse 38 teaches us the proper response. Taking, or trusting God at His Word. o We've said this countless times, faith is a gift from God. o When we look at this account from Luke 1, we see that God is gifting Mary with the privilege and honor of birthing and raising His Son. o When we receive a gift - particularly the gift of Jesus - we must trust God with the results. o This sort of trust is impossible without God. Period. o Then, I should ... * Be thoughtful (v.29) o Notice in verse 29 where Luke records: 29 BUT SHE WAS GREATLY TROUBLED AT THE SAYING, AND TRIED TO DISCERN WHAT SORT OF GREETING THIS MIGHT BE. That phrase "TRIED TO DISCERN" is an accounting term that literally means "to make an audit." In other words, she is carefully adding up and weighing everything that is being spoken to her. o This reminds me of Luke 2:19 when Mary responds to the Shepherds' visit of the baby Jesus in the manger, Luke records these words: 19 BUT MARY TREASURED UP ALL THESE THINGS, PONDERING THEM IN HER HEART. o While it is not the same word, the idea is the same, and you really see the curious and thoughtful heart of Mary. o Practically, for us today, when we have a decision to make, we too must make it thoughtfully. o Next, Mary demonstrates how to: * Trust the process (v.34) o In verse 34, Mary questions Gabriel. However, the phrase she uses is less of an "if" more than it is a "how." o In other words, Mary is not questioning if it would happen, but how. o Frankly, the news was hard to believe, so she approached cautiously. o Then, Gabriel gives her a response by revealing to her that Elizabeth was pregnant - even though she was barren and past her childbearing age - as an illustration to her that God can do anything He has planned and desires to do. o And I love her response in the middle of verse 38: "BEHOLD, I AM THE SERVANT OF THE LORD; LET IT BE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD." o What an amazing response! She says, "Okay, God, You do You, I am your servant, I will be obedient" o This is faith, friends. Pastor Pat reminded me the other day that this is sort of what the call to the pastorate is like. * We get the call, and for some of us, it's hard to believe that this is what God wants us to do. o When we are called or nudged to do the work of the Lord, we must be like Mary, and be obedient to His Word. o I love the example of Isaiah's call. We read this is Isaiah 6:8: 8 AND I HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LORD SAYING, "WHOM SHALL I SEND, AND WHO WILL GO FOR US?" THEN I SAID, "HERE I AM! SEND ME." o In verses 39-45, we read Luke's account of Mary's visit to Elizabeth. Seemingly, it was here where her faith continued to build, resulting in the well-known Song of Mary in verses 46-55. o This leads us to her next example, which is to ... * Humbly embrace a sense of awe and wonder (vv.46-55) o I want to first focus on this idea of humility that Mary's speaks of in verse 48. o Think about it, one of the hardest things to do is to humble yourself. o I can recall the first couple of weeks after my car accident nearly 20 years ago. * Struggling to stand. * Struggling to go to the bathroom. * Struggling to make breakfast. * Struggling to do just about anything. * Having to rely on my parents in my 20's to help me was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. o Admitting that you are a sinner in need of a Savior requires humility. o Trusting in a God that you cannot physically see requires humility. o Surrendering your life to God requires humility. o Now, we've talked a lot about Mary this morning, and she humbled herself, but the best example of humility comes from Christ Himself. o The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Philippian church (2:3-8): 3 DO NOTHING FROM SELFISH AMBITION OR CONCEIT, BUT IN HUMILITY COUNT OTHERS MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN YOURSELVES. 4 LET EACH OF YOU LOOK NOT ONLY TO HIS OWN INTERESTS, BUT ALSO TO THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS. 5 HAVE THIS MIND AMONG YOURSELVES, WHICH IS YOURS IN CHRIST JESUS, 6 WHO, THOUGH HE WAS IN THE FORM OF GOD, DID NOT COUNT EQUALITY WITH GOD A THING TO BE GRASPED, 7 BUT EMPTIED HIMSELF, BY TAKING THE FORM OF A SERVANT, BEING BORN IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN. 8 AND BEING FOUND IN HUMAN FORM, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF BY BECOMING OBEDIENT TO THE POINT OF DEATH, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS. o Jesus - God the Son - came to this earth in the form of a baby to poor parents in a poor town, so He could live a perfect life, die the death of a criminal to be the Lamb of God, the great sacrifice for all mankind, providing a way for us to be saved and declared righteous before God and to live with Him for eternity. o He did that for you. For me. He did that for us. o God sent Him so that anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. o Initially, I didn't plan to read Mary's song, but it really helps us to connect with Mary and her heart, follow along as I read Luke 1:46-55: 46 AND MARY SAID, "MY SOUL MAGNIFIES THE LORD, 47 AND MY SPIRIT REJOICES IN GOD MY SAVIOR, 48 FOR HE HAS LOOKED ON THE HUMBLE ESTATE OF HIS SERVANT. FOR BEHOLD, FROM NOW ON ALL GENERATIONS WILL CALL ME BLESSED; 49 FOR HE WHO IS MIGHTY HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR ME, AND HOLY IS HIS NAME. 50 AND HIS MERCY IS FOR THOSE WHO FEAR HIM FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. 51 HE HAS SHOWN STRENGTH WITH HIS ARM; HE HAS SCATTERED THE PROUD IN THE THOUGHTS OF THEIR HEARTS; 52 HE HAS BROUGHT DOWN THE MIGHTY FROM THEIR THRONES AND EXALTED THOSE OF HUMBLE ESTATE; 53 HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS, AND THE RICH HE HAS SENT AWAY EMPTY. 54 HE HAS HELPED HIS SERVANT ISRAEL, IN REMEMBRANCE OF HIS MERCY, 55 AS HE SPOKE TO OUR FATHERS, TO ABRAHAM AND TO HIS OFFSPRING FOREVER." o Notice how Mary responded in awe and wonder. How do you respond when you encounter the Lord? o Notice also verse 47. While she realizes that she is blessed and will be regarded as blessed for eternity, she first recognizes her need for a Savior, and humbly accepts that she will need to bow to her "Son" and surrender to Him. o Keller said it this way: "[The] Christian faith is not a negotiation but a surrender." o That means, God's terms, not ours. Later in Jesus' ministry, Matthew records theses words in Matthew 16:24: 24 THEN JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES, "IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME." o Mary completely denied herself as one who was favored by God, and blessed among all women, and instead glorified God, served Him, was obedient to His Word, and became a disciple of Jesus. o Have you surrendered to Christ? If Mary needed to, then that means each of us needs to as well. o When we step back and look at Mary's life, her faith stands out so clearly. o Then finally, we ... * Surrender completely (v.38) o Verse 38 again shows her surrender. "I am your servant," she says. o Full surrender is leaving it to God. Frankly, that might sound foolish to us today, because the world says we must go get what we think we deserve. To go "seize the day." "Control your own destiny." o Instead Mary says, "I am your servant." Effectively saying, "I am your vessel" o English theologian John Wesley wrote the following prayer, called the "Covenant Prayer" as a personal covenant with God: I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed for thee, or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee, or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen o So, to have the faith of Mary ... or Wesley, we must trust God, and we must surrender to God. Earlier we said, Having faith like Mary means I trust God with all the details. So, I ask you. Do you have this type of faith? Do you trust God with the details? Have you surrender to God with these details? Have you humbled yourself before Him? Do you stand in awe and wonder? If not, you can do that today. And I urge to do so. Because as we stated before, Christmas is not simply about a birth, but a coming. The coming of a Savior. When we place our faith in Him, we too, can boldly proclaim the words of Mary in obedience, when she said: BEHOLD, I AM THE SERVANT OF THE LORD; LET IT BE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD. Let's pray. 2