Mary's courage
Mary’s Christmas: The Christmas Story Through Mary’s Eyes • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 20:44
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Sunday Nov. 28, 2021
Mary’s Christmas: The Christmas Story Through Mary’s Eyes
This series follows the Gospels’ accounts of the first Christmas from Mary’s perspective, highlighting the ways her faithfulness to God’s call remains a model and challenge to believers today. The stories of Mary’s visit from the angel Gabriel and her assent to God’s unusual plan for her life, her visit to Elizabeth and her profound proclamation of God’s power, the visit from the Magi followed by the daring escape to Egypt, and her earliest experiences of the grief of her unique motherhood each contribute to the powerful witness of her life.
It seems like stores start putting out Christmas decorations earlier and earlier. Seeing rows of lighted wreaths and fresh rolls of green and red wrapping paper can mess with our sense of time! Humans naturally use seasonal markers to feel a sense of time: in what stores are marketing, in the decor we use in our homes, in the way we talk to one another. If you pass a friend in a crowded parking lot, overloaded with bags and groceries, and you want to commiserate in your shared holiday stress, you might say, “It’s that time of year!” How we mark time also tells us about what we value. We recognize holidays that matter to our families and communities, we use the passing of New Year’s to set resolutions for how we want to live, and we celebrate the people we love on the day they were born. The opening chapters of Luke tell time in a peculiar way. While John the Baptist’s infancy narrative begins “In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah” (1:5), Jesus’s infancy narrative starts with “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee” (v. 26). Time has most often been marked by the shifting power of prominent men, but the kingdom of God breaks into the world in time marked by the progression of the pregnancy of an unknown woman.
if you have you bible go head and turn to Luke 1:26-38. if not you can follow along on the screen in a few minutes.
before we read today passage I have a question for you. So think for a moment.
Have you every be afraid to complete a task?
Have you every be afraid to complete a task?
Have you ever be so scary that you ran the other way.
did you complete the task or did you just not do it. If you completed it how did you overcome your fear.
We have all been afraid to complete a task at some point in our life. weather it was a a child or young adult or even last week.
For me when I was young I would always get month soar when I got nerves about completing a task. If you are any thing like me the you have been afraid at some point
Mary also was afraid with what was about to happen. Lets take a look at how she reacted.
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”
29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.
30 Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”
35 The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless.
37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
38 “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Who is Gabriel?
Who is Gabriel?
One of only two angels named in the bible
He is an archangel an angel high ranking
Gabriel first came on the seen back in the book of Daniel
He predicts John the Baptist birth just a few verses before today read
Who is Mary?
Who is Mary?
Virgin engaged. NO name
Tell us that she belonged to Joseph.
Then we get her name
Why is it written this way
Social standing for her
No social or familial background
betrothed to Joseph thats all she had.
Mary was afraid
Mary was afraid
No clue what was happening
Can you image see an angel tell you Greeting and not be afraid
Deeply troubled
this goes back Luke 1:12
Zechariah was terrified and overcome with fear
Most likely went though all the question
why me
who is this
why am I favored
what will happen to me
Are you in the same boat has Mary?
Are you in the same boat has Mary?
Are you afraid of doing a task
Has God told you some promised
We all can feel like Mary sometime.
Mary found favor with God
Mary found favor with God
Why you why ask.
Found favor means Grace in Greek
she was a recipient of God’s grace
While waiting to marry into the house of David and to gain some standings
she receives this divine message
that totally changes her life story.
She will be giving birth to a baby without being married.
Gabriel tell Mary whats about to happen
Gabriel tell Mary whats about to happen
You will give birth to a son and name him Jesus
Mary ask how
The Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will give birth to the son of God. This is what Gabriel told her
Mary could have lost everything
have a baby without being with a husband was very bad in those days.
she would could have be an out cast or stoned if Jospeh did keep her
We often picture Mary.
Nativity sets
Mary sitting quietly looking over the newborn or holding the newborn
with the shepherds standing around
Real Mary was courageous enough to say yes to God.
in light of what could happen to her
She enough keep up with her son’s later ministry
following him to his death
She was “dangerous” in the way that all believers should be: she knew the truth about the real Ruler of the world and was unafraid to take her place in his overthrow of all pretenders to the throne.
Mary submitted to God’s plan despite what it would cost her, and that’s a model all believers should follow.
Mary is the Lord’s servant
Mary is the Lord’s servant
Mary is a model of courage and faithfulness when she says yes to God’s dangerous plan.
Say yes to God’s plan, even if you’re afraid
Say yes to God’s plan, even if you’re afraid