Luke 1:38, 46-56
Intro: (audio of Roosevelt’s speech: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”)
Last week we remembered the 7th of December. It was a day that started like any other for many people, and ended up a day that changed the course of our nation’s history.
Do you remember a day that changed your life? Some of you do. Some of you remember the date, what you were wearing, who was with you. You weren’t planning it. It may have been a great thing, it may have been a tragedy, but there was a day for some of you that you look back at and say, “That day changed my entire life.” Up to that point, things were moving along, fairly stable. You got out of bed, started your day like usual. Your life was pretty uncomplicated, then BAM it all gets changed. Good news, bad news, accident, promotion, met somebody, lost somebody, whatever – how many of you have had a day like that? (a lot)
When you consider how many people have been there and done that, you might want to know what to do about it when it comes. How do you handle a day like that, where your entire life is disrupted?
This morning I want to point you to the day when that happened to Mary. Mary went from zero to hero in one visit, on a day she had no idea that her entire future would change. She went from being a nobody, peasant girl in the no-account village of Nazareth, to being a front line element of the most significant event in all of human history. How do you handle the upheaval of your entire life? Let’s take a look at the life of Mary, and since she was “expecting,” I want to suggest what we should be expecting in order to handle it as gracefully as she did.
I. Expect Change
Mary was an engaged girl, probably a teenager. Sometime within the next year, she and Joseph were to be married. Life was shaping up pretty well. Now doubt, she had made plans for her future like any other engaged girl. They weren’t going to be rich from a carpenter’s income, but Joseph was a good man, and they loved each other dearly. She was going about her day, like she normally would. Then Gabriel appears – Gabriel, God’s messenger,
Luke 1:30-33
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."
“This can’t be! How? I’m a virgin! These kinds of things don’t happen.“
Now, Mary may not understand, but she believes it. To help her understand how God is in control of such things, the angel tells her that her old cousin Elizabeth is 6 months pregnant. Elizabeth, who could never have children, was with child. Nothing is impossible with God.
Right away she travels to see Elizabeth. Sure enough, Elizabeth, way past the age of having children, is already past that awkward stage in pregnancy where people are hesitant to ask if you’re expecting. When Mary comes in the house and says her “Shalom,” the baby inside Elizabeth reacts too, and Elizabeth is filled with the HS and affirms everything the angel had said. It’s just one more way that God is confirming what He has told Mary. She’s going to bear the Messiah. Her life is never going to be the way it was before.
Let’s read her response. It’s often called “The Magnifcat” from the Latin word for “magnifiy”:
Luke 1:46-56 (NIV)
And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Mary was expecting when God came with a special assignment for her, but not just a baby. She was expecting changes…
1. Changes for her
This whole pregnancy and birth meant change for Mary. Sure enough, would we even know who she was if God hadn’t chosen her for this task? I doubt it. In one way, she went from being someone insignificant in her own eyes to being one of the most significant people of all times. God’s going to enter the world, and He’s going to spend His first 9 months in your womb! That’s pretty significant! Mary knew the presence of Jesus in her life before anyone else saw Him. Every time the child moved, she’d be reminded that God was visiting us, and that she was the channel of His entry.
Sometimes I think we’ve lost the view that Mary had. God sends the messages that we’re called to be used by Him for significant tasks. We get to thinking that our existence is nothing particularly important. I’m here to tell you that, unless you’re making yourself available to be used by God for something of eternal significance, that’s true. But if God is using you to bring about changes that will last forever, that’s pretty significant. Mary understood this about herself. God came to visit, and that changed her life forever. She also understood it was bigger than just her…
2. Changes for mankind
Why all the flowery speech? Why’d she use all the inclusive words in her prayer of praise – generations, rulers, Israel, Abraham and his descendents? Because Jesus’ entrance into the world means changes for the world. That’s why we get carols that say, “Joy to the world…” “Peace on earth…” “Joyful, all ye nations rise!”
Good for Mary! She realized the significance of Jesus’ arrival went way beyond just her! With all the personal change this meant for her, I find it amazing that she was able to think about the wonder of how it affected the world.
To many people, Jesus is all about ME. You know – what do I need to do to get to heaven? What does my life need to be fulfilled? What does Jesus’ entrance into the world mean for ME? That’s OK, but it’s bigger than that. When God calls on us to be used by Him for something, the focus needs to be not just on ourselves, but on the way He’s looking to touch other people too. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God laid out beforehand in order that we should walk in them.
Ever since the beginning of creation, God has had this plan in place. He’s changing the course of history, and He’s always using people to do it. It makes it a lot easier to handle change when we approach God’s visit with that in mind.
Mary’s attitude toward God’s plan wasn’t that it was just something to tolerate. Her prayer reads more like a Psalm. When God comes to visit, it’s appropriate to speak words of praise. That’s what she chose to do. She understood and expected that there would be change – good change for not just her, but the entire world. Expect that when God calls you for special service, it will mean changes in your life. We need to also…
II. Expect Challenges
Being chosen for special use by God can be a real blessing. Israel was chosen, as a nation, to be the people through whom Jesus would come. There was a lot of blessing to being an Israelite. It wasn’t because they deserved it more than other people. It was simply because God chose to use them. God called Abraham to start a nation, and just like that they’re the chosen race – the people through whom all the families of the world would be blessed.
The calling has its perks, but more often, it has its pokes. When God calls you to something significant for Him, hang on. It’s not just about notoriety and glory. More often, it’s about blood, sweat and tears…
Noah. I’m calling you for a special assignment. I’m going to save the human race through you, and all the land animals too. You’ll be famous! Your story will be one children will learn from their youngest ages. Oh, and you’ll have to spend bookoo years building an ark to hold all the animals.
Abraham. I’m going to make a great nation of you. You’ll become great, and all the families of the world will be blessed by you. Oh, and you’ll have to leave your homeland and live as a nomad the rest of your life without owning any land to really call your own. Your faith is also going to be tested like crazy.
Moses. You’re the man I’m going to use to free my people from Egypt. Oh, and you’ll have to go through some pretty uncomfortable times. You’ll have to put up with a lot of grumblers.
Job. You’re a shining example of faithfulness. I’m going to prove to Satan just how powerful a heart devoted to Me can be. Oh, and you’ll be losing everything you own, your children, and your health all real soon.
Ezekiel. I’m going to use you to deliver a message from Me to My wayward people. Oh, I’m also going to have you endure the death of your wife, and I’m going to insist that, when she does die, you go on like nothing has happened.
Hosea. You’re going to talk to Israel about the way they’ve wandered off from Me. Oh, and to illustrate that, I’m going to have you marry a woman who will leave you and become a prostitute, and you’ll have to go buy her back.
Paul. I’m calling you to bear My message before famous and important people. Oh, and by the way, you’re going to go through beatings, riots, shipwrecks, and a lot of pressure and anxiety for Me. In fact, you’ll reach a point in life where you’ll say “to die would be so much better.”
Mary, you’ve been called for special assignment. You’ll bear the incarnation of God into the world. You’ll be mother to the Messiah while He’s here on earth. Oh, and by the way, you won’t be able to explain your pregnancy. In fact, most people are going to assume the worst about you and your family. Then, you’ll be responsible for the nurturing and educating of the Son of God. The proper upbringing of Jesus will depend on you. And you’ll love Him, and be close to Him, closer than most other people, and then one day your heart will be cruelly broken because of Him.
Being called for special operations in the service of the King isn’t all about honors and glory. It’s also about challenges that can cut you to your very core.
Ill - There’s a kind of special assignment spelled out in Tolkien’s Lord of the Ring trilogy. Someone had to take a ring, the ring of power, to the fires of Mordoor and throw it in to destroy it. It was the only way to save the race of man. It was huge task, and it fell on, of all people, a little Hobbit named Frodo Baggins. He was chosen to bear the ring on the journey to destroy it. It was an important task. The ring itself had destroyed the lives of many. And there were many others, power-hungry and bloodthirsty who were searching for the ring to take it. It’s likely the bearer of the ring won’t return from the journey. Time and time again, it nearly costs Frodo his life and the lives of those around him. It’s a huge burden to carry.
(clip from the movie – Frodo:. “I wish the ring had never come to me I wish none of this had ever happened …”Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is how to use the time that is given to you.”)
So, what do you say on the day that the messenger comes to you with the news that you’ve been called – that your world is going to be completely changed? How do you respond to the news that you’ve been selected for “Special Ops” in the Lord’s army?
• You’re now a widow. Are you ready to use your singleness to honor Me?
• It’s triplets. Are you ready to be responsible for getting those kids into contact with Me?
• I’ve given you a compassionate heart. Are you ready to share the pain of desperate people?
• You’re going to the mission field. Are you ready to leave everything to take My message?
• I’m giving you a difficult friend. You’re the one who will reach him. Are you ready?
• It’s cancer. Are you ready to show my strength in the midst of your weakening body?
• You’re getting a promotion that’s going to put you over hundreds of people. Are you ready to be responsible as a leader in the business world and to make a difference for Me there?
• I’m giving you insight. The thing is, it’s not just for you. Do you accept the load of sharing it and putting it to use for my Church?
Fill in the names. They’re real life situations. Some people look at them and wonder why God allows them to happen. I want help us today to look at them and understand they’re an assignment. Expect challenges.
When Gabriel gives the message to Mary, there’s no apology for all the challenge it would include. Our very human, very American side asks, “What right does God have to let this happen to me?” The proper question to ask is, “How will God use this for good?”
Learning to expect challenges, rather than expecting to be overthrown by them, will make the difference between tragedies and success stories.
III. Expect Choices
This special assignment stuff sounds like a bad deal. “You mean, God lets stuff happen to us, and we’re just supposed to be OK with that? That doesn’t sound very American!”
But look deeper and you’ll see that we are also given choices.
Mary had some choices in this.
She could have said:
1. Nope. Not going to do this. This wasn’t on my list of things to do today. Now, that’s a foolish answer when something hard is happening to you. Denial doesn’t make it go away. Still, it’s the answer that many people make when called to carry a special assignment.
2. OK. Here’s my terms. We’re going to do this thing my way. I’ll go along with it, but I get to say how it’s going to go. Have you ever seen someone taking this approach? “Alright, I’ll be the main way that Mr. Grumpy Pants over here is going to be introduced to Jesus, but I’m going to decide when and how that’s going to happen.” A lot of special missions have been lost because of accepting the assignment without accepting the conditions it includes.
3. OK. But I don’t have to like it. This approach to accepting the call is really not accepting it all. It’s a choice – the choice of misery.
I’ve always liked the insights of the Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl.
Quote - "We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. …they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
No matter where we find ourselves, to what we’re called - even if we seem thrust into a situation – we always have the choice of our attitude toward it all. “It is not our place to decide what comes to us, but rather to decide what to do with it.”
Mary’s very first response to the announcement that she was chosen for the challenges of the special assignment was the very thing we ought to say:
Luke 1:38 "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said."
Conclusion:
Now, it’s time to apply this to you and me.
What do you say when you’re really no-one special and God puts you up in the driver’s seat of His biggest plans and says, “I’m counting on you!” He did that to Mary. Today, if you’re a Christ-follower, He has done that to you too.
Generations would say “Mary is a VIP. She bore Christ into the world!” Will they say that about you? Jesus said that’s what you and I are supposed to do – to make disciples of all nations.
Unexpectedly, Mary would have God inside her! So can you! Jesus said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” Later, Paul would call your hope of glory “Christ in you.”
For the rest of her life, Mary would be known as a family member of Jesus. You can too!
Hebrews 2:11 (NIV) - Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
I wonder who God is choosing. Maybe that should be, I wonder how God is choosing. He has already chosen every one of you for salvation. God made His choice. He has called you. Now, it’s your choice. How will you answer?
