Mary
Prophecies of Advent • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Let’s start today by looking at our verses that are in the book by the prophet Micah.
Bethlehem Ephrathah,
you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for me.
His origin is from antiquity,
from ancient times.
Therefore, Israel will be abandoned until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of the ruler’s brothers will return
to the people of Israel.
He will stand and shepherd them
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majestic name of the Lord his God.
They will live securely,
for then his greatness will extend
to the ends of the earth.
Let us pray!
The famous 20th century British writer Malcolm Muggeridge once noted that in modern times, with family-planning clinics offering ways to correct "mistakes" that might disgrace a family name:
It is … extremely improbable … that Jesus would have been permitted to be born at all. Mary's pregnancy, in poor circumstances, and with the father unknown, would have been an obvious case for an abortion. Her talk of having conceived as a result of the intervention of the Holy Ghost would have pointed to the need for psychiatric treatment, and made the case for terminating her pregnancy even stronger. Thus our generation needing a Savior more, perhaps, than any other that has existed, would be too humane to allow one to be born.
Malcolm is completely correct in his statement but, Mary’s response to this life-altering news reveals much about her character. Mary was clothed in humility and meekness. There was no “Of course I’m the one!” in response to this remarkable news. Instead, we find Mary glorifying God while acknowledging her own humble place.
Humility and meekness were necessary traits for the Messiah’s mother. God can work with those who have “a contrite and humble spirit” because they are pliable and yielding to the will and plan of God. God is able to do great things in and through the humble. In Mary, God found a humble, meek servant—a young lady determined to obey God and yield to His purpose.
Mary’s meek spirit did not mask a weak or timid individual. Instead, Mary was a woman of courage and strength.
The miracle in her womb brought considerable risk to Mary. She risked shame, abandonment, abuse and even stoning. The very real possibility of being “put away” would have had devastating consequences on her life.
We should never under any circumstance leave this insignificant, humbly, meek, and courageous teen aged girl out of the advent story. Micah’s prophecy didn’t.
Let’s go through this prophecy to understand it’s implications to the exiles of that time, to Mary and the Jewish nation, and to us and the future of the church.
Bethlehem Ephrathah,
you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for me.
His origin is from antiquity,
from ancient times.
A kingdom must have a king, but the One who will set all things right was not born in a palace. He was born in a manger. The King of kings who will bring about peace on Earth came from a little town about six miles south of Jerusalem. Like His ancestor King David , he would come from Bethlehem, and we see God fulfill His promise hundreds of years later. God did it by having the oppressors, the Romans, call for a census. So Joseph took Mary to their ancestral hometown.
It is here that Mary gives birth to the One who was there from the very beginning.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
It is in Bethlehem, that a scruffy carpenter and his teenage bride ushered in the Savior of the world. The Prince who would one day bring peace.
So, we see in this verse, the prophecy of the eternal divinity of Christ and the very place of his birth, but the prophecy does not end there.
Therefore, Israel will be abandoned until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of the ruler’s brothers will return
to the people of Israel.
If you read through the bible, which I recommend everyone do each year, you will see a cycle of rejection, grace, and a remnant of a few believers to carry on the faith. It is apparent in this prophecy here.
We see the rejection of God’s law in the 1st covenant by the Israelites and their subsequent exile from there land.
This rejection continues into the age of grace and Christ’s establishment of the 2nd covenant. The religious leaders rejecting Jesus as the Messiah and the fulfillment of the prophecies that they had been reading for ages.
It continues today, and this rejection will be fully revealed at the end of the church age with the great apostacy, the falling away from the faith.
All three instances of rejection is because of the selfishness that is within the heart of man. It is rejection of God’s authority in our lives, because no one tells me what to do. Our own selfishness has become the biggest idol in our lives. We get to a point that we think just because I am a good person, I said a prayer in a church service, I am good to get to heaven now and I can do whatever I want. There are no consequences to my actions or inaction of God’s moral laws.
Thus the cycle of rejection starts all over again and again.
But we serve a loving and caring God that always provides a way in the barren times, even when it is our own decisions that put us there.
He made a way for the exiles to return to Jerusalem.
He provided the grace of the 2nd covenant through the birth of the Messiah through the virgin Mary.
He is providing for us (the repentant believer) grace and mercy through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The last part of this verse shows us something very important about the remnant or the faithful few.
During this time in Israel’s history, several prophets and priests, guided the people back to following God’s law. They needed those who knew scripture and God’s law to give them the guidance in their lives. Spiritually, physically and financially.
During the birth of Christ, we see the faithful hold on to the promises and prophecies that God had laid out for the coming Messiah. God’s hand is on it all.
Today, we hold onto and teach on the promise of the returning King. A King that will gather the few remaining believers as He comes back to rule over His people.
The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying,
The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of his Christ,
and he will reign forever and ever.
It is our responsibility to speak God’s truth that is laid out for us, and to pronounce to this world “Christ is returning, prepare yourselves for the coming King.”
Let’s finish off this prophecy
He will stand and shepherd them
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majestic name of the Lord his God.
They will live securely,
for then his greatness will extend
to the ends of the earth.
In the Bible, shepherds are often used to represent leaders of God's people. They have many characteristics, including:
Relational: Shepherds build genuine relationships with their sheep, treating them as "images of God".
Sacrificial: Shepherds are willing to give their lives for the welfare of their sheep.
Protective: Shepherds guard their sheep from enemies, and tend to the sick or wounded.
Invested: Shepherds have a personal stake in the well-being of their sheep.
According to this prophecy, the Messiah will rule in the strength and majesty of God the Father. Not just in Israel, but to the ends of the earth. Christ is our great shepherd.
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have what I need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life;
he leads me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live.
Just to put this into perspective.
He came down from glory, not as conquering king, but to be born of a virgin. He came to us as a baby, in total meekness. A meekness that has the entire strength and majesty of the Lord.
The strongest and most influential person was held in the arms of a teenage mother.
The person that has allowed us to live securely knowing one day we will be in glory, came to us as a baby born of a virgin.
The one who ushered in the new covenant of grace that extends to the ends of the earth, was born in a manger to a little girl named Mary.
We sing the song “Mary, Did You Know?” and we try to think if she truly understood what was going on and what would happen.
Today, I want us to ponder a different question.
Do you know that one day this baby we are celebrating will one day return as a conquering King?
Do you know?
