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Christmas Characters – Mary
Luke 1:46-55
I. Who was Mary? –
Mary – same as Miriam,
She was a Jew
From Royal family of David – through Nathan (Luke 3:31)
II.
Where was Mary From?
Verses 26-27 –
Mary came from Nazareth, a Galilean city west of the Sea of Galilee
She traveled, before the birth of Christ to see her cousin Elizabeth in Judah which was a 3-5 day trip.
III.
What was she like?
- When Gabriel appears to Mary, she is probably about 14 or 15 years old.
She is betrothed to Joseph, the contract being as solemn and as binding as marriage itself.
According to the text, she has maintained her sexual purity, as well as her spiritual purity.
She is living close to the Lord and is living a good life before the Lord.
Mary apparently has it all sewed up.
A bright future is awaiting her; she has everything for which to live.
I really like it when my life goes just as I have planned.
There are times when we sail the calm seas of life, but those days often seem few and far between when compared to the days when trials surround us on every side.
Verses 28-37 -
When Gabriel makes His announcement to Mary, her life is immediately turned upside down.
Mary is called upon to bear shame, reproach and humiliation for the glory of God.
Her's is to be the greatest honour ever afforded to woman, but at the same time it carried with it a tremendous social stigma.
(Very much unlike our day!)
When our lives do not go as we have planned it is easy to fear that which is unknown.
Often, God will allow things to happen in your life and mine that are hard to bear and hard to understand,
yet the Lord sends them our way so that we might grow in Him and come to know Him in a better way.
When these times arise, it is easy to question the Lord and His judgment.
It is always easy to question but it is far nobler to comply with the Lord.
You see, one inescapable part of being a Christian is the area of cross bearing, Matthew 16:24
No one said such a life was easy, but the end results are worth the trials of this life!
So what was Mary like, what kind of character was she?
A. Faithful – Luke 1:27
We are told that the angel came to “a virgin.”
We all know what a virgin is.
In fact, the virginity of Mary is affirmed twice in verse 27.
Contrary to what liberals and others may say, the word does not simply speak of a “young woman,” but it speaks of one who has never engaged in sexual relations with a man.
The vessel God chose to use to bring His Son into this world was a perfectly pure vessel.
We have hit this several times already in previous messages, so we wont belabor the point.
She was Faithful to Her Husband
She was faithful to Her God
To watch Mary as these verses unfold is to see a young woman who has been prepared for this moment.
History tells us that every faithful Jewish girl was looking for the messiah.
We are also told that every Jewish girl hoped that she would be the vessel chosen through which God would send His Messiah into the world.
B. Submissive – Luke 1:38
Despite the shame that was sure to come her way, despite the humiliation she would bear, Mary was willing to submit her life to the will and work of the Lord.
By doing so, she has set an example of obedience and surrender that every child of God should follow.
She was Submitted to the Will of God
When the angel appears to Mary, she is amazed and she is startled, but she is a woman prepared to respond to the will of the Lord in faith and faithfulness, Luke 1:38.
It appears that God, in His grace, had begun a work in her young heart long before this moment, so that when this moment arrived, Mary was ready and willing to do all the Lord desired of her.
Imagine the faith required for Mary to respond to the Lord as she did.
For a young unmarried woman to become pregnant in that day was to be the focus of shame, disgrace and a possible death sentence.
But, Mary was willing to bear the shame and the burden of being the vessel through which God would send His Son into the world.
Thank God for people like Mary who are willing to do all the Lord requires, regardless of what it may require of them.
May the Lord find a heart like that beating within every one of our chests!
After all, nothing reveals our love for
Jesus like our unquestioning obedience to all He requests of us, John 14:15, 21!
You and I would do well to learn to submit to the will of the Lord in every detail of life.
We need never fear the providential hand of God, for He will never do us wrong!
Regardless of what may come our way in life, we can rest assured that God is going to use it to get glory to Himself and to help us learn more about Him.
She was submitted to The Work of God
God had just informed her that He was going to do a mighty work in her life.
She did not rebuke God.
She did not argue with God.
She simply asked how He would do such a thing.
Its not wrong to ask God how He is going to accomplish the work He has set you out to do.
Just be aware, He may not give you the answer you want.
Im sure Mary did not expect the answer she was given, but she submitted to it.
We may wonder how God is going to accomplish His work through us?
Its ok to wonder how just dont wonder from.
Allow God to use you and you will be amazed at what can be done.
Just be in Submission to His Will and His Work!
C. Thankfulness
Luke 1:46-55
In these few verses, Mary expresses her personal praise to the Lord for His blessings to her own life.
In doing so, she sets an example that every Christian should seek to follow.
The first object for which she lifts her voice in praise is for
Her Salvation
V. 46-49
Like the rest of us, Mary was born in sin and stood in need of a Saviour.
In verse 47, she declares her dependence upon God in Heaven for salvation.
She is simply praising the Lord for the salvation she possesses.
Your life may be falling apart this evening, but if you have been redeemed by the precious Blood of Jesus, then you have a reason to praise the Name of the Lord!
According to Luke 10:20 , simple salvation is a good reason to praise the Lord.
Think about it, because you have been saved, you will never go to Hell,
you will never stand in judgment,
you will be granted access into Heaven,
and you will experience the presence of the Lord throughout eternity.
We have abundant reason to rejoice, as did Mary!
I challenge every Christian under the sound of my voice to offer the sacrifices of praise unto the Lord today - Heb. 13:15
(Ill.
Some may argue, "Preacher, I just do not have anything to praise the Lord for!"
Well, Mary is speaking out of a personal relationship.
She knew what she was talking about.
When you’re saved and you know, it will put some rejoicing in your heart!
You may not shout, but you will want to!)
In the first part of verse 48, Mary verbalizes why she is so thankful for her salvation.
She is a nobody, but she has experienced the grace of God first hand.
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