Call: Woman of Obedience, 2 December 2018
02 12 18 Filed in: Sermons | Mary Christmas
Call: Woman of Obedience
Series—Mary Christmas
Luke 1:26-38
Series Overview: Mary may be the most underrated, godly character in the Bible (at least for Protestants!).
Big Idea: Mary is not just for Catholics, but an obedient girl who responded to the call of God.
What’s the greatest message you’ve ever received? Maybe it was a phone call. Perhaps it was a letter or e-mail. I love creative marriage proposals that involve scoreboard messages or airplane banners. Years ago, people were given information through Morse Code or telegram. Technologies such as Slack, Snapchat, texting, and Facebook Messenger can now deliver vital information instantly, around the world.
But what about an angel? Have you ever received a message from an angel? That would be unforgettable! Today we’re going to look at a very special call, a divine message that changed the course of human history.
Advent is here, that season of expectation and waiting, a time when we prepare for the observed celebration of Jesus’ birthday…and a time to prepare for His return at the second coming. The word “advent” is derived for a Latin word meaning “coming.”
It’s always challenging for preachers to prepare for Christmastime. What do we say that hasn’t already been said a thousand times? The story is pretty familiar—manger, baby, angels, shepherds…
Today we begin a series entitled Mary Christmas. It’s about the person I believe to be the most underrated character in the Bible—at least among Protestants…Mary, the mother of Jesus.
If you were raised Catholic, you know plenty about Mary, but my guess is if you were raised Protestant, like me, you may know very little about her.
Since I just lost some of you, allow me to give you an extremely brief lesson in church history.
Beginning with Abraham, God’s chosen people are the Jews. Jesus was born a Jew, expanded God’s Kingdom to include Gentiles, and the movement we know as Christianity was born. According to Acts 11:26, the disciples of Jesus were first called Christians at Antioch. Both the Roman Empire and the Jews were critical of Christianity. Nevertheless, it continued to grow.
In 312, Constantine became emperor and saw Christianity as a good way to unite the empire, allowing Christians the freedom to worship without persecution. Seven ecumenical councils debated theology. The church split in 1054, forming the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, the Great Schism.
The Pope’s power grew, corruption increased, and in 1517, a Catholic priest named Martin Luther protested the abuses of the Catholic leadership, signaling the beginning of the Protestant Church, now a third branch of Christianity that includes Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, and the Christian & Missionary Alliance, among others.
Today we have Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholic Christians, and Protestant Christians. We also have Messianic Jews who are Jewish people who embrace the New Testament and view Jesus—or Yeshua—as the Messiah. They’re on our team, too!
Church history lesson over!
Growing up, perhaps I didn’t know much about Mary—beyond the baby blue bed sheet she wore in the Christmas pageant—because she was too Catholic. Roman Catholics pray to Mary, including the famous “Hail Mary.” Whether they actually worship Mary is debatable, but suffice it to say, some Protestants are somewhat afraid of Mary because they associate her with Catholics.
As we will see, there are few people in history more godly, significant, and visible throughout the story of Jesus than his mother. We don’t worship her, but we can honor, appreciate, and learn from her life much as we do the lives of Abraham, Moses, King David, Peter, Paul, …and Mary! Scot McKnight says, “We are Protestants; we believe in the Bible; Mary is in the Bible; we need to believe what the Bible says about Mary.”
So while our focus this and every Sunday is ultimately Jesus Christ, we’re doing a character study on Mary, going verse-by-verse through the early part of the gospel—or “good news”—of Luke. Let’s begin.
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. (Luke 1:26-27)
The first verses of Luke’s gospel describe Zechariah, his wife Elizabeth, and a miracle pregnancy announced by the angel Gabriel, a baby who would be known as John the Baptist. Six months into Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Gabriel is sent to Mary, Elizabeth’s engaged but virgin relative, believed to be about fourteen years old.
Angels are real. They are all over the Bible. They are created beings. They are spirits, though they sometimes take on a bodily form. Only two are named in the Bible: Michale and, of course, Gabriel. They are finite creatures who often serve as messengers. There’s no biblical proof for the existence of “guardian angels,” though God sends angels to protect people. We are not to worship or pray to angels. For more on angels, I did an entire sermon on them on Christmas 2016 that you can read or listen to at PastorKirk.com
In the first chapter of Luke, the angel Gabriel tells Elizabeth she will have a baby. About six months later, the angel Gabriel tells the virgin Mary she will have a baby.
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)
This is great new! First, the angel is very friendly. “Greetings.” Then Mary is told she is highly favored. Who wouldn’t want an angel to announce that to them? Then Mary is told the Lord is with her. That’s good, right? Yes, but…
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:29)
She was greatly troubled at his words. That was the best part! She was so surprised by the messenger, though. Aren’t you surprised when an angel greets you?!?!? Let’s face it,…
Angels can be scary. When they show up in the Bible, they frequently say, “Fear not.” This will not be Mary’s last encounter with an angel, but it is her first, and she was afraid.
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33)
He repeats Mary’s favor with God. David is mentioned again…and Jacob, too. Gentiles tend to skip over these details, seeing them as unimportant facts, but as a Jew, they were significant. Prophecy clearly stated the Messiah would be a descendant of David. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were the beginning of the people of Israel.
Matthew states it this way:
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:1-16)
You’re getting all kinds of history today!
It may have been scandalous to highlight so many women in a genealogy, much less the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah. But notice the women included—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba…and Mary.
Tamar and Rahab were prostitutes. Ruth was a foreigner. Bathsheba committed adultery—or was a rape victim. It’s startling that these women would be specifically mentioned (since each man listed had a mom!).
The repeated phrase “The father of” shifts with Jesus since Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus, but He was born of Mary.
For about 400 years God had been silent, the inter-testamental period between the old and new. Then the aged Elizabeth gets pregnant and now the virgin Mary is with child.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34)
Very good question!
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:35-37)
It’s a God thing! This is truly one of the greatest miracles in human history. I’m guessing few people believed pregnant Mary was really a virgin, but she certainly knew!
God sent the angel Gabriel to send a message to Mary that should would mother the Messiah. It’s impossible to fathom what that meant, especially for a teenage girl.
We can’t do much about messages that are sent to us, but we can choose how to respond. What do you do when asked for help? Did you give on Giving Tuesday? Have you served at Cherry Street Mission, Rosa Parks Elementary, or another one of our partners in the community? What if God calls you to become a missionary overseas…or break off an unhealthy relationship? Mary offers the perfect response to God’s call.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38)
God wants servants. He doesn’t want friends or volunteers or fans. He’s not interested in people who give only when they feel like it. He wants servants. The Greek word for servant in this verse, doule, means female slave or bondmaid. We understandably wince at the word “slave,” but a slave or servant is in full submission to their master. Some people say like the idea of being a servant—until they’re treated like one!
When we call God “LORD,” we are saying He is the boss, He’s in control, He makes the rules, He calls the shots. Could there be anything more offensive to our individualistic, autonomous culture? Yet that’s what it means to be a Christian, to follow Jesus. It means full surrender. It’s not about God being your co-pilot, but rather letting Him “take the wheel” and lead your life. Period.
I think Mary was chosen by God to deliver the Messiah into our world because she truly had a servant’s heart. She didn’t understand how a virgin such as herself could give birth, but she didn’t object. I’m sure as she reflected upon the months and years that would follow, she grew wary, but nevertheless, she said yes to God. “I am the Lord’s servant.”
My prayer for everyone one of us—including myself—is that we would say, “I am the Lord’s servant.” That’s the proper posture before the Almighty. That’s the appropriate response to God’s call.
So What?
It’s a cool story, isn’t it? An angel tells this girl she’s highly favored and will give birth to the Messiah. This has huge implication for all of us since our LORD was delivered by Mary. But there’s something else I want you to know.
God still speaks today.
He might not use an angel, but He might! He speaks through the Holy Spirit. He uses circumstances and opportunities to get our attention. God communicates through nature and creation, through other believers, through music and prayer. And perhaps the most vivid way God speaks is through the Bible.
Are you listening?
I want challenge you with two questions:
What is God saying to you?
I’m discipling a group of men and I ask this question to them most every week. If they say nothing, I ask about their Bible-reading practices. If you don’t read the Bible, don’t be surprised if you don’t hear God speaking. Journaling, silence, and solitude can help discern what God is saying. Another useful tool is simply talking with a trusted follower of Jesus, sharing what you think God may be saying and asking for feedback.
What are you going to do about it?
God’s love language is obedience. As servants of God, we must be ready to respond to whatever He says.
Perhaps that very thought is frightening to you. What if He tells me…?
God is not mad at you. He’s not trying to harm you or make your life miserable. He’s a great, loving Dad who can be trusted. He wants what’s best for you. Really.
What is God saying to you?
What are you going to do about it?
My prayer for you and me is that we would trust and obey. He’s calling you to obey. He’s calling me to obey. Have you heard His voice? If not, perhaps it’s time to spend more time with Him—in prayer and study of His Word.
The Nativity scenes visible at this time of year remind us of the birth of Jesus, but He also received a call from God the Father. He was sent on a mission to die so that we might live. Mary said yes. Jesus said yes. What will you say?
Credits: some ideas from The Real Mary by Scot McKnight
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
Series—Mary Christmas
Luke 1:26-38
Series Overview: Mary may be the most underrated, godly character in the Bible (at least for Protestants!).
Big Idea: Mary is not just for Catholics, but an obedient girl who responded to the call of God.
What’s the greatest message you’ve ever received? Maybe it was a phone call. Perhaps it was a letter or e-mail. I love creative marriage proposals that involve scoreboard messages or airplane banners. Years ago, people were given information through Morse Code or telegram. Technologies such as Slack, Snapchat, texting, and Facebook Messenger can now deliver vital information instantly, around the world.
But what about an angel? Have you ever received a message from an angel? That would be unforgettable! Today we’re going to look at a very special call, a divine message that changed the course of human history.
Advent is here, that season of expectation and waiting, a time when we prepare for the observed celebration of Jesus’ birthday…and a time to prepare for His return at the second coming. The word “advent” is derived for a Latin word meaning “coming.”
It’s always challenging for preachers to prepare for Christmastime. What do we say that hasn’t already been said a thousand times? The story is pretty familiar—manger, baby, angels, shepherds…
Today we begin a series entitled Mary Christmas. It’s about the person I believe to be the most underrated character in the Bible—at least among Protestants…Mary, the mother of Jesus.
If you were raised Catholic, you know plenty about Mary, but my guess is if you were raised Protestant, like me, you may know very little about her.
Since I just lost some of you, allow me to give you an extremely brief lesson in church history.
Beginning with Abraham, God’s chosen people are the Jews. Jesus was born a Jew, expanded God’s Kingdom to include Gentiles, and the movement we know as Christianity was born. According to Acts 11:26, the disciples of Jesus were first called Christians at Antioch. Both the Roman Empire and the Jews were critical of Christianity. Nevertheless, it continued to grow.
In 312, Constantine became emperor and saw Christianity as a good way to unite the empire, allowing Christians the freedom to worship without persecution. Seven ecumenical councils debated theology. The church split in 1054, forming the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, the Great Schism.
The Pope’s power grew, corruption increased, and in 1517, a Catholic priest named Martin Luther protested the abuses of the Catholic leadership, signaling the beginning of the Protestant Church, now a third branch of Christianity that includes Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, and the Christian & Missionary Alliance, among others.
Today we have Orthodox Christians, Roman Catholic Christians, and Protestant Christians. We also have Messianic Jews who are Jewish people who embrace the New Testament and view Jesus—or Yeshua—as the Messiah. They’re on our team, too!
Church history lesson over!
Growing up, perhaps I didn’t know much about Mary—beyond the baby blue bed sheet she wore in the Christmas pageant—because she was too Catholic. Roman Catholics pray to Mary, including the famous “Hail Mary.” Whether they actually worship Mary is debatable, but suffice it to say, some Protestants are somewhat afraid of Mary because they associate her with Catholics.
As we will see, there are few people in history more godly, significant, and visible throughout the story of Jesus than his mother. We don’t worship her, but we can honor, appreciate, and learn from her life much as we do the lives of Abraham, Moses, King David, Peter, Paul, …and Mary! Scot McKnight says, “We are Protestants; we believe in the Bible; Mary is in the Bible; we need to believe what the Bible says about Mary.”
So while our focus this and every Sunday is ultimately Jesus Christ, we’re doing a character study on Mary, going verse-by-verse through the early part of the gospel—or “good news”—of Luke. Let’s begin.
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. (Luke 1:26-27)
The first verses of Luke’s gospel describe Zechariah, his wife Elizabeth, and a miracle pregnancy announced by the angel Gabriel, a baby who would be known as John the Baptist. Six months into Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Gabriel is sent to Mary, Elizabeth’s engaged but virgin relative, believed to be about fourteen years old.
Angels are real. They are all over the Bible. They are created beings. They are spirits, though they sometimes take on a bodily form. Only two are named in the Bible: Michale and, of course, Gabriel. They are finite creatures who often serve as messengers. There’s no biblical proof for the existence of “guardian angels,” though God sends angels to protect people. We are not to worship or pray to angels. For more on angels, I did an entire sermon on them on Christmas 2016 that you can read or listen to at PastorKirk.com
In the first chapter of Luke, the angel Gabriel tells Elizabeth she will have a baby. About six months later, the angel Gabriel tells the virgin Mary she will have a baby.
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)
This is great new! First, the angel is very friendly. “Greetings.” Then Mary is told she is highly favored. Who wouldn’t want an angel to announce that to them? Then Mary is told the Lord is with her. That’s good, right? Yes, but…
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:29)
She was greatly troubled at his words. That was the best part! She was so surprised by the messenger, though. Aren’t you surprised when an angel greets you?!?!? Let’s face it,…
Angels can be scary. When they show up in the Bible, they frequently say, “Fear not.” This will not be Mary’s last encounter with an angel, but it is her first, and she was afraid.
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33)
He repeats Mary’s favor with God. David is mentioned again…and Jacob, too. Gentiles tend to skip over these details, seeing them as unimportant facts, but as a Jew, they were significant. Prophecy clearly stated the Messiah would be a descendant of David. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were the beginning of the people of Israel.
Matthew states it this way:
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:1-16)
You’re getting all kinds of history today!
It may have been scandalous to highlight so many women in a genealogy, much less the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah. But notice the women included—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba…and Mary.
Tamar and Rahab were prostitutes. Ruth was a foreigner. Bathsheba committed adultery—or was a rape victim. It’s startling that these women would be specifically mentioned (since each man listed had a mom!).
The repeated phrase “The father of” shifts with Jesus since Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus, but He was born of Mary.
For about 400 years God had been silent, the inter-testamental period between the old and new. Then the aged Elizabeth gets pregnant and now the virgin Mary is with child.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34)
Very good question!
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:35-37)
It’s a God thing! This is truly one of the greatest miracles in human history. I’m guessing few people believed pregnant Mary was really a virgin, but she certainly knew!
God sent the angel Gabriel to send a message to Mary that should would mother the Messiah. It’s impossible to fathom what that meant, especially for a teenage girl.
We can’t do much about messages that are sent to us, but we can choose how to respond. What do you do when asked for help? Did you give on Giving Tuesday? Have you served at Cherry Street Mission, Rosa Parks Elementary, or another one of our partners in the community? What if God calls you to become a missionary overseas…or break off an unhealthy relationship? Mary offers the perfect response to God’s call.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38)
God wants servants. He doesn’t want friends or volunteers or fans. He’s not interested in people who give only when they feel like it. He wants servants. The Greek word for servant in this verse, doule, means female slave or bondmaid. We understandably wince at the word “slave,” but a slave or servant is in full submission to their master. Some people say like the idea of being a servant—until they’re treated like one!
When we call God “LORD,” we are saying He is the boss, He’s in control, He makes the rules, He calls the shots. Could there be anything more offensive to our individualistic, autonomous culture? Yet that’s what it means to be a Christian, to follow Jesus. It means full surrender. It’s not about God being your co-pilot, but rather letting Him “take the wheel” and lead your life. Period.
I think Mary was chosen by God to deliver the Messiah into our world because she truly had a servant’s heart. She didn’t understand how a virgin such as herself could give birth, but she didn’t object. I’m sure as she reflected upon the months and years that would follow, she grew wary, but nevertheless, she said yes to God. “I am the Lord’s servant.”
My prayer for everyone one of us—including myself—is that we would say, “I am the Lord’s servant.” That’s the proper posture before the Almighty. That’s the appropriate response to God’s call.
So What?
It’s a cool story, isn’t it? An angel tells this girl she’s highly favored and will give birth to the Messiah. This has huge implication for all of us since our LORD was delivered by Mary. But there’s something else I want you to know.
God still speaks today.
He might not use an angel, but He might! He speaks through the Holy Spirit. He uses circumstances and opportunities to get our attention. God communicates through nature and creation, through other believers, through music and prayer. And perhaps the most vivid way God speaks is through the Bible.
Are you listening?
I want challenge you with two questions:
What is God saying to you?
I’m discipling a group of men and I ask this question to them most every week. If they say nothing, I ask about their Bible-reading practices. If you don’t read the Bible, don’t be surprised if you don’t hear God speaking. Journaling, silence, and solitude can help discern what God is saying. Another useful tool is simply talking with a trusted follower of Jesus, sharing what you think God may be saying and asking for feedback.
What are you going to do about it?
God’s love language is obedience. As servants of God, we must be ready to respond to whatever He says.
Perhaps that very thought is frightening to you. What if He tells me…?
God is not mad at you. He’s not trying to harm you or make your life miserable. He’s a great, loving Dad who can be trusted. He wants what’s best for you. Really.
What is God saying to you?
What are you going to do about it?
My prayer for you and me is that we would trust and obey. He’s calling you to obey. He’s calling me to obey. Have you heard His voice? If not, perhaps it’s time to spend more time with Him—in prayer and study of His Word.
The Nativity scenes visible at this time of year remind us of the birth of Jesus, but He also received a call from God the Father. He was sent on a mission to die so that we might live. Mary said yes. Jesus said yes. What will you say?
Credits: some ideas from The Real Mary by Scot McKnight
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.