The Angels of Christmas #3
Mary & Gabriel
December 12, 2004
Luke 1:26-38
Third Sunday of Advent
Galena-Warwick United Methodist Charge
Warwick & Galena, Maryland
Rev. Dr. Lawrence D. Jameson
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Luke 1:26-38
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.
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and
took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth
to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
For the last two Sundays
we have been learning about the angels of Christmas.
The Bible tells us
that before Jesus was born,
God sent angels to prepare the way.
On November 26, we heard about
how Zechariah saw an angel in the temple.
On December 5th, we hear about
how Joseph saw an angel in his dreams.
Today, we are going to look at the Annunciation.
The virgin Mary was visited by
the angel Gabriel
and she was told all about Jesus.
Let’s look at today’s Bible verses one at a time.
Verse 26
26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel
to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
What was the sixth month?
This is a reference to Elizabeth
who was in her sixth month of pregnancy
with John the Baptist.
John the Baptist was a cousin to Jesus.
Mary was living in Galilee,
which was at the far northern tip of Israel.
She was a young woman, probably still a teenager.
She was engaged,
but in that culture,
almost all of the marriages were arranged
by the parents.
Can you imagine that?
Can you imagine getting married to someone
that your parents picked out?
This is something very foreign to Americans.
We love our freedom, our independence so much
that it’s difficult for us to even imagine
having no say in who we married.
But this was the normal pattern for Jewish people
in the first century.
Verse 27
27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of
David. The virgin's name was Mary.
We don’t really know a lot about Mary.
She was a young Jewish girl.
And she was engaged,
but back then,
practically all the girls were engaged.
Mary was just a girl,
but she was about to begin
a life that was going to be marked
by the extraordinary.
Verse 28
28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The
Lord is with you.”
Mary was just minding her own business,
going about her every day routine.
Then God sent an angel,
and her life became suddenly very interesting.
This is what the Good News does
to people.
It profoundly changes the course of their life.
We see this happen over and over again.
It does not matter who you are.
It does not matter what you have done.
God changes things.
Verse 29-30
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.
Mary was troubled at his words.
The Bible does not say if the angel had wings.
He probably looked just like a regular Jewish person.
Gabriel just showed up one day.
It is hard to say where.
Was Mary doing chores in the barn?
Was Mary folding clothes?
Was Mary making dinner for her family?
Was it late at night?
Was it early in the morning?
We don’t know.
The Bible just says that Mary was visited by
the angel Gabriel
and that Mary was “troubled”.
Dear ones,
God always “troubles” us.
He doesn’t let us do what we want.
He interrupts our plans, our hopes, our priorities,
and he shows us something better.
This isn’t easy. And usually, this is difficult for us.
But God knows what is best for us.
What would you rather have:
a calm predictable life
or
a life marked by God’s love and grace?
What would you rather have:
a calm predictable church
or
a church marked by God’s love and grace?
We say that Methodist preachers are under appointment,
and preachers don’t decide
where they serve.
When the Bishop calls, we pack up and go.
Well I have news for you.
The same is true for every single person here.
We are all under appointment.
And like the virgin Mary,
who was just minding her business
doing what was expected,
EVERY ONE OF US can be called
into a life we would have never chosen for ourselves.
We have a lot in common with Mary.
Verse 31
31 You will be with child
and give birth to a son,
and you are to give him the name Jesus.
This was a wonderful moment.
It was packed with amazing, incredible news.
Mary, even though she was a virgin,
was going to become pregnant
with a baby boy.
She was told to name the baby Jesus.
verse 32
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.”
The angel had given Mary the “what”,
and now, he started to explain some of the “why”.
It all tied into
God’s promises and his plan for the world.
Mary could not possible understand
the full implications.
Later on, she remembered each word the angel said.
In fact, 30 or 40 years later,
Mary would remember this experience
and share it word for word
with the disciples of Jesus.
Luke the historian met with Mary,
and carefully wrote down what she said.
Why did that happen?
It happened that way, so you and I could know
the details of that event.
Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises
to King David.
Jesus is the Son of the Most High.
He rules over Israel,
and over heaven and earth.
His kingdom will never end.
All this was predicted more than a thousand years
before it happened.
God has a plan.
Verse 34
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
When Zechariah questioned the angel Gabriel,
he got in trouble.
Not so with Mary.
Probably, it was the way Mary said it.
You need to know that it is OK to question God.
It is OK to argue with him too.
God is tough. He can take your questions.
He can take your anger. And he can take your confusion.
But when we doubt God,
or challenge his ability to lead,
THAT will get you into trouble.
Zechariah was disciplined by a temporary loss of speech.
Mary was not corrected at all.
Was that fair?
We don’t know all the details.
What was the tone of her voice?
What was the attitude of her heart?
Mary had a perfectly reasonable question.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The difference between Mary’s reaction
and Zechariah’s
was attitude.
Mary had a humble spirit, and an questioning mind.
Zechariah had a stubborn spirit, and a questioning mind.
God worked through them both.
Verse 35
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.
What does this verse mean?
Today we know more about babies
than the people of the first century.
We know about ovum and sperm.
We know about zygotes, gestation, and fertilization.
But we still don’t know how Almighty God
stepped out of heaven
and into Mary’s body.
Mary was a virgin.
Yet she became pregnant.
We believe that her baby
was not created
because Jesus Christ has always existed.
He himself is God.
He created everything.
It was his plan
to humble himself
in order to fully and completely experience
what it means to be a human being.
Why?
The answer is found in Ephesians 1:10
“to bring all things in heaven
and on earth together under one head,
even Christ.”
Mary played her part.
She didn’t need to understand everything
AND
she also didn’t need to stifle her questions.
God chose her because
she is like you
and she is like me.
verse 36
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.”
Mary and Elizabeth knew each other
because they were related.
Both women experienced
impossible pregnancies.
Wasn’t it kind of God
to give these women friendship with each other?
Luke 1:39 tells us
that Mary and Elizabeth
lived together for a short time.
The friendships we have
are not by chance.
God’s hand is over every part of our lives,
and that includes
the friends we have.
Verse 38
38 “I am the Lord's servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”
Then the angel left her.
Mary had questions.
Mary was curious.
Mary certainly was afraid.
In addition to of all those things
Mary had faith in God.
She said,
“I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”
That’s what I want to say
to the Lord!
It doesn’t have to be an angel.
It doesn’t have to be a dream.
It doesn’t have to be some dramatic Cecil B DeMille experience.
I just want to have a heart like Mary’s
that puts trust in the Lord
and is willing to accept what he has for me.
No matter what you want me to say Lord.
No matter where you want me to go.
No matter what you want me to do Lord,
I want to be your servant!