Mary Did Not Know

Candlelight

New Year

Introduction

Pastor Ben Patterson tells about his 5-year-old niece, Olivia, and her best friend, Claire, who were participating in a nativity play at school. Claire was playing Mary, and Olivia played an angel. Before the show, a young boy was going around the dressing room proclaiming to all who could hear him, “I’m a sheep.” Then asking, “What are you?” Each child responded politely, including Olivia, who proudly declared she was an angel.

The boy then turned to Claire, who was still struggling into her costume with her mother’s help. He repeated the question to her: “I’m a sheep, what are you?”

Claire simply said, “I’m Mary.”

Realizing he was face to face with a lead character, the boy felt he needed to justify his own role. “It’s hard being a sheep, you know,” he said with all the seriousness of a 5-year-old actor with a big part.

Claire’s equally serious response was humorously profound. “Yes,” said Claire innocently, “but it’s also hard being a virgin, you know.” (1)

Mary did not know what was going on.

Explanation

J. D. Greear Sermon Archive (The Fear of Hopelessness: Luke 1:26–38)

Question: Why is Mary troubled (afraid)?

● Well, the obvious answer is that she just saw an angel. Angels in the Bible don’t appear as the chubby, harmless-looking adolescents floating around in togas with toy bow and arrows the way we depict them in pop culture. Angels in the Bible are towering, majestic, warriors whose first words are always, “Wait … don’t die!” Maybe that’s why he says, “Do not fear”?

● I’m sure the sight of the angel was overwhelming to her, but Luke specifically says that she was troubled at the angel’s saying, his greeting, “O favored one.”

○ “Who am I,” she asks, “for you to show up in all your heavenly glory, telling me I am someone special?”

○ Imagine if in the middle of this church service we heard the sound of sirens and helicopters and the secret service stormed in and said, “Sorry to interrupt, but the President has asked to speak with …” and said your name? “We have a matter of urgent national security …” “Me? Who am I? Why all this attention for me?”

○ Mary is saying, “Who am I that God sent his top level secret service—who knows my name and calls me ‘the favored one’?” It’s frightening.

Illustration

Application

“What is fear?” someone once asked Rumi, the Persian poet. “It is the nonacceptance of uncertainty. If we can accept uncertainty, it becomes adventure.”

—Anonymous

It in the mystery of the unknown that we find God.

Mary Didn’t Know That She Was “Favored”

Explanation

Illustration

Application

It in the mystery of the unknown that we find God.

Mary did not know how hard it would be.

Explanation

Most parents don’t. She didn’t know that:

from this point on, her house would be a mess;

her son would be brilliant;

there would be an endless stream of questions and, even worse, answers;

things wouldn’t always go according to plan;s

he’d have trouble bonding with this child;

the question of which parent Jesus looks like would be an awkward one;

from this day forward, she would worry constantly;

she’d make so many mistakes;

the night before delivery was the last night in a month of Sabbaths that she’d get any sleep;

the laundry never ends;

and so many friends and aunties would tell her what the child should or shouldn’t eat.

Yes, Mary suffered. She didn’t know what it would be like raising a gifted and talented boy. Once, when Jesus was 12, they’d gone down to Jerusalem for Passover. They were there with a contingent from Nazareth. When they left to return home, they did so without Jesus, thinking he was with some of his friends and their parents.

Illustration

Application

It in the mystery of the unknown that we find God.

Conclusion