Nathan E. Lewis

2005 Advent Series: The Virgin Birth - Four Sermons by Nathan E. Lewis

Sermon One: (Luke 1:5-25 ) “Unbelief: Our Problem with the Virgin Birth”
The virgin birth is like the creation of the world and the resurrection of Jesus. Do you find the virgin birth of Jesus difficult to believe? As Donald Macleod of the Free Church of Scotland College observes, Jesus is presented in the opening words of John’s Gospel as the divine Person who invades our world from above. John writes, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten Son of God come down from the Father, full of grace and truth.” But the historian Luke mixes the divine and human aspects showing us how this descent involved an actual family, an actual birth of a baby. He writes about the virgin birth.
Luke begins his story with another birth, the miraculous birth of John, the prophet who announced the coming of the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth. This story describes the unbelief of John’s father, Zacharias a priest. In (5-7) Luke tells us that Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth were both descendents of Aaron, the first high priest of Israel. Both were holy in their behavior, in God’s eyes and of course, according to the law of God. Luke also tells us that they had no children because Elizabeth was unable to get pregnant and now, both of them were old.
An angel of the Lord appears to Zacharias in the temple, announcing to him that God has heard his prayers and that his wife, Elizabeth will give birth to a son. At the center of the story is Zacharias’ unbelief. How does Zacharias express his unbelief? He is in shock, startled to see and hear the angel at the altar of incense. What is ironic about Zacharias’ fear at the sight of the angel of the Lord? The temple is the place where God would meet with his people. All of the structural detail, all of the art, all of the rituals and ceremonies communicated this meeting of God with his people. Zacharias has been chosen by lot to light the incense at this particular time of worship. Incense provided a picture of the prayers of the people rising to God in heaven. He would respond by coming down to meet with them. David wrote in Psalm 141:2, “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” Zacharias knew this as he lit the incense while the people assembled outside to pray.
God sends one of his chief angels to deliver his word and Zacharias is shocked. He did not expect God to actually come to the temple or to even send one of his angels!
His unbelief is expressed as the angel startles him. His unbelief is expressed ever so subtly in his words, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” Perhaps our unbelief is as subtle as Zacharias’ question. His unbelief is politely expressed, even cloaked in his desire to believe. Zacharias truly wants to believe but he can not get past the hard, cold facts of his age and his wife’s barren womb. It’s too good to be true and runs against everything he knows to be true. He is a holy man who lives in God’s favor according to God’s law. He is not an evil man who blatantly denies God defying his ways. Yet he can not believe the good news from the lips of an angel of the Lord. If an angel appeared to you, would you believe his message from God? Zacharias says to the angel, “How can I be sure that your message is true?”
How subtle is his unbelief? When the same angel comes to Mary to announce to her that she will be the virgin mother of the Son of God, Mary says, in (34), “How can this be since I am a virgin.” There is very little difference in language between her response and Zacharias’ response. She finds it difficult to deny the hard, cold facts concerning her body and life experience. She is a virgin. How, then, can the angel’s announcement of her giving birth to the Son of God be true? The angel does not rebuke her for unbelief for she, apparently, has not expressed any unbelief. In her shock she expresses amazement. But Zacharias, using nearly identical language expresses unbelief.
The angel responds to his unbelief, to his request for a sign. “Look. I am the sign or better than a sign. I am God’s special messenger come directly to you in the temple to deliver a message of joy. Gabriel does not offer the muting of Zacharias as the sign requested but as an end to Zacharias’ unbelief expressed. When Isaiah came into the temple and the glory of the Lord fell shaking the foundations of the temple and filling its space with smoke, Isaiah was struck to the ground crying out to God to cleanse his lips. The angels brought fire from the altar to cleanse his lips. Zacharias opened his mouth in the temple to express his unbelief and Gabriel silences him until the promised baby is born.
Zacharias prayed for years for his wife to conceive a child. When God sent his angel to announce that he would answer Zacharias’ prayers, this holy, yet fallible man expressed unbelief. Which portion(s) of biblical history should have helped Zacharias believe the angel of the Lord? Did not Zacharias know the story of Abraham and Sarah? When Sarah was nearly 100 years old, did not God open her womb and she gave birth to the promised son, Isaac? When the angels told Abraham that Sarah would bear a son, Sarah overheard and laughed in unbelief. The Prophet Samuel’s birth was a miracle. His mother, Hannah, would go to the house of the Lord in Shiloh to pray, weeping and begging God to open her womb. The Lord heard her prayer and she gave birth to a son. God called Samuel to be a great prophet in Israel. He anointed the first two kings, Saul and David. Surely, Zacharias knew the Holy Scriptures, including these well-known and central stories of miraculous births. Zacharias had dedicated his life to serve the one, true, God, who opened the wombs of barren women, even in their old age.
Is the virgin birth of Jesus more difficult to believe than believing that an old, barren woman could give birth? Many of the great theologians of our day deny the virgin birth. Hans Kung writes, “Today it is admitted, even by Catholic exegetes, that the virgin birth is among a collection of largely uncertain, mutually contradictory, strongly legendary and ultimately theologically motivated narratives.” Emil Brunner denies the virgin birth. Wolfhart Panneberg sees it as a legend of the Hellenistic Jewish community. William Barclay writes, “The problem with the virgin birth is that it does leave us with an incomplete incarnation.”
In the 4th and 5th centuries, St. Augustine believed in the virgin birth, maintaining high regard for Mary, the mother of Jesus. However, he insisted that Mary was herself born in original sin like the rest of us. From his day forward a growing movement in the Roman Catholic Church insisted that Mary was sinless, immaculately conceived, thus fit and able to conceive and give birth to the sinless Christ. Anselm of Cantebury in 12th century agreed with Augustine. Bernard of Clairvaux, also in the 12th century honored Mary the Mother of Jesus in so many songs and poems that he became known as “the Champion and Singer of the Virgin.” He insisted on describing Mary only in relationship to her Son. He wrote, “O, that you would observe whose mother she is!” When he encountered the teaching of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, he wrote, “The royal Virgin has no need of a false honor.” He maintained Augustine’s conclusion that Mary was born in original sin. Bonaventure, in the 13th century denied the Immaculate Conception of Mary arguing that such a teaching could not be reconciled with the good news that God had redeemed Mary from her sins. He describes the Virgin Mary as “the Temple of God, adorned with divine wisdom, consecrated by grace, and filled with the presence of God.” The great Roman Catholic Theologian of the 13th century and perhaps of all time, Thomas Aquinas, in his work, “Summa Theologiae,” rejected the Immaculate Conception of Mary. He believed that such a teaching took too much away from the dogma of redemption. This is an impressive representation of great Roman Catholic fathers, who believed in the virgin birth, sticking to the Holy Scriptures and stopping short of espousing or developing doctrines that attempt to explain the virgin birth. Instead they accepted it as a creative, miraculous work of God.
Protestant and Evangelical Christians are sometimes guilty of convincing the world that Mary was a sinner, a merely obscure village girl from Galilee. Such a presentation makes light of the virgin birth, forgetting that God chose this common girl to bear the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.
Luke presents the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as a redemptive act of God of the same importance and nature as God creating the world and similar to the heavenly Father raising his Son from the dead.
The gospel is whispered throughout Luke’s birth narratives. A gracious God answers the prayers of Zacharias, the priest, not contingent upon his obedience to the law, but in spite of his subtle unbelief. The promised baby, John, will not only bring joy to his parents, but he will cause many to rejoice as he called them to repentance, to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Zacharias’ unbelief could in no way stop God’s redemptive plan. Not even the entire human race fallen in sin and rebellion against God could prevent him from sending his Son in the fullness of time. Just as he created the world and as he raised his Son from the dead, God worked the virgin birth to produce a truly human Son sinless and destined to save the people from their sins.
Advent is as good a time to receive the coming Lord Jesus. In his first advent, God the Father miraculously, through the virgin birth, gave his Son for our salvation. In his second advent, God the Father shall send forth his Son in power and glory to judge the nations and to gather his elect from every corner of this world. On that final day of his coming, the dead in Christ shall rise first, including the blessed mother of Jesus, Mary. Her cousin, Elizabeth, shall also rise. Elizabeth’s husband, a humble and righteous servant of God shall rise from the dead with his great son, John, who had the privilege of announcing to the world, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Their eyes shall see Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And we who are alive at his coming shall also be gathered to him and we shall be forever with the Lord.

Luke 1: 26-38 “Lack of Understanding: Our Problem with the Virgin Birth”

Do you find the virgin birth of Jesus difficult to understand?
Mary said to the angel, Gabriel, “How can this be since I am a virgin?” While she believed the angel, she found it difficult to understand how it could happen. This past Sunday, we noticed the subtle difference between Zacharias’ unbelief and Mary’s amazement. In his classic, The Virgin Birth of Christ, J. Gresham Machen wrote, “Zacharias has been promised a son whom he had long desired, a son whose birth would bring him not misunderstanding and slander (as Mary’s son might bring her), but rather a removal of the reproach to which, by his childlessness, he had been subjected. Moreover, the birth of such a son, even in the old age of his parents, would be in accordance with the Old Testament analogies which Zacharias knew very well. What except sinful unbelief could lead, under such circumstances, to the request for a sign? Mary, on the other hand, when the angel, prior to her marriage, spoke of a son, was promised something which seemed at first sight to run counter to her maidenly consciousness. Old Testament analogies, moreover, could not give her, as they could give Zacharias, any help. Where in the Old Testament was it recorded that a son had been promised to a maid? Surely it is small cause for wonder that in such bewilderment she should have asked the angel for light.”
Mary finds it difficult to understand the physiological means but there is so much more to her befuddlement. Gabriel does not tell her at first that as a virgin she will give birth. Rather, he tells her that she will conceive and give birth to a son and that she should give him the name, Jesus. Then the angel tells her that her son is the promised Messiah, the incarnate Son of God! Mary puts two and two together and responds, “How can this be since I am a virgin?” For centuries the Roman Catholic Church has taught that Mary, as a girl, took a vow of celibacy, and this is why she says, “How can this be since I am a virgin?” After all, would not Mary first think having heard these first words of the angel that she would conceive as soon as she married her betrothed, Joseph? The Church argued that not only Mary, but also Joseph took vows of celibacy, honoring those vows after their marriage and until their death. While this is possible, nothing in the text would move us to think so. But Mary, even in her amazement, is able to conclude that the incarnation of the Son of God would require a conception different from any other. She remembered what Zacharias forgot. In ancient times, God opened the womb of Sarah and in her nineties she gave birth to the promised son, Isaac. Barren Hannah prayed to the Lord for a son and God opened her womb to conceive and give birth to Samuel, the first great prophet of national Israel. Manoah’s wife was barren but the angel of the Lord announced that she would give birth to Samson the liberator of Israel. In all of these previous and central visitations, the angels of the Lord appeared to married women, who were barren. Mary, even in her amazement, remembered this and found it difficult to understand why Gabriel would appear to her, a teenage virgin unmarried. This insight I have gleaned from Machen’s historic work in which he writes, “Annunciations, as they are known to Mary from the Old Testament, were made to married women; and when such an annunciation came to her, an unmarried maiden, it is not unnatural that she should have been surprised.”
Do you find the virgin birth difficult to understand? I have discovered a fascinating book, Missing Mary, written by Charlene Spretnak, a devout Roman Catholic. She is upset with Vatican II, the worldwide convocation of bishops and cardinals in 1962-1965 who sought to modernize the Roman Catholic Church. Their well-known decision was to allow the mass to be offered in the vernacular, rather than in Latin. Lesser known is that Vatican II removed Mary from her divine pedestal. In 1854 Pope Pius IX proclaimed the Immaculate Conception of Mary to be revealed dogma necessary to salvation. Between 1849 and 1940 the Vatican received 8 million petitions requesting a second infallible papal declaration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into heaven. This doctrine claims that Mary, was immediately taken, body and soul into heaven. During this period millions of Roman Catholics began to refer to Mary as “The Queen of Heaven,” and pray to her as the Maternal Matrix, that is a co-worker with Jesus in the Incarnation and in Redemption. For 111 years, the Church officially taught that Mary was conceived without original sin and promoted her as the “Queen of Heaven.” Then Vatican II declared that all Catholic churches should get rid of their Queen of Heaven statutes or at least move them away from the altar so that “our separated brethren, the Protestants, will not be confused about the true nature of Catholic worship.” Vatican II removed from the mass the “Salve Regina,” prayer, offered to Mary, the Queen of Heaven, co-Savior with her Son, Jesus. Vatican II did not erase any statements of papal infallibility but it did place the ones concerning Marian theology into the darker corners of the Chuch. Charlene Spretnak refers to Vatican II’s demotion of Mary as the “Calvinization of the Roman Catholic Church.” Charlene coins two terms: biblicalplus and biblicalonly. She writes, “The two views are significantly different. However, Protestants would be quick to note that the post-Vatican II perception of Mary in modernized Catholicism, while a vast improvement in eyes, still maintains three elements that are nonbiblical: the teaching that Mary was born without Original Sin, having been conceived as the Immaculate Conception; that after Mary’s life on Earth, Christ took her body and soul to be with him in heaven (the Assumption); and that Mary, like other members of the communion of saints in the Catholic faith, has intercessory powers (although she is no longer considered to have mediating powers). While it is true that these three aspects, which survived the ‘rationalizing’ of Mary’s presence in Catholicism, are not biblical, the primary message of modernized Catholic Mariology is that she is to be regarded solely as a Nazarene village woman.” Spretnak asks the question reflecting upon the historic Reformation, “Why, after 440 years does an almost Protestant perception of Mary become suddenly compelling for many young, Catholic European theologians and priests?” She is one of six million Catholics who have signed the Vox Populi’s petition of the Vatican to declare as articles of faith Mary as “Advocate for the People, Mediator of God-the-Son and God-the-Father’s divine grace, and Co-Redeemer, not equal to Christ but uniquely with him.”
Gabriel responds to Mary’s question with a second installment of his message. He answers how it is that Mary, a virgin, will conceive: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Does this answer help you to understand the virgin birth? It certainly helps me. At Creation, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were actively involved in the making of all things. Moses writes in Genesis 1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Just as the Holy Spirit hovered at Creation, spiritually attending to the work of making all things, so the same Holy Spirit hovers over Mary and supernaturally, that is, miraculously, causes her to conceive a son, the Promised Son, our Lord Jesus. At Creation, all three Persons of the Godhead were present and so it is at the Incarnation of the Son of God. Gabriel says that the Holy Spirit will come upon Mary and that the power of the Most High, that is, the heavenly Father, would overshadow her. And of course, the Son of God would be incarnate, taking on human flesh in her womb. I confess that this answer is a biblical-only answer and that it is quite helpful. Give me a lean theology any day over a supersized one! The biblicalplus supersized theology littered with all sorts of man-made explanations does not protect the mysteries of God. Listen to the angel Gabriel: the virgin conceiving a son is a miraculous, creative act of the Triune God.
Does this mean that we ignore the virgin Mary? Does it mean that we belittle her to counteract those who deify her? J. Gresham Machen, in the early years of the 20th Century watched Protestant theologians deny the virgin birth while Roman Catholic theologians added biblicalplus Marian doctrines in attempts to preserve the virgin birth. As a professor at Princeton Seminary, Machen wrote and published The Virgin Birth of Christ, a biblical argument for the virgin birth. This publication cost him his chair at the Seminary and eventually contributed to his defrocking in the Presbyterian Church. Liberal theologians were offended by his apology for the virgin birth while thousands of fundamentalist Christians were offended by his honoring of the Virgin Mary. He wrote, “We are, indeed, as far as anyone from accepting the Roman Catholic picture of the Blessed Virgin. But we also think that Protestants, in their reaction against that picture, have sometimes failed to do justice to the mother of our Lord. Few and simple, indeed, are the glimpses which he allows us into the virgin’s heart. And yet how lifelike is the figure there depicted; how profound are the mysteries in that pure and meditative soul! In the narrative of the Third Gospel the virgin Mary is no lifeless automaton, but a person who lives and moves –a person who from that day to this has had power to touch all simple and childlike hearts.” Along with this humble father of our part of the church, we should honor the mother of our Lord. There is no one like her among our race.
The angel Gabriel says to Mary, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you…Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.” What do these words mean? Do they support human achievement or do they promote the Gospel? Why is Mary highly favored? How is it that she has found favor with God? The Church for several centuries developed the doctrine of merited favor. In the Medieval period the Church taught that Mary’s piety won the attention of God and moved him to choose her to be the mother of Jesus. The Reformation championed the Gospel, which proclaims that God freely chooses to shower his favor upon the human race. As Paul reminded Titus, “It is not by works of righteousness which I have done but according to his mercy he saved me.” Martin Luther enraged Roman Catholics by writing, “For it is better to take away too much from Mary than from the grace of God. Indeed, we cannot take away too much from her, since she was created out of nothing, like all other creatures.” But we should not take away from her that which the Scriptures shower upon her. Of Mary, God said, “You are highly favored!” John Calvin, another of the great Reformers of the Church, wrote that the Roman Catholic Church in elevating Mary had “stripped Christ of his spoils.” The Gospel says that Christ has shared his spoils with all those united to him by faith. This great number of Christians include his mother, who humbly received God’s word, “You are highly favored! You are blessed among women.”
The Gospel sheds light upon Mary just as it does upon us. God favors us simply because he is pleased to favor us. God loves us because he chooses to love us. God gives to us a station and purpose in life to glorify him. It pleases him to give to us a meaningful part in his kingdom. He chose Mary because he was pleased to choose her. He chose her to occupy a unique role in his redemptive history. Only one woman was chosen by God to give birth to the Son of God incarnate. Mary’s response to God favoring her and choosing her was amazement. We also stand in amazement of God’s redemptive work. We marvel at God using mere human creatures as instruments of his work in this world.
The Gospel shouts Christ’s greatness in Luke’s account. It is Mary’s Son who is elevated. It is the baby Mary is to name Jesus who will called “The Son of the Most High.” In other words, this baby has a divine origin and nature though his mother is of human nature. But this baby is also the one to whom God will give the throne of his father David. In other words, this baby, though he be of divine nature, will also possess a human nature like his mother. But he is not one of the many sons of David who sat upon the throne. He is the promised Son of David, who will reign upon the throne forever. His kingdom will be an eternal one. While Gabriel whispered the Gospel to Zacharias, he shouts it to Mary: “Your Son is the eternal King of God’s eternal Kingdom! He is the God-Man promised from ancient times. He is the anointed one of God, the Messiah.”
God has given to us sufficient understanding of the virgin birth. He has given to us faith to believe the virgin birth. He has given to us his Son, the Savior of the world. During this Advent season, receive Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is come into this world.

Luke 1: 35-38 “Service According to God’s Word: Our Response to the Virgin Birth”

The angel, Gabriel, concludes his explanation of the virgin birth with these words: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” The Bible presents to us a God who is not only omniscient, but he is also omnipotent. He not only has infinite capability but he shall surely accomplish all of his holy will. This was the faith of Abraham as he climbed Mount Moriah with his son, Isaac. He told his son, “God will supply the sacrifice.” When did Abraham learn about God accomplishing all his holy will? When the angels announced the miraculous birth of Isaac and Sarah laughed in disbelief that she, an old, barren women could conceive and give birth, the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child when I am so old?’ Is there anything too difficult for the Lord?” The correct response is, “No, there is nothing too difficult for the Lord.” Abraham learned to trust in the one, true God who shall accomplish all his holy will.
In our lifetime a vast number of people have assessed the virgin birth of Jesus to impede their rational faith. J. Gresham Machen in the conclusion of his book, The Virgin Birth of Christ, writes, “The story of the virgin birth, far from being an obstacle to faith, is an aid to faith; it is an organic part of the majestic picture of Jesus which can be accepted most easily when it is taken as a whole.” This is the conclusion of the angel Gabriel and anyone else who confesses, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
How does Mary respond to the angel’s announcement that she will conceive the Messiah? (38) She says, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” The overarching virtue evident in Mary as she responds to the angel is humility. Her response is known in the church as “Mary’s fiat,” meaning “let it be done.” Indeed fiat is at the center of Mary’s response and the key to her humility. Mary does not think that her response in any way produces the virgin birth. This is the miraculous work of God alone. She is a vessel, an instrument. The cause is divine and so she responds, “let it be done.” A humble person rightly credits God for accomplishing his holy will and kindly reminds others that we are chosen vessels for God’s glory. Keith Fournier, in his beautiful book, The Prayer of Mary, suggests that Mary’s fiat is Mary saying “Yes” to God. Take a look again at the fiat. Mary is certainly not giving God permission to use her body and life. She is not even exercising her will as if to say, “OK. I will do what you are asking me.” First of all, God is not requesting Mary’s permission. Through the angel Gabriel he announces to her what he will do in and through her. Mary’s response is humble as she receives God’s decision to work through her. Mary says, “Let it be done according to your word.” She possesses a faith in a God who speaks and whose word effectively accomplishes all his holy will.
What may be some other responses Mary could have expressed in these
circumstances? Someone might suggest that Mary could have said, “Let it be done,” as a Queen upon a throne, waving her scepter, granting the request of a subject kneeling before her. But then, we must remember to read her entire response, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done according to your word.” The picture we receive of Mary is of her kneeling before the throne of Almighty God, his humble subject receiving a most difficult command.
In what ways did the virgin birth ruin any hopes of Mary enjoying a normal life? Philip Yancey writes, “In contrast to what the cards would have us believe, Christmas did not sentimentally simplify life on planet earth. Christmas art depicts Jesus’ family as icons stamped in gold foil, with a calm Mary receiving the tidings of the Annunciation as a kind of benediction. But that is not at all how Luke tells the story. Mary was “greatly troubled” and “afraid” at the angel’s appearance, and when the angel pronounced the sublime words about the Son of the Most High whose kingdom will never end, Mary had something far more mundane on her mind: But I’m a virgin! Nine months of awkward explanations, the lingering scent of scandal…It seems that God arranged the most humiliating circumstances possible for his entrance, as if to avoid any charge of favoritism.”
Lela Gilbert has written a poem featuring the changing of Mary’s life:

Such light,
Such luminous colors!
The memory blurs my view
Of our dusty street,
Our poor drab village;
The joy of it all catches in my throat
In exquisite yearning
Aching like a long-forgotten song.
And that voice, unlike any other –
Even now it speaks in my soul,
“Nothing is impossible…”
Even now I hear it
And my breast swell and ache
As my belly grows round
As my body trembles with new life.

Mother’s eyes are dark with worry
Joseph’s face is drawn with grief
Oh my God, how will I tell them?
Can I face their disbelief?

How would you respond to a God who ruins your life for his glory? What one word would you use to describe Mary’s response? (38) Humility. Charlene Spretnak in her book, Missing Mary, reports that 66% of all Catholic shrines in Europe are devoted to Mary, Queen of Heaven, while 27% focus upon another saint and 7% percent focus upon Jesus. Where are the shrines to commemorate Mary’s humility? The Marian shrine that keeps the most extensive medical records is Lourdes, in France, where 2,000 miraculous healings have been documented since 1848. 66 of those reported healings have been accepted by Church authorities through a review process involving several levels of scrutiny of the medical evidence presented. For millions of church members, Mary is associated mostly with the title, “Advocate.” When is she ever identified as “Servant.” How did Mary identify herself? In humility she identified herself as “servant.” True humility does not move a person to identify herself incorrectly. A humble person does not say, “I am a servant,” but considers in her heart, “I am the Queen, but I must present myself as a lowly servant.” A humble person has an accurate picture of herself in relation to God and humanity. God is God alone. Jesus Christ is Advocate alone. He is the one and only Mediator between God and humanity. I am a servant ready and willing to be used of God to accomplish his holy will.
Mary does not offer a false modesty or a deceitful humility. She is a strong, outspoken woman throughout her life. She doesn’t pretend to be a meek and mild mother who bakes cupcakes for her son and never utters an opinion on the topic at hand. When the angel Gabriel speaks to her, she blurts out, “How can this be, since I am a virgin!” The angel gives to her the only explanation for the virgin birth supplied in the scriptures, and Mary responds in humility. Do you remember the story of Mary and Joseph losing Jesus in Jerusalem? When they realize that they have begun their journey home to Nazareth without 13 year old Jesus, they quickly return scouring the city streets for their son. They find him in the temple courts discussing the word of God with the religious leaders. Mary does not respond with a false politeness or deceitful humility saying something like, “What a fine young boy I have. Do you see him sitting with the leaders of our most holy religion discussing theology? I am so proud of him!” Instead she marches into the discussion to say, “Don’t you know that your father and I are worried sick about you?!!” A 13 year old Jesus kindly reminds his mother that he is no ordinary son, “Did you not know that I would be about my Father’s business?” In true humility Mary had to adjust her views and emotions once again to the unique relationship she had with the Son of God.
When she and Jesus were celebrating a wedding at Cana, the host ran out of wine and Mary came to Jesus asking him to help. Did she approach him as her son assigning to him a chore? Jesus says to her, “What to me to you,” once again calling her attention to their unique relationship. Mary loses none of her feminine strength, but with humility, in the presence of the Lord of heaven and earth, she turns to the host and says, “Do whatever he tells you to do.” Jesus miraculously turns the water into wine and his mother remembers the dual nature of her beloved son. Mary became concerned as Jesus traveled throughout Galilee preaching the gospel and healing the sick. He was not eating and sleeping regularly. Rumors were flying that Jesus was either demon possessed or he was mentally insane. Mary was not going to stand idle in the face of such opposition. She rounded up her sons and they traveled to the home where Jesus was teaching. She knocked on the door and informed a person that she had come to take her son home. The messenger made his way through the crowded home to inform Jesus that his mother was at the door. Jesus said, “Who is my mother and brother?” Can you imagine Mary’s reaction when the messenger returned to say, “I’m sorry, Ma’am. Jesus isn’t quite sure at the moment who his mother is.” Once again Mary had to humbly accept that Jesus was no ordinary son.
How does Mary’s response reflect her understanding of the gospel? (38) The gospel humbles a person. Mary gained her humility from receiving the gospel. She identifies herself as a servant. The gospel produces humility in a person. When we hear of God’s grace coming to us we become humble in heart and life. God chooses to favor us. His choice is founded in his good pleasure. He freely and joyfully rescues us from the entanglements of this world, from sin, from death, from everything that would separate us from his love. When we discover this gospel, we become humble in our reception of it.
Human pride and the gospel mix like oil and water. Human pride pollutes the gospel. The gospel destroys human pride and renders a person as beautiful as Mary, the mother of Jesus. The gospel humbles a person and then teaches that person how to live humbly. Mary realizes who she truly is in relation to God and humanity. She says, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord.” “Look at me! The reality is that I exist to accomplish God’s holy will by obeying his commands.” She begins to live humbly. The gospel inspires her to glorify God. She says, “Let it be done to me according to your word.”
As Jesus hung on the cross dying, Mary had the courage to kneel at the foot of the cross. There she heard her son remind her one more time that he was no ordinary son. She also heard him say with his final breath, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Humbly, Mary discovered that her son’s life was ruined for the glory of God in the redemption of his children. She realized that he would be all right in the hands of his heavenly Father. She also knew that her life was not ruined without purpose. She was also in the hands of her heavenly Father. Mary’s life is saturated with the gospel: she is a humble servant glorifying God. May we also embrace the gospel allowing God to transform us from pride to humility, from self-glorification to glorifying our Savior. Amen.

Luke 1: 39-56 “Praise of God: Our Response to the Virgin Birth”

After the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will give birth to the Messiah, Mary leaves her hometown traveling to the home of her cousin, Elizabeth, in the hill country. As she hurries on her way we suspect that the purpose of her going is to escape ridicule in her hometown. How is she to explain to everyone, especially the elders, that she is a virgin yet pregnant, the Messiah growing within her? Upon her arrival at the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth, we discover the greater purpose for Mary’s getaway. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth prophesies, greatly encouraging Mary. She cries out in a loud voice, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.” In the history of redemption, God’s blessing falls upon a countless number of us. We are like the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. But Mary was chosen to fulfill a unique role in the bearing of the Son of God. If Mary had indeed fled her hometown to escape the scorn and perhaps the discipline of the town elders, these prophetic words would greatly encourage her. Jesus, the fruit of Mary’s womb, is also blessed. What a welcome for the Son of God who descended into the miseries of this world, taking upon himself human flesh, the misery of being born, of becoming one subject to the law of God, the object of this world’s hatred and scorn, the misery of the cross. What an encouragement the loud, prophetic words of Elizabeth must have been in the early stages of the incarnation!
While most friends and family may wish Mary to disappear, Elizabeth considers her visit to be a blessing. With gracious sincerity Elizabeth says, “Why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” O that each of us this Christmas day would have at least one family member, at least one friend, who would receive us in our times of need with such grace and joy. Or perhaps I could be that friend for another. Luke decides to write twice the leaping of John in his mother’s womb. The only way he knew of it was that Elizabeth spoke of it to Mary, and undoubtedly many other people. Luke mentions John leaping for joy in his mother’s womb as Mary greets Elizabeth. Then Luke mentions John leaping for joy once again, as Elizabeth tells Mary about it. David wrote in Psalm 8, “From the lips of children and of infants, God has ordained his praise.”
Elizabeth concludes her prophecy saying, “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” Elizabeth’s husband, Zacharias, is at this time muted. He did not believe the announcement of the angel Gabriel, that his old and barren wife, Elizabeth, would give birth to a son. In contrast, when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be the virgin mother of the Messiah, Mary believed and humbly received God’s message.
Mary responds by praising God. The church refers to her song as the Magnificat, a Latin term capturing her opening words of praise, “My soul glorifies!” Her song reflects her knowledge of the Holy Scripture, of the Psalms and the Prophets. She makes what she knows from holy writ her own song of praise. Mary sings, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God, my Savior!” The remainder of her Magnificat supplies at least seven reasons for praising God. From Mary’s Magnificat we learn how to praise God.
The first reason Mary offers is, “For he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.” Mary refers to herself as a slave of God. She has maintained her humility, even after Elizabeth prophesied of her unique and blessed role. But the main idea Mary offers is of God taking notice of her. This is cause for praise. God takes notices of the humble. Mary does not have humility of heart in mind as much as she has her humble position in life in mind. God takes notice of us regardless of how important we are in the world, regardless of how wealthy we are, or how attractive we may be. When we consider the greatness of God and then his stooping low to take notice of us, we are moved to praise him. In our liturgy for corporate worship, we attempt to orchestrate this experience by confessing our sins and weaknesses early in the order. We then hear God’s assurance of pardon. In response we stand to joyfully sing his praise. Elizabeth was the first to call Mary blessed. She is followed by generation after generation who recognize the unique role given to Mary and are thus filled with praise of God, who worked the miracle for our redemption.
The second reason Mary offers is, “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; holy is his name!” At first glance this reason seems a bit general, but it is actually quite rich. Mary is able to look beyond the discomfort of her present situation to see that her redemption has come! Mary knows that she has been chosen to occupy a unique role in redemptive history, but this is not what she has in view as she offers this second reason for praise of God. She is able to see herself as part of the vast number of people, uncountable like the stars, who shall receive eternal life through Jesus Christ the Lord. We are also moved to praise when we discover that God has done great things for us. To praise God as part of true worship, we must connect God’s great and mighty acts to our lives. The key is to move from saying, “God has loved the world,” to saying, “God has loved me.” We might expect Mary to sing, “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; Generous or Loving is his name!” Why does she sing, “Holy is his name!” ? Mary knew the scriptures. She knew the Psalms and so she would first think to refer to God’s name as holy. Several Psalms come to mind, for example, the opening lines of Psalm 103, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name.” Psalm 111 captures even more precisely Mary’s praise and supplies us with a fine answer to her exclamation, “Holy is his name!” The Psalmist connects redemption to holiness. “He has sent redemption to His people;He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name.” When we discover that God has redeemed us from sin and death, we praise the holy name of God. The holiness of God best fits the purging of our sin and the conquering of the great enemy, death.
The third reason Mary offers is, “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.” Mary refers to the ancient Hebrew word, hesed, the covenant loving kindness of God. In English we often describe God’s covenant love as mercy. Mary’s idea is not that a person fears God, that is, he/she honors, reveres and respects God, and so he grants that person his covenant love. Rather, God extends his covenant love to us and the result is that we fear him. In other words, God is merciful to us. He grants to us his covenant love when we do not deserve it with the purpose of working holy results in us. And so, the New American Standard Version has the phrases of Mary’s third reason, better ordered, closer to what she said in refering to the ancient concept of hesed. “His mercy is upon generation after generation, toward those who fear him.” Thus our praise is mixed with gratefulness.
The fourth reason Mary gives for praising God is, “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.” Mary views God to be the sovereign ruler of her world. The arm of the king signifies his sovereign commands issued through out his realm. His arm signifies the extent of his power. How far does God’s powerful rule extend? His arm reaches into our minds, and even into our attitudes. Mary uses a word that refers to our attitude. I may entertain thoughts like, “I’m the best snowboarder in Oregon.” And then, I may begin to act like I am the best snowboarder in Oregon, adopting an attitude of arrogance and snobbery. Mary praises a God who not only knows what we think, but powerfully corrects how we behave. Our praise is our astonishment at God’s powerful rule in our lives.
The fifth reason Mary offers is, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble.” Mary is moved to praise the God who is ultimately in control of who wields power and influence in this world. He is the God who humbled the mighty King Nebuchadnezzar, who proudly proclaimed himself divine. God reduced him to a wild beast for
seven seasons until he was humble. Then God restored him to the throne of Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar’s first edict was praise to God. He proclaimed, “Blessed is the Most High for his dominion is an everlasting dominion and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; no one can ward off his hand or say to him, ‘What hast thou done?’” The apostle James wrote, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he will exalt you.” When a tyrant falls, we are moved to praise God. When we are reduced to a humble station we praise God. When a humble person is installed in an influential office, we give praise to God.
The sixth reason Mary offers for praising God is, “He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” God is no respecter of persons. He doesn’t give you special treatment because you are wealthy while ignoring the poor person. He provides food where it is needed. The Jewish leaders were upset with Jesus who was spending his time preaching and teaching the prostitutes and tax collectors. They preferred that he minister to the upstanding citizens and members of the temple. But Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.” This same reasoning and purpose moves God, the supplier of every good gift, to offer bread to the poor while denying the rich a freebie. God does not hire a jet to fly over the city dropping millions of food packages randomly. He carefully, willfully places his gifts where they are most needed in the accomplishing of his redemptive mission in this world. We are quick to blame God for failing to feed the hungry, protecting the oppressed and ending bloodshed in this world. But ever since Rwanda in the 1990’s, all our hopes and trust in human institutions have come to an end. Perhaps it is time for us to praise a God who is trustworthy and who does mitigate need and evil in this world more than we could ever assess from staring into our televisions.
Mary sees the miraculous conception of the Son of God as God’s provision for the poor. The Messiah coming to earth is central to God’s provision of good things for the hungry. Mary is not the first liberation theologian. In her view, the kingdom of God brings to us, not only redemption from sin and death, but also every good and perfect gift coming down from the Father of lights.
The seventh reason Mary gives is, “He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendents forever.” This final reason sends chills down my spine and moves me to jump to my feet and sing to the glory of God. The connection of Mary’s story to the story of Abraham and Sarah is not merely their mutual reception of a miraculous birth. The greater connection is that the same God of the eternal covenant of grace is keeping his promises made from the beginning. God promised Abraham that he and all his seed would be blessed. Paul reminds the Church at Galatia, that though God promised his love to the uncountable descendents of Abraham, whose number is like the stars of the heavens and the sands on the seashore, his seed would be singular. Abraham’s seed is the one descendent, the true promised Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Through this one seed all the spiritual descendents of Abraham would be blessed. By faith, the same faith God gave to Abraham, each of us may become children of Abraham. Our faith is focused upon the one seed, Mary’s baby, Jesus. Our praise is focused upon the one seed, Mary’s baby, Jesus, and his heavenly Father who sent him to us and his Holy Spirit who guides and directs us. This Christmas Day we praise the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who has kept his covenant promise to provide eternal life and favor for all the children of Abraham generation after generation.
Do you hear the gospel in Mary’s Magnificat? All of her praise goes to God, who graciously gives all things to his children.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Praise him all creatures here below!
Praise him above ye, heavenly hosts!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
Amen.