Reading: Luke chapter 1 verses 26-56.
Ill:
• When NASA first started sending up astronauts,
• They quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in 0 gravity.
• To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade;
• And $12 billion developing a pen that writes in zero gravity,
• The pen also wrote upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass;
• And at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300 C.
• The Russians simply used a pencil.
• Quote: ‘Common sense is just not so common!’
Many Christians do not show too much common sense when it comes to Mary the mother of Jesus:
• It seems to me that Christians have always gone to extremes regarding Mary;
• Those who almost worship her, they have an over-emphasis on Mary.
• And those who almost ignore her! They have an under-emphasis on Mary.
(1). An over emphasises.
• This is especially true in the Roman Catholic Church;
• Now I’m not on a Catholic bash this morning – but on this topic they are completely wrong!
• The R.C. Church have a number of beliefs about Mary,
• Which I believe are wrong; they are an over-emphasis because they go beyond this book!
• These beliefs exalt Mary to a place and position;
• That the Bible just does not give her.
• And as a result, they cause us protestants;
• To react by going to the other extreme and almost neglecting her.
Mistake No 1: Mary as Mediatrix:
• This teaching asserts that Mary mediates the salvation that Jesus Christ won on the cross.
• It teaches that none of God’s graces come to us except through Mary.
• People who hold this view teach;
• That without Mary’s submission in the plan of God, there would have been no Jesus;
• No Jesus of course equals no salvation,
• So they would say; Mary is an essential player in the plan of salvation!
• So from this teaching comes the wrong doctrine;
• That asserts that Mary mediates the salvation that Jesus Christ won on the cross.
• This is a classic case of 2+2=5, Human logic and not biblical theology.
• It is not what the Bible teaches at all!
Note:
• The New Testament makes it quite clear (e.g. First Timothy chapter 2 verse 5).
• There is only ‘ONE mediator, between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus’
• He alone is the only one qualified;
• He alone the Bible teaches is our middleman, our umpire, our link with God the Father!
Mistake No 2: Mary as a perpetual virgin:
• Perpetual virgin simply means; Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus;
• And remained a virgin throughout her life.
• This teaching holds the view that;
• Mary never had sexual relations with Joseph after Jesus was born;
• And therefore she never had any more children.
• And so she remained a virgin perpetually (always).
Note: Yet once again if you examine the New Testament;
• It is quite clear that although Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus.
• She did not remain a perpetual virgin afterward the birth of Jesus.
• The Bible clearly shows us that Jesus had brothers and sisters.
• (Luke chapter 8 verse 19; Mark chapter 3 verse 31).
Ill:
• In fact one verse Matthew chapter 13 verse 55:
• Gives to us the four names of Jesus’ brothers ‘James, Joseph, Simon and Judas’
• The verse also uses the word sisters (plural), implying more than one!
• Mary may well have had at least six, maybe more children after Jesus was born.
• The fact that Jesus is called Mary’s ‘firstborn son’ (Luke chapter 2 verse 7);
• Would again suggest she had more children!
Mistake No 3: Mary and her Immaculate conception:
• This teaching is that Mary had no sin like other human beings.
• The logic being
• That in order to give birth to Jesus, who was perfect,
• In some way she had to be perfect herself.
• Unfortunately the same logic is not applied to the mother of Mary also needing to be perfect!
• i.e. Her mother etc etc etc.
Note:
• Once again the New Testament makes it very clear that this teaching is wrong;
• Romans chapter 3 verse 23; “For ALL have sinned”,
• The Bible clearly teaches that only three people have ever been without sin on planet earth;
• Two were created sinless Adam & Eve & One was born sinless Jesus Christ.
Mistake No 4: Mary and her Assumption:
• This teaching (declared 1950 by the R.C. Church) says;
• That Mary did not die like other people, but was taken directly into heaven.
• The idea is that if Mary was conceived without sin,
• Then death had no claim on her;
• And so instead of dying like all human beings.
• God took her; she was taken to heaven in a unique way.
Note: Once again there is no biblical basis for this teaching:
• It is purely built on Roman Catholic ideology and not the Bible!
• Bible teaches only one person was born sinless, lived a sinless life & died a sinless death!
(2). An under emphasis.
• Mary is a much under emphasised character among evangelical Christians.
• Question: How many sermons have you heard on Mary?
Ill:
• Preachers are happy to teach about other biblical mothers;
• Such as; Sarah – Isaac’s mother, or Rachel – Joseph’s mother,
• Or Jochebed – Moses mother or Hannah –Samuel’s mother etc etc
• But when it comes to Mary the mother of Jesus, we back away, in dread of worshipping her!
Just look at how the word of God describes the great woman:
(a).
• Luke chapter 1 verse 28:
• “Highly favoured of the Lord”.
• Old Latin version reads ‘gratiae plena’; Meaning “full of grace”
• God has chose her above all women to receive the worlds greatest gift – his son.
(b).
• Luke chapter 1 verse 30:
• “Found favour with God”.
• Those descriptions alone mark out Mary as being unique.
• And deserving a respect and a greater prominence than so often we do not give her.
Ill:
• Don’t forget every parent helps shape the;
• Personality, intelligence and mental health of their offspring.
• Ill: We often say when we see troubled children; “I blame the patents”.
• Ill: And we congratulate parents when we see well brought up children.
• Mary would be no different in the development of human nature of Jesus!
• & when the living God chose this teenager he chose someone who would parent his son!
4 things we know about Mary
(1). She was a Jewess.
• Mary was a Jewess of the tribe of Judah,
• A descendent of David.
This information is actually very important because:
• Matthew in his gospel traces the Jewish ancestry of Jesus through Joseph;
• Joseph was the earthly step-father of Jesus (his legal but not literal father).
• But his ancestry provided a problem for Jesus;
• In fact it disqualified him from making a claim to the throne of David.
Ill:
• The prophet Jeremiah (chapter 22 verses 28-30) had declared that;
• No king in Israel could be a descendent of King Jehoiachin.
• And in Matthew chapter 1 verse 12 we are told that Jeconiah or Jehoiachin;
• Was in the linage of Joseph and so this would have disqualified Jesus in making a claim.
But Dr Luke in his gospel traces the Lord’s genealogy from Mary’s (his physical) mothers side:
• Where we see that Jesus is a qualified descendant of David through Mary,
• He was born of her flesh (and not Joseph’s i.e. conceived by the Holy Spirit).
• So it is through Mary that Jesus is qualified as a descendent of David.
• And so he is able to be a fulfilment of prophecy and to qualify as the Messiah.
(2). She was virgin.
• Mary is famous of course for the virgin birth;
• Or more accurately,
• The conception of Jesus while she was still a virgin.
• She conceived in a miraculous way! Not through sexual intercourse but via the Holy Spirit!
IN THE NARRATIVE BEFORE US WE SEE TWO INSIGHTS TO THIS EVENT:
(a). The human witness of Mary & Joseph:
• Quote Luke chapter 1 verse 34:
• "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
• When Mary encountered this angelic visitor;
• She is believed to be between thirteen and fifteen years old.
• It is very evident by her reaction that she is shocked.
• She was aware that she had never had sexual relations with a man.
• And so she is well aware that it was impossible for her to be pregnant.
• And so she informs the angel of this fact.
• So the human witness of Mary & Joseph is one of shock;
• Because they know the pregnancy is not down to them!
(2). The Divine witness:
• The gospel records make it quite clear;
• That the Holy Spirit is responsible for the impregnation of Mary (Mathew 1:18, 20, Luke 1:35).
• And this was achieved via a miracle;
• It did not occur through a sexual act but a miraculous act.
• Question: How did it happen?
• Answer: God! (Divine act! We just do not know!)
• Some say you need a lot of faith to believe that.
• Actually you just need a lot of God (not how big your faith but how big is your God!)
• Ill: If we (human scientists) can almost create life in a test tube.
• Why cannot God create life in a woman’s womb?
(3). She was from Nazareth:
• Nazareth was a small insignificant village in Galilee.
• It was a place of contempt!
• Remember the words of Nathaniel (John chapter 1 verses 46;
• “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
• Yet out of this no-place, and from the womb of a nobody;
• Would come the eternal Son of God!
(4). She was poor.
• If you look at the offerings that they made in Luke chapter 2 verse 24,
• The offering was in connection with ‘The Purification after Childbirth’.
• A woman was expected to bring a lamb and a pigeon (Leviticus chapter 12 verse 8).
• If a person could not afford a lamb they were permitted to bring two pigeons.
• This was technically called ‘The Offering of the Poor’.
• This is what Mary & Joseph bought to the Temple (Luke chapter 2 verse 24).
(2). A QUICK LOOK AT THE NARRATIVE:
Mary's surrender (verses 34-48).
(1). A question asked (verse 34).
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
• When Mary is told by the angelic being she is to have a child;
• She responds like most of us would with a question:
• Mary knew WHAT would happen – she would have a baby.
• But she did not know HOW it would happen – it was beyond understanding.
• Her question in verse 34 was not an evidence of unbelief;
• Rather, it was an expression of faith.
• She believed the promise,
• But she did not understand the outworking of that promise.
• She knew that it was impossible for a virgin give birth to a child?
• So she responds with a question of believing faith not a question of doubt.
(2). An answer given (verses 35-37)
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. 36Even 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. 37For nothing is impossible with God."
• In response to Mary’s question;
• The angel Gabriel says three things to her.
FIRST:
• Gabriel explained that this would be a miracle,
• The work of the Holy Spirit of God.
• Joseph, her betrothed, would not be the father of Mary’s child,
• But the step-father.
• Until the age of thirty; and even during his earthly ministry;
• Jesus would be legally identified and recognised by the people as the son of Joseph.
• His real identity would be hid;
• Until the time was right in God’s sight (His baptism “This is my son”)
SECOND:
• Gabriel was careful to point out that the Baby would be a "holy thing";
• And would not share the sinful human nature of humanity.
• He was born of ‘The Holy Spirit’
• And therefore he would be holy!
• The bible clearly teaches that Jesus knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21),
• He did no sin (1 Peter 2:22), And He had no sin (1John 3:5).
THIRD:
The angel ended his message by giving Mary a word of encouragement:
• Her aged relative Elisabeth was also with a miraculous child,
• If you know the story she fell pregnant in her old age.
• In telling Mary this, God was proving to her that
• ‘That' with God nothing shall be impossible."
• And he was also showing to her that she had an earthly allies,
• Someone she could go to who would both believe and support her!
(3). A response declared (verse 38).
“I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."
Then the angel left her”.
Mary responded to this mind-blowing news by submitting herself to God as His servant:
• This was an incredible response;
• Remember she was only a teenage girl!
• A girl who could if Joseph wanted too, be accused of adultery.
• And have to face all the shame and hurt and rejection that, that could involve!
• And even if Joseph did accepted her,
• Accusations of indecency would always follow her the rest of her life;
• From now on her reputation was shot!
• As far as her community was concerned she was damaged goods!
What we have in this story are two perspectives of Mary on view in this story.
• From God’s perspective:
• She was ‘highly favoured’, a chosen instrument.
• From mankind’s perspective:
• She was a foolish pregnant teenage girl, an embarrassment & shame to her family.
• Incredibly Mary responds to this daunting situation;
• By submitting herself to God and trusting in him to lead the way!
Quote William Barclay:
“The world’s most common prayer is ‘Thy will be changed’.
Mary prayed the world’s greatest prayer; ‘Thy will be done!’”.
(4). A song composed (verses 46-56).
• From a human viewpoint this song would have to be ‘the blues;’
• A song talking about her hard and demanding situation.
• Instead this is a song of joy, a song of praise; a song of worship.
• Why because Mary is walking in the will of God and trusting fully in God.
• She believed that the will of God is not a chain that shackled us;
• Rather, it is a key that opened doors and set us free.
Mary's song is saturated in the Old Testament Scriptures:
• Mary knew her Bible; she had hid God's word in her heart.
• That is one reason why she could trust him.
• She had hid God's word in her heart.
• And now she will turn it into a song.
• This song is called "The Magnificat"
• Because the Latin translation of verse 46 ("Magnificat anima mea Dominwn." )
• Mary’s great desire in the song is to magnify the Lord and not herself.
• Eight times she uses the phrase ‘He has’ or ‘He hath’;
I see three distinct sections in this song of praise.
• First there is Mary's expression of what she feels in her heart (verses 46 and 47),
• Namely joy. Verse 46: She rejoices in “God my Saviour”
• Second, she mentions what God has done specifically for her as an individual;
• Verses 48 and 49: “Mighty one has done great things for me”.
• Third, she spends most of the time describing the way God is in general.
• Eight times she uses the phrase ‘He has’ or ‘He hath’;
I suggest that is the same three responses our hearts should have this morning:
• First: We are focussed on God and not ourselves!
• His Son, his plan of salvation!
• Second: We are in awe that that plan and his Son relates to us as individuals.
• “The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me!”
• Third: We are here to give to God the expressions of our hearts!
• In praise and thanksgiving we too rejoices in “God my Saviour”
