Gift of Hope

Bottom line

There are a lot of hurting people who need the hope that is found in Jesus

Opening Line

Have you ever found yourself feeling hopeless?

Introduction

Hopelessness can take so many different forms. It can be something small like watching your favorite sports team fall behind to the point that a victory feels impossible. It can be something large like the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship, or an illness that can’t be beat. Some of you may be going through something right now that feels hopeless, while others have the luxury of looking back on the situation resolved, either positively or negatively.

Main Point

One of the hardest realities that many people face during the Christmas season is the amplification of the feeling of hopelessness. Christmas is supposed to be a time of celebrating and joy, and yet an already tough situation only feels magnified when you don’t feel the good feelings everyone else seems to be feeling.

Why it matters

If you find yourself in a hopeless situation, and no one else seems to be going through anything similar, it can feel really lonely or isolating, which only amplifies the hopeless feeling. The unfortunate reality that many people experience at Christmas is feeling lost, alone, and in despair; all side effects of a loss of hope.

Which means one of the greatest gifts you could give someone this holiday season is hope. As believers in Jesus Christ, you should be full of hope. This morning, we are going to look at the story of Mary, and how the good news of Jesus was the answer of prayer for a nation, and how the hope Jesus brought a young teenage girl continues to be the greatest source of hope in the world today.

Scripture

For those with their bibles, we are in Luke 1 starting at verse 26. Before we dive into the story, I want to set some context. The people of Israel know a little something about being in hopeless situations. The last book of the Old Testament was Malachi, and then Israel entered what is called the silent period. For 400 years, there were no prophets in Israel. It was as if God had gone silent. During those 400 years, the Persian Empire was overtaken by the Greek Empire. As the Greek Empire began to fall, there was a time of independence for the nation of Israel, only to be ended with the rise of the Roman Empire. The Romans were brutal. Anyone not a Roman was considered equal to the dogs, and they treated them accordingly. When it came to execution, Romans would crucify anyone except Romans because it was considered too cruel to do to their own people. They taxed heavily and ruled with an iron fist.

On top of the Romans brutal tactics, they put King Herod over the nation. For all the good Herod did, he was a brutal king. He had given orders to his army to kill a number of religious leaders in Israel so that people would mourn on the day of his passing. He knew that no one would mourn him, but they would probably mourn the leaders. It was Herod who would later kill all the boys around Bethlehem in an attempt to snuff out any potential threat to his throne.

The Romans were brutal. Herod was a tyrant. God hadn’t spoken in almost 400 years. Why would He? All the prophets He had sent to the people had been brutally killed for trying to encourage the people to turn from their wicked ways.

Then suddenly, in the small town of Nazareth, we meet a young girl by the name of Mary.

Luke 1:26–28 NLT

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

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Important things to note about this introduction. There is great emphasis placed on the fact that Mary is a virgin and only engaged. Mary and Joseph are legally bound together, but they have not consummated the marriage yet. This is key because the prophet Isaiah said,

Isaiah 7:14 NLT

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

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One of the prophecies of the Messiah was that He would be born of a virgin.

One other interesting thing is that the angel says, “The Lord is with you.” In a time when God may have felt distant, the angel assures Mary that God is very much with her.

If you are here or listening to this later and going through a tough time, I want you to here those words. God is with you. Whatever situation you are facing, no matter how big or hopeless it may feel, you are not a lone. You are never alone. God is with you! He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Luke 1:29–33 NLT

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

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This is the second time that the angel has said that Mary has found favor with God. Why Mary? Was she special? Did she do something to earn God’s favor? The Greek here actually means, ‘much graced’. Grace is unmerited favor, and it is the same word used to describe those who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It is not that Mary earned special favor from God, but she is being given a special grace from God. And what is that special grace? She gets to bear the Savior of the world. Jesus, Immanuel, the promised king was going to come into the world through Mary.

This is where the significance of Joseph coming from the line of David. David was promised that he would never fail to have a descendant on the throne of Israel. Jesus is the permanent king of Israel. He is the fulfillment of the promise God made to David. He is the promised king.

400 years of silence ended by an angel telling this young girl that she would bear the promised king, the messiah, the savior of the world.

Then Mary interjects

Luke 1:34 NLT

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

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Mary just has a quick question. She has had the talk with her parents, she understands where babies come from, and she understands as a virgin she is missing a key component of the baby making process. She is not questioning whether God is able to make this happen, she is simply expressing a curiosity concerning the methodology.

To which the angel responds

Luke 1:35–37 NLT

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.”

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There is nothing sexual about what the angel is saying here. He is actually using the same language that was used in Genesis. In Genesis 1, it says that Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. It is the same terminology here. The Spirit of God would hover over Mary, and the miracle of creation would happen once again. It is because of this miraculous conception that Jesus is called the Son of God. Though He would completely human, he would also be completely God. He would be holy, set apart.

Now there is something significant about the mentioning of Elizabeth. Yes, Elizabeth was considered past the age of child bearing and so her being pregnant was also a miracle. But Elizabeth is a relative of Mary. Elizabeth’s husband was a priest. It would be safe to assume that Mary comes from the line of the Levites. This would mean that through Joseph, Jesus is a king, and through Mary, He is a priest. The author of Hebrews says that Jesus is in heaven, serving as our great high priest.

Now watch Mary’s response

Luke 1:38 NLT

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

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Mary didn’t say, “Can I have a minute to think about it, maybe discuss this with my parents?” She didn’t have to review the details. She simply submits to the will of God, humbly willing to be used by Him. Mary is amazingly inspiring. She no doubt understands the challenges that will come her way. An unmarried pregnant woman would face severe prejudice in those days. Instead of allowing those thoughts and fears to take control, she simply obeys.

Transition to Application

The hope that Jesus represents gives her the confidence to face the challenges as they come.

OneChurch, I need you the hear the promises that the angel made to Mary, because some of those promises apply to you and should fill you with hope.

God is with you! Not only because God is omnipresent and there is nowhere you can go that He is not there, but also because the Holy Spirit dwells within you. The very nature and person of God dwelling in you.

God’s word never fails! You need to believe that! All of life’s answers are found in this wonderful book. Often times it isn’t that you can’t find the answer, it is that you don’t like the answer that you find. This word will never fail.

Main To Do

This Christmas season, you need to fill yourself up with hope. Train yourself to see the good in the world. Everything wants to turn your attention to what is wrong in the world. But you have the God of the universe in your corner. There is good happening! You have the hope of facing every challenge with Him at your side. You have the hope that this world is not all there is, but that there is a better future that awaits those who are in Christ Jesus. Fix your eyes on eternity. Even if you are in a season where the only thing that is going your way is Jesus, then fix your eyes on Him because He is more than enough!

Why it matters

There are people in your sphere of influence who are in desperate need of some hope this holiday season. They are full of despair and feeling lost. So share your hope with them. Help them see the good in the world. Love on them and let them know they are not alone in their struggles. Give them hope.

If you, who have been saved by grace and been made a new creation by the love of God, can’t be filled with hope, what chance does the rest of world? If you who are meant to be the light to the world won’t shine, how dark this world is going to be.

Closing Line

You have been given a hope that the world desperately needs. You need to share it freely.

Discussion Questions

What stood out from the message?

How can we embody the hope that Jesus offers in our daily lives?

What are some practical ways you can share hope with friends who may be feeling hopeless this season?

In what ways has God been with you during your own hopeless situations?

How does understanding that Mary was also in a challenging situation impact your view of your own struggles?

Why is it important for us to remind others that they are not alone in their pain?