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TCOC: MARY: A CALL TO PROVIDE ()

We began our Christmas series last week titled THE CALL OF CHRISTMAS where we are learning from the four Angelic encounters that we find in the Nativity story. Did you know that we get the word angle from a transliteration of the greek word “angelos” which translated means messenger. So God sent his messengers from his world to ours to deliver an important message.

Grand Canyon, Disney World, Volcano or a quiet deer stand just for a moment you can’t speak. That is what it must have been like for the Shepherds on the night that Jesus was born.

As protestants we sometimes don’t really give Mary the attention that we should. In response to our Catholic family and friends who tend to over emphasize her role, we might underestimate it. From what we know historically of the age of betrothals in this time period Mary was probably a young teenager growing up in an age where there was very little supernatural revelation from the Lord.

Mary certainly knew of the promises and the prophecies of the Messiah who was to come, but she probably never dreamed that God would choose her to bring Him into the world.

Mary certainly knew of the promises and the prophecies of the Messiah who was to come, but she probably never dreamed that God would choose her to bring Him into the world.

Speaking of sending and receiving messages, has anyone ever heard of William Cooke and Charles Wheatstone? They were British inventors who are credited with one of the greatest technological breakthroughs of their time. This was way before the iphone or the smart tablet in 1830’s when they discovered how to send the first telegram via an electric telegraph system. On January 11, 1838, Samuel Morse sent the first telegram in the United States across two miles of wire at Speedwell Ironworks near Morristown, New Jersey. While the telegram continued to gain momentum as a means for delivering messages, people became anxious at their arrival because they often contained messages of bad news.

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She certainly knew of the promises and the prophecies of the Messiah who was to come, but she probably never dreamed that God would choose her to bring Him into the world. There were three things that would have gotten in the way of Mary thinking that she would be called upon to provide for the Son of God like this.

There were many reasons that Mary would not have planned on something like this:

There were many reasons that Mary would not have planned on something like this, for one thing, she was from Nazareth,

For one thing, she was from Nazareth,

Luke 1:26–35 ESV

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.” 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.

Luke 1:26 ESV

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

Nazareth was not a place of great civic, political or religious significance. Most people would have thought that the Messiah would have hailed from Jerusalem. It was said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth”. It was a little off the beaten path, most people didn’t go to Nazareth unless they had business there. What business could God possibly have there? That is where he found Mary.

Mary was most likely a young teenager at the time, who was anxiously awaiting the day when she and her betrothed would finally be able to be together. But then this angel comes in to tell her that something very different would take place. She would be with child even before she was with her husband. She understandably had questions on how this would work, but we don’t have to look too far to know why it is so important. The prophecy was to be fulfilled in her that was spoken by Isaiah

Isaiah 7:14 ESV

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.

Immanuel. Which means God with us. We see this very idea reflected in the angels greeting don’t we:

Luke 1:28 ESV

28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

Luke 1:

After 400 years of silence the arrival of these angelic messengers are clear that the LORD is up to something. He is doing something great, and even while Zechariah and Mary certainly did not know the extend of the significance at this point, they surely knew that their entire lives would be changed from here on out.

God tends to do that. He meets us wherever we are and calls us to something great. He is not looking to initiate another virgin birth, to bring Jesus into the world in that way was a special role for his mother Mary, but He still calls on his people to bring the good news of Jesus into the world. And we can trust Him just as Mary did because:

1 Thessalonians 5:24 ESV

24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

1 Thes

Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians

A death has occurred.

Our fourth and final angelic encounter in this series is THE CALL TO PRAISE as demonstrated by the Shepherds of the Nativity story. We are going to take a look at the classic Bible Christmas Story found in . We will read some a then unpack it a little.

The first thing is the PLACE

There were three things that would have gotten in the way of Mary thinking that she would be called upon to provide for the Son of God like this.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ESV

An accident has happened.

2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.

“In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,”

The first thing is the PLACE

Nazareth was not a place of great civic, political or religious significance. Most people would have thought that the Messiah would have hailed from Jerusalem. It was said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth”. It was a little off the beaten path, most people didn’t go to Nazareth unless they had business there, so what possible business could God have there? That is where he found Mary.

A sickness has spread.

- Historical Event

If a city was to provide a carrier for the Messiah, it seems like Jerusalem would be the certain choice. You almost can’t have two more different places.

“In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,”

Mary was most likely a young teenager at the time, who was anxiously awaiting the day when she and her betrothed would finally be able to be together. But then this angel comes in to let her in on a very different plan. She would be with child even before she was with her husband. It’s understandable that she would have questions on HOW this would work, but we don’t have to look too far to find WHY it is so important. This part of the plan was to be a sign of His arrival as a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah when he said:

A war has begun.

- Nationwide Tax Audit - cranky culture of 1st Christmas – not a season of good cheer.

Jerusalem was the center of the Jewish world.

If a city was to provide a carrier for the Messiah, it seems like Jerusalem would be the certain choice. You almost can’t have two more different places.

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. ESV

Tragic news in short phrases is hard to receive.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

Nazareth was off the beaten path.

Jerusalem was the center of the Jewish world.

Immanuel. Which means God with us. We see this very idea reflected in the angels greeting don’t we:

However, many years later in 1933 Western Union, the American telegraph company began offering singing telegrams as a way to make receiving messages more enjoyable and even fun. George. P. Oslin was the public relations director of Western Union at the time that is credited with this new twist for receiving messages. Suddenly, receiving messages turned into something more exciting and popular. Mr. Oslin asked Western Union operator, Lucille Lipps, to sing the message over the telephone; this became the first singing telegram. From that day forward an entire industry was born that enabled messages to be sent and received creatively with flare, fanfare, and even embarrassment at times as individuals with varying singing abilities often dressed up as gorillas or clowns came into to offices and homes delivering the now iconic “Singing Telegram”.

70 mile journey over some pretty treacherous terrain

Jerusalem was big city life with seemingly unending resources, educational opportunities and religious significance

Nazareth was off the beaten path.

28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” ESV

While God did not see fit to send a singing telegram to deliver the message of the coming Messiah, Mary certainly would have described the angel’s arrival as anything but ordinary or mundane.

Can you imagine being in your third trimester and walking or riding a donkey for a several day journey with a baby boy bouncing on your bladder. Could not have been comfortable.

Nazareth was a hickville of sorts – where it was said that “nothing good could come out of Nazareth”.

Jerusalem was big city life with seemingly unending resources, educational opportunities and religious significance

After 400 years of silence these angelic messengers are clear that the LORD is up to something. He is doing something great, and while Zechariah and Mary could not have even dreamed about the extent of the significance of these events, the did know that their entire lives would be changed from here on out.

Luke’s gospel records the unexpected message that was delivered by Gabriel, the angel, and received by Mary, the young maiden, from Nazareth. And while it came in a very unusual way, It was the opposite of bad news. In fact, it was the beginnings of “the good news” or the gospel that would lead to salvation for all who would receive it into their lives as a personal message.

People use all kinds of methods to try and induce labor but this is a little extreme. (Model T)

But God sends an angel both to a priest in the temple of Jerusalem and to a young maiden in a quaint town on the outskirts of the country hills in Nazareth. The idea is that all real estate on the earth is an equal opportunity for God to do something great and place a call on the life of one of his people.

Nazareth was a hickville of sorts – where it was said that “nothing good could come out of Nazareth”.

God still tends to do that. He meets us wherever we are with our plans and desires and calls us to something even greater. Bringing Jesus into the world through a the virgin birth was a special role for his mother Mary, but He calls every one of us to bring the good news of Jesus into the world. And in that way we are trusting in the same promise that Mary did:

Open your Bibles with me if you will to Luke 1:26-38 (p 855) and let’s read the account of Mary receiving the Gospel message from the angel Gabriel. After then after I read the text, I will pray.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

· No matter if you are “big city” or “big country”,

But God sends an angel both to a priest in the temple of Jerusalem and to a young maiden in a quaint town on the outskirts of the country hills in Nazareth. The idea is that all real estate on the earth is an equal opportunity for God to do something great and place a call on the life of one of his people.

24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. ESV

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

Again the culture and environment in town is believed to have been crowded with loud, noisy and grumpy people, tax audit grumpy, and there was just nowhere else to stay so they laid him in a manger. (cereal bowl).

· From the right side of the tracks or from the wrong side,

· No matter if you are “big city” or “big country”,

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.” 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. Luke 1:26-38

I can’t help but think that laying this baby in a feeding box of clean hay was still probably better than being a part of the crowded city noise and hustle and bustle of many impatient and grumpy people, (Christmas today)

· No matter if you have a last name that people recognize or not

· From the right side of the tracks or from the wrong side,

Let’s pray.

and even further out from the crowds of people were the Shepherds who were out sleeping under the stars.

· Live In the high tax bracket neighborhoods or below the poverty line,

· No matter if you have a last name that people recognize or not

This message from the angel was anything but tragic or sad. On the contrary, this unbelievable news from the lips of Gabriel to the ears of Mary was A CALL TO PROVIDE. Every Jewish girl prayed and dreamed of the privilege of being the one to be chosen to carry and provide for the long awaited Messiah. Just the idea that you could play a part in bringing Isreal’s rescuer, the redeemer and savior into the world…what an honor, what a privelage. And it’s just like God to extend the Call of Christmas to come forth from the place, person, and the plan that we see in the story.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

· God knows where you are and how to send a message your way.

· Live In the high tax bracket neighborhoods or below the poverty line,

THE PLACE (Luke 1v26)

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

· God knows where you are and how to send a message your way.

Verse 26 sets the stage for us.

Shepherds were not known to be very reputable members of society. (Carnie Comparison)

Another thing that could have gotten in the way was who Mary was as a PERSON (Luke 1v27-33)

“In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,” Luke 1:26

They typically had little formal education, they often led nomadic type lives where they never really settled down but just keep their flocks moving to greener pastures. They didn’t really know much. They simply knew sheep. They knew shepherding. But they knew little of the social nuances of the culture of the day. They were pretty simple minded, and as often is the case they were not really trusted because they were not really understood. But God understood them. God knew that they were the perfect people to introduce the message of his birth announcement too.

God sent Gabriel “to a virgin betrothed to a man who name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.” “And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

The city of Nazareth is quite a contrast to the city of Jerusalem that our story last week found it’ setting. If a city was to provide a carrier for the Messiah, it seems like Jerusalem would be much more of a natural option. Jerusalem was the center of the Jewish world. Nazareth was off the beaten path. It was accessible to trade routes, but one had to want to go to Nazareth to get there. Jerusalem was seen as significant; Nazareth seemed insignificant. John 1:46 records the contemporary Judean opinion of Nazareth.

What made the Shepherds the perfect messengers for God?

The greeting from the angel for Mary began with the reminder that “The Lord is with you.” And the name stated in Isaiah’s prophecy we just noted from 7:14 for the coming Messiah was Immanuel, which means “God with us”. The Lord is with you. :

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” - Nathaniel to Phillip John 1:46

They Simply Responded. They Simply Declared. They Simply Praised.

The Call of Christmas is a reminder that the Lord is with you.

And the region of Galilee was such a contrast to the region of Judea. Galilee was out in the

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

country; and though Judea did have a wilderness but was known for the big city life. Galilee was rough around the edges and anything but Kosher in their kitchens. Judea was much more polished, prim and proper and followed all the religious rules. If you wanted to be a notable teacher you did not go to Galilee, you went to Judea. That is where all the academics were, that is where all the decision makers were, that is where all the action was and that is presumably where all the greats came from.

They Simply Responded. They didn’t take a day or two to consider if this might be a good idea. They didn’t wonder if maybe they should talk to someone who was more “religious” then they were. They didn’t stop to consider the economic impact of leaving the sheep, the social impact of coming into town as smelly shepherds, they just simply responded to what they had heard from God.

So we have these two strong contrasts: On one side we have big city life with seemingly unending resources, educational opportunities and religious significance and one the other side we have a hickville of sorts – where “nothing good could come out of”. But at the end of the day, God sends an angel both to a priest in the temple of Jerusalem and to a young maiden in a quaint town on the outskirts of the country hills in Nazareth. All real estate on the earth is an equal opportunity for God to do something great and place a call to provide for the next part of His plan.

17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

· No matter if you are “big city” or “big country”,

They Simply Declared. They didn’t care who knew, they had seen the Messiah and they were telling the whole world. Notice that all who heard it wondered, but we don’t hear the Shepherds wondering about what the angels told them. What did they say? “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened…” Do you hear the great faith of these simple men – This thing that has happened, not it might be or maybe it is – nope, lets go see what God told us is, because we know that it is. God has told us so. They had great faith and when their faith became sight they told everyone they saw about what God had done in their lives.

· From the right side of the tracks or from the wrong side,

19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

· No matter if you have a last name that people recognize or not

Snapshot into Luke’s interview of Mary in this.

· Live In the high tax bracket neighborhoods or below the poverty line,

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

· God knows where you are and how to send a message your way.

The Shepherds were so impacted by the glory of the Lord and his messengers the angels that they were not wondering, they were not pondering they were simply recognizing all that God had done and giving him praise. Glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen

He is calling you this Christmas! Wherever you are this Christmas, God can use you to be a part of His plan and to do His will. You never are off the grid when it comes to God and his location services. He is aware of your whereabouts and has plans for you regardless of where you come from or where you live. And Mary lived in Nazareth.

What do you know of the God of these Simple Shepherds?

THE PERSON (Luke 1v27-33)

Do you need to hear their message tonight? Do you understand that their message was good news of great joy that will be for all people? That includes you. Many of us come to church each week and listen to the sermons and sing the songs, but if we were really honest much of it just seems to go over our heads. It just seems complicated to understand ideas like justification, sanctification and redemption. I am sure that the Shepherds couldn’t tell you of these things either, but God chose to use them to announce the arrival of the long awaited Messiah.

God sent Gabriel “to a virgin betrothed to a man who name was Joseph, of the house of David.

The message that the Shepherds began was the message of the Gospel. That God sent his son into this world as a baby born in a “cow’s cereal bowl” for you and for me. As that child grew up he never once made a choice that went against God’s law and because of that he was the only one who did not deserve the punishment of death. But instead of keeping his reward from his perfect life for himself, he gave it to us as a gift. He gave us his righteousness so that everyone who was cut off from God because of sin, can now be with God for all eternity because we have received the righteousness of Jesus Christ. That is where the great joy of the good news comes from, not just that he came, but that he has succeeded in his mission.

And the virgin’s name was Mary.” Luke 1:27

So have you received the gift of Jesus Christ? The Bible tells us that as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become the children of God. Does that describe you? If not tonight is a great night. Christmas Eve 2016 can be the night that your life is forever changed as you trade in your broken down life and receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

The closest thing that we have to being “betrothed” is to be engaged, but that is not a complete picture. To be “betrothed” was to be legally committed to someone in marriage. Mary was not wondered if she would make it all the way to walking down the aisle so to speak. She was legally already there, but the consummation of the marriage had not happened yet. In their marriage process you were legally bound to your spouse before you were physically united with them.

And if you have received this good gift, tonight is a great night to evaluate if you are living your life in line with the truth of that gift. As much as we might hate to admit it, the Shepherds are a good example for us. They were not concerned about the economic or social consequences of their leaving everything to go after Jesus. Are we letting things like that get in the way? God desire is that all of us would be his messengers as the Shepherds were that night. And what made the Shepherd the perfect messengers for God? They Simply Responded to God’s Call, They Simply Declared God’s Goodness, They Simply Praised Him for all that He has done. > Pray

Now that is hard to imagine in our day and age. We have enough trouble waiting until we are legally committed, they were waiting even after they were legally bound in marriage. That is why when Joseph got the news of Mary’s pregnancy, because of his love for Mary, thought he would “divorce her quietly”, because of her presumed unfaithfulness. He would have had to legally divorce her, and we will talk more about that next week, but they were legally covenanted together even though they had not come together physically yet.

Now this is an important fact because of the fulfillment of the prophecy from the prophet Isaiah

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a

son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Luke is writing these details that tie back to Old Testament prophecy in such a way as if to say to all his readers: “Here is the sign that you have been looking for!” They were betrothed, but not fully man and wife yet. She was a virgin.

Then Luke continues in verse 28

“And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” Luke 1:28

The message from the angel for Mary includes the reminder that “The Lord is with you.” And the name stated in Isaiah’s prophecy we just noted from 7:14 for the coming Messiah was Immanuel, which means “God with us”. The Lord is with you. :

The Call of Christmas is a reminder that the Lord is with you.

Now I think we all know that this can be a comforting thing or a convicting thing depending on what the Lord is seeing in your life. Are we living lives right now that we would be proud for God to see us living – because surprise he is already with us, he is already seeing. What would change in our lives if we lived them in such a way that we were constantly aware that God is with us? It can be convicting.

Or it can be comforting. Maybe you are feeling desperately alone right now, like there is no one who even knows you exist. He is with you. It is not just that he sees you from afar, but the message of the incarnation of Jesus Christ is that God is intimately involved in his creation and that means you and I. He is with us. What level of com fort might that bring to you this morning? I hope your hearts is encouraged with the truth of Emmanuel, God with us.

Mary would need to rely on both sides of this truth of Immanuel. Just the appearance of the angel would cause one to be full of fear, but then to be called to motherhood in such a way would be frightening as well. In Verse 29 we get a glimpse of her emotions in these moments.

“But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’” Luke 1:29-33

Most parents are very selective when they chose names for their children. Admittedly sometimes we question what, particularly some celebrities, are thinking when they name their children but in all honesty we typically name our children in line with some value that we as parents hold. A family name would connect the child to value their extended family. A strong or compassionate name would encourage the child to be strong or compassionate. Often there are deep meanings behind names that reflect the hope that the child will in some way live up to the characteristics of their name. Well God is no different. He chose the name “Jesus” because it most accurately displays his values. The name “Jesus” means “The Lord is Salvation” Mary was being called to provide the womb and nurturing motherhood for the Messiah but the salvation of God’s people was not in her doing. It was the Lord’s.

This is the message of the Gospel. We cannot produce our own salvation, but God can and has chosen to accomplish it for all of humanity. Mary’s call was a call to provide what God had decided. She provided herself, and God would do the rest.

As Mary is processing the message from the angel that certainly was no singing telegram, she did so by asking a logical question. She understood where babies come from. She knew how this typically worked. She knew that she had not been with Joseph or any many in the way, so she wondered if not in the typical way, how is this going to work..

THE PLAN (Luke 1v34-38)

“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’” Luke 1:34

This was not a statement of unbelief. Rather, it was a question of trying to understand. God never gets tired or frustrated with our honest questions. He invites us to stay curious, to maintain a sense of awe and wonder as we seek to understand who He is and what He wants us to do and become in our lives. So, “God I trust you, but how is this going to work.” is ok. And often God will tells us, but sometimes he doesn’t. Sometimes he responds with a “you don’t need to know this time, just trust me enough to obey me without knowing all the answers”. I don’t know about you but I find that much more difficult, but I find too that my faith grows more in those circumstances. But with Mary God decided to give her an answer to her question of “how?”

“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.’”

Luke 1:35

Remember last week when we took a look at the strength of Luke’s writing as he titled it to the most excellent Theopholis and explained in the first very long sentence, the purpose of his letter. Well just as Luke is not afraid to mention angels in a concrete way, he also is not concerned about mentioning the activity of the Holy Spirit. In fact he mentions the Holy Spirit eight times in the first two chapters alone. In verse 15 he says that Zechariahs son John would be full of the Holy Spirit from the womb, and here in verse 35 he says that the Holy Spirit will come upon Mary, and her womb, and that is how the Messiah will be conceived.

The reason this is so important is that Luke does not want his readers to forget that the Call of Christmas is wrapped in the activity and working of the Holy Spirit. You know we have one of those advent calendars in our house where you take a new character out of it’s pocked each day counting up to Christmas. Now obviously we haven’t taken all the characters out of their pockets yet this year but if memory serves there is not day when we take a character out and “look it’s the Holy Spirit”. And don’t get me wrong it is great to remember Mary Joseph the shepherd angels and wisemen I am not down on that, I am just thinking maybe we should be a little more intentional on giving the Holy Spirit some credit here. It was his work and activity that caused the miraculous immaculate conception, that caused baby Jesus to be conceived. So he is and should be a part of our Christmas remembrance and celebration. Something to think about.

Verse 35 references that not only will the Holy Spirit come upon Mary but God’s power is going to “overshadow” Mary in the process. The word for ‘overshadow’ in the original language is episkiazo and carries the sense of the holy, powerful presence of God.

The same meaning from this word is how the cloud that covered and overshadowed the tabernacle when the tent was filled with the glory of God from the Old Testamentstory in Exodus 40:34-35.

“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Exodus 40:34

The same imagery and feel from how the presence of God is described in the Old Testament

reference above is the same imagery and feel with the word “overshadowed” here in the details of

Gabriel’s message to Mary. God’s presence through his Holy Spirit is going to be thick and at work in

such a way that it is clear something holy is happening in our midst.

The word episkiazo is used again in all three accounts of the Transfiguration to describe the

overshadowing of the cloud in Matthew 17:5 cf., Mark 9:7 and Luke 9:34.

“He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the

cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Matthew 17:5

In each account the voice comes out of the cloud identifying Jesus as God’s Son, a striking reminder

of what Luke states in 1:35 where the life that results from the enveloping cloud is identified as the

Son of God. ; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.’”

Biblical scholar William Hendriksen notes that the overshadowing or covering which Luke speaks of

here in verse 35 is not static but active. It is creative and productive. It causes Mary to conceive a

child. Such activity by the Spirit of God moves all the way back to the creation account in Genesis 1:2 What does it say about the Spirit of God’s action then?

“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the

Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:2

Life soon abounds where the active Spirit of God was at work. The same connection is seen in other

places throughout the Bible such as Psalm 104:30.

“When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.”

Psalm 104:30

The overshadowing Spirit, therefore, not only protects but also creates. It brings about conception in

Mary’s womb that she provides. The Call of Christmas for Mary is a Call to Provide.

N.T. Wright goes on to suggest, “The Holy Spirit will come upon Mary, enabling her (as the Spirit always does) to do and be more than she could by herself. But at the same time, the ‘power of the Most High’ will overshadow her. This is something different: God Himself, the Creator, will surround her completely with his sovereign power.”

God’s power from outside to protect, and the indwelling Spirit within to create, together result in something beautiful happening which would have been unthinkable any other way.

And while we can look back and see beauty and majesty in this process of the Holy Spirit doing something unique and exquisite in Mary’s life, it is likely that most people did not understand nor accept her pregnancy as something to celebrate. Experts of that time and culture suggest Mary likely suffered embarrassment and loneliness as a result of being the person picked by God to be the mother of Immanual. God is never blind to our circumstances, notice the kindness of God in how He provides someone to walk alongside Mary during this unique time of her calling.

“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. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:36-37

The angel not only delivers God’s message to her, encouraging her to trust in the God who does the seemingly impossible, but also encourages her with the suggestion of a confidant with whom she may share her strange and wonderful experience. Remember Elizabeth from last week, she and her husband Zechariah are also experiencing something that seems impossible except for God. Isn’t it always better to walk through unique and challenging seasons of life when you have someone who understands who can walk with you. God knew this. And God provided not only for the big story of our salvation, but also for the smaller details of how to comfort a young girl who had just been given incredible news. She would need Elizabeth’s compassionate and understanding ear as she dealt with the not only the normal hormones of pregnancy, but also the unique calling of her providing her womb for the God’s special plan.

There are many things that Elizabeth and Mary had in common. Robert Dean lays out that, “In each case the angel Gabriel appeared and announced the birth of a son who was to play a crucial role in God’s plan; a son who was named by the angel and who was to be born under unusual circumstances. However, in spite of the parallels, there are at least three significant differences.

Son’s Roles: Messenger and Messiah. John was to be the prophetic Messenger, and Jesus was to be the Messiah.

Parenting Season: Old Age and Virgin Birth. John was born to an old couple beyond normal childbearing years. Jesus was born of a young virgin. The language here in the story of Mary has similarities to Genesis1, where the Spirit of God was active in creation and so the conception of Jesus has its parallel in the miracle of the divine creation. John’s conception has Genesis parallels too, but in the story of the birth of Isaac, Abraham and Sarah’s long awaited son in Genesis 21.

Parent’s Response: Both Zechariah, the Priest, and Mary the servant were initially troubled, afraid and questioned how these things could be. However, Zechariah did not believe and his voice was taken from him, Mary, by contrast, responded with trust and submission to God’s will.

” 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 1:37-38

The fact that nothing is impossible with God is one of the most hopeful statements of reality found

in the entire Bible. Think about it for just a moment: God is with us and nothing is impossible with God. It doesn’t matter where you are, it doesn’t matter who you are God can get his message to you of his plan for your life because God is with us and nothing is impossible with God. Mary heard those words and trusted them to be true, do we?

APPLICATION

Let me ask you, what is your “impossible” this Christmas?

What is it that the Lord wants to remind you is not impossible with Him?

Is your “impossible”, a situation at work, at school, with your finances, your marriage, a strained

relationship with your kids that seems all but lost? Focus on family at Christmas weighs that down

Is your “impossible” a slate of responsibilities that feels crippling and consuming?

Is your “impossible” a never ending debt payment that soaks up all you make and leaves you with little to live on without taking on more debt?

What if your Call of Christmas is a reminder that nothing is impossible when the Savior is on the

scene?

What if your call is like Mary’s: a call to provide God space to take up residence within your life and

begin to work?

What if God wants you to provide real estate in your life that can be overshadowed by Him as His

Holy Spirit goes to work on you, in you and through your life circumstances?

The process may be painful but necessary for something new to be created.

It may require counseling. It may include a total budget rework. It may be cause for confession and a request for forgiveness. But whatever God may lead you to do in your “impossible”, know that you will not be asked to walk alone.

He is with you. He is Immanuel. He is Jesus. The Lord is salvation.

All you need to do is provide the Spirit of God space in your life to take up residence and being a new

work in you. Mary did. And her call of Christmas was a call to provide her whole self to grow the Son

of God inside her womb.

What might you ask God to produce in you as you answer His call this Christmas?

Will you provide all of who you are to all of who God is?