Sermon Tone Analysis

Pregnancy Announcements (modern day craze)

Elaborate events, and games, and celebrations, creative pictures and videos announcing the fact that a new child is on the way.

There are seasons where videos and pictures announcing the good news of a pregnancy or birth will fill your timelines and news feeds.

This is one of the few fads i hope to see continue… We ought to celebrate life especially in the culture of death in which we currently live.

I say you should go all out!

And with that I have something I want to share with you....

When Mandee was pregnant with Karis we didn’t do anything like that… instead we picked up the phone, called our parents and said, We’re having a baby!

However, I think if you can make a big deal out of it you should!

And part of the reason for that is because God loves to announce pregnancies.

Ishmael: Gen. 16:7–14;

Isaac: Gen. 17:15–22; 18:9–15;

Samson: Judg.

13:2–23;

Samuel: 1 Sam.

1:9–20.

John the Baptist Luke 1:5-20.

However, non of these can compare the shock and awe of the announcement that Mary would give brith to jesus, the King of the World.

Like I said, we should make a big deal about announcing pregnancies, you should have grand gender reveal parties, and joy filled birth announcements.

The world needs us to celebrate life, because it is currently spellbound with death.

The celebration of life is spark of light in the darkness.

In the same way the announcement of Mary’s pregnancy was a flicker of light in the dark world of Israel.

The Nation of Israel is bleek,

Isaiah called it a forest of Smoldering stumps

Demonic powers are running loose

Israel is like a house, who’s walls are full of leprosy.

Its not enough to come and removed the diseased walls, the whole house needs to come down.

Israel is enslaved to the darkness, though in their home land, they are exiled from God.

The glory of God departed their midst during the time of Ezekiel, roughly 600 years prior to the birth of Jesus.

The scene in Israel is abysmal, its dark, its depraved and without hope.

King Herod was in ruling Judea at the time.

Herod was given his authority by the Roman Empire because Herod was loyal first to Rome.

He had been reigning for over 30 years by the time Jesus was born.

And as he got older Herod became a paranoid tyrant, worried that he would lose his kingdom.

We see his tyranny in full swing in Matthew’s gospel as Herod systematically murdered all the male children in Bethlehem and the region who were under two years old.

This is the genocidal king of Israel at the time.

So those who are faithful to YHWH like a Nicodemus, or Zechariah and Elizabeth, are hoping and praying for the Messiah to come, a good king, a king like David, who will not be a puppet under Rome’s control, but will free Israel from the exile they have been living in.

As we saw last week, Matthew prepares us for the coming king through the way he lays out Jesus’ genealogy.

Not only for a new King, but he prepares us for a whole new creation.

a new Adam, a new covenant!

His genealogy prepares us for the glory of God to once again come and dwell in the midsts of the people.

Matthew’s genealogy is in many ways like a who's who in Israel’s history.

He tells us of the many kings Jesus had in his family tree, David being greatest.

However, Within Matthews genealogy, we see four anomalies…four names that stick out.

and these anomalies are the four women who appear in this list of names.

Tamar

Rahab

Ruth

Bathsheba

These names jump out at us because the names of women were not ordinarily included in genealogical lists.

So the fact that there are women included is indeed strange.

But what is even more strange is the fact it is these four women who appear as opposed to some of the more well-known matriarchs in Jesus’ line such as Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah.

God indeed does surprising things… and these four women and their stories prepare us for one of God’s biggest surprises.

Mary.

God using Mary the way we did is one of the most surprising motifs in the advent story.

And for us, looking at the story of Mary and seeing God’s creativity as he retells and foretells the story of redemption, presence, glory and power in the life of a young virgin girl is indeed surprising.

Mary’s response to the angel, “let it be to me according to your word” is strange and haunting, its arresting and curious.

It is all of these things because in a mysterious way God retells the story of redemption in Mary.

One of the great blindspots in seeing the brilliance of this passage is the fact that it has become all too familiar… and as the saying going, “Familiarity breeds contempt”

This story is indeed familiar… and if we are not struck by the deep and majestic mystery and beauty of these words, then perhaps we have become too familiar.

The passage begins with the angel Gabriel, and angel that is named only a few times in scripture, but whenever he is arrives, God has BIG plans for his people.

And here God sends Gabriel with a message to a young virgin girl.

It’s interesting that Luke gives us no details about Mary’s life…

We don’t know her fathers name, her mothers name, we don’t know what she looks like, or anything about her personality.

The only description Luke gives us is the fact that she is a virgin.

In fact, this is so important that Luke introduces Mary first by calling her a virgin who was engaged.. only after that does he tell us that the virgins name is Mary.

Gabriel comes to her with a word from God and greets her,

Gabriel comes to Mary, probably in her home or in her room, and greets her by saying, “oh favored one” The Lord is With you.

This is indeed a strange event.

This is an event that even seems strange to Mary.

The word for Troubled is better understood as perplexed or confused.

Mary is confused, perplexed, wondering why is this angel standing in her room?

What has she done? is she in trouble? is her family in trouble?

She remembers the stories of the angels in Sodom and Gomorrah… and things are not good in Israel right now…is this an announcement of judgement?

what sort of greeting is this?

Is she going to have run out Israel and not look back?

Mary confused as to whats going on is wanting some clarity… and Gabriel provides this for her.

Do not be afraid, do not be concerned, there is nothing wrong here.

In fact, you have found favor, or grace with God.

This is a good visit!

Gabriel then gives her his message.

Mary’s thinking would have shifted here… no longer being concerned that this is judgement, instead this sounds like the stories of from Israel’s past.

The story of God giving birth announcements.

(Hagar) Ishmael: Gen. 16:7–14;

(Sarah) Isaac: Gen. 17:15–22; 18:9–15;

Samson: Judg.

13:2–23;

(Hannah) Samuel: 1 Sam.

1:9–20.

All of these men were born accompanied by an angelic birth announcement.

But this announcement is different!

For Mary’s baby would be different…

(Could you imagine the excitement of Gabriel to be the one to deliver this message)!

Mary’s baby would be a promised seed like Isaac, but much greater than Issac

her baby would judge Israel like Samson, but would accomplish more in his life and death than Samson ever did.

Her baby would be set apart like Samuel, but set a part for a far more glorious vocation.

The Angel tells Mary that Jesus would be called the Son of the Most High!

That he would have Davids eternal throne

That he will reign over the house of Jacob, God’s people, forever (that is, God’s people.)

And his kingdom would have no end.

These declarations about the Christ child are glorious and powerful.

Gabriel is telling Mary that in her womb will be the promised Messiah, the King Israel has been waiting for, the fulfiller of prophecy, and the liberator of the people.

He is telling her that she will give birth to the promised child of Isaiah 9 where Isaiah writes,

This glorious announcement is enough to cause all of Israel to rise up and rejoice, the angels in heaven to shake the earth with their songs of joy.

Yet Mary’s response is not one of ruckus celebration, but of curiosity.