Culver Community Church
Pastor Chris Sweeney
Sermon Notes
December 09, 2018
Luke 1:28-56 A Christmas Song (Magnificent)
{vs. 28-29} The first thing we see as we begin to set the scene for Mary’s song is that the angel (probably Gabriel) has come to a young (very young – teenage) girl named Mary. This was a totally unexpected visit, it was not on her calendar, her relative Elizabeth had not given her a “heads up” and her life was going on as usual when out of the blue, everything changed (forever!) Secondly, we see the angel’s greeting or the opening of God’s message to her. What a wonderful thing to hear – you (individually, not your family, nation or circle of friends) are favored by God (highly favored), in fact God is with you! In those days (O.T. days) God’s favor came upon a person that He was to use, but it also went just as often – but God did not “Hang around” with people. It was believed that God was stern and judgmental – the enforcer of His law and to experience or see Him would be deadly. Even Moses – the most highly esteemed of Jews was only permitted to see the ‘backside’ – a tiny portion of who God is! This helps to explain why Mary was troubled - God is with me!?!
{vs. 30} The first thing angels say is always “Do not fear!” – do you know why? Because to be face to face with even the mere representation of God’s glory is a fearful thing! In the light of God’s greatness, (even reflected off His messengers, just as it was from Moses coming down the Mountain of God) is a terrible thing for sinful humans! So after this prerequisite, we have a repeat of the first message to Mary you have found favor with God! We must realize that God’s favor, His undeserved goodness reached down and found this young girl - - - not as some suppose that this wonderful, faithful girl (yet still a sinner) reached up to heaven and through her own goodness or merit deserved God’s favor! No one, no not one of us can earn God’s gifts – His favor is by definition unmerited! I don’t care if you are Mother Teresa, the Reverend Billy Graham or the Virgin Mary. It is this favor, the gracious disposition that assures us that God has not come to destroy us but to give and yes, to save us from our humble condition!
{vs. 31-33} Now that Mary has been calmed (a little) – you know, it’s so much harder to deliver a message when the recipient is cowering or has fainted – now, the angel delivers the core of the message:
· You will conceive and give birth to a son. This in itself is not extraordinary news! After all, Mary was pledged to be married to a good man, Joseph and he would soon take her to himself. It was an expected part of a God blessed life that a young woman would become a mother and raise her family. The original language (conceive, in the Greek conceive in your womb and give birth, deliver or bear) confirms the natural processes at work. This son will be born just like the rest of us are; He will be a man like one of us.
· You will call Him Jesus – here comes some details. First, He – the angel just spoiled the surprise – no gender reveal parties for Mary and Joseph. Their firstborn son will be a male child. Secondly, the name of this child has already been selected for you – Jesus. This was a common name meaning Jehovah is salvation, it is the same root name for our translation of Joshua – a good name for a good Jewish boy in times of trouble, when every mother and father hoped for God to save (from Roman oppression).
· He will be great (Megas!) – just what every parent wants to hear. This will not be some ordinary child, but will grow to be awesome in His lifetime! Then we get the details of what this means:
o Son of the Most High – somehow, this child while being human will also be God’s own Son as well! Crucial to Jesus’ role! Only God could come and life a perfect sinless life. Only the infinitely valuable blood of God coursing through Jesus’ veins could pay the price for all of our sins! And only one who is both God and man could be a mediator for both!
o God will give Him David’s throne and He will rule over the Children of Israel – a confirmation that Jesus is the Son of David (Messiah) and that He will rule as David did over all of Israel! This will be established by God!
o Forever! – again a glimpse at divinity, nothing of this Earth lasts forever – not Abraham, Moses nor David. But this Son of David is eternal!!! No more ups and downs, this kingdom, His rule will go on forever!
{vs. 34-35} Mary has started to process all of this and doesn’t fully understand it all (understandable, theologians with the assistance of God’s Word have been trying to figure it out for centuries!) How will this work? A beautiful question because it assumes that it will happen (that’s faith!) but inquires only about the means and process. This is the kind of question we should ask – “God, I hear You – now what do I need to do? Or What is my role in what You have declared?” Mary knows how children are born, and she has never known a man. We don’t want another Abraham incident – where the goal is clear but we simple men try to make it happen through natural means! The angel, not upset by her question (unlike Zacharias’ question which carried unbelief) gives her the detail – God’s Spirit will accomplish this (you don’t have to do anything). For this reason, Jesus will be Holy – sinless unlike other men and called the Son of God!
{vs. 36-37} The next part of the angel’s message is a sign to confirm all that he has said. Even in the face of God’s glory, with such an impressive angel right in front of her, God knows that Mary needs a sign! We, who probably will never stand before an angel on this Earth often need a confirmation from God and He often gives them! Mary’s relative, who is infamously barren (a stigma in their culture) is going to have a child also! While their circumstances are not exactly the same, this is someone to share what she is going through. What God has said will come to pass (nothing God says can or ever will fail)! We need to understand this, not just in our minds but in our hearts and in the way we live our lives! The same God who said “Let there be light” and it came into existence (before the Sun and stars were created) can never utter a single word that will not come to pass!
{vs. 38} Her response to all of this is humble and receptive – “yes, whatever God wants!” Notice, how she listened to the angel – he just said whatever God says will be and she, very intelligently says, “I am His servant, I won’t fight and even more, I will fully cooperate!” This is a lot to take in all at once! Mary, agrees without knowing exactly what it will mean – what about her reputation? What about Joseph? How can she – simple, sweet Mary raise the Son of God?!?
{vs. 39-45} When God tells you about a sign, it would be rude not to check it out! Mary goes to receive this gift from God and as she does, she gets even more than expected! She not only sees a woman, a woman she knows, a member of the family who is well past childbearing years fully six months along but she receives another message from God! God confirms her blessedness (a great privilege conferred upon her – again not merit!) – she among all the women of the world, has been chosen for this one-of-a-kind honor (not once in a lifetime, but once in all of History!) Mary’s faith (belief) is also commended! Remember, faith is the commodity of Heaven – it is by faith that we are saved and it is by faith that we please God!
{vs. 46-55} All of that to get to this psalm of worship! Mary is overwhelmed by all of this and all that she has been told, the Word of God stored up within her and the Holy Spirit’s inspiration combines into this spontaneous song of worship!
· Worship should be spiritual – notice “my soul glorifies” and “my spirit rejoices” – this comes from within Mary! This comes from her inner self – the heart, mind and totality of who she is! So many times we get caught up in the doing – the service, the tradition, the giving and yes, the singing. Worship begins and is about an attitude – it is our response to His favor. You and I can and should worship even if we have the worst singing voice on the planet! The song, the actions, etc. are not the worship – they are simply an outflowing of the true worship, which is in spirit and truth! (John 4:24) God is not impressed with mere words or works if the correct heart does not accompany them! Worship must be a choice of our own will (free will) or it is nothing at all!
· God has been mindful – as we saw, worship is a response to God’s favor upon us. In their culture the expression of favor was in the face or countenance – i.e. “to find favor in someone’s eyes”, “God looked upon” or “God turned His face to me”. We see in this song that God is the initiator, He is the first giver and blesses before we can do anything. So true worship is a response to God’s goodness! We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We don’t worship to get something from God. We don’t worship to ensure our place in His Kingdom or to store up credit for a “rainy day” – with us it is always raining! We always need God’s favor; His mercy and grace!
· Worship is humble – the only way we can understand, praise, sing etc. the greatness of God is when we see ourselves in relation to Him! It is because of Mary’s understanding or her own lowly estate that she can magnify and exalt God – these are not wishy-washy words but words of extreme! Worship never says “yeah, God is alright – I guess”. Worship pronounces God’s might, His power, His holiness and all to the utmost! Because everything that God is, all of His characteristics – they are full, never partial or just enough! It is in the darkness of our sin that God’s savior shines the brightest, like stars against the black sky!
· Worship is scriptural and Historical – true worship is based upon real experience, not emotion and not fiction! A heart of worship pours out praise by remembering the things that God has done! Mary’s worship is full of what God has done for Israel and what she has seen Him do in her experience! He has done mighty works for His people and for me (Mary)! We need to insert ourselves right there, has God done great things in your life? Are you keeping track? A heart of worship has a list of things that God has done – as if written on the wall, ready to be recited at any time! Let us begin to notice the things that God is doing both for us and all around us!
Let us never forget that Advent is about worshipping the newborn King! It is easy for this to get lost in all the trappings of Christmas. This December, remember the worship and if songs and giving and everything else flows out of that worship - - - then you and I will have kept Christmas very well, very well indeed!