God Who Keeps His Promises (Luke 1:26-56)
It's great to be with you here this second week of Advent as we celebrate leading up to Christmas Day Our Saviors first coming but also celebrating his second coming as well because we anticipating eagerly await his return to make all things, right, you know, this is the time of year where Christmas specials take over and there's Traditions. I'm sure in your family of what Christmas specials you would watch Elf has become a huge hit in our household you have this, you know person who thinks he's an elf who doesn't really fit in as an elf in You have to find his family in the Ridiculousness of that whole story. I think of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer the stop motion from the sixties is one of my favorites. They played it every year for some 50 plus years. I heard until now it's on Apple TV. Plus I guess you can watch it on demand, but you did remember and Rudolph there was that they get to the island of the misfit toys where Rudolph feels like he finally belongs because he's with the Misfits in the rejects in the losers in the defects. The one that toys that weren't quite right the outcasts The Outsiders and of course Charlie Brown Christmas, maybe favorite if we pulled it might be one of everybody's favorites and the Charlie Brown Christmas tree that famous tree has become so well-known. It's become a meme. Where people buy Charlie Brown Christmas trees unironically to put up rather than a full-blown Christmas tree. Again. Charlie's concern in that for the true meaning of Christmas and what these stories it's amazing to me they all have in common is how at Christmas time. There's an awareness of the poor in the humble nature of the Christmas story and how even in all of these these Christmas specials. There's some thread of that flowing through the stories of the unlikely the poor The Humble the outcasts. They're the ones who become the the main character in find out this this true meaning of Christmas in some way of giving and loving and it's better to give than to receive. And of course in the Charlie Brown Christmas. There's this wonderful declaration from Linus about this Good Tidings of great joy, that will be for all the people for unto you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior who is Christ the lord and through the Gospel of Luke. God is also demonstrating his concern for the downtrodden the outcast the poor. tax collector Center Samaritans gentiles and we see this from the very beginning of the Gospel of Luke will be in Luke chapter one today in our texts and I couldn't help but think as I was reading it this week in preparation that Proverbs 13:12 says hope deferred makes the heart sick but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life the wisdom of Solomon. There is he gives us that proverb. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Have you ever experienced that you've been hoping for something and your hopes were dashed your your desires were not met and it actually made you physically sick mentally sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. It's like this this this renewal in and and re-energizing of Our Lives. Well Luke 1 Is all about the hope that is finally come the God who keeps his promises and if the story were screenplay it might start with the opening scene being the Golden Age of Israel. David is on the throne. He's victorious in his Wars and peace is in the land. And he comes to the prophet Nathan and he wants to have a conversation with Nathan about it's time to build the temple. We have piecework Victorious the more prosperous and we need to build a house for God. Look at my Palace, but God's house is a tent. And of course God in the dream to Nathan through the prophet Nathan tells David you're not going to build me a house David, but I'm going to build you a house. This was a thousand years prior to this episode in Luke 1 Talk about Hope deferred. Every one of the descendants of David you would imagine every time one of these women became pregnant. They might think to themselves. Will this child be the one that God promised would sit on the throne forever. Would this child be the Messiah the hope and every time they visited the temple that Solomon built or later the second temple. They might think would the Messiah soon come to this Temple and keep his promises to his people. Well, that's what we have before us in in Luke chapter 1 I want to start in verse 26. The father's surprising power brings great news. In the six months the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the House of David and the virgin's name was Mary and he came to her and said greetings over favored one. The Lord is with you. She was greatly troubled at the saying and try to discern what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said you were do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God and behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus. 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 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom. There will be no end. now At face value. This is quite an unexpected recipient of this news. In fact the prior seen that we didn't read where Zachariah is a priest in the temple and he's ministering before the the altar in Gabriel appears to Zakaria in the temple and gives that promise of John the Baptist and of course Zacharia doesn't believe in so he's struck mute until the baby's born but you have the angel coming to the temple that makes much more sense after all the temple is where God's glory dwell. Shouldn't it be the place where the Messiah would come to the temple the place where God is in the midst of his people and yet what happens the story in Luke that began in the temple where the angel appeared to Zacharia near the altar of incense moves to the middle of nowhere in Galilee. In fact a couple hundred years ago Scholars were thinking the Galilee didn't even exist because none of the ancient writers ever mention the city. It was nowheresville. It was not what was expected in and then the angel Gabriel comes to a woman who is betrothed to a man whose name is Joseph verse 27 and he's of the House of David. So here's okay. Here's a descendant of David. Could it be the case except for in verse 26 when the angel comes and sent from God to this city of Galilee named Nazareth, he comes to a virgin and in fact is repeated. Again, the virgin's name was Mary and then she's going to have trouble with what the angel says in verse 34. She says how will this be since I'm a virgin? This is not rocket science. The idea that a girl a young woman who is betrothed, but who had never been with a man could not get pregnant.
So this unexpected recipient of a virgin than this emphasis on her virginity sets up the miracle of the child's conception. You see in scripture bear and wounds had been opened before you think of Sarah or Rebecca or Rachel or what we heard in 1st Samuel with Hannah but becoming pregnant as a virgin is a miracle never heard of before in Scripture.
Now what the angel does do and what Luke tells us is that Mary is betrothed to Joseph and other than his name mentioned here. He doesn't play any role in this episode. I thought Jason did such a fantastic job last week painting the picture of what Joseph would have thought as he received this Revelation from Gabriel and what he would have felt in and how he responded in faith and how he was obedience in here. We see Mary's perspective. The angel comes to her and gives the exact same message. We we can see this as we read through it the exact same news. That you're going to name him Jesus that he's going to be the son of the most high God implying that he is God. God With Us
using even the name Lord Yahweh for Jesus the son.
The angel tells her she's an object of God's grace and he explains what the the visitation means but he isn't going to explain everything that's going to happen to her back the next two chapters in Luke. Mary spends most of that time in Wonder and pondering in treasuring these things in her heart. Luke tells us which by the way glucan in chapter one. Is he introduces this gospel says I wanted to set forth in orderly account. He's writing to this man Theophilus in so it's pretty clear from the first couple chapters that Luke went and spoke to Mary and all of this story that we see in chapter 1 and chapter 2 that are unique to the Gospel of Luke or from the perspective of Mary and by the time you get to 2:19 that says she treasured all these things in her heart wondering them. meditating on him thinking about what does all this mean imagine her as she's retelling the story to Luke so he can write this gospel still pondering and treasuring these things that she would be the one to give birth to Jesus the Messiah what an incredible blessing what an unexpected recipients, but it was a long-expected fulfillment as I said before since the time of David, The nation of Israel has been waiting for this Messiah to be born to this young country girl of humble means god through Gabriel reveals two of the greatest mysteries in the universe the Incarnation and the trinity. It's implied, isn't it? How could this one? Who is how can God the Father send this one? Who is also God the son and there's not two Gods but one God but there's two persons at least here who are God and the Holy Spirit is mentioned here in this passage. And so there's three persons who exist. as one God and our minds immediately. It just hurts, doesn't it? It hurts and yet this is the God we worship. This is the god who's the old himself to us? And then in the Incarnation you have Jesus who is Mary's son and God Son fully man and fully God. Not a demigod or Superman. Not half and half but the God man. the one who is Fully Like Us in his Humanity so that he can die in our place for our sins and the one who is fully God in his deity so that he can actually pay the price for send and pay it completely so that we're not still in our sin. The Incarnation is an incredible Miracle. It's incredibly good news.
And he explained that he just a search this to marry this young woman. In fact Gabriel makes 7 predictions about Mary's Child in verses 31 to 33 that prove him to be the long-expected Messiah the first four relate to the uniqueness of this miracle and his identity is the Son of God, but look at verse 31 behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son. the first San Gabriel says you are an unwed virgin are going to conceive miraculously. And you going to be her son s you will call his name Jesus and his we heard last week from Jason that Jesus is the name Joshua Yeshua in Hebrew. Yahweh saves this the name of not only who he is, but what he's going to do, he's going to save his people from their sins.
It's a prophetic name. Gabriel goes on to say he will be great. And be called he will be great. It's almost an understatement isn't it in our language? Because great doesn't have the same Force as what the angel here is saying. It's the greatest. I don't mean to disparage it. He's the goat. He's the greatest of all time. We understand when when we talk about football players or baseball players. We if we say they're great. They're just one of many who were great. But if you say there's a goat Well then. There's nobody like him. See, this is what the angel is saying. He's not one of many who are great. He is the greatest of all time. He will be great. Why? Because he's going to be called the son of the most high he is God. is incredible That should stun aside every year. I try to read athanasius is on the Incarnation. I'm a nerd It Was Written eighteen hundred years ago, but actually it's pretty easy to read relatively speaking. In fact c.s. Lewis has an introduction to on the Incarnation where he says for every contemporary book. You should read a book from a from an old guy a dead guy because they give us insight and perspective and eighteen hundred years ago actually 17 hundred years ago. Athanasius was defending the deity of Jesus in the reason he came and he wrote on the Incarnation to be sort of A discipleship manual for young Christians about what it means that Jesus became incarnate. And what's incredible about reading that is athanasius says it's not just that he came to the manger and was born it's that he came to go to the cross and to die in the place of his people to save them from their sins to restore. What was lost in the fall. He's back. He spends the first 10 paragraphs talking about the fall of Man in sin entering the world and idolatry through sin and how we just made a mess of everything and we need a savior. We need a hero to come and fix everything. That's wrong and Jesus. Is that hero, it's why he's great. It's why he's the greatest only he could save us from our sins.
In the last three statements Gabriel makes our about him keeping God's promises. The Lord. God will give to him the Throne of David forever. The David is father. So this is the promise made to David is finally fulfilled that this is the one who's going to rain forever. In fact, that's the second thing that says he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his Reign there will be no end to it. It's never going to end. Jesus is King and he's on the throne. Think about what we sang. Think about all of those hopes that we have is the the humble in the broken in in in in think about the the expectations that man we want things to be made right? Maybe your life is not going well this week. Maybe it's a mess and it's all you can do to hold it together.
What do you need? You need someone to help you? You need someone to deliver you just save you. To restore you to give you joy and peace the only one who can do that as Jesus. He's the only one no one else in this world will do it spouses will fail you family members will fail you. Coworkers will fail you leaders will fail you. Nobody else will meet your needs Like Jesus Does. This is what the angel is saying. This is what Gabriel is announcing. This long-expected promise. Our deliverer is coming.
That hope that they had been hoping for for hundreds of years, finally. in the city of Nazareth to marry the angel comes and says Oh, yeah, you're going to give birth to Jesus. And he's going to save his people and he's going to rule and Reign forever. He's going to bring in the kingdom of God. He's going to restore what was lost in the fall put yourself in Mary's shoes or sandals for a moment our Kent Hughes in his commentary says from all indicators. Her life would not be extraordinary. She would marry humbly give birth to numerous poor children never travel farther than a few miles from home and one day die like thousands of others before her a nobody and a nothing town in the middle of nowhere even after she gives birth to Jesus. That's the life of Mary as far as we know it and from Earthly standards. What did she accomplish? She lived a normal life. And our culture temps us to think that a normal life is unsatisfactory. That is something to despair of. and yet she was blessed by God. She found favor with God verse 28. The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid verse 30 you found favor with God.
incredible why verse 37 nothing will be impossible with God. And so this is Supernatural isn't it? The supernatural beginning to the life of Jesus Mary betrothed to a descendant of David would also think could my child be the one but but she would think once I marry Joseph in once we get pregnant and once I have a kid not as a virgin. The news was beyond your comprehension. She's completely baffled. She says how will this be verse 34?
Her virginity is an obvious obstacle to her pregnancy. It can only be overcome by the miraculous creative power of God. Basically what Mary responds and she says, I don't know what all this means but I trust God to do what's good what an example to us? What an example of faith? That we may believe God's plan even when we don't understand. I mean if you were hit with that news. I mean, we know the story we've been rehearsing the story every year for hundreds of years, but imagine hearing that news for the first time. I don't know that we would have responded with that much faith. I think we would have been more like Zachariah earlier who is like you got to be kidding me. My wife's going to get pregnant. She's been barren.
God's power is not something belonging only to past history. This is what Mary teaches us. It's at work in the presents. And God's power is mysterious. Mary didn't understand everything. She's pondering it in her heart, but it is not distant from us. Sometimes we act like God is not working anymore in the world. Miracles they only happened in the past, but but but man in my life, could God really do anything for me. Absolutely, he can absolutely he can and he does in fact God's power empowers the power list and I want to mention one other thing what we see in the life of Mary is that God Delights to use us to accomplish his Divine purposes. See Satan would love nothing more than to tempt you to think that you're not necessary to God that you're not needed. And in one sense, it's true. God doesn't need us he doesn't need anything. He's perfectly content in himself. That's what we called the the doctrine of aseity, but but God Delights to use us. He Delights to use human beings for his purposes to accomplish his plans to bring him great joy. And in doing so God gets the glory and we get the joy. Finally what Mary teaches us is that God's plan is better than our plans for ourselves. God's plan is better than our plans for ourselves. Think about your life. You've been a Christian any length of time. I guarantee you your plan for your life did not go as you intended. And God had a plan to bring you through things that you would have never chosen to go through. And yet it's been better for you than anything you would have plant. This is what God saying to marry is. Listen, you're going to be an outcast Mary. Nobody's going to believe that there was a miraculous virgin conception. The world's going to think. Yeah, right. It's a good excuse that doesn't happen. That's not how science works.
That's not how babies are made. And yet the reality is this is what happened. This is the miracle.
Well as we see the spirits witness through Elizabeth and John which is incredible it brings great. Hope to everybody involved verse. 3008 34 Mary said to the angel how will this be since I'm a virgin in the angel answer to the holy spirit will come upon you in the power of the most high will overshadow you there for the child. To be born will be called. Holy the Son of God and behold your relative Elizabeth in her old age is conceived to son in this is the sixth month with her who was called the baron for nothing will be impossible with God. Mary said behold. I am the servant of the Lord let it be to me according to your word in the angel departed from her. And those days Mary arose and went with haste Into the Hill Country to a town in Judah and she entered the house of Zachariah and greeted Elizabeth and when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary the baby leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry blessed. Are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb and why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me for behold when the sound of your greeting came to my ears the baby in my womb leaped for joy and blessed. Is she who believe that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. Mary heard about Elizabeth from the angel that she was six months pregnant and marry knew that her that Elizabeth was Barren and couldn't have kids and so she runs to Elizabeth's house to tell her the news Negrete one another and three things happen the child John the Baptist. He's not called John the Baptist yet, but John the baptizer in the womb leaped for Joy second scripture tells us Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and in her filling of the Holy Spirit. She announces third that Mary is blessed and interprets the meaning of her child's leaping theologically. What do I mean by that? Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Elizabeth confesses the lordship. Of the baby in Mary's womb who we know is Jesus she calls him Lord. The mother of my Lord and that's no accident. The term is used 23 times in these chapters to refer to the god of Israel until Elizabeth is saying the baby in your belly. Mary is the Lord. He's Yahweh. He's God. Paul tells us in 1st Corinthians 12. No one can truly call Jesus Lord unless the spirit gives him the ability. I hear the spirit of God moves Elizabeth to Proclaim that Jesus is Lord and moves John and Elizabeth belly to leap for joy.
What incredible thought? See, this is the startling thing about this story. The angel comes Gabriel comes to Marian says you're going to give birth to the son of the most high you're going to give birth to the one who is not only human. But God, do you believe that? He's Lord and Mary exhibits great faith. She says back in verse 38. I'm a servant of the Lord. Let it be up to me according to your word Elizabeth declares that he's Lord. And and in the context Luke is writing this to affirm that what the angel gave to Mary is. In fact true. It's testified not only by Elizabeth and baby John in the womb. But it's testified in the pages of scripture that Jesus is Lord. Have you confessed him as Lord? Is he your lord? Do you believe that he is Lord? If you don't know him come to Christ.
The verse that brought me to Faith Romans 10 9 says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you shall be saved. What a message. Jesus is Lord. And if you confess him as Lord and believe that he died for your sins and Rose from the grave. You shall be saved. Not might be maybe someday down the road. If you do good enough for work hard enough know if you believe you shall be saved.
What good news they should bring you great joy. Because it's not what you do. It's what Christ has done in your place. It's who you believe.
Come to Christ if you don't know him. Well third the sun's miraculous birth brings great. Joy verse 46. Mary said my soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God. My savior free is look down on the humble estate of a servant or behold from now on all generations will call me blessed. For he who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is his name and his Mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm. He is scattered the proud in the thoughts of their heart. He is brought down the mighty from their Thrones and exalted those of humble estate. He's filled the Hungry with good things and the rich he is sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his Mercy as he spoke to our fathers to Abraham into his offspring forever and marry remained with her about three months until John was born and returned to her home. Luke records Mary's hymn of praise. What is known as The Magnificat because in the Latin translation of the Bible, that's the first word. But married sings This hymn of praise to God God is the one who lifts up the humble verse 52 God is the one who fills the Hungry with good things verse 53 God is the one who comes to the the baron in the humble and God Appears in manifest itself into those who are last in the Kingdom. They shall be first Jesus says, He's going to say that later and Luke chapter 13. The gospel the good news Jesus himself announces in the Gospel of Luke that the spirit has anointed him to bring the gospel to the for poured freedom to the prisoners sight to the blind released to the oppressed chapter 4.
even his ministry to to those who were the humble in the poor in the outcast was not accidental. It was intentional. He sought out a tax collector. He sought out a zealot. He sought out fisherman. This is what he did. And one of the signs that the kingdom income was that God was visiting the outcasts. And when Jesus was asked by John the Baptist whether he was the one that people expected in chapter 7 John answered that the blood of Jesus said the blind the lame the lepers the death the Dead the poor. They're all receiving salvation. Now Mary here. Luke is putting her up as an example of an ideal believer who believe God's promises. She ends up praising God. She not only believes the promises verse 38, but Luke records this hymn of praise for what God has done.
the introduction to the him versus 46 and 47 to magnify and rejoice. Mary says my soul magnifies the Lord my my total self all that I am. And who is she magnifying the Lord? The spirit rejoices in God my savior. Parallelism in the in the song. Why is she praising God because he looked down on the humble estate of his servants and all generations will call her blessed and it's been true. What an incredible thought marry this young woman? gave birth to Jesus
And her story is recorded here in Luke chapter 1. and her response
and she Praises God and rejoices and magnifies if we see a number of reasons and verses 48 to 50. She's rejoice in because his salvation comes to the poor and the downtrodden he's been mindful of the humble state of a servant.
And from now on she's called blessed and she says verse 49 he who is mighty has done great things for me. She rejoices in God's power. And the idea of the one who is mighty the Hebrew phrase El gibor the Mighty God. This is the god in Deuteronomy who works his wonders for Israel leading them out of Egypt. here The mighty Powers not deliverance from Egypt but the birth of Jesus the miraculous conception. Holy is his name. She says verse 49 God's holiness here. I don't think it refers simply to his moral perfection, but it refers more to his acts of righteousness and Justice in other words. He keeps his promises to the humble and lowly. He brings judgment on the unrighteous and the proud he's holy and he does holy things. And he has sent Jesus the son of the most high in a miraculous way that the Holy Spirit would come upon Mary. There's mystery there. Isn't it back in verse 35 The Holy Spirit coming upon her in the power of the most high overshadowing her there for the child to be born will be called. Holy the son of God. And now she says holy is his name. And she Praises him. I love this verse 54 his Mercy. So the the one who is all-powerful the one who is Holy who does righteous? Holy Deeds. He's also the one who is full of mercy and he has shown Mercy to marry. She's so Mercy. He has shown Mercy to Israel to the world. This is good news of great joy that will be for all the peoples the Angels going to shout out in the next chapter not just his real but all nations and isn't that why we praise the Lord here? We are two thousand years later on the other side of the planet and he's been merciful to us. I have good news of great joy.
Then she goes on to speak in versus 50 1253 of his Justice for the lowly and the hungry. So what's the first verse of the song is referring to the great things the mighty wanted done for Mary. The second verse is looking forward to the result of the child's Ministry verse 51. He's shown strength with his armies scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. God's arm is frequently used in the Old Testament to speak of his mighty Deeds his working on behalf of his people and Isaiah. For example, he rolls up his sleeve. He Bears his arm some of your old enough to remember. I was a line in a song when he rolls up his sleeves. He ain't just Puttin on the Ritz. Our God is an awesome God. He doesn't age. Well, does it Putting on the Ritz? But he Bears his mighty arm to actually do something. He's not just being showy. He's not just flexing. He's actually going to do something. I hear Mary says he's done something. He's shown strength with his arm. He's accomplished what he said he would do. Through Jesus. He scattered the proud. He's exalted the lowly the son of man came to seek and save what was lost filled the hungry after all he's the bread of life.
And she concludes in verses 54 and 55. His promises are certain. He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his Mercy. In remembrance of his Covenant loving-kindness has has said he keeps his promise and This Promise wasn't just to David This Promise goes back to Abraham and back to even Genesis 3 it goes back to the beginning of the human race that God would send a descendants in a child who would would undo the curse would crush the Serpent's head. And Mary she's well-versed in scripture. She's well-versed in the promises of God and she thinks back to all of those stories of Eve and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Judah and David all of the stories of the Old Testament that this one is coming greater than Moses who's going to do what Adam couldn't do what Moses couldn't do. Jesus is going to do and she says I'm going to give birth to this little one. What an incredible thoughts Charles Spurgeon? On this passage says all good comes to us from God the Father through the one mediator the Lord Jesus Christ Our Savior. He's meditating on this Ward Mercy. I'd love to think of this that all the grace mercy and peace that come to you all the grace mercy and peace that come to me come from the heart of God. It Reveals His character Virgin Goes On to say how many wagons there are upon the road of Grace in all of them heavily Laden one stops at that Brothers door another way that this sisters gate but they all started from one spot and look on the side of the wagons and you will see the name of the same proprietor on everyone. They're God's all these blessings all of this Grace. We lose the imagery of lag is maybe we don't we would say the Amazon truck me Amazon Prime deliveries that come every day. You know that stopped at this person's door that person's door. Who's the owner? Well, all of the grace of God that comes to us day by day is from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. And what an incredible message is Mary receives it and she thinks upon it and and and of course, I I don't want to get ahead of ourselves. But this is the first coming of our savior, but she's speaking to even the second coming of our savior that he's going to right all the wrongs. He's going to bring Justice and judgment in the kingdom of God. There's going to be a great reversal of this world system. The last will be first in the first will be last Mary articulate sit here in this song The Humble poor and Outcast become first and the proud and arrogant become last. when Jesus himself is Born Into humble means but there's a means by which the father's promises are fulfilled to his people in verses 54 and 55 and he is the mediator of the father's salvation and the father's judgment when incredible thought he who is mighty has done a great thing. Holy is his name?
When I was growing up and even into our younger adulthood years when the kids were little we had a we had a tradition in our at Christmas Eve Gathering or among the Rippey family that the youngest person had to who could read had to read the Luke account of the Christmas story and to hear it from a child's voice. Was always striking to me is I heard it now. I'm the oldest so I never had to read it. I guess really when we started this tradition, but what was so striking to me is that it's one thing to hear it from the voice of You know the oldest in the family the patriarch. It's another to hear it from the the voice of a child. Stumbling over words whose maybe not as familiar with the story because maybe it's not the first time they've heard it but it's the second or third time. They've heard it. And it strikes your ears two different way and thinking about the story. That's so known to us as Mary is receiving this Revelation from the angel. How it must of hit her ears as a teenager. And then of course Luke is recording it after Jesus has died and been buried and rose again, and he went and spoke to marry again to get this content and he's versus her that he wrote down what he heard from Mary.
And she's reflecting upon all of this in pain during she's been pondering from that day for all of those years. What is this mean? Well her Reflections in this song are incredibly mature, aren't they? Are there are divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. This one who was born is our savior Jesus who is the son of the most high and he actually does save and deliver. He doesn't just show off and flex. He actually acts and works and saves and delivers it heals and transforms. He changes lives he changed your life. Hasn't he you changed mine. This is good news. This is why we celebrate. He's the one who can deliver us even today. What a hope father. Thank you for this time. And this word. May you bless our communion now is we think and meditate Upon Our Savior Jesus?
father this season I know can be difficult for many the loss of family the loss of relationships loneliness and fears and the holidays can be filled with sorrow and anxiety rather than Joy boy one piece.
And so our hope is ultimately not even in a holiday. Our hope is in the person of the Lord Jesus.
He's the one who's our peace. He's the one who's our joy. Ines we meditate and reflect upon him now and fellowship with him through the table May the spirit of God. Give my brothers and sisters the peace that passes all understanding to guard their hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus. I pray in his name. Amen.