Godly Character: Mary

I have a record of my Christmas sermons as your pastor I have talked about Jesus Joseph, The greatest gift no nativity no problem, when angels met shepherds focus on advent, but I have never done Mary. Right now our series is having Godly Character. Woman you want to know what Godly Character looks like, the virgin Mary. Why haven’t I spoken about her. Maybe it is because I am afraid to talk about the topic. But Mary is special she is a woman of Godly Character

Mary, a woman of Godly Character.

Luke 1:26–28 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

Virgin Mary - She was a pure woman before God.

Matthew 1:23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Mary was prophesied.

Genesis 3:14–16 So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”

Protoengelium - First int of the gospel

Out of the curse comes the blessing of Redemption.

Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

The curse provides our means to redemption

Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

The Messiah came through a painful child birth of a virgin seed of a woman to destroy our sins our enemy and our punishment by him becoming a curse for us when he died on a tree, Mary is part of Jesus becoming a curse for us and therefore a woman of godly character.

Mary who bear Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Almah - young maiden

If we are being honest the word in Isaiah 7 and Matthew 1 and Luke 2 are very different words and I know that God knew that. Correctly in Matthew 1 and Luke 2 we learn that Mary was without a doubt a chaste woman prepare for carrying the christ child. I believe that Isaiah 7 was vague on purpose. It had a near and far fulfilment. Isaiah may not have understood exactly what he meant it had implications for his day and age but the meaning would be extremely important in the future

Miriam the virgin.

Exodus 2:5–9 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.

In verse 8 the word maiden is the same word as virgin in Isaiah 7 where the word is uniquely and understandably translated virgin. Miriam is not Mary but she teaches us about Mary given the job of watching out for a Messiah at a very dangerous time. Remember the book of Revelation what happens when the woman gives birth to the child a dragon stood before the woman to devouer him up but Mary and Miriam are women of Character given a job to watch over the Christ child. I believe that Joseph was in danger and God provided Reuben.

Mary raised Jesus and Joseph protected Him.

Matthew 2:13–15 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

God called and raised Israel out of Egypt, He chose Mary and Joseph to do the same with His Son, Jesus.

Hosea 11:1–4 When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. As they called them, So they went from them; They sacrificed to the Baals, And burned incense to carved images. I taught Ephraim to walk, Taking them by their arms; But they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.

Because Israel himself was a type of Christ, and for the sake of Him who was to be born of the seed of Israel, did God call Israel, "My son;" for His sake only did he deliver him. The two deliverances, of the whole Jewish people, and of Christ the Head, occupied the same position in God's dispensations. He rescued Israel, whom He called His son, in its childish and infantine condition, at the very commencement of its being, as a people. His true Son by Nature, Christ our Lord, He brought up in His Infancy, when He began to show forth His mercies to us in Him. Both had, by His appointment, taken refuge in Egypt; both were, by His miraculous call to Moses in the bush, to Joseph in the dream, recalled from it. Matthew apparently quotes these words, not to prove anything, but in order to point out the relation of God's former dealings with the latter, the beginning and the close, what relates to the body, and what relates to the Head. He tells us that the former deliverance had its completion in Christ, that in His deliverance was the full solid completion of that of Israel; and that then indeed it might, in its completest fullness, be said, "Out of Egypt have I called My Son."

When Israel was brought out of Egypt, the figure took place; when Christ was called, the reality was fulfilled. The act itself, on the part of God, was prophetic. When He delivered Israel, and called him His firstborn, He willed, in the course of time, to bring up from Egypt His Only-Begotten Son. The words are prophetic, because the event which they speak of, was prophetic. "They speak of Israel as one collective body, and, as it were, one person, called by God "My son," namely, by adoption, still in the years of innocency, and beloved by God, called of God out of Egypt by Moses, as Jesus, His true Son, was by the Angel." The following verses are not prophetic, because in them the prophet no longer speaks of Israel as one, but as composed of the many sinful individuals in it. Israel was a prophetic people, in regard to this dispensation of God toward him; not in regard to his rebellions and sins.

Do you catch the difference between Israel and Jesus. Israel rebelled against God. Jesus did not rebel. Ezekiel 16 tells us the same thing. That God raised and took care of Israel but Israel rebelled. They were adulterous. Jesus had the opportunity to rebel but didn’t.

Highly Favored one - literally “you have been graced!”

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Interesting side note the word highly isn’t really in the text it is added for emphasis, it fits but isn’t a literal translation

This was a special priviledge for Mary. A similar phrase is found in John 1:14 highly favored and full of grace are the same thing. This of it like this. Jesus grace and truth to the world. Jesus is the truth there are countless lies in this world but Jesus is the truth. Not your truth not my truth He is the truth. He is also grace. Grace God’s unmeritted favor came to this world. Who was the woman chosen to carry grace. It was Mary. Yes she was highly favored she was chosen to carry and deliver grace to this world. WOW!

The Lord is with you.

Psalm 46:5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

Mary was a woman of character. She was a Godly woman. God was with her through the entire event where she would be the vessel to save the world. I do not believe that God who sent His son to the world Jesus born of a virgin concieved by the Holy Spirit according to Matthew 1.18 and let me just say that God wasn’t an absentee father he was involved in the life of his son

You are blessed among women!

Genesis 12:1–3 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

She was literally going to carry Jesus who was the blessing promised to Abraham. Eve was were the curse originated. Mary carried the blessing that would fix the curse. The gift that she had would carry the world

Mary was troubled by the praise showered on her.

Luke 1:29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

The word troubled means disturbed or perplexed. Mary is scared by what she has seen an angel that is frightening enough, Then he heaps all this praise on her. You ever seen a Godly woman get some praise the turn red in the face and are perpexled or troubled. I can see this woman of character shocked and going “Who, ME?”

Mary doesn’t need to be afraid because she had found God’s Grace!

Luke 1:30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

Grace is a wonderful thing it is a blessing. This word favor in Luke 1 is the word we are all familiar with for Charis. God’s unmerited favor. God giving us what we don’t deserve. Mary found that what a gift. Godly women of character they have Grace. This Christmas time women. Be women of grace. Husbands be like God be with your wife. Be like Joseph support them through hard times. Lean into the grace of God.

Mary accepted the good news of Jesus.

Luke 1:31–33 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give 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.”

Of course the angel had to say don’t be afraid first. This was a scary thing that Mary was about to endure. She was going to have a baby she was a virgin. Talk about Scary

Mary valued her purity.

Luke 1:34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

Mary had the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Mary had faith in a God that can do the impossible.

Luke 1:36–37 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Mary is going to have to have faith hope and love coming in the next weeks we will see that. God knows exactly what he is doing and he doing and he does the impossible in Mary’s life. She had to beleive that God can do the impossible. Do you beleive that God can do the impossible

Luke 1:46–55 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth 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 on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”