Glorying in the Promised End to Come

 Mom took 13yo Mary to the doctor. "Doc, Mary keeps getting cravings. She's putting on weight. And, she's sick most mornings." Doc examined her. "Mary is pregnant. I'd guess 4 months." Mom was stunned. "Pregnant?! Impossible! She's never been near a boy. Have you, Mary?" "No, Mom! I've never even kissed one!" Doc went to the window & stared out. After 5 minutes of silence, Mom couldn't stand it. "Is there a problem out there?" "No. But last time this happened, a star appeared in the east & 3 magi were following it. And I don't want to miss it!" Luke 1:26-38, 46-55 tells how Mary found out. Though she didn't know, her cousin Elizabeth was already 6 months pregnant. 26God sent Gabriel to Nazareth, 27ato a virgin, Mary, 27b betrothed to Joseph, David's descendant. (As Elizabeth's cousin, so is Mary.) Gabriel's 1st words stunned her. 28a"Greetings, you who are highly favored!" said no angel to anyone else in Scripture! But Gabriel went on. 28b"The Lord is with you." From these words, in Jdg 6:12, Gideon got a ginormous mission. Wind a war & free Israel from the Midianites. Mary knows Scripture. So, 29She was greatly troubled. "I wonder what kind of greeting this might be!" After all, look what Gideon got asked to do! 30Gabriel reassured her. "Don't be afraid, Mary. You've found favor with God." Only Jesus, in Lk 2:52, also found "favor with God." Her task will be epic! 31a"You'll be with child & give birth to a son." That's the easy part. The hard part? She'll be the talk of Tiny Town. Not in a good way! They may stone you for adultery. Joseph may divorce you! And can't name her child. God will. 31b"You're to give him the name Jesus-'Yahweh Saves'." That'd be enough. But your baby will 32"be great & called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him his father David's throne. Finally, Mary gets it. For centuries, young women have prayed they'd give birth to the Messiah. Now, she's the one! "As Messiah, your Son 33will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end." Millions of questions! What would we ask? Maybe, why me? Or, how about someone else? What about the hard stuff? How can I not get stoned? What about Joseph? My betrothal? And (a big one), how can I be sure? what's the sign? Those aren't her questions. Mary's only question? 34"How? I'm a virgin!" She's had "the talk." She knows where babies come from. So she just wants to know 'How?' Mary's faith is as colossal as her task! 35aGabriel answered. "The Holy Spirit will come upon you." Only Saul, in 1 Sam 10:1, 6 has anyone else had the Holy Spirit come upon them. Then, just once in his life, Saul prophesied. But Mary? 35b"The power of the Most High will overshadow you." It's the same Greek word in the Transfiguration. The Shekinah glory cloud will surround her. Through the Holy Spirit, God will create her pregnancy. 35a "So the holy one to be born will be called God's Son." Not Joseph's. No man's son. He'll be God's Son. God wrapped in flesh. God with us. Immanuel! Mary won't ask for a sign. But Gabriel gives her one, anyway. 36aEven Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age." Why's that a big deal? Think Sarah (Ge 17:17)-barren till 90yo, then pregnant. Likewise, Elizabeth. 36b"She who was said to be barren is in her 6th month. Lk 1:7 says she's like Sarah: barren, & well along in years. What Gabriel says next surely gives Mary hope. It's the greatest statement of God's power in Scripture. The proof that old barren, Elizabeth is pregnant? The proof that Mary will bear the Messiah? 37"Nothing is impossible with God." Nothing! That's our hope, too. God sends Gabriel to make the hugest ask to any young teen, ever. Bear the disgrace of being pregnant before her wedding. Risk being divorced. Risk being stoned for adultery. And raise God's son as your own. Imagine our answer. Now hear Mary's. 38"I'm the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you've said." Mary bows her head & humbly embraces God's will! When the Lord asks us to do something, we face that question. So, let's ask ourselves. What has the Lord asked us to do? How'd we respond? What do we need to change so we can say, "May it be to me as You've said"? 38cThen Gabriel left her. Mary trusts God to mean what He said (through Gabriel). And she gets no judgment, unlike Zechariah (couldn't speak till John was born). Mary reflected- how long & when, we don't know. Was it days? Weeks? During her 3-5 days walk (70-100 miles) to see Elizabeth? Whenever reflected, & however long, her joy overflowed. (Like Hannah in 1 Sam 2:1.) 46"My soul glorifies the Lord." Mary's been handed the greatest challenge of her short life. And she praises God! What a great start! (When we start a new thing, how do we begin?) Praise also guards her heart from pride in her worthiness to bear the Messiah! Instead, 47"My spirit rejoices in God my Savior." Glory in our Savior-God; not our works. She's humble. Not proud. God noticed. 48a"He's been mindful of the humble state of his servant." (Like Hannah in 1 Sam 1:11.) In Mt 23:12, Jesus says He'll lift us up when we choose humility. When God sees humility, He acts. Mary is exalted. 48b"From now on all generations will call me blessed." Why? She's been lifted up over all women who'd hoped for this honor. God's mother! Every generation since has honored Mary, just as God did. 49a"The Mighty One has done great things for me!" Is she already pregnant? (As Ps 145:4 says, she's telling the generations.) Regardless, Mary's humble & attributes her elevated status to God. Also, she's teaching us how to give God's glory back to Him. 49b"Holy is his name." Mary's joy now turns prophetic. How so? All prophecy is rooted in God's character. What He's done in the past, as recorded in Scripture. And Mary knows Scripture. She now prophetically glories in what God will do. When? From now till the Promised End to Come, when Jesus returns! 50"God's mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation." As in Ps 103:17-18, God's mercy & faithfulness is always His people's hope for our future. All have sinned. We all need God's mercy. We who fear God turn toward Him (repent), receive His mercy, & obey in loving gratitude. 51aGod has performed mighty deeds. Noah & the flood. 10 plagues to deliver His people at the Exodus. Descending on Mt Sinai at the 1st Covenant. Now, in Mary, He's becoming God in the flesh. God Incarnate. At the cross, He'll atone for all sin. 51b"He's scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts." (As in Ps 89:10) God judges our heart attitudes, not just the actions that come out of our hearts. Just as Jesus will say in Mk 7:21-22. 52He's brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. Just as in Job 5:11 & 12:19. Just as Jesus will say in Lk 14:11. 53He's filled the hungry with good things but sent the rich away empty. Just as Ps 107:9 says. In addition, as Isa 41:8, 9 says, 54He's helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55to Abraham & his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers in Mic 7:20 & Ge 17:7." Mary knows & understands Scripture, deeply. She's a godly young woman. She's humble. Godly & humble, God saw her. He exalted her with the highest honor ever given a mortal. Mother to God's only Son. When she says yes so humbly, God gave her a vision of the Promised End to Come. All wrongs set right. No hunger. No illness. No pain. No death. No rich & poor. No rulers or oppressors. The proud, humbled. The humble, exalted. All, equal before the Lord. That's the meaning of Advent. God came in the Flesh. He came to set His people free of sin & death. He's already working to bring His Kingdom on earth to fruition. And, someday, He'll return to bring the promised end to come. Come Lord Jesus. Glorying in the Promised End to Come - Luke 1:26-38, 46-55 Page 1 of 1