Mary, 1 December 2024
30 11 24 Filed in: Sermons | The Glory of Christmas
Mary: Let the Good Shepherd Carry You
The Glory of Christmas: The Skit Guys
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
December 1, 2024
Luke 1:26-38
Series Big Idea: The Glory of Christmas is all about Jesus.
Big Idea: Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
Skit Guys Video Link: Mary
Welcome to Advent, the season of preparation for the arrival. It’s a time of waiting and anticipating Jesus. We celebrate the first arrival of Jesus the Messiah while anticipating his second coming. Today we begin our series The Glory of Christmas. Each week we’ll look at another character in this Christmas pageant and today we begin with Mary.
Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
Here we are at the most wonderful time of the year, at least according to Andy Williams. As we’ll observe this evening at our Blue Christmas gathering, for many it’s the most difficult time of year, whether it’s the empty chair at the table for Christmas dinner, the mountain of debt accumulating on your Visa card, the volatile conversations about politics, the jam-packed calendar of holiday events, the endless preparations for guests coming over, the task of finding the ugliest sweater,…or maybe simply the sheer loneliness of watching everyone around you get party invitations while you celebrate alone with your cat. For many, Christmas is heavy. Perhaps for all of us there are aspects of the season which are stressful, chaotic, and heavy.
As I mentioned, this series is called The Glory of Christmas. The Hebrew word for “glory” is “kavod,” means not only glory but also weight. It’s funny watching a soccer mom on a video dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, but this is obviously a realistic scenario, and one Mary embodied perhaps more than any mother in history. After all, we know where babies come from, so no pregnancy should be a total surprise…except when a virgin conceives!
I’m grateful for the Women’s Resource Center across the street and the fine work they do serving expectant moms and dads. Having a baby is a really big deal, especially when it’s a surprise. I often say the greatest change in my life occurred in 1992 when our first child was born. It was an incredible moment that I will cherish the rest of my life, and I can’t wait to see her, now all grown up and recently married! She’s a little bigger now than when I held that 9 pound, 3 ounce bundle of joy in my arms!
But having a baby wasn’t easy. It was more than worth it, but it wasn’t easy. Just ask my wife who delivered without any pain meds! I remember freaking out at the medical bill. There were sleepless nights. Parenthood is not for the faint of heart.
Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
Mary is a fascinating character in the Bible, yet many Protestants seem almost afraid of her, worried they might appear to be too Catholic! I dare say she’s the most underrated person in the Bible among Protestants. Let’s look at Dr. Luke’s introduction to her.
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:26-28)
Can you imagine being told you are highly favored and the LORD is with you? By an angel?!
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:29)
Can you blame her? Angels are real. I’ve met people that are quite certain they’ve encountered an angel, often helping in a time of need and then disappearing. But angels in the Bible often show up unannounced, scaring the living daylights out of people!
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. (Luke 1:30)
This is the second mention of God’s favor in three verses! Mary was not randomly chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. She didn’t win a beauty contest (like Esther) or demonstrate great leadership skills (like Deborah). She wasn’t commended for her devotion to family (like Ruth). Most likely she was just a teenager, yet God chose her to give birth to His Son.
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:31-33)
Wow! This is amazing news! The Jews had been waiting for hundreds of years for the Messiah, and she’s going to be his mama. This even fulfilled a prophecy from 2 Samuel chapter seven when God said to King David…
When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-13)
This is one of the 300 or 400 Old Testament prophecies Jesus fulfilled.
But there’s one little problem.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34)
It’s a simple fact that virgins don’t get pregnant. It’s impossible…but God.
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. 36 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. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:35-37)
Two angelic visits. Two miracle pregnancies. Two astonishing sons. Don’t miss the timeless promise.
For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:37)
God has made a lot of promises to us throughout the scriptures. You can bet your life on them! Mary’s response to the heavenly messenger:
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38)
This may be the single reason God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus—her servant’s heart. Everyone likes the idea of being a servant…until they are treated like one! Mary said “yes” to the LORD throughout her life. This is what it means to have a LORD. Tragically, there are many vampire Christians today…who just want Jesus for his blood! Jesus is our Savior, but he wants to be LORD, which means we submit, say yes, and obey. An hour on Sunday doesn’t make you a disciple of Jesus, though plays a role in spiritual formation. Are you the LORD’s servant? If so, buckle up and get ready for the greatest adventure imaginable. I promise it won’t be easy, comfortable, or maybe even safe, but you will never regret fully surrendering to Jesus, experiencing the thrill of God moving in and through you to make disciples, love others, and bless the nations.
There’s a certain paradox when Mary in the video tells herself, “Let the Good Shepherd carry you.” After all, she carried the Good Shepherd, Jesus the Messiah, for nine months in her womb. Mary was given an incredible assignment. Sure, it must’ve been amazing to show up with her Son and watch him turn water into wine. What a party trick! I imagine hearing him preach and teach made her feel so proud. When kids win awards, they always begin by thanking their mom, right?!
But make no mistake, Mary did not have an easy life. People today generally frown on teenage pregnancies and unwed mothers, yet there was no tolerance for such things back in the day. I can just imagine the rumors, the gossip, the estrangement. “She seemed like such a nice girl, and now…”
Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
But the pregnancy was just the beginning. The delivery of the baby was anything but comfortable, most likely occurring in the animal quarters of the home of a family member. Joseph was probably the fill-in midwife (I don’t know you gentlemen, but I would’ve probably fainted!). A concrete manger [like this was probably] used for his crib. No epidural. No morphine. She didn’t even have a baby aspirin!
Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
None of that compared to the horror of watching her son publicly executed in the most painful and humiliating way imaginable. It’s been said the hardest thing in the world is losing a child, and this was no ordinary child and no ordinary loss.
Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
To think this was all prophesied. Mary was warned days after the birth of Jesus that her burden would be heavy. At the dedication of Jesus,
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:34-35)
Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
So What?
Throughout this month, you’ll see images of Mary, wearing a blue robe, silently with sweet little baby Jesus. But there’s so much more to Mary than that. She was highly favored by God. Her faith was rugged. She had other children, possibly a single mom as many believe Joseph long before her. Throughout her life, she let the Good Shepherd carry her. She trusted her son. She believed the promises of God.
Do you?
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, invites us today to follow, to trust, to believe.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
Let the Good Shepherd carry you…today, this Advent season, and for the rest of your life.
The Glory of Christmas: The Skit Guys
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
December 1, 2024
Luke 1:26-38
Series Big Idea: The Glory of Christmas is all about Jesus.
Big Idea: Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
Skit Guys Video Link: Mary
Welcome to Advent, the season of preparation for the arrival. It’s a time of waiting and anticipating Jesus. We celebrate the first arrival of Jesus the Messiah while anticipating his second coming. Today we begin our series The Glory of Christmas. Each week we’ll look at another character in this Christmas pageant and today we begin with Mary.
Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
Here we are at the most wonderful time of the year, at least according to Andy Williams. As we’ll observe this evening at our Blue Christmas gathering, for many it’s the most difficult time of year, whether it’s the empty chair at the table for Christmas dinner, the mountain of debt accumulating on your Visa card, the volatile conversations about politics, the jam-packed calendar of holiday events, the endless preparations for guests coming over, the task of finding the ugliest sweater,…or maybe simply the sheer loneliness of watching everyone around you get party invitations while you celebrate alone with your cat. For many, Christmas is heavy. Perhaps for all of us there are aspects of the season which are stressful, chaotic, and heavy.
As I mentioned, this series is called The Glory of Christmas. The Hebrew word for “glory” is “kavod,” means not only glory but also weight. It’s funny watching a soccer mom on a video dealing with an unplanned pregnancy, but this is obviously a realistic scenario, and one Mary embodied perhaps more than any mother in history. After all, we know where babies come from, so no pregnancy should be a total surprise…except when a virgin conceives!
I’m grateful for the Women’s Resource Center across the street and the fine work they do serving expectant moms and dads. Having a baby is a really big deal, especially when it’s a surprise. I often say the greatest change in my life occurred in 1992 when our first child was born. It was an incredible moment that I will cherish the rest of my life, and I can’t wait to see her, now all grown up and recently married! She’s a little bigger now than when I held that 9 pound, 3 ounce bundle of joy in my arms!
But having a baby wasn’t easy. It was more than worth it, but it wasn’t easy. Just ask my wife who delivered without any pain meds! I remember freaking out at the medical bill. There were sleepless nights. Parenthood is not for the faint of heart.
Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
Mary is a fascinating character in the Bible, yet many Protestants seem almost afraid of her, worried they might appear to be too Catholic! I dare say she’s the most underrated person in the Bible among Protestants. Let’s look at Dr. Luke’s introduction to her.
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:26-28)
Can you imagine being told you are highly favored and the LORD is with you? By an angel?!
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:29)
Can you blame her? Angels are real. I’ve met people that are quite certain they’ve encountered an angel, often helping in a time of need and then disappearing. But angels in the Bible often show up unannounced, scaring the living daylights out of people!
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. (Luke 1:30)
This is the second mention of God’s favor in three verses! Mary was not randomly chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. She didn’t win a beauty contest (like Esther) or demonstrate great leadership skills (like Deborah). She wasn’t commended for her devotion to family (like Ruth). Most likely she was just a teenager, yet God chose her to give birth to His Son.
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:31-33)
Wow! This is amazing news! The Jews had been waiting for hundreds of years for the Messiah, and she’s going to be his mama. This even fulfilled a prophecy from 2 Samuel chapter seven when God said to King David…
When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-13)
This is one of the 300 or 400 Old Testament prophecies Jesus fulfilled.
But there’s one little problem.
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34)
It’s a simple fact that virgins don’t get pregnant. It’s impossible…but God.
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. 36 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. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:35-37)
Two angelic visits. Two miracle pregnancies. Two astonishing sons. Don’t miss the timeless promise.
For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:37)
God has made a lot of promises to us throughout the scriptures. You can bet your life on them! Mary’s response to the heavenly messenger:
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38)
This may be the single reason God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus—her servant’s heart. Everyone likes the idea of being a servant…until they are treated like one! Mary said “yes” to the LORD throughout her life. This is what it means to have a LORD. Tragically, there are many vampire Christians today…who just want Jesus for his blood! Jesus is our Savior, but he wants to be LORD, which means we submit, say yes, and obey. An hour on Sunday doesn’t make you a disciple of Jesus, though plays a role in spiritual formation. Are you the LORD’s servant? If so, buckle up and get ready for the greatest adventure imaginable. I promise it won’t be easy, comfortable, or maybe even safe, but you will never regret fully surrendering to Jesus, experiencing the thrill of God moving in and through you to make disciples, love others, and bless the nations.
There’s a certain paradox when Mary in the video tells herself, “Let the Good Shepherd carry you.” After all, she carried the Good Shepherd, Jesus the Messiah, for nine months in her womb. Mary was given an incredible assignment. Sure, it must’ve been amazing to show up with her Son and watch him turn water into wine. What a party trick! I imagine hearing him preach and teach made her feel so proud. When kids win awards, they always begin by thanking their mom, right?!
But make no mistake, Mary did not have an easy life. People today generally frown on teenage pregnancies and unwed mothers, yet there was no tolerance for such things back in the day. I can just imagine the rumors, the gossip, the estrangement. “She seemed like such a nice girl, and now…”
Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
But the pregnancy was just the beginning. The delivery of the baby was anything but comfortable, most likely occurring in the animal quarters of the home of a family member. Joseph was probably the fill-in midwife (I don’t know you gentlemen, but I would’ve probably fainted!). A concrete manger [like this was probably] used for his crib. No epidural. No morphine. She didn’t even have a baby aspirin!
Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
None of that compared to the horror of watching her son publicly executed in the most painful and humiliating way imaginable. It’s been said the hardest thing in the world is losing a child, and this was no ordinary child and no ordinary loss.
Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
To think this was all prophesied. Mary was warned days after the birth of Jesus that her burden would be heavy. At the dedication of Jesus,
Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:34-35)
Let the Good Shepherd carry you.
So What?
Throughout this month, you’ll see images of Mary, wearing a blue robe, silently with sweet little baby Jesus. But there’s so much more to Mary than that. She was highly favored by God. Her faith was rugged. She had other children, possibly a single mom as many believe Joseph long before her. Throughout her life, she let the Good Shepherd carry her. She trusted her son. She believed the promises of God.
Do you?
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, invites us today to follow, to trust, to believe.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
Let the Good Shepherd carry you…today, this Advent season, and for the rest of your life.