Joy 2021

Introduction

Anything but joy.

Stress and hardships. Grief and suffering. Uncertainty and division.

Particular difficulties this year.

On top of the typical stress of the holidays of parties and gifts and extra responsibilities.

To consider the situation of Mary.

A poor family and betrothed to a man who is hard working, but also not wealthy.

Add to that the government requiring them to take this trip for a census leading to more taxes.

And then, the added surprise that Mary is pregnant!

Not that they had done anything to cause that. 1:34 “How will this be???”

The power of God!

But, then we could understand if the next verses talked about Mary’s bitterness or anger. Mary’s desire for justice.

But, what does Mary express? v. 46b-47.

Hebrew parallelism. Soul = Spirit. Lord = God my Savior.

Magnify = Rejoice.

Joy. But, what does it mean then to magnify?

Magnifying glass. Doesn’t change what is on the page, but allows for a clearer picture to better understand.

A clear picture of God causes joy.

Sometimes we don’t have a clear picture of who God is or what He is doing.

What is He doing here?

Mary, admitting her low station in life, realizes that God is aware.

God’s awareness always causes action.

Atypical to their thinking of who is important! The wealthy and the powerful. Exalted by God to these positions.

Quite the opposite is typically true. God uses the lowly, the humble to make the biggest difference.

The fact that God is aware of her and had a plan for her, this brought about joy in Mary.

Then Mary addresses how her reputation will change because of God.

She will be called “blessed.” Not better! But, blessed. Happy. A related word to joyful.

And she is blessed because of who God is - Divine Rescuer.

Reading these books based on a character named Travis McGee. WWII Veteran turned freelance detective.

Published from 1964 to 1984.

In each book, he inevitably gets into a tight spot where his life is threatened. Captured, beat up, shot.

But, the thing is, I’m only on like book six. And there is 21 books. So, with each book, I know he makes it because there is another book!

I won’t be truly worried until I read that final one! This creates within me a confidence of his ability to escape every time.

I have a confidence in God’s ability to rescue because I know the rest of the story.

But, who qualifies to get rescued?

His mercy (rescue) is for those who fear Him.

What does it mean to “fear” God? To be afraid?

This word means “to be put to flight.”

You understand that the force you are facing is superior to your own.

To fear God is to acknowledge His power and submit to Him.

It is to humble yourself, which is not a bad thing.

It’s not a bad thing to admit when you need help.

In fact, it is a foolish thing to ignore the fact that you need help and not reach out.

As a senior in high school, an ice storm came in during the day and they sent us home. Spun around.

It would have been foolish of me to just keep waving people by.

Instead, I asked for help. We attached a chain to the front of my Ranger to the back of their 4-wheel drive and they pulled me back onto the road.

That’s the theme moving forward - v. 51.

He has scattered the proud:

vv. 52-53.

Those who feel abandoned have a place with God.

One of the themes of Luke’s Gospel is God’s concern for the marginalized.

God loves those whom the world has ignored.

And maybe that’s you this morning. Questioning God’s awareness of you - Know that He knows you and He loves you.

But, you might say, you don’t know all the things I’ve done! How could God forgive me?

I don’t know all that you’ve done. But I know all that Israel did.

Rebellion, turning to other gods or other nations, selling off parts of their Temple to pay other nations.

They sacrificed their children to other gods in hopes of winning wars.

Blatantly disregarded Scripture.

And yet, look at v. 54.

This rebellious nation was shows mercy by God.

Because this is the nature of God - He is love.

And His plan from the beginning (v. 55) was accomplished by Jesus on the cross.

Ephesians 1:3–6 (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love

5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

God knew before Adam and Eve ever had the chance to sin that they would need a Savior.

The plan all along was to send His Son, born of a virgin, to live a perfect life, and to die, not for His own sins, but for the sins of others.

For you.