Scripture reading: Isaiah 35:1-10.

Sermon text: Luke 1:46-55.

Guest Devotional: Morgan Alexander

Mary: A biblical figure worth looking up to. Many people focus mainly on Jesus this time of year, but Mary’s worth getting credit, too. I used to never really think about Mary. As most children do, I thought about Jesus and presents (mainly presents, but hey, what kid doesn’t?). But it really hit me this year: “You know, Morgan? Mary was probably about your age when she was told she would give birth to her God.”

Today, many people wouldn’t give a second though to a 15 or 16-year-old girl getting pregnant. Today, the girl can get money out of the father, and the parents become just another set of nameless statistics. But in Mary’s day, teen pregnancy out of wedlock caused shame, not a television show. Instead of getting money out of the father, the girl could have been ruthlessly murdered. Mary’s life went on the line the moment she accepted God’s calling. She knew she wouldn’t be seen as a hero. She knew she would be marked. But she trusted her God to do what He would with her, and she was amazingly blessed.

Ladies, think back to when you were 15 and 16. Could you have trusted God so much that you would be okay with not having a father to blame for your pregnancy? Mary had no one to blame but God, and no one would believe her. How many of you could have withstood the small town gossip without bending, breaking, and most of all, asking why?  Because Mary did it.

Men, put yourself in Joseph’s place. Could you stand to walk the streets and hear, “There goes Mary’s fool,” “She doesn’t deserve him,” “He should kill her” — or, worse, “He must be stupid to believe her”? Could you decide to marry her, love her, cherish her, and love this Child even though He wasn’t yours? Or would you have shoved money in her hands, said “Good luck,” and left? Or — better — would you have done what was expected and have Mary executed to save your pride?

You see, Jesus’ parents don’t get enough credit. How many of us could have been so rock solid in our faith in the middle of rumors like that? I don’t know if I could have done it.

Mary had faith, and that’s how she could say those words; she truly was blessed. She was blessed with more than just Jesus. She was blessed with strength, compassion, and the resolve to stand on her Rock no matter what.

So the next time you read the Christmas story, don’t forget the parents. Let’s face it: We probably couldn’t have done it. Keep Mary’s faith, and Joseph’s ability to trust (even if he did ask why), and we can make it through: One proclamation of joy at a time.

Sermon

“Magnificat anima mea Dominum.” Those words begin one of the greatest hymns of rejoicing you’ll find in Church history. Composers have written magnificent works based around the St. Jerome’s Latin translation of this passage of Scripture.

Even if we don’t know Latin, the word “Magnificat” automatically brings joy to our hearts. Something about that word tells us that good things will follow; somehow, we know that no one would use a word so beautiful and majestic without giving us something to anticipate.

Yet, we need to examine the circumstances leading to this glorious praise of God’s mercy, power and love. What would lead a young Jewish girl to exalt her God with these beautiful words?

Morgan’s devotional gave us a small but powerful portrait of the circumstances that led the Virgin Mary to the doorstep of her elder cousin Elizabeth. We know the story. The angel Gabriel, after appearing to Zechariah in the Temple to announce the birth of John the Baptist, appeared a few months later to Mary in Nazareth. Rather than choose a girl in Judea, God instead chose a Jewish maiden in Nazareth, a small town located in the region of Galilee.

Gabriel told Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” As Gabriel’s words sank into Mary’s heart, she realized that her Son would fulfill the prophecies of the Messiah. Mary would participate in the greatest prophecy ever uttered on earth.

Mary’s response remains the greatest act of obedience in history. “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” With that one sentence, Mary shamed her family, disgraced her fiance Joseph — and inspired countless generations of believers with her submission to God’s will.

Gabriel had told Mary that Elizabeth was in the sixth month of her own pregnancy. It suited everyone close to the situation in Nazareth for Mary to leave home for a while, not that anyone was fooled. Everyone knew of Mary’s pregnancy; gossips existed long before small-town Southern society ever appeared.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s call at the door, John “leaped in her womb.” Elizabeth called out to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Given the circumstances behind Mary’s visit, I think we can now understand why Mary would react to Elizabeth’s words as she did. A young Jewish girl, pregnant out of wedlock and away from home, received confirmation of God’s work in her life. No wonder she cried, “Magnificat anima mea Dominum!” “My soul magnifies the Lord!”

Mary “magnified” the Lord; in other words, she would boast about God’s wondrous work. God had not forgotten His people, nor had He forgotten His promises of deliverance. Mary’s soul “rejoiced” in God her “Savior;” she recognized God as the source of her salvation. Her Baby would bring salvation to a sin-sodden world desperately needing saving from sin and death.

God “looked” on Mary and recognized her humility; God would exalt her beyond all expectations. “For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me.” The people of Nazareth may have scorned her, but Mary realized that the generations to come would recognized her as blessed by God. God, the Mighty One, had “done great things” for Mary; He had chosen her from all the Jewish girls descended from King David as the bearer of His Son.

Mary then demonstrated her relationship with God; she knew God and His works in Scripture and history. Mary’s words, “holy is his name,” remind us of Isaiah’s experience in the Temple in c. 740 B.C.: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). God is holy; His holiness prevents Him from tolerating sin in His creation. However, “His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.” God, in mercy, did not overlook our sin or condone it; He atoned for it at Calvary with the sacrificial death of Jesus, His only-begotten Son.

Mary also recognized that God demonstrates His care of all people by opposing those who, in their pride, oppress those they consider beneath them. “He has shown strength with his arm;” God had continually protected Israel from mightier nations as long as Israel adhered to the covenant He had given them. When nations or people exalt themselves and oppress others, God acts on behalf of the oppressed. “He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.” In the economy of God, the poor and lowly stand above the rich and mighty, because He cares for them and commands His people to care for them. No one stands above another in the eyes of God; all humanity stands equal before Him.

I suppose some pastor somewhere has already addressed this. I’m certain you heard about Steve Johnson, the NFL wide receiver who blamed God for making him drop a game-winning pass in a crucial game a couple of weeks ago. Johnson posted his complaint on his Twitter account: “I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO…” I suppose Johnson thought he was following a pattern of lament in the Psalms, but if so, he certainly could take a lesson from Mary’s ancestor and Psalmist David.

I love the way columnist Leonard Pitts responded to Johnson’s complaint. In a column this week, Pitts pointed out the lesson Johnson apparently hadn’t learned yet: “Maybe it wasn’t even about him. Maybe seeing him fail encouraged or empowered or taught someone else who really needed it. It’s not always about you, you know?” (http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/04/1957457/dont-blame-the-man-in-the-skybox.html#ixzz17pL9z0tm).

Do you wonder why God hates pride so much? Pride causes us to exalt ourselves above others. God cares about every person ever born; He is love (1 John 4:16), and His love directly led to Mary’s dilemma. God loved Mary, but He loved you as well. His love for you caused problems for Mary the rest of her life (cf. Mark 6:3), but her humility caused her to bear the burden and trust God to handle the situations. Pride would have prevented Mary from serving as the chosen vessel for Jesus’ birth; her humility led God to show her the grace of including her in His plan for our salvation.

Mary lastly turned to God’s grace toward her people. “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” Israel needed help; Israel had broken its covenant with God, forcing Him to enact the punishment clauses in the covenant. However, God had never forgotten or forsaken His people. Even in their captivity, exile, and occupation by the Gentiles for over 600 years, God preserved His people and helped them to thrive even in distant lands and cultures. God kept His promises to Abraham that He would preserve His descendants. Now, through Mary, God would fulfill another promise to Abraham: “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Jesus would fulfill this promise that God had given to Abraham over 2,000 years before Gabriel’s appearance to Mary.

An examination of Mary’s circumstances can explain why she praised God in this way. Mary’s praise of God leads us to understand why people continue to see God’s work through Mary’s life and in ours as well.

When we look at Mary’s praise, we see that God reserves the right to work as He chooses, not as we wish or expect Him to work. It really bothers me to hear people talk as if they know exactly how God will work. We know this: God will never contradict Scripture. Otherwise, God remains free to do as He wills to accomplish the redemption of His creation from sin. God could have brought Israel’s Messiah to pass in any way He chose; He chose a virgin birth.

The virgin birth of Jesus should encourage us as well. Don’t think for a minute that God cannot work to help you through your trials. If God can bring about a virgin birth, He can certainly accomplish whatever He must to help us in our lives.

However, we need to understand something about the work of God in the world. God takes a very, very long-term view in His plan to redeem Creation, and He keeps the whole picture in mind in a way we can never fathom. This week, I preached to my family at my uncle’s funeral. I told the congregation that day, “God began working in the worst moment of all creation to restore our relationship. God chose Abraham and told him, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” God chose Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, and gave his descendants a covenant that should have blessed the nations. Israel, the nation of Jacob’s descendants, failed miserably in keeping that covenant. Jesus, the divine Son of God, came to earth, born of the Virgin Mary, and kept the covenant perfectly. Jesus then died a sacrificial death for the sins of the world, and He then rose again from the dead.”

Mary understood that God had something in mind when He sent Gabriel to announce she would bear Jesus, His Son, in the world as an infant. Mary looked back at the history of her people and knew God had chosen to act on their behalf. Somehow, Mary kept the proper perspective. This wasn’t just about her; this birth would affect every generation of humanity.

We also need to understand that God continues to call us to obedience today. You may say, “God would never call me to do anything that makes me uncomfortable or seems crazy.” The next time you sense God calling you, remember Mary’s obedience. In spite of everything she would face, Mary obeyed. Obeying God will first lead you to confess Jesus as Lord of your life, calling on Him to forgive your sins and believe in His resurrection. Then, God will continue to call you to serve Him in His plan to redeem humanity from sin. This call may lead you to places and situations you can’t imagine now, but trust me; obedience leads to blessings beyond anything you could try to plan for yourself.

Mary’s obedience serves us as an example today. Mary’s obedience to God’s plan led to our salvation when Jesus died for our sins and rose again for our victory over sin and death. When we confess Jesus as Lord, we can truthfully join Mary and say: “Magnificat anima mea Dominum et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo;” “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”