Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
General Overview of Passage.
(1) Gabriel informs Zechariah of John the Baptist’s upcoming birth.
(2) Zechariah responds to this news with disbelief.
(3) Gabriel informs Mary of her pregnancy with Jesus.
(4) Mary responds with belief.
General Overview of Passage.
(1) Gabriel informs Zechariah of John the Baptist’s upcoming birth.
(2) Zechariah responds to this news with disbelief.
(3) Gabriel informs Mary of her pregnancy with Jesus.
(4) Mary responds with belief.
December 23, 2018 | Christmas AM Service
The responses appear to be similar, but the text informs us that their internal reception was different.
Introduction
First, yikes!
That was inevitably a sobering and daunting interaction with Gabriel.
As a result of his unbelief, Zechariah remains mute until the birth of John the Baptist.
And yet, on face value Mary appears to respond to Gabriel with a similar reply.
Luke 1:
And yet, Elizabeth informs us that Mary’s response was one of belief.
While Mary and Zechariah’s responses appear to be similar, clearly the inner workings of their hearts varied.
Now Mary sounds a lot like Zechariah when she replies in verse 34, but apparently there is no unbelief in her question.
She’s not asking, “Can you do it?”
She’s asking, “How will you do it?”
Her question builds on faith not on unbelief.
This is why Gabriel does not rebuke.
(Anyabwile, Exalting Jesus in Luke, 27)
Observations
General Overview of Passage.
(1) Gabriel informs Zechariah of John the Baptist’s upcoming birth.
(2) Zechariah responds to this news with disbelief.
(3) Gabriel informs Mary of her pregnancy with Jesus.
(4) Mary responds with belief.
Lu
Observation # 1.
The poem evidences a life of Biblical immersion.
Critics shake their heads over its many quotations and allusions to Hannah’s song and to other poetical parts of the Old Testament, and declare that these are fatal to its being accepted as Mary’s.
Why? must the simple village maiden be a poetess because she is the mother of our Lord?
What is more likely than that she should east her emotions into forms so familiar to her, and especially that Hannah’s hymn should colour hers?
These old psalms provided the mould into which her glowing emotions almost instinctively would run, and the very absence of ‘originality’ in the song favours its genuineness.
Observation # 2. The emphasis is not on her humility (in fact humility is not really what’s being mentioned) but instead God’s greatness and his regard for the lowly.
The poem evidences a life of Biblical immersion.
There are moods in which the devout soul dwells on its own calm blessedness and on God, its source, more directly than on the gift which brings it.
Observation # 2. The emphasis is not on her humility (in fact humility is not really what’s being mentioned) but instead God’s greatness and his regard for the lowly.
Observation # 2. The emphasis is not on her humility (in fact humility is not really what’s being mentioned) but instead God’s greatness and his regard for the lowly.
Observation # 3. Mary’s internal delight erupts in external praise.
This is not a calculated theological statement, although it is inspired and therefore theologically accurate.
It as well is not simply an external act of worship void of any internal reality.
Observation # 4. Mary responded to Elizabeth differently than she did with Gabriel.
Why?
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
the very absence of ‘originality’ in the song favours its genuineness.
Little does Mary as yet know that ‘a sword shall pierce through’ her ‘own soul also,’ and that not only will ‘all generations’ call her ‘blessed,’ but that one of her names will be ‘Our Lady of Sorrows.’
For her and for us, the future is mercifully veiled.
Only one eye saw the shadow of the Cross stretching black and grim athwart the earliest days of Jesus, and that eye was His own.
How wonderful the calmness with which He pressed towards that ‘mark’ during all His earthly life!
Not when Gabriel spoke, but when a woman like herself called her ‘mother of my Lord,’ did she break into praise.
The responses appear to be similar, but the text informs us that their internal reception was different.
We need not attribute to the maiden from Nazareth philosophical accuracy when she speaks of her ‘soul’ and ‘spirit.’
Her first words are a burst of rapturous and wondering praise, in which the full heart runs over.
Silence is impossible, and speech a relief.
And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this?
For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel.
I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”
( ESV).
First, yikes!
That was inevitably a sobering and daunting interaction with Gabriel.
As a result of his unbelief, Zechariah remains mute until the birth of John the Baptist.
On face value, Mary appears to respond to Gabriel with a similar reply.
“And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
().
And yet, Elizabeth’s statement informs us that Mary’s response was one of belief.
“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” ().
While Mary and Zechariah’s responses appear to be similar, clearly the inner workings of their hearts varied.
Zechariah appears to be incredulous.
“Come on now!
I’m really old!
How is that ever going to happen?!” And Gabriel’s response is in essence, “I’m typically standing in the presence of God.
He just sent me to tell you this – and that’s your response?
Really?
I think you need to just not talk for a little bit.”
Whereas when Gabriel proclaims the good news to Mary, she responds in belief.
“She’s not asking, ‘Can you do it?’
She’s asking, ‘How will you do it?’
Her question builds on faith not on unbelief.
This is why Gabriel does not rebuke.”[1]
Specific Outline of Mary’s Praise.
A thorough and in-depth study of Mary’s words of praise would bear much fruit.
(1) Mary offers devout worship due to God’s inherent character (1:46b-48a).
(2) Mary offers the great facts from which her praise arises (1:48b-50).
(3) Mary then offers the consequences or realities accompanying these great facts.
God is mighty and merciful and has done great things.
Those “things” display the strength of his arm and how he reverses the socio-cultural norms.
He lifts the lowly.
He puts down the proud.
He exalts the humble and feeds the hungry whereas the rich go away empty (1:51-53).
(4) Mary reminds the reader that God will fulfill the promises he made to Israel (1:54-55).
These four elements can be simplified even more into two: (1) the personal elements concerning Mary and (2) the mighty deeds that God has done.
Observation # 1: Order Matters in Worship
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