Sermon Tone Analysis

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 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.

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?

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

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 afraid of doing a task

Has God told you some promised

We all can feel like Mary sometime.

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

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 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