Mary’s Advent Joy
Advent 2024 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 11 viewsLead Pastor Wes Terry preaches on Advent Joy out of the life of Mary using Luke 1:26-56 and some other Advent resources. The sermon was preached on December 15th, 2024.
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION:
INTRODUCTION:
Over the past few weeks we’ve been looking at the Mothers of Jesus through the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.
Everybody remembers the big important men in Jesus’ genealogy: Abraham, David, Judah and Solomon.
But what about the four women who get mentioned? Most of them were not Jewish. Each of them were marginalized and alienated from “proper” company.
Yet each of them was strategically used by God in his redemptive plan due to their humility and faith in what God was doing.
We looked at the theme of Advent hope with Rehab.
We looked at the theme of Advent faith/love with Ruth.
Today we’re looking at the biological mother of Jesus - Mary.
Her story illustrates Advent joy and how it’s unlocked in the human heart.
Our text this morning will be Luke 1:26-56.
Set the Table
Set the Table
For those of you unfamiliar with Mary’s story she was a young Jewish teenager (13-16 yrs) who had been recently engaged to a boy named Joseph (probably a bit older like 17-18).
Back then they didn’t get “engaged” like we do today. They were “betrothed.” It was usually a year long commitment and served as a “first stage” of marriage.
It would’ve been arranged by their families with a contract and financial terms attached. They couple was not allowed consummate their marriage but still legally considered husband and wife.
Sexual abstinence was expected of both bride and groom. Any breach would be grounds for ending the betrothal which involved a legal divorce and charge of adultery. (Deut 22:23-24)
So you can imagine being a young teenage girl betrothed to the man of your dreams and feeling absolutely devastated by the news that you were pregnant.
That’s where Mary finds herself in our passage this morning.
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.”
Mary’s News
Mary’s News
This section opens and ends with a reference to the six months that had passed between another “pregnancy announcement” with a relative of Mary’s named Elizabeth.
Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah were extremely old and had never been able to have children.
Gabriel comes to them and says you’re going to have a boy named John who will make way for the coming of Messiah.
In both cases, the news was delivered but not immediately received. Both Zechariah and Mary struggled to believe how these things could be.
It just goes to show you that sometimes the greatest joy in all of the world comes in a package that is difficult to receive.
Great joy requires great effort to unlock it’s full potential.
Troubled & Wondering
Troubled & Wondering
In the case of Mary, her first reaction was one of doubt and intense questioning.
It’s an interesting response given the circumstances. Luke 1:29
29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.
Any other ancient legend or myths world would’ve had Mary immediately jump into the Magnificat.
“Indeed, I receive this favored status! Of course God is with me. How excited I am about this future trajectory!”
But that’s not what Mary does. Instead, she becomes “deeply troubled” by the greeting.
The phrase “deeply troubled” is the Greek word diatarasso.
It means to trouble someone to an extraordinary degree. To be confused, perplexed, not even knowing where to start.
It has the Greek prefix “dia” which means through or thoroughly. It’s an intensification of the idea.
Mary becomes thoroughly stirred up, confused and perplexed by this statement.
What is the statement? “Greeting, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”
In addition to being troubled Mary also “wonders” what the greeting might mean.
The word translated “wondering” is the Greek word dialogizomai.
It means to consider, reason or ponder something deeply.
Again the prefix intensifies the idea.
Have you ever had a conversation with yourself? (No inner voice?!) To “wonder” something is to talk with yourself about a thing until you think it through.
Mary is reasoning critically about the idea that she is favored by God and that the Lord (Kurios) is with her.
Was it the way the greeting came? The one through whom it came? Or was it what the greeting implied?
Reason Critically
Reason Critically
We don’t know if Gabriel showed up in angelic form with heavenly glory and bright lights.
Maybe she “entertained an angel unawares.” (Hebrews 13:2)
The point is, Advent joy doesn’t just invade your heart, against your will and overwhelm you with lollipops and daisies and sunshine.
Advent Joy is like Advent Hope. It requires some diligent investigation. You’re going to have to think deeply about what’s true and look beneath the surface.
Joy is unlocked when we “reason critically to discover God’s truth.”
That’s exactly what Mary does.
For joy to do what it’s designed to do it can be received irrationally. (That’s just psycho-babel nonsense.)
I was talking the other day with a guy who had received some “affirmation statements” from a secular counselor. The statements were affirmative and uplifting but he was struggling to believe them because they didn’t resonate as true.
Statements of fact are only transformative when the heart receives them as trustworthy and true!
If you hear wonderful news but your mind says, “nonsense” it won’t have any affect on your soul!
Don’t Be Afraid
Don’t Be Afraid
So how do we “reason critically” to find true understanding?
I see five things from Mary’s approach that enables her to reason critically and come to a place of acceptance.
Four of the five will never happen until and unless you commit to the first.
#1. Don’t Be Afraid.
The angel tells Mary, “do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (Luke 1:30)
The angel reiterates his initial claim with an encouragement not to fear.
When something happens in your life that disrupts the status quo it’s completely understandable to experience fear.
It’s not so easy to just “not be afraid” is it? Nobody “wants” to be afraid.” It happens without our permission most times.
You might not keep yourself from feeling anxious but you can keep yourself from staying anxious.
Listen Carefully
Listen Carefully
And it requires an intentional decision to do the following.
#2. Listen Carefully.
The second command out of Gabriels mouth after saying “don’t be afraid” is “now listen.”
Don’t be afraid… Now listen.
Those are the first two steps of critical reasoning.
Some people never think because of fear of what they may find..
Other’s end up thinking poorly because they’re not paying close attention to what’s said.
The angel makes several unique claims to support the idea that Mary is favored by God.
You will…(Luke 1:31-33)
conceive and give birth to a son named Jesus (whether you liked it or not)
The son will be great and called Son of the Most High.
The LORD will give him the throne of David’s Kingdom
Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob forever and ever and
Of his kingdom there would be no end.
Ask the Right Question
Ask the Right Question
After listening carefully Mary takes the next step of critical thinking which is asking the right questions.
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”
#3. Ask good questions.
Mary’s first question, “How can I have a baby if I’ve never had sex with a man?”
Mary wanted specific and logical answer to a specific and logical question.
To get understanding you’ve got to ask the right questions.
Doubt is not an enemy of faith. It can actually be a friend. We’re never discouraged from questioning God. It’s how we question God and why that determines his response.
Asking who, what, when, where, how and why are all important ways to investigate a mater. Truth has no agenda and no reason to hide.
Ask questions and think critically until you reach a place of understanding.
Consider the Evidence (Keep an Open Mind)
Consider the Evidence (Keep an Open Mind)
After listening carefully and asking good question the angel gives her one more instruction to follow.
#4 “Consider the evidence…” (Luke 1:35-36)
Gabriel gives a mysterious and cryptic answer for how Mary is going to conceive a child without having sex.
Essentially he says, “God’s going to perform a miracle in your womb.”
The actual phrase is “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 b ecalled the Son of God…” (Luke 1:35)
Notice you can see all three members of the Trinity in this passage alone. A reality which forced the early church to grabble with God’s three-in-oneness.
God the Son and God the Spirit being eternally begotten of God the Father, the Spirit specifically being begotten between the Father and the Son. (Chart)
Not only does Gabriel give a specific answer to Mary’s question. He supports that answer with a demonstration of external evidence. Luke 1:36
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.
In other words, if you don’t believe me just look at your relative Elizabeth. She was barren and super old and God has miraculously put a baby in HER womb.
If you doubt the Lord just look and see.
Keep An Open Mind
Keep An Open Mind
Which brings us to the fifth and final step for reason critically and reaching understanding.
Luke 1:37 explains HOW to examine the evidence when testing the claims of joy.
37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
#5. Keep an open mind.
Gabriel encourages Mary to consider this news from a perspective of faith instead of cynical skepticism.
The same is true for us if we want to reason carefully and arrive at some understanding of what Advent joy can bring.
Many secular/atheistic types reject the truth of Christianity because of a prior commitment to scientific materialism.
Jesus cannot rise from the dead because miracles cannot and do not happen. Therefore there most certainly isn’t a God and Christianity most certainly isn’t true.
When you allow for a world where God does exist and interacts with his creation, certain evidences have even greater explanatory power to make sense out of life’s greatest mysteries.
Mary’s Journey
Mary’s Journey
Given Gabriel’s announcement and supporting evidences it’s no surprise that Mary decides to take a trip.
She hurries to Elizabeth’s house to check on her and and the pregnancy even as she shares her own news and story.
39 In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah 40 where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.
MAP:
Most people believe Elizabeth and Zechariah lived in a town called Ein Karem which is four or so miles West of Jerusalem.
Depending on the route, Mary would have traveled 80 to 100 miles on foot which would’ve taken 4 to 7 days
As we said earlier, great joy requires great effort to unlock it’s full potential.
That’s not just true intellectually. It can also be true in a physical sense as well. If we want to unwrap the gift of joy it’s going to require some personal effort.
Life Disrupting Events
Life Disrupting Events
Notice that Mary doesn’t delay in her journey to visit Elizabeth.
When you receive life-disrupting news, it’s important you not walk through that season alone.
Mary had just received “life-disrupting” news.”
The fact that she was pregnant (and couldn’t hide it) would’ve put her betrothal with Jospeh on thin ice.
Because a betrothal was essentially marriage any sexual breach of the contract was considered adultery (with a corresponding punishment of death by stoning!) (Deut 22:23-24)
We know Joseph intended to divorce Mary secretly to maintain his integrity while still showing compassion. (Matthew 1:18-19)
Were it not for Gabriel’s later intervention Mary would’ve lost her husband and carried the scorn of that unplanned pregnancy alone. (Matthew 1:20-21)
The point is, Mary had multiple reasons to leave Nazareth and spend as much time as possible with a friendly face in a similar situation.
Need For Community
Need For Community
It illustrates the second way joy gets unlocked in the human heart: a commitment to community.
Joy is unlocked when we reach out to community to experience God’s goodness.
The conversation between Mary and Elizabeth illustrate how God’s goodness is experience when we reach out to Christian community.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! 43 How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”
When Mary hears this response from Elizabeth she begins to burst into a song of praise. It’s one of the most popular passages of Scripture during the season of Advent.
It’s classically referred to as Mary’s Magnificat which comes from the Latin word for “magnify” which are the opening lines of Mary’s song of Praise.
46 And Mary said:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
Mary’s visit to Elizabeth had an immediate impact on her comfort and acceptance of this work of God in her life.
Life didn’t feel good at the time but now she’s beginning to see God’s goodness more clearly.
Even though Gabriel’s news was disruptive and life-changing. It was now being gladly recieved as a good gift from God.
At the end of Mary’s song we see she commited to stay with Elizabeth for an additional three months. (Luke 1:56)
56 And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.
In other words, she probably stayed with Elizabeth until John the Baptist was born (so she would’ve seen the unique events surrounding his birth.)
God’s Spirit Shared
God’s Spirit Shared
What does Mary’s Journey teach us about Advent Joy? Why is reaching out to community such an important step for unlocking joy in the human heart.
Luke shows us at least three reasons why that’s the case. The first is in what happens when Elizabeth hears Mary’s greeting.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
We find joy through Christian community because through it the “Spirit of God is shared.”
It’s an interesting theological question because today a Christian receives the Holy Spirit when they repent of sin and put their faith in Jesus.
So Mary and Elizabeth’s experience of the Holy Spirit as well as Zechariah and John the Baptist are all special cases during this “in-between period” of Jesus’ incarnation.
Luke, more than any other synoptic Gospel writer, highlights the role of the Holy Spirit.
Gabriel told Zechariah that John the Baptist would be “full of the Holy Spirit.” (Luke 1:15)
The Holy Spirit was also on Mary as Gabriel described in his birth announcement. (Luke 1:35)
The Holy Spirit is spreads to Elizabeth upon Mary’s greeting. (Luke 1:41)
Later, the Holy Spirit fills Zechariah so that he prophesies at the birth of John the Baptist. (Luke 1:67)
The reason I’m highlighting this truth is because a similar thing happens today when God’s people gather together.
One of my favorite topics as a pastor is the topic of discipleship. It’s the one thing Jesus said he left his church on earth to accomplish. Make disciples of all nations.
What are the necessary ingredients for discipleship to take place in the life of a believer. Biblically, there are three: the Spirit of God, the Word of God, and the People of God.
The Spirit of God uses the Word of God among the people of God to disciple the nations.
God’s Word Spoken
God’s Word Spoken
The sharing of God’s Spirit between Mary and Elizabeth lead to the next benefit in the very next verse. Luke 1:42-44
42 Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! 43 How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me.
We find joy through Christian community because the spirit of God is shared/extended.
We also find joy in Christian community because the Word of God get spoken/explained.
Notice that Elizabeth not only affirms the message that the angel had given to Mary but she also confirms that testimony with her own personal experience.
That’s why small groups have such a transformational impact on those who commit to the fellowship.
It’s not that you learn things in a small group you couldn’t learn on your own through personal Bible reading.
What happens in a small group is that the truth of God’s Word gets reaffirmed in your heart and confirmed through the testimony of other people’s experience.
It has a way of creating deeper faith in your heart and increasing your confidence in the faithfulness of God.
That’s why the New Testament instructs us not only to gather together and encourage one another (Heb 10:24-25) but also “teach/admonish one another with the Word of God!” (Col 3:16; Rom 15:14)
Imagine the encouragement that Mary received when she heard Elizabeth testify to the joy in her womb because of the presence of Jesus in Mary’s womb that day.
God’s Work is Celebrated
God’s Work is Celebrated
Not only do we share God’s spirit and speak God’s Word in Christian community. We also see Elizabeth Celebrate God’s Work taking place in Mary’s life.
We experience Joy through Christian community because the Work of God is celebrated.
She says, “Blessed are you among women… your child will be blessed…” (Luke 1:42)
She makes an incredible confession about the deity of Jesus in saying,, “How could the mother of my Lord come to me?” (Luke 1:43)
In other words, that’s no mere baby in your womb, that’s the God of creation taking on human flesh!
The infinite has become finite. The transcendent has become concrete. The eternal has become temporal. The omnipotent and Great I AM has condescended to born through a humble, Jewish teenager.
The only reason Elizabeth was able to see these truths is because the Holy Spirit had enabled her heart to see like Mary.
She closes in Luke 1:45
45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”
It was Elizabeth celebrating the work of God in Mary’s life that brought Mary to a place of personal worship and praise.
46 And Mary said:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
There’s something about God’s people see and celebrating the work of God in this world that moves YOU to say, “I celebrate it too!”
It’s no surprise the New Testament says we teach one another through Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs.
That’s exactly what Mary does through her hymn of obedient praise.
Mary’s Song
Mary’s Song
It leads us to the last element to unlock Advent Joy in the human heart.
It begins with Mary’s resolution to serve and culminate with Mary’s song of praise.
Her resolution to serve the Lord is seen before she makes the journey to Elizabeth.
38 “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
During her visit with Elizabeth, she concludes with this song of praise.
46 And Mary said:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 because he has looked with favor
on the humble condition of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,
49 because the Mighty One
has done great things for me,
and his name is holy.
50 His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm;
he has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.
53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he spoke to our ancestors.
Great joy requires great effort to unlock it’s full potential. We must
reason critically to discover God’s truth.
reach out to community to experience God’s goodness.
Finally, advent Joy requires us to resolve completely to live for God’s glory.
Resolved Completely
Resolved Completely
There’s a pastor named John Piper who popularized a term called “Christian Hedonism.”
The concept was first articulated by the Church Father Augustine (354-430) in his “Confessions.”
(You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.)
The concept was revived by a Roman-Catholic philosopher named Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) in his book “Pensees”
(This infinite abyss can only be filled with an infinite and immutable object; in other words, by God Himself.”)
In early America it was popularized by the Puritan pastor Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) and his “Religious Affections.”
(“God is glorified not only by His glory being seen but by it being rejoiced in.”)
The modern version before being popularized by Piper was articulated by C.S. Lewis in “The Weight of Glory” and other related works.
(It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.)
When Piper first developed the idea it was through his book “Desiring God.” He revised the first sentence of the Westminister confession.
“The chief end of man is to glorify God BY enjoying his forever”
And his ministry tagline eventually became, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”
All of these articulations of Christian Hedonism stem from Mary’s Song of Praise in Luke 1:46-55. Mary explains that the great JOY of her life is in resolving herself to live for God’s glory.
Not to us, but to YOUR NAME be the glory. Not to us, but to YOUR name.
Joy Through Sacrifice
Joy Through Sacrifice
Jesus said if anybody would want to save his life he must lose it.
In the parable of the hidden treasure it was with “great joy” that the person went and sold everything that he had because of the greater value of the treasure he had found.
The kingdom of God is a treasure worth giving up all that we have.
When you stop living for your glory and personal advancement, you’ll find a satisfaction in the soul that nothing else can match.
That’s the truth behind Mary’s song of praise.
She gives line after line establishing the glory of God in turning the norms and standards of this world upside down.
He scatters the proud. (Luke 1:51)
He topples the mighty. (Luke 1:52)
He exalts the lowly, satisfies the hungry and sends the rich away empty handed. (Luke 1:52-53)
You can live this life for yourself and spend the entire time filling an infinite hole with things that never really deliver.
Or, you can die to yourself and resolve completely to live YOUR life for the glory of God.
When you do, this infinite joy that previously remained elusive will fill your heart and satisfy you beyond your imagination.
There’s no words to describe it. It’s just a personal contentment that only Jesus can bring.
Advent joy comes through the God’s Spirit, received by grace from God the Father through faith in God the Son.
CONCLUSION:
CONCLUSION:
Have you received this joy in your heart today? Or are you chasing after counterfeit because of fear of what real joy might cost?
GREAT JOY takes great effort to unlock its full potential. It’s going to be costly and inconvenient at first.
The news of great joy might disrupt your life and cause you to question what you thought was real and true.
But if you’ll do the work of critical reasoning and pay the price of connecting to Christian community - you’ll find yourself more and more encouraged to die to yourself and live for God’s glory.
That’s where true Joy is found and it’s only enabled through the Holy Spirit of God.
For Mary, the Holy Spirit was a gift from God that she received through faith.
Today, the Holy Spirit is given to us by God through a similar act of faith.
It requires repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. A change of mind that results in a change of direction.
We stop living for ourselves and resolve ourselves to live for God’s glory through faith and submission to the Son he sent to save us.
Have you put your faith in the promised Son of God? He came to save his people from their sins. Of his Kingdom there will be no end.
In God’s great love for you he condescended and took on flesh. He experienced the worst that this world could offer so that he could offer you God’s abundant life as an undeserved gift of mercy and grace.
If you’ve been waiting today why wait any longer? Take a cue from Mary and do what’s required to receive true Advent Joy!
