MARY-TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL

MARY-TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL Luke 1:26-45 December 10,  2000 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introduction This morning we've come to Part Two of our series entitled "Touched By an Angel." We noted last week the great press and attention that angels are getting these days. No less than three prime time specials on angels, one of them a couple of years ago, hosted by Patty Duke lasted two hours. NBC's hit series, "Touched By An Angel," has been a hit for several seasons. National magazines have featured angels in cover stories. Statistics indicate 70 percent of Americans believe in angels. While what they believe about angels may be quite different from the true picture of what angels are and do as taught in the Bible. Ten years ago, the Gannett New Service reported there were only five books in print on the subject of angels. Today there are hundreds. A quick review of what we learned about angels last Sunday reminds us that angels are created beings, not eternal. Humans don't "become" angels when they die. Angels are a little above humans in the created order. They are invisible, but may take on human (or other) forms in order to communicate their message. Their job is just that-they are messengers. In addition they are ministering spirits sent to help people of faith in terms of protection and direction. They are not omniscient-they know only what they have been told. There are good angels and there are fallen angels, the servants of Satan, himself a fallen angel. We understand from the Bible there are countless numbers of angels, all ready and waiting to do the bidding of God. They do battle with the wicked hosts of angels; they infiltrate realms of evil and help to work God's purposes. They seem to be dispatched on the basis of the prayers of the saints. That is, as God is petitioned in faith, He responds by sending angels to do His will in answer to those prayers. Our text today has to do with the sending of one of those angels from the heavenly realms-a high-ranking messenger by the name of Gabriel. So across the far reaches of galactic emptiness and angel flew on mission to a planet called earth to an area just east of the Mediterranean Sea. He zeroed in on a little province of Rome called Galilee, and headed for a tiny city called Nazareth. In that city he went directly to one house of a poor family and straight to one particular member of that household-a sixteen-year-old named Mary. Gabriel knew the family somewhat. Just six months ago he had an interesting visit with the surprised husband of her much older cousin Elizabeth, and announced that she would miraculously become pregnant and bear a son named John. It was quite a mission-all the other angels were talking about it, because it was one of those coveted jobs that only the higher-ranking angels got. He had to explain that God was about to do the impossible-give to an older man and woman, far beyond normal child-bearing years, the son they had always wanted and prayed for. To add shock to surprise, he told them that this boy would be great in the sight of the Lord and would walk in the spirit and power of Elijah! That had been pretty alarming, life-changing news. But it was nothing compared to this assignment. Today Gabriel was sent to Elizabeth's young cousin, a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, to tell her that she, too, was going to become a mother. Her child would be called "holy one," "Son of the Most High" and His name was to be Jesus (the Lord saves). But the tougher part of the message was going to be telling her the next bit of information. Gabriel remembered the specific instructions the Lord gave for the moment when Mary would ask incredulously how this could be because she is a virgin and not sexually active, and she and Joseph weren't planning to be actually married for some time yet. The Lord told him to say that the Holy Spirit will be the father of the child, and her son would be the holy Son of God. The entire trip he had rehearsed this dialogue. He knew it would be hard for her. After all he was presenting her with quite a challenge-to be pregnant outside of marriage, by someone other than her betrothed, in a small town like Nazareth where news travels fast and people do talk! "How would she respond?" Gabriel wondered. Would she say no? Would he have to try to talk her into it? Would she need to think it over? He knew the Lord would move ahead with His plan through her only with her consent. Let's pick up the familiar Bible record of the event. Luke 1:26-38: "In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you.' Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (vss 26-29a) You know, I had a phone call just the other day. It was just as we were sitting down to dinner, and it struck me how similar the line was, once you translate it into the modern situation. Up from my chair and over to the phone, I answered as graciously as I could. The voice answered, "Congratulations, Mr. Bersett! Your name has been randomly drawn in our bonanza prize give-away!" Well, maybe my experience was a little more familiar to me, but just for a moment, imagine the scene between this angel and Mary. First of all, notice that Gabriel doesn't give the obligatory angelic greeting right away ("Do not be afraid")-not until verse30 do we find that. Which leads me to wonder if Gabriel was appearing in most unofficial garb. Maybe dressed like any one of a hundred sales representatives in the Nazareth area. Maybe she first thought, "This guy's going to try to sell me siding and replacement windows!" Alright, maybe a new set of cooking pottery, or a nice addition to her garment wardrobe? Mary was not afraid because she saw what she recognized yet to be an angel. It says, "She was greatly troubled at his words" and she "wondered what kind of greeting this might be." She could have been saying to herself, "What planet is this guy from?" (If she had asked aloud, she would have received a most interesting answer!) Maybe she thought, "What a line; I wonder what he's selling!" Or, maybe she detected something more authoritative and divine in this greeting than in anything she'd ever heard before. Maybe she already recognized him as an angel. Or, maybe she was just so shocked that she didn't know what to say, and her face registered a look of panic. At any rate, now the angel reassures her. (vs. 30) "But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.'" This is such stunning information that at first it doesn't even register on Mary. The messenger continues. "'He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.'" Now this teenage Jewess heard some things she understood. These were scriptural prophecies about the Messiah. Sure, the promises he was referring to were from the books of Moses, the writings of David and the great book of Isaiah! But what did all of this have to do with her, she thought. Then, the earlier comment came back to her-she was going to become pregnant. Pregnant?! Wait, Joseph and I are not to be married for months yet, and our engagement has been totally pure. (vs. 34) "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" Her question was a reasonable one, wasn't it? After all, she was not sexually active and she wasn't married yet. She was understandably confused, even though she seemed to know by now that her unexpected guest was an angel of the Lord. Of course, this is the question Gabriel was coached to anticipate. So he launched into his official answer. (vs. 35) "The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month, "For nothing is impossible with God."' Gabriel knew Mary was struggling with the question of the impossibility, so he reassured her by referring to the miracle of Elizabeth's pregnancy, which was a little bit different situation from hers, but still a miracle. It could be that Mary had not yet heard of Elizabeth's pregnancy prior to Gabriel's announcement-maybe that's why we find her in the very next verse following this text hurrying off on a trip to Elizabeth's house. She was going to see cousin Liz's protruding tummy! She wanted to see for herself. Of course, when she arrived, she not only got visual confirmation that Elizabeth was miraculously pregnant, but got verbal confirmation that Gabriel's words to her were true. Elizabeth prophesies over her that she is favored of God just as the angel said, and she calls her the "mother of my Lord." To believe that miracles can happen, we need to witness miracles happen. This is why it is good to hear testimonies of the Lords miraculous work in one another's lives. It keeps our faith sharp and ready to believe God for more. It is also good, I think, that we investigate so-called miracles, to certify that the miracles are real and verifiable. When there is a miracle purported in this church I do my best to investigate it-not because I am a cynic or skeptic, but so I can share the report with others with certainty. I try not to be quick to report so-called miracles until I have certified the results myself, as far as I can. I would encourage you to do the same. If you are healed by the Lord, go back to the doctor and get tested and get some hard evidence-not for you-but for others you'll testify to, so they'll have the facts and not just your unsubstantiated comments. Listen, they probably think you're a religious freak already-don't let them think you are exaggerating the truth. There is nothing more powerful in building faith, in the mind and heart of believers and unbelievers, than a certified miracle. There is nothing more damaging to those hearers, though, than a purported miracle that turns out to be misreported. The word that Gabriel gave to Mary is an important one for us: (vs. 37) "For nothing is impossible with God." If those words sound familiar, they should. They are the exact words Jesus would say to his disciples 30 years later. This is also what the angel said to Abraham and Sarah when Sarah laughed at the idea of her having a child at the age of 90, "Is anything too hard (impossible) for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14) We are reminded that there isn't anything impossible for the Lord. People today still scoff at the thought of the virgin birth-which really isn't the virgin "birth" so much as it is the virgin "conception." They say it is impossible for a woman to conceive and still be a virgin! Is it? Science has to a limited degree perfected the art of artificial, asexual insemination. If mankind can dream up methods of non-sexual conception, couldn't God? Should we find it so ludicrous that the God who made our bodies, created our entire reproductive systems, could bypass normal conceptual process and spiritually and physically inseminate an egg in Mary? This is the God who speaks and brings things into existence, the God who parts the sea, makes the sun stand still raises the dead and changes hopeless lives! He can do it! He did for Elizabeth what He said He would do; He did for Mary what He said He would do; He did for John what He said He would do; He did for Jesus what He said He would do; and He'll do for you what He said He would do! Nothing is impossible with God! Now we've come to Mary's response-really, the pivotal verse in our text and certainly the pivotal statement in the life of Mary. She was being graciously invited to play a key role in the plan of God for all ages, and God was leaving it up to her. It wasn't going to be easy. Joseph and the rest of the family would have a hard time with it all, especially at first. Was she even ready to be a mother, let alone the Mother of the Messiah? What would it be like? What would it take? Why was she being asked in the first place, just an ordinary Nazarene girl? All those issues aside, Mary knew the only real question of the moment was whether or not she trusted God and would submit to His invitation in obedience. So often issues get far too complicated, confused and camouflaged by side bar questions, when the real issue is one of trusting obedience. Verse 38: "'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May it be to me as you have said.' Then the angel left her." The matter was settled. Mary would simply submit to the will of God. When she did, she experienced in her life what every servant of the Lord experiences through simple obedience: Peace - Suddenly Mary no longer was confused by the questions-she understood God's will for her life, and in simple trust, she submitted. When we delay obedience to the will of God, or certainly when we refuse to obey it, there results in our lives a spiritual confusion. Even the smallest thing in your life that is not under submission to the Holy Spirit will bring spiritual confusion. You won't overcome that confusion by thinking about it or trying to sort it out and understand it. Spiritual confusion is only conquered through obedience to the known will of God. 2 Cor. 10:5 - "bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." Joy - Most people want to be happy and they spend their time energy and money trying to bring themselves that elusive deep joy of their souls. But the pathway to joy is clear: surrender to the will of God. Half-heartedness or indecision blocks the joy of the Lord. Mary found joy when she surrendered to the will of God. Look at verses 46-47: "And Mary said, 'My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.'" It is the obedient servant of the Lord who can truly say, "the joy of the Lord is my strength." Simplicity of Life - One great thinker once said, "Simplicity of Life is to will one will." We only complicate our lives when we try to mix our will and God's will for us. This always results in confusion and difficulty. How much of the stress of life would simply leak away if we learned the secret of daily, instant obedience to the known will of God. So many of the inane questions we struggle with day in and day out would be answered by simply responding to the question, "Is this within God's will for my life?" or "Would this please the Lord" or even the popularized question, "What would Jesus do?" One thing is certain. We can know God's peace, His joy and His simple contentment only when we surrender our rebellious, mustang ways to Him. "But we never can prove the delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay. What He says we will do; where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey Trust and obey, for there's no other way, To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."       [Back to Top]