“What Mary did not know”
December 10, 2017
Christmas series
I am sure that I am not alone when I say
Sometimes I make things up as I go
I am often not a good planner
And I often don’t communicate may plans well
But
When I am going with someone else’s plan
I want to know every detail
When are we leaving
When will we get there
How much is it going to cost
Who is involved
What do we hope to accomplish?
And the like
I am once again
Sure
That I am not alone in this area
We go along with the plans of others best
When we know the plans
Right?
But
When we are dealing with someone we truly trust
Less information is required
If someone in my life
Has gained my trust
My respect
My loyalty
They can simply say
I need you
Let’s go
And I will go
Once again
I am sure some of you can identify with me on this
Today in preparation for Christmas
We are beginning a very short series on the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
We will look at Mary and her response to the news of the coming birth today
Then tonight at the community service we will take a look at the meaning of Jesus’s
birth
Life
Ministry
Death and resurrection
And his promise of eternity for us
Next week we will look at the hardships Mary and Joseph faced along the way to Bethlehem
And then the following week
Christmas eve
We will celebrate the birth of Jesus
With our traditional candle light service
At our 10:30 service
Please try to attend all the services
And join us as we learn more about this miraculous birth
Today
I am going to use a slant
Of the song
“Mary did you know”
This song was written in 1984 by unknown song writer Mark Lowery
And first recorded in 1991 by artist Michael Green
Has quickly become a favorite Christmas song
For millions
My self-included
Ironically
The Gather Gospel band refused to sing it
Stating the title and lyrics
Would be more correct if it said
Mary do you know ?
Instead of Mary did you know
And that is where I want to go today
What Mary
Did not know
Please open your bibles to the Gospel of Luke
Chapter 1
I am going to read a very recognizable passage of scripture to you
If you grew up in church
Or have even been to church on Christmas
You have likely heard this passage of scripture
Today
It is my desire to take a deeper look and apply that look to our lives
Luke Chapter 1
Beginning in verse 26- 35
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings,[d] favored woman! The Lord is with you![e]”
29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel[f] forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
Mary
Just a young girl
Engaged to be married to a common man
Living a poor life
In an area of Galilee that was typically looked down on by the rest of the Jewish people
Is being given
Part of a great plan
Just a small part
There is so much she does not know
So much she does not understand
And so much she will come to know and understand in the years to follow
But for now
I want to look at what she did not know
Mary did not know that her baby boy
Would one day walk on water
She did not know that her son would save our sons and daughters
She did not know that her child would come to make all things new
Mary did not know
That Jesus
Emmanuel
Would
Turn the water into wine
That he would heal the blind
The deaf
The dumb
Those who were lame and afflicted
She did not know that he would cleanse the leapers
Stop the bleeding of a woman who has suffered so many years
Mary did not know
That Her baby boy would one day
Forgive sins
Calm the storms
Cast out demons
Raise the dead back to life
She did not know that he would feed thousands with just a few fish and loaves
Mary did not know
That Her son would offer forgiveness to the outcast
The woman at the well
Or the one caught in adultery
Mary had no idea that Jesus would stand the religious world on its head
And upset the entire apple cart
She did not know that he could heal with just a word
Or a touch
Mary did not know that he would teach with authority in the temple even from a very early age
Or that he would clear that temple twice with a whip as he chased out the one who were dishonoring his Father
Maty did not know
That her son
The new born baby
Would one-day rule the Nations
She did not know that he came to die for the sins of the world
Including hers
She ddi not know he would be rejected
And abused
She did not know he would suffer and die
She did not know he would face the trials
In silence
She did not know
That once the life had left his body
That the grave could not hold him
She did not know that
He was coming back to get us
And we would rule and reign with him in the new heaven and new earth
There was so much that Mary did not know
She currently had just a small piece of the [plan
And that is what makes this whole thing even more amazing
Had she known these things
It would come as no surprise that she would willingly accept the plan
Step out in faith
But these things she did not yet know
Let’s talk for a moment about what she did know
She knew she was just a poor young woman
She knew she was engaged to a common man
A simple carpenter
She knew she was a virgin
She had never had sexual relations with anyone
And now Because the Arch Angle Gabriel told her so
She knew she was going to give birth to a child
She knew the prospects of unmarried pregnant women in that society were grim
She knew he future husband could reject her
She knew she could end up out cast
Or worse
Even stoned for her implied infidelity
She knew that this could be the end of her young life
And here is the amazing part
With just a small part of the plan
Just a tidbit a jot and a tittle the King James bible says
She accepted the plan
Embraced the plan
And
She rejoiced in it
Turn back to Luke 1 with me
Luke 1:38
38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
She knew
That this pregnancy would change her life
She knew it might not be for the better
And even still
She believed Gabriel
She accepted his word
And in my mind
I see her
Jumping for joy
Yelling for all to hear
Ok Gabriel
Ok God
I’m in
May everything you said come true
Bring it on
I’m ready
Lets pick back up in verse 39 and read down to verse 55 and then come back for life application
39 A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town 40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. 43 Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? 44 When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
46 Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
50 He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
52 He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
54 He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Listen
We know from scripture that God has a plan for each of us
We also know that he knows that [plan
And we know as well ,that we can choose to be a part of his plan
We can choose to be used by him
To accomplish his master plan
But
We also know his plan will proceed
His plan will succeed with or without our involvement
And that when we choose not to be involved
We are the ones who lose out
I feel very safe in saying
If God was to write out in detail
Or show us a picture
Or a video
Of the plan for our lives
If he was to show us
The blessings
The rewards
The lives that could be changed by our embracing of the plan
If he could show us the scenes from our choosing the right paths
We would willingly
Step up to the plate
And say
Ok God
Let’s go on and go if were going
But that is not how God works
He wants us Like Mary
To trust in his plan even when we can’t see all of it or understands it
God gives us Just enough information to cause us to make a choice
Just enough information to decide if we will
Trust in him
And his plan
Or trust in ourselves
And our own plan
Are you willing to step out?
With the information you have
And
Fully trust in God and his plan
Even though
You don’t have all of the plan
Maybe you don’t even understand all of the plan
Mary knew about the Messiah
She knew she needed a savior
She knew the world was waiting on That Savior
She did not fully understand that she would be the one to give birth to him
She did not fully understand all the in’s and outs
All of the plan
And still she cried
I am blessed
And I am in
I can tell you honestly
I don’t know Gods plan my life
And I certainly don’t know his plan for yours
What I do know is the beginning of the plan
And the ending of the plan
The rest is up to you
And your response to each part of his personal plan for you
As it is revealed to you
God’s plan starts with salvation
He does not want any to be lost
And it ends with glorification
It starts with rebirth
And ends with New life
Eternal life
The blessing that come in the middle are all up to you
Close from the heart
Pray
