Have Yourself a MARY little Christmas
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Luke 1:26–28
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.
Betrothed….more than a promise ring
3 stages to a Jewish wedding
A. Engagement (a formal agreement made by the fathers).
2. Betrothal (the ceremony where mutual promises were made).
D. Marriage (approximately one year later, when the bridegroom came for his bride at an unexpected time).
NOT JUST A PROMISE RING
When a couple was betrothed, they were under the obligations of faithfulness, and a divorce was required to break the betrothal. This was not a casual promise.
HOUSE OF DAVID (PARTIALLY FULFILLED BY SOLOMON, ULTIMATELY BY JESUS)
2 Samuel 7:12–13
12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
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.
“Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
WHAT a miraculous role…but not one worthy of worship. We too, like Mary, are highly favored and the Lord is with us
many translations say"highly favored," and in verse 30, that she "has found favor with God." The Greek word translated highly favored means "to grace," "to endue with special honor," or "to be accepted." The only other place it is used is Ephesians 1:6, where Paul says to the church at Ephesus and to the body of Christ generally, ". . . 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. From this example, we can see that being "highly favored" is not synonymous with being worthy of worship. Everyone in the body of Christ is highly favored because God has accepted us through the justification brought about by Christ's sacrifice.
Ephesians 1:6 (ESV)
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
THE LORD IS WITH YOU
Matthew 28:20 (ESV)
20 ...And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
WHY so troubled Mary? IT’S JUST AN ANGEL
HUMILITY
Is God allowed to trouble you? He may need to disrupt your world, to fulfill your destiny.
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?”
FAITH FILLED WONDER......HOW WILL THIS BE
NOT SKEPTICAL DOUBTING LIKE ZACHARIAH
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Elizabeth and Zachariah: John miraculous birth we should expect even bigger for Messiah
NOW WHY not be more excited Mary....why the questioning?
Shame in an already oppressed society.....she is his posession
Luke 1:35–37 (ESV)
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.”
The word overshadow means “to cover with a cloud,” as in the cloud of Shekinah glory (Exodus 16:10, 19:9, 24:16, 34:5, 40:34) or the cloud of transfiguration (Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, Luke 9:34).
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
confirmation in Elizabeth
God will give you confirmation in you faith-filled wonder!!
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 don’t just serve, I am a servant!!!
LET IT BE ACCOURDING TO YOUR WORD......NOT MY FEELINGS, NOT MY FEARS AND WORRIES
its not easy to be Mary
SHE IDENTIFIES WITH THE SIN AND SHAME THAT WILL COME.....
May we all have a MARY little Christmas this year!!!!!