Mary
Characters of Christmas • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsLearning how to trust God from a teenager
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
New series, characters of Christmas. Today, we start with Mary.
Mary and I have a lot in common...
married young
misunderstood at times
both lost track of our kid a time or two.
We can be misunderstood sometimes
As I read about Mary this week, and particularly where she was from, it really did bring to mind the similarities to my home town, Gravette, AR, and her’s, Nazareth.
I’m from a small town.
population: 1800
things were far away
we had a guy make top 24 of American Idol…that was a big deal
Gravette was a lot like Nazareth
Far from everything
60 miles to Jerusalem
90 miles from Bethlehem
Had ONE spring in the town
Probably had between around 500 people, at most around 1500.
Not mentioned at ALL in the OT.
One of the first references in the NT is Nathanael...
46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
It’s here, Nazareth, where we find Mary.
She’s a young (likely teenager, though that wasn’t a thing then), jewish girl.
Who was Mary?
Mary was likely a teenager
One thing to note about the Jewish people during this time period.
-”People of God were weary and downtrodden…It seemed like God had moved on…for 400 years he was silent…When NT begins, we find Mary among a people mostly cynical about the promises of God.”
“People of God were weary and downtrodden…It seemed like God had moved on…for 400 years he was silent…When NT begins, we find Mary among a people mostly cynical about the promises of God.”
“teenager” wasn’t a thing back then. She was a young adult.
Hopeless.
There was nothing particularly special about her. Her life was pretty much laid out already…marry, have kids, live her life in obscurity.
-What was her world like?
-”People of God were weary and downtrodden…It seemed like God had moved on…for 400 years he was silent…When NT begins, we find Mary among a people mostly cynical about the promises of God.”
They were hopeless.
That’s her people. Then there’s Mary.
Where was she from?
“Has anything good come from Nazareth?”
What would her life likely look like?
-not extraordinary. She would marry humbly, give birth to several poor children, never travel more than a few miles from home, and die just like thousands of others; a nobody in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.
Angel Encounter
Angel Encounter
This is before God decides to step in and choose her to be a huge part of his plan of salvation.
We are going to look at that part of her life today, when she finds out God has chosen her for this task.
Mary is going to give us a template of how we should respond when the promises of God seem impossible.
not extraordinary. She would marry humbly, give birth to several poor children, never travel more than a few miles from home, and die just like thousands of others; a nobody in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.
Read
ONE:
TWO: What does
Responding to Impossible Promises
Responding to Impossible Promises
Who is Mary (1:26-27)
-where she’s from
This is what her world looked like before God stepped in and changed everything.
Song of Response
Song of Response
-We always look back at her knowing what she became…I want to look at her today as she would have been seen by her friends and neighbors
This is her world, when God steps in and changes everything.
-what was her relationship with God like
-
Let’s get started in ()
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
We are introduced to this young girl who is engaged to a man named Joseph.
28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
An angel, Gabriel shows up. v. 28-30: she is favored, she is afraid, angel says don’t be, you have found favor with God.
This was unmerited favor; that’s important to remember. God didn’t choose her because she was particularly special, just like he didn’t choose anyone else in the bible because they were particularly special.
Says, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you.”
v. 31-33, Angel (means messenger), delivers his message. tells her why he’s here and what God wants to tell her.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Mary would have immediately recognized this language as a promise that God made to King David back in 2nd Samuel.
,
16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”
16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”
David knew even then that this wasn’t just talking about his immediate son, but also the future Son of Gd that would rule forever.
David knew even then that this wasn’t just talking about his immediate son, but also the future Son of Gd that would rule forever.
David knew even then that this wasn’t just talking about his immediate son, but also the future Son of Gd that would rule forever.
19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God!
19 And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God. You have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come, and this is instruction for mankind, O Lord God!
Remember; God had not spoken in 400 years.
Remember; God had not spoken in 400 years.
They grew up hearing about how God spoke, about how God kept his promises, about how a savior and king was coming…but they hadn’t felt the presence of God in generations.
So when Gabriel appears to Mary, I can’t imagine everything that is going through her head.
Look how she responds in the next verse.
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
After hearing ALL she just heard…she isn’t surprised that the Messiah was here, but instead, was surprised that she would be his mother, and had a question about that since she knew she couldn’t be pregnant.
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
After hearing ALL she just heard…she isn’t surprised that the Messiah was here, but instead, was surprised that she would be his mother, and had a question about that since she knew she couldn’t be pregnant.
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:
After hearing ALL she just heard…she isn’t surprised that the Messiah was here, but instead, was surprised that she would be his mother, and had a question about that since she knew she couldn’t be pregnant.
Luke 1:35-
After hearing ALL she just heard…she isn’t surprised that the Messiah was here, but instead, was surprised that she would be his mother, and had a question about that since she knew she couldn’t be pregnant.
I want to contrast Mary with Zechariah real quick.
This is the SECOND birth announcement an angel has made so far in the book of Luke.
Jesus older cousin, John the Baptist, was also a pretty unlikely birth, because his parents, zechariah and Elizabeth were very old; not as unlikely as Mary’s, but...
Look at the interaction Zechariah has with Gabriel when he’s told they will have a baby.
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
We see a really important distinction here…Zechariah doubted God. He did NOT think God could do what he said he was going to do.
Mary, even though it seems like she’s asking a similar question; how can this happen? is NOT doubting that God CAN and WILL do what he said he would, she is just expressing her lack of understanding about HOW God will do it.
MARY
When Zechariah has doubt, the angel rebukes him;
What we see here there is no excuse for doubting God. After ALL he has done for us, after being faithful OVER AND OVER, HOW could we doubt God?
But Mary is NOT rebuked.
Instead, the angel graciously explains to her how God will allow her to bare his Son even though she is a virgin.
Here’s what we see here…having questions for God about HOW he will accomplish His will is not the same as having doubt that he CAN accomplish his will.
Having questions for God is NOT the same as doubting God.
One says, “God, I don’t think you can do this,” the other says, “God, I don’t know HOW you can do this, BUT I still have faith that you CAN and you WILL do this.”
I think sometimes we beat ourselves up on this unnecessarily.
Faith doesn’t always make all the questions go away.
Questions aren’t a lack of faith.
If our God didn’t make promises that seemed crazy, that wouldn’t be much of a God.
They are a fork in the road
“God, I don’t know how you are going to do this...”
Option 1: So you must not be able to. Better have a plan B
We unfortunately have lots of examples of this in Scripture.
Adam and Eve
One we’ve learned about recently is Abraham...
He had a plan B…if trusting God won’t work, I’ll use Hagar.
David
Option 2: But I trust that you’ll make a way. I don’t know how, I have so many questions, but I know you’ll keep your promises.
Questions does not = doubt (contrasted to Zechariah)
This was Mary’s choice. She was just promised that
Questions does not = doubt (contrasted to Zechariah)
she would get pregnant as a virgin
the baby would be GOD’S SON!
And she says, “God, I don’t know how…but I still choose to trust you.”
I hope you’re racking your mind right now for promises of God that you find hard to believe.
Some are easy
“I won’t flood the earth again”
There are some tough ones...
I will provide for you
I’ll give you the strength to feel content no matter how much or how little you have.
I will comfort those who mourn
I will work ALL things together for the good of those who love me
How do we respond when we look at these promises, and we look at our lives, and they don’t seem to line up?
Start with questions. Be HONEST with God about your lack of understanding.
Be like Mary; God, HOW??
But then, CHOOSE to trust.
David’s Example
David’s Example
Listen to …where we see David follow this pattern to a T
v. 1-4…it’s hard to believe God’s promises sometimes
v. 5-6…that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t CHOOSE to trust him.
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
It’s OKAY to lament your situation…and even to vent those frustrations to God.
about your finances
marriage
38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
health
Luke 1:
relationships with your kids or family
depression or anxiety you feel
Throw ALL that out there for God to hear.
If you don’t think God wants to hear that from you then you don’t know God.
It’s OKAY to feel those things.
Look at Jesus in the Garden before his crucifixion!
He is PLEADING with God, dreading the pain he would have to endure, and voicing his d
But look what David does after he voices his confusion, his frustrations, to God. (v. 5-6)
He CHOOSES to trust God anyways.
Conclusion: We have found favor with God
Conclusion: We have found favor with God
Be it David, Mary, or me and you, ALL of us will have times when the promises of God seem impossible to us.
our circumstances seem to contradict the promises God has made to us.
It’s then that we must trust in his steadfast love.
Just like David, just like Mary, if you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have found favor with God.
David said that even in the midst of all that he was experiencing, God had dealt bountifully with him.
Thank of Mary; she was saying “yes,” to a lot, here.
shame of unwed pregnancy
What she said “yes” to
raising the son of God
-shame of unwed pregnancy
-raising the son of God
lifetime of emotional challenges
-lifetime of emotional challenges
watch her firstborn son suffer
watch her firstborn son suffer
And even knowing all that, she chose to trust God. She recognized that because of God’s love for her, that he would sustain her through all of it.
If you are a follower of Jesus, God has found favor with you.
No matter what you’re going through, no matter what life looks like right now, know that God loved you enough to save you, and he loves you enough to sustain you.
She was appropriately in awe of God’s favor (no sense of entitlement)
What she said “yes” to
You can trust his promises.
-shame of unwed pregnancy
Ask him questions. Voice your confusion and your frustration.
-raising the son of God
Then get your eyes off your circumstances, and onto Jesus.
-lifetime of emotional challenges
When you do that, he will give you peace, despite your circumstances. You can REST knowing that God will keep His word.
Mary was sustained by God her entire life, and was used by God in some mighty, mighty ways.
If you’ll trust God, even when his promises seem impossible, he will do the same for you.
-watch her firstborn son suffer
God calls you first to salvation; he finds favor with you even though you don’t deserve it. Do you trust him that it’s unearned, or do you try to earn it?
Next, he calls you to trust him with your life; do you trust him, or are you worried that if you do he’ll mess it up somehow?