Ten (Christmas) Sermon-Starters from the Life of Mary by Ray Hollenbach

Home
Preaching Articles
Ten (Christmas) Sermon-Starters from the Life of Mary

Ten (Christmas) Sermon-Starters From The Life Of Mary

By Ray Hollenbach on Feb 17, 2025

Students of Jesus

(rate this article)
| 21,715 views

When you cover the familiar territory of the Christmas Story year after year, sometimes you have to try another angle.

Scripture: Luke 1:26-2:7

Tags: Christmas, Jesus, Power, Preaching, preaching (view more) (view less)

Sometimes all it takes is one key phrase to spark an entire sermon.

Preaching at Christmas is no different. This year, try looking at the phrases you might be tempted to skip over—there might be enough material to ignite all of your Christmas preaching in just one passage. Take Luke’s famous account of the annunciation:

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. 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.”

“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.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1: 26-38)

Here are 10 launching pads for you to take, develop and make your own this Christmas season:

In the sixth month ... God’s clock was already ticking when the angel came to Mary. Just because God announces something to me doesn’t mean it began with me. That will be a surprise to some of your listeners.

Pledged to be married ... We have our plans. God has his. What do you do when the two come into contact with each other? This is a practical question for today, just as much as it was for Mary 2,000 years ago.

You who are highly favored! The Lord is with you ... Notice the connection between his favor and his presence. How could it be otherwise? Have you ever talked about the connection between the two?

Mary was greatly troubled at his words ... Mary isn’t the only person who ever found herself troubled by God’s message. You preach to people like that every week.

You will be with child ... Sometimes we enlist in the purposes of God; sometimes we are drafted. Does God have the right to draft us into his service? Simply raising the question is enough to get your congregation’s attention.

How will this be? ... There is a world of difference between asking God “how” and asking him “why.” Your people need to know the difference!

The Holy Spirit will come upon you ... When God answers the “how” question, this is the usual way he starts. How often have you preached on the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives?

For nothing is impossible with God ... You heard him. So did your church. What impossibilities do your people face today?

I am the Lord’s servant ... Even though Mary was drafted, she responds with a willing heart. The secret of a willing heart flows from our identity as servants of God.

Then the angel left her ... There are times when we have angelic help, and there are times when we are on our own. Does your view of modern Christian living include God’s messengers?

Merry Christmas, and preach with power!

Scriptures: Luke 1, Luke 1:26-2:7

Ray Hollenbach (website: Students of Jesus)

View all articles by Ray Hollenbach

Ray Hollenbach helps pastors and churches navigate change. He's the founder of DEEPER Seminars, weekend leadership retreats focused on discipleship in the local church. His newest book is Deeper Grace, a guide to the connection between grace and spiritual maturity. Ray currently lives in central Kentucky, coaching and consulting church leaders. You can visit his blog at Students of Jesus.

Talk about it...

Chet Gladkowski

commented on Dec 13, 2012

Preach it Brother! Many avoid Mary because of Roman teachings, but we need to bring this godly woman into the light as someone who pointed to Jesus with her life, obedience and words. My favorite Mary quote, which are her last recorded words in Scripture, "Do whatever he tells you" - John 2:5. Now you can't argue with that!

Ephrem Hagos

commented on Dec 13, 2012

Mary risked her life by accepting confirmation by the Holy Spirit of the certainty of a virgin's imminent conception. For negligible risks, Christians, on the other hand, are raising proud obstacles against seeing Jesus by the Spirit "go back up to the place where he was before" at his death on the cross. Wow! (John 6: 62-64; 7: 38-39; 8: 21-32; 12: 32-33; 14: 18-21; 19: 30-37)

Gene Cobb

commented on Dec 13, 2012

Wonderful thoughts about Mary. This year for Advent we are using Elizabeth and Mary as the focal point for out messages. Some feel that Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1 make her one of the greatest prophets in the Bible. I tend to agree. Mary is too often overlooked or portrayed as only a "mother figure." She and Elizabeth were for a short time the only two people on earth who knew the Messiah was soon to be born! Mary may also have been the strongest person in the Bible. Her strength and courage in the face of what could have been a death sentence is a example for us all. Prophet or parent, she led the way to Jesus, even with her last recorded words.

Gene Cobb

commented on Dec 13, 2012

Chris Surber

commented on Dec 13, 2012

I love it "Even though Mary was drafted..." Especially as non-Catholics, we place such terribly little emphasis upon Mary's role in the birth account. She just sort of a sweet little foot note. This is a great encouragement.

Leslye Haller

commented on Dec 13, 2012

Last year during my Christmas Eve message, I asked the congregations (especially the mothers) to try to put themselves in Mary's shoes--a young teenaged girl, roughly 14-15 years old, engaged to be married, a pregnant virgin, made pregnant by the Holy Spirit, carrying the Son of God. You think she didn't have to endure scowls, criticism and ridicule? Yet she did it with great joy because of her faith in God. And the birth--nine months pregnant, riding on a donkey on rough terrain. Not a very comfortable situation. And then being in labor and delivering her child in a stable? Worrying about keeping the Christ child warm, dry and safe? And what about diapers? There were no disposables in her day. And the whole time I kept reminding them that she did this with great joy because of her faith in God. How many times has God asked us to do things that are much less of an "imposition" and we turn our backs on Him. And I'm not EVEN talking about what it was like for Joseph! The stories of servitude to God and mankind are countless in the stories of the birth of Christ. We serve a great God! Christmas blessings to all of you!

Benjamin Cole

commented on Dec 14, 2012

I really appreciated this. As we prepare our sermons, we like to be in control, often to the exclusion of other's good input, sadly. So I appreciated how Ray just gave the text and a few suggestions to get the mind thinking in a way that we accept. I am speaking God's words from the Word on the life of Mary, particularly early life and these starters were great. Thanks!