Sermon Cloud

Luke 1:26-56

(put unlit candles out in the back…)

Song- Upbeat song- praising God

Advent reading-

Reader 1: This is the second Sunday of Advent. We relight last week’s candle which reminds us of the hope of God’s promise- His promise to send a someone to prepare the way for the Savior… and then to send the Savior Himself.

The prophet Malachi said-

Reader 2: "Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming," says the LORD Almighty.”

Reader 3:Today, we light this candle to remind us of the very beginning of God fulfilling His promise… After 400 years of silence, speaking to Zechariah and Elizabeth and then speaking to a young girl named Mary and telling her that she would give birth to His Son, Jesus.

Song- (maybe something like O Come, O Come Emmanuel?)

Last week we began walking through this Advent season by looking at both the final words of the OT, God’s prophecy of a Messiah who would come and save the people from their sin, and the beginning of Luke 1, where the angel came to a priest named Zechariah, and told him that though he and his wife were old and childless, they would give birth to someone who would set the stage for the Messiah- John, who would prepare the way for Jesus.

God broke 400 years of silence to speak to Zechariah, when Zechariah doubted and did not believe what the angel told him, God struck him silent. He wouldn’t listen to God, so God quieted him-made it so that all he could do was listen.

Today, we read a very similar story- an angel, the announcement of a miraculous birth, but a very different outcome. The first ended in silence- this one ends with a song. Let’s read…

VS 26-28

Gabriel’s words here are interesting: The Lord is with you… The OT prophecied that Messiah would be known as Immanuel, God with us. So it’s interesting that the first words out of the angel’s mouth point to that- God is favoring you Mary, God is with you.

Vs 29-32

This is the language of Messiah- The name Jesus means God saves or YHWH (the OT name for God) is salvation. This is the one who save the people…

VS 33-37

Last week, we saw a very similar announcement given to Zechariah- There are two kinds of women who should be immune from pregnancy- those who are past menopause and have never been able to conceive anyway and those who are virgins.

God is clearly working outside the box here- and though it’s hard to say that I blame Zechariah for doubting, the fact that an angel was appearing to him out of thin air inside the Temple should have given him some confidence in the prediction. But he doubts- He asks- how can I know this is going to happen?

Mary, asks a similar question- How can this be? But apparently, she asks it with a very different tone- her question come from a very different place. She has a very different response to this announcement…

VS 38-
Mary hears what God is saying to her- she listens. She accepts. And she does something else…

VS 39-41

Why do you think Mary hurried down to Elizabeth’s place?

Well… Gabriel himself had told her Elizabeth was pregnant, and that it was a miraculous thing. I have a feeling if an angel appeared to me and said I was pregnant, and then told me that, say… Chris Leonardo was also miraculously pregnant, I think I’d hurry up and go visit Chris…

What do we make of John (Elizabeth’s baby) jumping in the womb?

Gabriel had told John’s father that John would be “filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.” John’s mission in life was to point to Jesus and he starts doing it while even still in the womb. From before he was even born, John the Baptist knew the Messiah. And apparently, so did Elizabeth…

VS42-45

What are the emotions in this last short passage?

Gladness, feeling blessed and honored, joy…

I love that this passage… these opening words of the Gospel of Luke- the Good News of how God has shown up in the person of Jesus Christ, how He saves us from our sin… I love that these stories are steeped deeply in joy.

There’s a reason we sing, “Joy to the World, the Lord has come” at this time of year. “Happy Holidays” “Merry Christmas”… rejoicing, joy… It all finds its origins right here in the joy and rejoicing in Luke 1 and 2 and in the fulfillment of that passage from Zephaniah: “Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! For the LORD will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the LORD himself, the King of Israel, will live among you!”

Elizabeth uses this word a lot: Blessed. What do you think “blessed” mean here?

Mary was blessed. Blessed by God, blessed here by Elizabeth… blessed to carry the Savior of the world and blessed  “because [she] believed that the Lord would do what He said.”

Why does Elizabeth say this?

Because she knew someone who didn’t believe that the Lord would do what He said. She knew him intimately… Zechariah, her husband.  

Here’s the contrast Luke is setting up for us-

Gabriel comes to Zechariah, tells him they will have a child and he asks “How can I be sure this will happen?” And Gabriel says “ Since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent until the child is born.”

Gabriel comes to Mary, tells her she will have a child and she asks almost the exact same question: “How can this happen?”

But far from striking her mute, Gabriel answers her, reassures her…

What do you think the difference might have been?

There are two kinds of doubts, two kinds of questions…

I want to be careful in how we talk about this, because as a community we say we are and try hard to be open to those who are wrestling through questions and doubts.

But in the same way that I’m going to steer you towards food that is good for you and away from food that will kill you, I’m going to do the same with doubt, because just like there’s healthy food and not so healthy food… there’s healthy doubt and not-so-healthy doubt.

What do you think the difference might be? Or is there a difference?

Just me thinking out loud here, but… it seems one is the kind of doubt and questions that if we are not careful can be like a cancer on our soul…

The other is the kind of doubt and questions that at bedrock level say, I don’t know how this could be, I don’t understand it and I’m not even sure if I like it… but I believe deeply in the character of the One Who is saying it. And so even in the midst of my questions about faith, and God, and life, and Jesus, I trust. I trust that God, though He confuses me, cares deeply for me.

“You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said.”

Song- believing/trusting God (Thoughts of You?)

Zechariah disbelieves and is struck silent. Mary believes... and sings

VS 46-47

This hymn that she sings here is first and foremost a hymn of praise to God.

It has some biographical elements in it

VS 48

But mainly- it does what Mary does every time we find her in Scripture- it points us to God- it tells us about God’s character and attributes…

VS 49-50

God is mighty. He is holy. He shows mercy.

And even more- God has a plan- all of this is going somewhere:

VS 51-53

Ultimately, God is about doing what He has always done- showing those who think they matter that they don’t, and showing those who think they don’t, that they do.

If you want to know why Jesus in his preaching has such a strong emphasis on the poor, and why James, his brother, in his little book in the NT talks so much about the poor and needy, I don’t think you have to look much further than this. I think what Mary sang, what flowed out of her heart here before Jesus’ birth, continued through the years as he grew, as his brothers and sisters grew, as they learned about the heart and character of God from their mother Mary.

It’s odd to think about Jesus learning anything, but of course He did. It’s an absolute mystery how it all works out- but the one that Paul describes as perfectly showing us the heart and character of God, grew up hearing about that heart and character at the knee of this woman- Mary. She certainly didn’t teach Him everything. When you read the Gospel narratives, you realize that Jesus knew things that no one who wasn’t God in human flesh should have known.

But let’s not discount Mary all together. She seems to have been a woman of great faith in God, of great character- one who taught her children the heart of God for the poor and the oppressed- who saw in her Son Jesus, God working in human history to bring redemption, to bring mercy…

VS 54

You know- If you read the story of Jesus, and see what God did by coming, living and dying among us, by his Crucifixion on a Roman cross and His resurrection from the dead, and you read that as simply condemnation and judgment- you are not reading right. But if you read the story of Jesus and hear, and feel the mercy of God reaching down into your life, you are reading it right.

Yes- God is holy. He hates sin. He will judge wrong- and thankfully so. Human justice may miss a lot- divine justice won’t. But that’s not the point of the story- God is holy- but as Mary tells us, He’s also merciful. He shows mercy from generation to generation.

In Jesus, God demonstrates His holiness, His righteousness, yes, that’s what the cross is about… but most of all, this whole thing happened all those years ago so that God could show you His mercy. So that even if He judges all the wrong in the world, no one who doesn’t want to face that judgment need do so. God has kept His word. God has given us a Savior.

VS 55-56

In week one of Advent, we lit a candle to remind us of God’s promises and hope.

This week, we lit a candle to remind us that God not only makes promises… but He keeps them. That though we may endure a season of waiting, and that season may be long, God is faithful to do what He has said He’ll do.

We’re going to light today’s advent candle differently… as we sing these next few songs, and we talk to God about hope and joy in promises fulfilled and struggle in promises not yet fulfilled… think about that which you are still waiting on. What are you holding out for God to do in your life? Even in the midst of a long, dark time of waiting, can you still believe in the character of the One who came down into our darkness to bring light?

If so, at some point during the next few minutes, get up and light one of the candles in the back. Light a candle and sing. And consider yourself blessed that you believe that God will do what He said.

2 songs- praising God (The Doxology would be perfect, Joy to the Word?)

Prayer- Bob

Child dedication-Elizabeth blessed Mary and she blessed the Child that was in her womb. It’s our privilege as a community to get to bless some parents and some children today. The practice of dedicating children is not something we are commanded to do. (Something Israel was commanded to do, but not us) But dedicating and blessing children is something seen all through Scripture… where do we see it?

I’m going to ask anyone who wants to dedicate and bless their child today to come up here…

Ask parents about their hopes and dreams for their children

Say to Parents:

Parents- Being a parent is a big thing. It’s not a hobby, it’s a life’s work. It’s more important than your career, than your education, than whatever you are trying to build with your life- the lives of these children are your legacy. 100 years from now, no one will remember your sales figures or much of anything else you did- but what you do with these children will be passed on in the DNA of your family. As we see with Mary- What you speak and do in and around these little ones will shape them for the rest of their lives…

The responsibilities God has entrusted to parents include continuously praying for their children (Job 1:5), instructing them in the way of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6), setting a godly example (Proverbs 20:7), and disciplining them as the Lord would discipline us (Proverbs 29:15,17; 13:24).  Because of the difficulty of parenting, we recognize that these responsibilities can only be fulfilled by someone living in deep dependence on God, and dedication is a promise that with God’s help and the help of your community, you will do these things.

So- will you do all you can to "set apart" your child to God until he or she can make his or her own choice regarding being a follower of Jesus Christ?  By dedicating a child to the Lord, parents make a vow to raise their child to know God, to love God and to serve God.  Will you commit yourselves to this promise and do all you can to keep it? If so, say “We will”

Ask Community: will you covenant with these parents, and with these children, to support, to be a resource and an encouragement in the hard work of parenting. Will you love these children and their parents? Will you care for them, teach them, correct them and pray for them? If you will, say “We will.”

Take Babies:

____________, I bless you and dedicate you to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. May you early come to know Him and may you serve Him all the days of your life. May (SOMETHING FROM THE PARENTS HOPES AND WISHES). May you know God as your Father, Jesus Christ as your Savior and the Holy Spirit as your guide.

Pray for the parents