Reasons to Rejoice!
[Background to Mary’s Praise] Luke 1:26-45 26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 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. 36 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. 37 For nothing is impossible with God." 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. 39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
Luke 1:46-56 46 And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers." 56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Intro: Christmas is a favorite time of year for many people around the world. Some people look forward to the lights and the parties and the presents. Many others celebrate it for what it really represents- the birth of the Savior of the world. However, there are many people who, although they know and love Jesus, they do not especially enjoy Christmas time.
* Many of you are living with major disappointment
* Some of you are in the middle of relationship problems
* Some are processing devastating health news
* My guess is that some of you have no idea how you’re going to afford Christmas
* Many of you wonder if your prodigal child will ever return
* A handful of you can’t stand your job but feel trapped
* Some of you just feel really sad * A few of you can’t sleep at night
* Others are overwhelmed by life * Perhaps someone close to you has died
* For some of you, your anger is eating you up
* Maybe you feel like you’ll never be loved
-For many, Christmas is not a time they feel like celebrating.
-Perhaps Mary had some struggles over her situation. What did Mary, who was or soon would be pregnant out of wedlock, have to praise the Lord for or to rejoice over? How would she get past the knowing looks and local gossips she would face once people knew she was pregnant? What would Joseph think about her becoming pregnant without ever being with a man? I believe Mary was an honest person who only spoke what was in her heart. She had reason to rejoice because she knew how awesome and loving God was and is and that He had directed His favor to her!
Prop: If we will learn to focus on the Lord instead of our circumstances, we will find many reasons to rejoice!
Interrogative: What does Mary say about who God is that should make us want to rejoice with her?
TS: Let’s take a look at 5 reasons to rejoice.
I. Rejoice because we have a Savior (Luke 1:46-47)
46And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
-In Luke 1:31, the angel Gabriel told Mary, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus (or Yeshua in Hebrew). Yeshua means Yahweh saves or Savior. Matthew explains his name in Matt. 1:21. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus (Yeshua), because he will save his people from their sins." So, when Mary responded to Elizabeth and said, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” she recognized that God’s plan of salvation had been put into action. The promised Messiah was on the way, and she would be used by God to bring the Savior into this world.
-God had been Israel’s Savior throughout history. If Mary was speaking in Hebrew at the time (which was quite likely), she would have said that her spirit rejoices in “Elohe Yeshua” (God my Savior).
-Does your spirit rejoice in Jesus and in the salvation He brings? He is our salvation! Why is there such a thing as Christmas? What was so significant about the birth of Jesus that the whole world eventually took notice? Most of the world stops and celebrates this day in one way or another. Businesses close and families gather together – even if they do not know the significance of Christ’s birth. The significance of Christmas is that God’s salvation came into the world as an innocent, helpless little baby. They called Him Yeshua (YHWH saves), because He would save the people from their sins.
-Let me say this today. You do not want to leave this life without a Savior. It is hard enough to try to live this life without a Savior! The good news is that you don’t have to do either. You can live this life with Jesus as your Savior, and when the time comes, you can leave this life to be with Jesus your Savior.
-If you have already been forgiven and saved from your sins, then you have every reason to join Mary in her rejoicing. “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior (Elohe Yeshua). If you have not yet asked God to be your Savior and forgive all of the wrong you’ve done, I really hope you will do that before this day is over, and we will all rejoice with you.
-TS: What else caused Mary to rejoice?
II. Rejoice because God Notices the Unnoticed (48)
48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed
-This has to do w/ humility and the willingness to be small in the eyes of man in order to be great in the eyes of God. Mary said, “God my Savior, has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.”
-It would appear that in many ways there was nothing extraordinary about Mary. She was a young girl, probably from the working class (At the very least she married a blue collar worker, a carpenter). Yet her status (or lack thereof) did not define her humble state as much as her heart and her attitude. She was one who had humbled herself before God and was willing to do whatever He asked her. So God knew He could trust Mary to take care of His only Son when He would be the most vulnerable. God looked down and saw a humble, hardworking, trustworthy girl, whom others likely did not notice.
-Have you ever felt overlooked? Have you ever felt like other people just looked right past you to someone or something more important?
-One of the reasons we can rejoice today is because God does not overlook the little people (which we all are). In fact, God does not overlook little places. Nazareth, where the angel appeared to Mary, was a town about the size of Elgin with anywhere from 500 to 2000 people. God wants to do something big in our little town, and invites us to get on board with Him and let Him do it through us!
-Maybe you are not all that excited about this Christmas season because you feel a bit overlooked or lonely during this time. Let me assure you that you are loved by God, and by your church family. I hope it brings comfort to you, that God knows where you live. God knows all about you. You are not too insignificant for God to notice. In fact, He has great plans for you, just like He has great plans for Mary. Obviously, your plan will be different from hers, but God wants to do great things for you and through you. Will you let Him use you to accomplish something great in His kingdom?
-TS: That leads us to the next reason to rejoice:
III. Rejoice because God Does Great Things for Us! (49)
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.
-No doubt Mary was talking about what the angel Gabriel had told her about becoming the mother of the Messiah. We know this because of the words that come before this: “From now on all generations will call me blessed.” Why would all generations call Mary blessed? Because she would give birth to the Messiah, the anointed One who would bring salvation to the Jews. God does great things for His people!
-As a parent, I love to do things that bring joy to my kids! I enjoy doing anything I can to bless our little girls. You should have heard me babbling like an idiot just to get a little tiny smile out of Noelle. Where do parents get that? I think we get it from our heavenly Father. He wants to do great things for us, if we’ll allow Him to.
-Here is something to think about. If nothing is impossible with God, then how big are you willing to dream? Do you dare to dream what is in God’s heart for you? What is in God’s heart for your life and your family? What is in God’s heart for your church, your community? From what I’ve seen and heard, less than 20% of our community is in church each week. Folks, I believe that it is in God’s heart for us to reach that other 80% of our community. It is in God’s heart for us to become relevant to well over 1000 people out there, who apparently believe that churches do not have the answers they are seeking.
-God wants to do great things in and through His children, and as He does, we will be singing and rejoicing like Mary: “The mighty one has done great things for us!” He has provided a Savior for us, he has noticed us, and He has included us in His plan! Holy is His name!
IV. Rejoice because God’s Mercy Is Available to Us (50)
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
-Fearing God means respecting Him, honoring Him, and realizing that He is holy and we are not. But as we just saw, we can be holy because of His mercy. Once we gain the understanding that God is absolutely holy, it should strike a sense of fear and awe in us so much so that we fall on our faces before Him and ask Him for mercy. Our sin is an offense to a holy God. That is why we need a forgiver. We need God to change us and do away with our sins so that we can come near Him.
Psalm 103:11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
-God’s mercy is available to all who fear Him and are willing to call upon Him. This wasn’t just a onetime thing for the people who lived during the time of Jesus. His mercy extends from generation to generation.
V. Rejoice because God Helps the Humble and Needy (51-55)
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."
-Most of us are sensitive enough to at least be outwardly humble. When someone starts saying too many nice things about you, what do you do? You probably do what I do, and start brushing off the praise, because you don’t want to appear to be proud or arrogant.
-But what about our inmost thoughts? Do you ever struggle in your inmost thoughts with things like pride? What kind of pride are we talking about here? This is the kind of pride that overlooks the part God plays in all of your successes. This kind of pride says, “I really handled that well. I’m really something. People should take more notice of me and all that I can do. This world is sure lucky to have me in it.”
-We would never say any of those things except in jest, but sometimes these sneaky little thoughts start creeping into our hearts and minds. It is one thing to do a job well and be pleased with it. It is another thing entirely to want all the credit (even secretly) for the gifts that God has placed in us. God is not pleased with those who are proud. In fact, we read in James that God resists or opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
-Mary was humble, and quite possibly could have been poor. She may have been acquainted with hunger at times in her short life. Regardless, she paints a contrast between those who seem to have it all together in the world, and those who have learned to go without. This is a familiar theme in the ministry of Jesus as well. Jesus opposed the proud, but was gentle and gracious with those whose lives had been broken. Luke tells us that Jesus did not come to help those who did not think they needed it. Rather, Jesus came to serve and help those in need. In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus read from Isaiah and applied it to Himself: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." While on earth, it was the mission of Jesus to help those who were humble and in need.
-Now, we can find humility in one of two ways. We can find humility through circumstance or surrender. God will help us find humility, but it works a whole lot better when we humble ourselves through surrender. Forced humility is not quite as pleasant as willful submission. God wants us to recognize how utterly dependent we are on Him. When we humble ourselves before God, He will fill us with good things, He will lift us up, and He will be merciful to us.
Conclusion: As we close, here again is a list of reasons to rejoice: We have a Savior! God Notices the Unnoticed – those whom others may overlook. God does great things for us! God’s Mercy Is Available to Us! God Helps the Humble and Needy!
-Maybe you have a need today. Maybe you need a change in your life. Maybe you need a change in your heart. Maybe you need a Savior, someone to forgive you. Perhaps you could use some encouragement. The angels told the shepherds, “We bring you good news of great joy, which shall be to all people.” Whatever your need is today, Jesus is willing to help you if you ask Him to.
-As we close in prayer, will you talk to the Lord and ask Him to help you be the person He created you to be? Every step you take in that direction will be a cause for rejoicing. And the Bible says that “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10 If you need to make things right with God today and come clean with Him, there will be rejoicing and happiness in your heart, in this church, and in heaven!
-O Come, O Come, Emanuel... Rejoice, Rejoice! Emanuel has come to thee, O Israel!
