December 15, 2024
Morning Service

Last week we saw the Greatest Love Story ever told put into motion with the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Zacharias that he and Elizabeth would have a child in their old age.  They were an ordinary couple who trusted fully in God even though they had lacked the blessing of being parents.  God chose this couple who Luke calls “blameless” to be the first to know He was moving and to play an important part in this story.  This child would later be known as John the Baptist who prepared the way of the Lord in the “spirit and power of Elijah;” of whom Jesus said that there “has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.”  Today we meet another ordinary couple that God chooses to play the key part in the Greatest Love Story ever told.  We will begin in Luke 1 right where we left off last week.

Luke 1:26-27  Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by 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. The virgin's name was Mary.

            God continues the theme of choosing people and places that were nothing more than ordinary.  Nazareth was a small rural village with a population of around 400 people. The incarnation of the Son of God was not going to happen in a great city or to a family of royalty.  He chose a poor, simple, but faithful teenage girl from an obscure city to be the mother or our Lord and we know that theme continues as this story unfolds.  You may view yourself as not having enough experience, ability, education or simply not good enough for God to use; if so you are mistaken. He moved mightily in Nazareth, why not in Mitchell?  God plus a faithful follower equals success; He does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called.  He has called you to follow and has plans for you so be ready and willing to say “Yes Lord!” just as Mary did.

Gabriel proclaims that through Mary a key prophecy will be fulfilled.

Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

            This a very important verse to us theologically.  We believe that Jesus was God incarnate (in human form).  Fathered by the Holy Spirit and bore by the virgin Mary; equally parts God and man.  Gabriel makes this very clear in his explanation to Mary.

Luke 1:28-33  And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"  (29)  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.  (30)  Then 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 bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.  (32)  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give 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."

            Gabriel quickly assures Mary that she should rejoice and not be afraid for she is favored by God and was about to be blessed by Him. (Blessed?)  She is told she will conceive and bring forth a Son and she is to name Him Jesus (which means the Lord saves).  Her child would be the long awaited Messiah.  This was not another ordinary day in Nazareth.  Her response is one you would expect from a young woman.

Luke 1:34-37  Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"  (35)  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  (36)  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.  (37)  For with God nothing will be impossible."

            Mary’s first response is to the fact that she will be having a baby.  It is a fair question for her to ask.  Gabriel answers in a simple, delicate, and effective way. Her offspring will be fathered by the Holy Spirit thus making Him fully God yet fully man.  Gabriel also gives her some reassurance first by revealing that her cousin Elizabeth is pregnant as well and then she is told “with God nothing will be impossible.”  Notice how Mary’s response is different than Zacharias’.

Luke 1:38  Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

            Her humble reaction of submission indicates the reason she was chosen for this tremendous honor.  She says “God I don’t understand all that you just said to me, but I am your servant so do with me as You will.  I trust You and I will walk the road You choose for me.”  The magnitude of this moment would have come to her a little later as she realized she would be the mother of the Messiah.  Reality of the road ahead would have set in as well.   A young unmarried girl who became pregnant in this time walked a road to disaster.  If the father refused to marry her, she would probably remain unmarried for life turning to begging or prostitution to support her child. He could also call for her to be stoned to death for her perceived sin. The announcement did not come with instant fame and acceptance as we often visualize.  She would first have to endure the pain and rejection that would come from her small community.  Would her family believe her and would Joseph abandon her?  God had spoken and she believed, but there were so many unanswered questions.  This was certainly a lot for a young teenage girl to deal with.  She chose well, she chose to believe and trust in God. Today, we often find ourselves in a similar circumstance not knowing where God is leading us.  The road ahead is unclear and there are many questions about what our future looks like.  Follow Mary’s example and choose to believe God, trust Him and follow Him; with Him all things are possible!

            God in His wisdom and grace knew Mary could not do this alone.  Not only did He give her an advocate in Elizabeth, but Matthew tells us that He also informed Joseph of His plan as well.

Mat 1:18-25  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.  (19)  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.  (20)  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  (21)  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."  (22)  So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:  (23)  "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which is translated, "God with us."  (24)  Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,  (25)  and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

            Imagine the dilemma Joseph found himself in before Gabriel came to him.  His fiancé was pregnant and he was not the father.  To take her as his wife now would be humiliating so he felt that left two choices; a quiet divorce or have her stoned for her apparent sin.  Being a “just man” he had decided on the secret divorce as the more honorable thing to do.  The dream God revealed to Joseph a third choice and that was to trust Him and marry her.  God’s ways are not man’s ways.  Love finds a way.  His love for us is the reason behind this season.

            Joseph’s decision on what do to with (what he thought was) his unfaithful bride who had sinned against him mirrors the same one God has with us.  We are the church and Christ’s bride.  We truly have been unfaithful and sinned against our Groom to be.  Rather than cast us away and let us die the death we deserve or just cut all ties with us by divorcing us, He chose another path.  A path that man finds very hard to understand.  He chose to become a man born in a stable, live a perfect life, and then take the penalty for His Bride’s sins upon Himself. He chose to love us with a love that none of us deserve.

 Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

          What do you do with a love like that?  His love is unconditional towards us as He died for us not after we got ourselves straightened up and walking faithful; no!  He died for us while we were in the midst of our sin rebelling against Him and uncaring.  He was there waiting patiently for us to call on Him and accept His offer of salvation and a changed, transformed life.  Some of us came to faith early in our lives, but with others it took a while to get there, but today we are here together in unity celebrating the love our God has for each of us in this Christmas season.  We need to follow in Mary and Joseph’s steps and totally turn our lives over to the Lord to “let it be to me according to your word.”  This was not the easiest path to have chosen, but it was the right one. We must be just as willing as Mary and Joseph to say; “I don’t understand, but I will follow anyway.”  It is a matter of trusting God for who He says He is.  Stand upon His Word, knowing that He will work out all things for good.  Celebrate Christmas this year for it is the beginning of hope, and hope never disappoints.  Celebrate that hope and the love that delivered it!