To Find Favor With God
A Child Will Lead Them • Sermon • Submitted
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The Humble & Willing Servant of the LORD
The one high-end hair salon in the small town of Porterdale was always popular. On this particular day, it was teeming with clients. With Christmas around the corner—and this being the preferred salon in town—many client had jockeyed for these appointments shortly after Labor Day. Each station was swarming with activity. But there was more than busy-ness in the air that day. Near the shampoo sinks, clients and stylists were buzzing with big news. Did you hear? Katelyn is pregnant. One client was especially excited. She knew Katelyn and her husband had been trying to conceive for a few years now. What an exciting Christmas gift! Look at her. She’s glowing already. Another client cut her off. No, not that Katelyn. The other Katelyn.
The other Katelyn was 15 years younger. She finished high school that calendar year. No husband. Not even a longtime boyfriend. The mood of the conversation quickly changed. Who’s the father? How will she manage? What will she do?
It’s amazing how quickly our view about the news of I’m pregnant can change. Not all of it is unfounded. God designed marriage between a man and a woman to be the ideal setting for conceiving and raising children. Sex outside marriage is sin—and sin always comes with consequences and often real and painful punishments. But children are not a punishment from the Lord. Never. Rather, Solomon tells us that (Ps. 127:3) children are a heritage from the Lord. Offspring a reward from him. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. With that being said, it is far more challenging to bear and raise children without the one-flesh support God designed for every mother to have in her own husband.
And that challenging situation was where Mary found herself potentially facing when the angel Gabriel brought her life-changing news. Mary lived in a small town—Nazareth—three days’ journey from the Temple in Jerusalem. Nazareth is surrounded by hills on all sides except to the south. Today it is a town of 10,000 residents, still relatively small. But in Mary’s day, it was far smaller. Archeological digs have revealed underground tombs that give us a better idea of the size and scope of the city. Many experts guess that the population of the town was around 400 people in Mary’s day. It was a town where—for better and for worse—everybody knew everybody’s business.
To a young woman—likely a teenager—from a town that was forgotten by most, and looked down upon by the rest, God sent his angel, Gabriel with news that would change her life and the world. Lk. 1:31 You will conceive and give birth to a son. Our hearts fill with joy in hearing these words. Because we know that what was birthed by Mary of Nazareth was no ordinary child. He is Lk. 1:32 great. He is rightly called the Son of the Most High. He is called Jesus because he came to save his people from their sins. This child is why we, as a church, celebrate Christmas. This child is why we, as a church, exist. He is our Alpha and Omega. But that view—while correct—may make too little of what Mary was actually dealing with in this moment. The blessing of hindsight ought not blind us to the immediate impact of these words and this Son.
These words turned Mary’s world upside down—more than just your typical pregnancy news. Sure, she was Lk. 1:27 engaged to be married to a man from Nazareth named Joseph, but would he believe what had happened to her? Would he stand by her side? What would her friends and family think? What would they say? What might they do? Don’t forget, it was a well-known law of Moses that anyone who committed adultery should be put to death. Mary wasn’t just potentially facing public shame, but perhaps even public execution. Gabriel’s proclamation increased Mary’s stress and strife. This pregnancy would bring her more trouble than most first-time mothers would face. This pregnancy would also come with the added responsibility of raising and caring for the Son of God.
All of that makes Mary’s response all the more remarkable, doesn’t it? (Lk. 1:38) I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled. But this wasn’t a case of a teenage girl being wildly agreeable—if such a strange thing has ever happened. Mary asks a very straightforward and important question. (Lk. 1:34) How will this be, since I am a virgin? The angel Gabriel says, simply, God will do it in a miraculous way. (Lk. 1:35) The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. The same Lord who led his people to the Promised Land by pillars of cloud and fire will fulfill the promise he made through the prophet Isaiah: (Is. 7:14) The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son. The same powerful Holy Spirit who, on Pentecost, will enable the apostles to speak in languages they do not know, will enable a young woman who has not known a man to conceive a child. God will do this and it will be marvelous in our eyes. (Lk. 1:37) No word from God will ever fail. And that is enough. Mary believes what the angel Gabriel has announced and she eagerly accepts this high calling. (Lk. 1:38) I am the Lord’s servant.
But how often has the Lord commanded us to do things far easier, much smaller, and we have reacted with much more reluctance?
Lk. 10:27 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and your soul, your strength and your mind. A commandment like that ought to be easy, when you know who the Lord your God is. He is love. He has loved you since before creation. He has given us his best, his one and only Son. But we think he won’t be able to tell the difference between our very best and the rest of what we’ve got left. When push comes to shove, we chose paths of convenience, comfort, and personal fulfillment rather than the narrow road of sanctification, cross-bearing, and personal devotion. How do you respond when God decides—in his wisdom and love—to inconvenience you, to frustrate you plans, or, as he did to Mary, turn your life upside down?
Consider just your excitement and your excuses. When you consider what gets you really excited—how many of them are serve the Lord moments? There is nothing wrong with finding joy in blessings from his hand—but if that’s the only thing that brings us joy than our love for the Lord is shallow, at best. Review the times the Lord has called you to be his servant in some way. There was a friend in need of godly counsel, or a family member who is straying away from the Lord. What excuses flooded your mind in those moments? I’m not knowledgeable enough. I’m too close to the situation. I’ve got too much going on already. I’m weak and sinful, too. Someone else should do it. And I know, we don’t trot out those excuses just for spiritual situations—but we are far more accepting of them in this realm. When we don’t know something important about our health or our finances, do we just throw up our hands? No. We roll up our sleeves, we research and learn and try. Even if we fail, we work at it and try again. Why? Because it’s important. One of the ways we show the importance of something is by applying ourselves to it. Is being the Lord’s servant any less important? The Lord your God wants your heart, your strength, your mind, and your soul. There may be more tender hearts, stronger individuals, and sharper minds—but the Lord doesn’t need them. He wants you. He loves you. He calls you to be his servant. How have you responded?
Husbands and wives, what does it mean to be the Lord’s servant in a marriage? We live in a day and age where our culture tells us the secret to a happy marriage is simple. Happy wife. Happy life.
Husbands, is this God’s way? Certainly, loving your wife as Christ loved the church will make your wife blessed or happy. But if your wife’s happiness is the supreme goal, you will find yourself abdicating the role and the responsibilities God has called you to. Don’t you think Eve was happy when Adam let her do what she wanted? Sometimes, happiness leads to sadness and even death. Men who love God and love their wives are willing to step in and warn of temptation, rebuke sin, and encourage tenderly.
Wives, God has called you to submit to your husbands as the church does to Christ her head. Do you encourage and support your husband and he strives to meet this standard? Or do you find yourself quick to nag and nitpick, or worse yet, say nothing substantive when you recognize that he needs to hear God’s Word from you? If you would say something if he spent $1000 without talking to you, why don’t you say anything when you know he’s not spending his precious time in God’s Word? Oh that we all had Mary’s humility and willingness to serve the Lord.
Parents, consider what God has commanded you to do. (Pr. 22:6) Train up your children in the Lord. Make the most of every single opportunity God has given you to mold and train young souls. (Dt. 6:6-7) Impress the commandments of God on the hearts of your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road. Talk the talk and walk the walk. Should our ultimate goal be to raise children and grandchildren who respond to God’s Word like Mary: I am the Lord’s servant? Instead, we tend to boast about their temporal achievements and downplay the importance of faithful Christian living.
As admirable as Mary’s humility and willingness to the serve the Lord is, it wasn’t enough. Though she made a declaration we are reluctant to say and do, even that wasn’t enough. Even though she was willing to potentially sacrifice her reputation, her relationships, her marriage, her body, and her future, it still wasn’t enough to earn her own salvation. Mary, the humble and willing servant of the Lord, still needed a Savior. Mary, much like you and I were, was conceived in sin. (Eph.2:3) Like the rest of us, by nature, she was deserving of God’s wrath. Which is why the angel Gabriel’s greeting took her by such surprise. She was perplexed and pondered what kind of greeting this was: (Lk 1:28) Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you! God’s grace came to her. She didn’t earn or deserve God’s favor before, during, or after all of this. Mary needed her Son to be the Lord’s humble and willing servant in her place.
This message was life-changing for Mary. It was also world-changing. The Most High God was making himself lowly. (Gal. 4:4-5) When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Mary’s Son was also the Son of God, because he was brought into this world through the power of the Most High God. He was called Jesus because he came to save sinners.
So the Son of the Most High made himself the Ultimate Humble and Willing Servant of the Lord. Jesus was committed to living as the Lord’s servant in everything he thought, said, and did. He loved the Lord with his heart and soul, his mind and strength. He always honored and respected his parents—even as a teenager. He rejoiced in Sabbaths spent at the synagogue and festivals at the Temple. He delighted in God’s Word. And it shaped how he treated every single person he interacted with. We see Jesus boldly rebuking sin in the Pharisees & humbly serving and loving tax collectors and prostitutes—because he understood and was demonstrating God’s grace. He knew it would impact his reputation. More than that, with each sin he confronted, he knew the cost his body would bear. But he would (Is. 53:4) not falter. He would not be discouraged, until he established justice on earth, until he justified sinner through his suffering and death. Because that is what the Son of the Most High God came to achieve—salvation for sinners. The Son of God became the Son of Mary to secure God’s favor for sinners like us. Jesus came to establish a kingdom that was not of this world and a kingdom this world could not imagine. So even when his life was threatened, Jesus did not call down angels like Gabriel to prevent his arrest. Even when he faced crucifixion, Jesus did not sidestep the cross. He faced the stress and suffering of atoning for the sins of the world so that we might have God’s favor. We have been redeemed, because he was rejected by his Father. We have been justified, because Christ stood condemned in our place. We have God’s favor because Jesus was punished by God. Through that punishment we have peace. By the wounds of the Lord’s willing servant we are healed. And Isaiah tells us why this was the Lord’s will. (Is. 53:10) It was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
Do you know who Jesus’ offspring are? Those who believe in his name. Those he has redeemed. Those he has won God’s favor for. You and me. And God has poured out that same powerful Holy Spirit on you, not so that you would have a child, but that you would believe in his Son as your Savior—as Mary did. Through the waters of Baptism, the Lord has made you his own. He has placed his name upon you. He has created in you a willing and humble spirit. And he has equipped you to do things of far greater importance than you might think you’re capable of. You don’t bear God’s Son, but you bear witness to the life of Jesus. As spouse or parent, you are a servant of the Lord. So love your spouse selflessly and continually point your children to God’s Law and Gospel as the light for their path. And don’t underestimate the impact of your actions on your spouse. Mary’s willingness also provided Joseph an opportunity to be the Lord’s servant as Jesus’ earthly father. From a human standpoint, that would not have been possible otherwise. In much the same way, you living as a servant of the Lord encourages and even enables others to do the same.
As an employee or a retired person, you are a servant of the Lord. You are not first and foremost beholden to your boss. You serve the Lord as you speak the truth in love, not just when it will advance your career. You serve the Lord as you love your co-worker and your competitor, as you work hard even when no one is watching. As a friend and a neighbor, you are a servant of the Lord. You will be eager to help, careful to rebuke and instruct, and quick to forgive, console, and encourage. As a child of light in a world of darkness, you are a servant of the Lord. So let your light shine that this world may see your humble good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
May God’s word be fulfilled to you and through you as it was to and through Mary, the mother of our Lord and the sinner who received God’s eternal favor. The Lord is with you. Amen.