Why Mary?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
SERMON OUTLINE #3
WHY MARY?
Three Characteristics of Godliness
Illustrated in Mary’s Life
When discussing Mary, the Roman Catholics along with many Orthodox religions worship and idolize Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
The rational for this practice is not Biblical but shows how such things can become unbiblical when we add to or take away from the Word of God.
Their thinking was:
Mary was the mother of Jesus Christ.
Christ is God.
Therefore, Mary is the Mother of God.
Therefore, she has a special motherly influence over her Son.
Therefore, if we really want something, pray to her - she will be far more able to talk with her Son than any man.
This thinking makes Jesus unapproachable, which is wrong since God actually came to us and Mary as the one with the influence and power.
Before we can look at Why Mary? we must look at some false teachings first.
Mary was not “Immaculate” (SINLESS).
Mary was not “Immaculate” (SINLESS).
Luke 1:42 (KJV 1900)
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
She was blessed among women, not above women.
Therefore, she needed a Savior like you and me.
Luke 1:47 (KJV 1900)
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Also, she didn’t have special recognition or influence with Jesus Christ while on earth.
Matthew 12:46–50 (KJV 1900)
46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Remember Jesus’ first miracle?
John 2:3–4 (KJV 1900)
3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
But Jesus reminds us that she was not above you and I. Those with influence are those that obey.
Luke 11:27–28 (KJV 1900)
27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
Mary was not the “Mother of God.”
Mary was not the “Mother of God.”
This is a man-made expression that we proved last week that God has always existed. She was the mother of Jesus with regard to His humanity, but not His Deity.
Luke 1:43 (KJV 1900)
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Scripture is very clear that
Christ alone is Our MEDIATOR.
Christ alone is Our MEDIATOR.
1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV 1900)
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Hebrews 7:25 (KJV 1900)
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
1 John 2:1 (KJV 1900)
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Christ alone is Our REDEEMER.
Christ alone is Our REDEEMER.
John 14:6 (KJV 1900)
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
So, if Mary can not be our Mediator and our Redeemer because she also is a sinner, then the question around the nativity, is Why Mary?
God is Full of Surprises
God is Full of Surprises
Luke 1:26–33 (KJV 1900)
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Mary teaches us about the surprise of godliness.
Walking with Jesus is always an adventure.
The Word of God tells us that when you walk with the Lord, He doesn't always give you information about the distant future. It's sort of like a “need to know” basis.
Life would be a lot easier if God worked this way. Even just a few weeks ahead of schedule would be nice. Unfortunately, God doesn't do this.
That is exactly what we see with Mary.
Knowing that you are related to the King of kings and the Lord of lords, that the Creator of the universe has sent His Son to live within your life, that you have a direct communication to Almighty God, and that you can fellowship with Him and that He will direct, guide, strengthen, and be with you—that is truly a great adventure.
But it is also full of surprises.
Isn’t that the way it is?
And that was the way it was with Mary; Mary’s whole relationship with Jesus Christ was a relationship of surprise. When Gabriel made his startling announcement to Mary concerning the birth of Jesus, here is how Mary first responded.
She said, “When she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of greeting this was” (Luke 1:29).
Mary had no preparation for this assignment: God surprised her with the message of His plan for her life. And when the shepherds told Mary and Joseph what the angel had said about Jesus at His birth, she became quietly pensive. We read,
Luke 2:18–19 (KJV 1900)
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
Mary collected all these truths and deposited them within the deep recesses of her heart. She did not discuss them with others; she just thought them through herself.
What do you do when God speaks to you or something happens that you can’t explain?
You should pause and ponder what God has said.
Like Mary, we often find ourselves surprised in our walk with God. And like Mary, we do not have a blueprint for our lives or for those of our children. But when we submit to the Lord by faith, we discover He always is there for us. He hears our prayers. He meets our needs.
Mary Is Filled with Surrender
Mary Is Filled with Surrender
Luke 1:34–38 (KJV 1900)
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
From the very beginning of Mary’s relationship with Jesus, it was all about submission. When the angel Gabriel came to Mary with the news that she was to be the human mother of the Messiah, Mary had no warning, she had no preparation, she had no timeline, she had no precedent. The entire dialogue between Mary and the angel took place in Mary’s home. When the angel intervened in her life, Mary learned she would bear a Son and that His name would be Jesus. And she was told that this birth would be unlike any other child ever born—she was to have a Child without having a relationship with a man—He would be a Child of the Holy Spirit.
But this is the point of focus as to “Why Mary?”
Mary responded “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” In other words, “Lord, I don’t understand this. I don’t comprehend it, but whatever You desire, be it unto me according to Your word.”
Now, Mary must have wondered in her heart, “Why have I been favored to be the mother of Jesus, why me?”
The reasons she was chosen are not told us in the Word of God; they’re known only to God Himself.
But it is clear from studying her life, and the little information that we have, that she was no random selection. She was an ordinary, small-town girl, wanting to get married and raise a family, and she would be obedient and courageous, as she was.
Mary Believed God’s Word!
Mary Believed God’s Word!
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
This is a legitimate question. Sometimes we get the idea that it is wrong to question God.
The angel tells Mary the child would be virgin conceived and virgin born. Mary knew enough about biology to ask this question.
It is wrong to question, what God does. It is never wrong to question how God does it.
The simple answer is verse 37,
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Mary Obeyed God’s Word!
Mary Obeyed God’s Word!
Luke 1:38 (KJV 1900)
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Don't miss that little phrase, “be it unto me" because that word includes everything and everything includes some unpleasant things, some difficult things, and some hard things.
It wasn't easy for Mary to say, "Yes" to God's Will. I've already told you about the gossip that went on in those days. Nobody believed her story. She gave up her reputation in the community basically for the rest of her life and to do what God asked her to do was to risk everything. She was risking her parents, her friends, even her fiancée, because she had no idea how he would respond.
If you get serious about God's Will for your life, not only are you not going to always understand what God is doing, but there are going to be people who will misunderstand, misjudge and criticize you.
You have to come to a point in your life where you are determined that you care more about what God thinks than what anybody else thinks or you will never get to where you need to be with God's Will in your life.
The point I am making is this - God's Will for your life is not always going to be easy.
God's plan for your life is sometimes going to be harder than your plan for your life. That is why so many people cut out on God.
We want to take the easy way out. We want to slide through life. We want to take the course of least resistance.
Do you know why God sometimes does it the harder way?
Because God is more interested in your character than He is your comfort. God wants to mature you. He wants to grow you. He wants to teach you to trust His promise to the point - that you decide to believe His Word and you determine to do His Will. That is the only place where God can bless you far beyond any other way you can bring blessing upon yourself.
We continue to learn of her faith as we follow the life of Christ.
She honored and obeyed the will of her Father, providing His only Son a home from which He could emerge to launch the work that would define all of human history.
Mary was obedient from His conception, to His birth, through His life, and all the way to His death and resurrection. All through these stages of His life, Mary was there. Supporting and following her Son.
If you have been fighting with something God has been asking you to do. Let me ask you to go back and learn the submission of godliness from Mary, and let your words be hers, “Lord God, let it be to me according to Your word. I will do what You tell me to do.”
But lastly,
Mary Flattered the Savior
Mary Flattered the Savior
Jump down to verse 46 down through verse 55 is the first Christmas song ever written. This is amazing.
Mary is going to have a baby although she has never known a man.
Her reputation is going to be ruined.
She may lose family.
She may lose friends.
She may lose her fiancee.
She may lose everything.
She's got every reason to be worried sick, but instead of worry, she worshipped.
Instead of panicking, she praised.
When you get into a situation where you think you are in over your head when you are following God's Will, but it is getting more dangerous and difficult by the minute, don't worry - worship. Don't panic - praise.
Luke 1:46–55 (KJV 1900)
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; And holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him From generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, And exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; And the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, In remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, To Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
I want you to learn something about worship, because a lot of you come to church every Sunday and you sing the same songs and you hear the same message and you go through the same motions, but you never come within a country mile of true worship. Only those who have decided to believe God's Word and who have determined to do God's Will truly desire to prioritize God's Worship.
But before you get to excited, remember that before worship there must be obedience, before praise, there must be obedience.
I am going to prove this to you. Jesus said in
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Do you know what that means? Until you decide to believe the truth of God's Word and determine to do God's Will in your spirit, you cannot prioritize God's Worship. When you do decide to believe God's Word and determine to do God's Will, you can not help but Worship and praise God which is why we read in verse 46 and 47,
God was her Focus.
God was her Focus.
Luke 1:46-47
[46] And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
[47] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
God was her Savior.
God was her Savior.
There is one other thing about Mary that you will surely miss if I don't point it out to you. It really is the secret to Mary's greatness and the secret to her relationship with God.
In verse 47 we are told that she was in God, but the angel had just told her that God was in her. Do you know what? That is the real definition of "Christian." It is someone who lives in God and someone who has God living in them. Of all the billions of women who have ever inhabited our planet, only Mary carried and nursed the Son of God. She was the only human who had a face that resembled the face of the Son of God. No wonder she said in verse 48
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
She was, but it wasn't because of anything she did.
The reason we know about Mary is because of what the angel first said to her in verse 28,
Luke 1:28 (KJV 1900)
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
The word, "favored" literally means, "pursued with grace." The real reason why Mary was chosen by God was simply grace. Because of grace, she found favor with God and because of grace you can find favor with God as well.
Some people think Mary was saved because she had the Son of God. She wasn't saved because she had the Son of God. She had the Son of God, because she was saved. We see in this passage how she was saved, by God's grace and her faith. The angel said to Mary, "You are favored", that is "You have received God's grace." Elizabeth said to Mary, "You are blessed because you believed". That is what we see in Mary - God's grace and her faith.
God was Proclaimed.
God was Proclaimed.
Luke 1:49–50 (KJV 1900)
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; And holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him From generation to generation.
God Reverses the Earthly.
God Reverses the Earthly.
Luke 1:51–53 (KJV 1900)
He hath shewed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, And exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; And the rich he hath sent empty away.
God Helps His People
God Helps His People
Luke 1:54–55 (KJV 1900)
He hath holpen his servant Israel, In remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, To Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
We have much to learn from this godly woman. Here’s the remarkable thing as it relates to Mary.
Mary was the mother of Jesus, but she needed Jesus to be her Savior as much as every one of us. As fantastic as this is, the Savior who was born in the womb of Mary had to be born again in the heart of Mary.
And the Savior whose birth we celebrate during this season is a Savior who must be born in our hearts as well. He comes into our hearts from the outside.
And the question I have to ask you today is this:
Have you invited Him to come into your heart?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What does Mary's response to the Angel Gabriel's announcement teach us about the nature of obedience and faith?
2. In what ways have you experienced God's surprises in your own life? How have these surprises tested or strengthened your faith?
3. How do you understand the concept of the "suffering of godliness" as exemplified in Mary's life? Can you relate to any personal experiences?
4. Why do you think God often works on a "need to know" basis? How does such an approach to divine revelation affect our faith and trust in God?
5. Considering the prophecy made about Mary and Jesus, how did these shape Mary's perspective and understanding of her son's future?
6. Can we relate to Mary's experiences of suffering, and seeing her Son go through trials and tribulations? How can these experiences influence our personal faith journeys?
7. How does the idea that the Savior born from Mary must also be born in our hearts deepen our understanding of salvation? What does this signify about the personal nature of faith?
8. When facing life's unexpected challenges or blessings, how can Mary's words, “Be it unto me according to Your word,” shape how we react?
9. How does the account of Mary's relationship with Jesus challenge traditional understanding of family and relational ties?
10. What does the narrative of Mary witnessing Jesus' crucifixion tell us about a mother's love and the pain of godliness?
11. Understanding that Mary was Jesus's mother but also needed Jesus as her Savior, how does this duality deepen your comprehension of Mary's role and the nature of salvation?
12. Reflecting on the different facets of Mary's journey – submission, surprise, and suffering – what personal lessons or insights can you draw to apply in your own life?