The Angelic Announcement
Notes
Transcript
Last week - saw how Apostle John begun Christmas Story - beginning before time & creation
John’s focus in his gospel is on Jesus divine / eternal origins & person
But todays passage is at opposite end of spectrum
Luke more interested in Jesus human origins / his humanness
So today’s lectionary reading looks at Jesus human beginnings (Slide)
Jesus Human Beginnings
Jesus Human Beginnings
Now here’s couple of photos of Papamoa back in 1966 was on 218 people
Mary was living in a town called Nazareth - scholars estimate had under 200 people
Now Mary was betrothed / engaged to Jospeh - working as carpenter in town
Carpenters make everything in house - chairs, tables, beds cooking tools etc
& made things like farming tools like ploughs, scythes, spades etc - important person
Most women who married = teenagers - some got engaged at 12/13
So Mary was anywhere between 13 like Fiona - 17/18 like Ari = young
Betrothals at time - often arranged by parents - grooms family agreed to bride price
money given brides family - compensation for loosing child who’d work in family business
Once Money exchanged ceremony & bride & groom took pledge to be married
Then groom go back home & prepare a room at family home or rich home for bride
Bride considered married but lived with her parents until groom came
Bride could wait as long as year for groom to come get her!!
He’d take bride to his parents house for final wedding feast
& then they’d go live in their new room / home (slide)
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. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
So Mary in betrothal / engagement stage - living at parents home officially married to Joseph
In very small rural town under 200 people & everyone knew each other - had no secrets
So when angel suddenly turns up in her room - understand her fear & confusion
She was teenager nobody in small nowhere town & now being called favoured by God!!
I want you all understand how ordinary/normal Mary was - nothing special about her
Angel tells her she’s received God’s favour & God has come to her
She’s done nothing special, particularly holy or spiritual to deserve God’s favour
It was God’s decision to choose Mary as woman who’d care for & raise Jesus (slide)
Illus - However when I say normal I don’t mean new normal some young women today think it is
[Show video]
This young woman has no concept of what normal is - she is purely self focused & self serving
Sadly she’s become product of today’s society
So before we look at Gabriel’s announcement to Mary - I want to look at Mary some more
And consider how this young woman reacts to reality she will become pregnant
By power of God through Holy Spirit before she’s even living with Jospeh as husband (slide)
In small town where no-one has secrets… this was something that couldn’t be hidden...
Mary’s Example of Humble Faith
Mary’s Example of Humble Faith
Imagine yet to be married 1st Cen teenage girl - told by supernatural being - going to have baby
First question would be - How is it even possible??? (slide)
there’s no technology make it happen - only the old fashion way
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 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.”
So angel Gabriel tells Mary - God’s one who’s going to create life from nothing
Fact is Jesus human life begins through power of God in similar way Adam arrived in Gen 1
And to comfort Mary even further angel tells Mary her cousin Elizabeth pregnant too
She wasn’t able have kids & was past age have kids (around 30-ish those days)
But God performed miracle - so Elizabeth could conceive baby old fashion way
Another aspect - what happens when unmarried women got pregnant in 1st C Jewish town
According to Jewish law - woman to be taken outside town & stoned to death
So Mary faced with challenging, confusing, & potentially life threatening circumstances
And let’s take moment to consider future husband Joseph (slide)
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
Before angel appeared to Joseph - either Mary or her parents told him Mary was pregnant
Imagine his shock - there only 1 conclusion to draw - he wasn’t father - someone else was
He also knew Mary had no future as unmarried mother & her & baby life was in danger
So Jospeh showed his true character - honourable, loving, caring
Decided to not say anything to disgrace / shame her publicly but Instead...
divorce her/break engagement privately so she could have baby at home in secret
Joseph definitely good guy!
So with all information given Mary - what does she say? “are you crazy?! No way?!? (slide)
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Mary humbly accepted God’s plan for her - even though didn't understand everything angel said
She trusted God to know what was best & humbled herself - I’m God servant
Or put it another way - I’m trusting God & going to follow his plan for me
Mary trusted that God knew better even though what she was told - craziest thing ever!
She was clear thinking (asked right questions) but open, obedient, & humble (slide)
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Mary as a teenage young woman is an example to us of someone who is faithful to God
Paul tells us that we’re to have same characteristics as Mary did
& try see things from spiritual big picture perspective - which Mary was challenged to do
Rather than how world teaches us to think = purely about me & what’s best for me
The world pushes us / encourages us to be selfishly driven (slide)
& ensure we put our own needs, demands, agendas first above everyone else's
Illus - Here’s a woman who appears to be taking part in black lives matter
She’s being supportive of the cause for racial equality in American society = just cause
She’s what’s known as a social media influencer from Russia
someone who uses social media to promote things - products, places, causes
Looks like she’s doing a good thing right? Think again [show video]
Did you catch that? She wasn’t there to support cause - just there to pose for photo
She is reacting opposite way to Mary - with selfish ambition & vain conceit (slide)
Which is exactly how scripture tells us NOT to think or behave...
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Mary stands as an example of how we all respond to God’s call on our lives
Now lets look at who it was Mary would be responsible to care & nurture (slide)
Jesus Royal Heritage
Jesus Royal Heritage
Both Mary & Joseph played important part in Jesus human beginnings
Reason why God planned it for Mary to marry Joseph was direct descendant of King David
Which meant Jesus would also receive same heritage through adopted father (slide)
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 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.”
Jesus was to be King God promised Israel all way back in OT to King David himself (slide)
God told David his kingdom & his rule would be established forever
Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’ ”
Now David’s kingdom & rule was gone centuries & centuries before Jesus born
Jewish people had been waiting long time for this to happen
Even prophets 100 years after David died - spoke 1 David’s descendants be king again
He’d be special king appointed by God to save & deliver Israel (slide)
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.
Jesus would be legitimate & rightful heir to King David’s throne & ruler of God’s people Israel
Because of Joseph willingly submitting himself to God’s plan & adopting Jesus at birth
Of course we know there’s way more to Jesus than being royal descendant
But just as Jesus had his beginnings before time & creation with God Father
His human beginnings grounded in Israel’s glorious past with most loved & successful King
Jesus was best of every aspect of humanity in 1 person fulfilling all God’s promises
To be Creator God’ who will rule God’s Kingdom forever
& save humanity & creation from death & destruction (slide)
Which is why God told Mary to call her baby Yeshua - God who saves
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Christmas all about various aspects of God’s plan - taken 1000’s year come to pass
coming together in 1 single moment in history culminating with birth small vulnerable baby
Who left the glory of eternity to enter his own creation so He might save all humanity
from effects of our sin & rebellion against God then destroy sin, death, & evil forever
Restoring all creation & establishing God’s kingdom forever
So as we celebrate & remember Jesus earthly beginnings - let’s reflect on Mary & Joseph
Jesus human parents who willingly suffered humiliation & disgrace from own town
And humbly & obediently submitted themselves to God’s plan & purposes
So Question I want you to consider is this
What has God asked of you recently? What was your answer?
Yes, I’m Lord’s Servant… or No...
When God asks us to be obedient, act in humility, think of others instead of ourselves
Let’s remind oursleves of that young teenage small town girl Mary
And choose to be more like her