Mary-Unspeakable Joy

(S1) —

Trip - “Are we there yet?”

...the stores; say NOW...but the calendar says WAIT...our decorations and preparations say as YES...but time says NOT YET. Everything around us says “now,” but the season of advent says “wait”

“Waiting is one of the hardest parts of the Christian journey. Whether it’s waiting for a breakthrough, a relationship, a healing, or an answered prayer, seasons of waiting can feel like divine silence, as though God is absent or withholding something good. What if the waiting isn’t a punishment? What if the waiting is a blessing?

(S2)

Scripture teaches us that waiting on the Lord is not wasted time—it’s sacred time. It’s where God refines our faith, teaches us trust, and deepens our joy.

...how two lives are intertwined by a sacred moment —from longing, hoping, to discovering their is joy in the waiting; joy in Jesus

Luke 1:46–47 “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,”

Last week—Josephs peace...Mary’s Joy...

PRAY

According to Pew Research, “About nine-in-ten U.S. adults believe in God or another higher power, including 54% who say they believe in “God as described in the Bible” and 34% who say they don’t believe in the biblical depiction of God but do believe there is “some other higher power or spiritual force in the universe.”

The problem today; many good Christians believe IN the God…but sadly many more don’t believe God; to fully trust in his word.

(S3) — {1:13-14}

Zechariah/Elizabeth—Angel/Good News—Baby John (Baptist)

{1:17, 20}

Zechariah believed IN God...did not believe God!

Matthew 15:8 “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

Believing God…is the way to the true joy of Christmas

—Angels to the shepherds (next week)

Luke 2:10“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

Take God at his word, is how we experience the indescribable joy of Jesus…that Mary discovered.

(S4) — {1:38}

Angel/Good News — Baby

— she may have been in disbelief in what she saw...even questioning how this could be...but she took God at His word.

Coach: “I believe in you”…but you gotta trust me and meet me half way…

Mary believed God, and because she did, the joy of heaven grew inside her.

Luke 1:45 “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!””

The reason for Mary’s haste…

(S5) — {1:39-40}

How long or if she waited, we don’t know, but Luke wants us to know she went without hesitation to tell Elizabeth…

This was not a walk down the block… the terrain was treacherous...the journey risky.

…uphill nearly 1,336 feet in elevation! The physical toll…many hidden dangers. The dirt path that wound through the mountainous region is believed to have been a popular place for bandits, who would surprise unsuspecting travelers.

…her JOY, was so deeply rooted in her relationship with God, reflective of her gratitude and humility; which overshadowed the challenges she faced…

We can’t, nor should we, ignore the darkness of advent...whats wrong in the world; the places in our lives where loss, heartache, and uncertainty looms still...

(S6)

I. The Joy of Jesus…OVERSHADOWS our circumstances

Mark 9:7–8 “Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.”

— Mary and Elizabeth's circumstances were not ideal…but Jesus was at the center…so filled with God’s JOY; she went in haste, entered and greeted her cousin.

Justin Martyr, describes the early Christian practices, of embracing, offering a hand, extending a sign of peace and adoration; including the "Holy Kiss.”

These forms of greeting one another were integral to community and worship. The handshake in contemporary settings can be traced back to these ancient customs of greeting, reflecting a sprit of trust, goodwill and connection.

Christians greeting one another emphasizes the importance of relationships within the body of Christ—A reflection of our Joy in Jesus

Mark 9:15 “As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.”

We can know Mary’s JOY, when Jesus is at the center of our circumstances

(S7)

II. The Joy of Jesus...drives us TOWARD one another!

Luke 1:57–58 “When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.”

Elizabeth and Mary were more than cousins; fellow worshippers of God: a shared common bond, the height christian fellowship; the joy of two children in their wombs

Do you greet others with this kind of Joy? Not just other believers...but everyone you meet?

Challenge—let the JOY in your greeting make others wonder what/who is missing in their life?

The joy of Jesus draws us to one another—thats exactly what the birth of Christ did; people from all walks of life…

— Shepherds…wisemen…woman…children…even those who misunderstood Jesus were drawn to him and to those who followed him.

Why Mary’s greeting was so different…something amazing happened

(S8) — {1:41}

Only hearing her voice, caused Elizabeth to internalize Mary’s joy; literally in two ways

The baby John’s reaction

leaped (skirtaō) - ‘to be extremely joyful, jump or leap for joy’

“Jewish people recognized that the fetus was able to sense and respond to outside stimuli. Pagan stories also told of babies dancing in their mothers wombs but regarded them as evil omens—John’s activity is instead a result of his prenatal sensitivity to the prophetic spirit.”

Luke 1:15 “for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.”

2. She was filled with the the very presence of God

Scriptures are filled with the Holy Spirit given to the believer; each time there is something given of God and and expected change…

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you..

Acts 2:4 “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak as the Spirit enabled them.”

Ephesians 5:18 “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”

A Holy spirit awakening…enabling us to believe in God and believe God…thats what Elizabeth felt!

(S9)

III. The Joy of Jesus...is CONTAGIOUS in nature!

True joy is not natural; not our human nature...happiness maybe, but Joy in Jesus comes through the infilling of the Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:19–22 “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy…and the like. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

The fruit of the spirit of God is contagious

— Consider what its like to hear joy in someone's announcement...so much so that you experience it as they do! Joy fills us...so we can fill others

Mother Gains New Perspective from 8-Year-Old's Scribbling.

Tracy is one of the worship leaders at our church. One Sunday, as she sat at the piano, she talked about the difficult week she'd just been through. It was chaotic, she said—a mess of petty crises on top of a rash of minor accidents, all mixed up in a soup can of crazy busyness. It had left her weary and cranky. She got up that Sunday to lead worship and felt spent, with nothing more to give.

However, Tracy's 8-year-old daughter, Brenna, helped her gain new perspective earlier that morning. When Tracy had walked into the living room, the window was covered with scrawl. Using a crayon, Brenna had scribbled something across the picture window, top to bottom and side to side. At first, it seemed like one more mess for Tracy to clean up. Then she saw what Brenna had written: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (in Brenna's delightful spelling).

"Tracy stopped, drank it in. Her heart flooded with light. It was exactly what she needed to be reminded about: the gift of the fruit of the Spirit that arises, not by our circumstances, but by Christ within us.

The joy of jesus is contagious by the spirit of God in us...

(S10) — {1:42-44}

“Elizabeth's proclamation; the very first testimony ever given by human lips about Jesus.”

The uniqueness about Mary and her child—special relationship

— To call Mary blessed was to praise her among, rather than above, woman; as faithful to the fruit of blessing in her womb.

2. That Mary’s child is her Lord/special knowledge given by the Holy Spirit

3. That her child, was reacting to the one he would come before; his role in God’s plan

The Gospel according to Luke (King James Version) D. Elizabeth’s Supernatural Proclamation: A Very Unusual Testimony, 1:39–45

Under the power of the Holy Spirit; she was confessing the truth that the coming Child of Mary was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. She was also contrasting her son with the Son of Mary. Her own son was to be great, but the Son of Mary was greater. He was her Lord, the Lord God Himself, the Son of the Highest.

4. She proclaims that the Lord though Mary’s faith, would fulfill his promise (45)

(S11)

IV. The Joy of Jesus...gives VOICE to our testimony of God

Matthew 10:32 ““Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.”

…and moves us to praise as it did Elizabeth and Mary; who found that the joy of Jesus OVERSHADOWED their circumstances—DROVE them together—is CONTAGIOUS in nature and gave them VOICE to testify to the goodness of God; the joy of Jesus!

Elizabeth and Mary teach us that, “Waiting is not wasted time—it’s sacred time.” 

Challenge

Believing God goes beyond than just believing in God—it means taking Him at his word

Recognizing that waiting is not wasted time, what steps can you take to trust God more deeply in your current challenges?

Reach out to a friend or family member and share one piece of encouraging news this week, emphasizing the joy you find in your relationship with God.  You not only uplift others, but you'll also find your own burdens feel lighter, as connection draws you together.

Everything around us says “now,” but the season of advent says “wait”

— What if your greatest blessing is hidden in the waiting

When Christians sing, Joy to the world the lord is come...we are not only celebrating the joy that has come, but also looking forward in hope and still waiting in joy for Christ to come again.

God delights in joy...fills us with joy…gives us Jesus who is His unspeakable joy