Saturday, December 24, 2011

THE PERSONALITIES OF CHRISTMAS - MARY



MORNING MESSAGE - DECEMBER 18, 2011
WEST END BAPTIST CHURCH OF NEWPORT, TENNESSEE

It seems of tragic significance that the human mother of the Prince of Peace should herself have been the object of conflict and contention throughout the centuries. To some, she's an object of worship while others swing to the opposite extreme and virtually ignore her.

Although we do not worship Mary, we revere her memory and honor her as the human mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The accounts of Matthew and Luke reveal to us that Mary was a modest, pure, peasant woman in Galilee. She was engaged to a solid, moral, mature man named Joseph. Apparently, she looked forward to this arranged marriage.

Then came the mysterious encounter of Mary with the Angel Gabriel. The announcement he brought to her was staggering. First of all, he addressed her as the “highly favored one”; and proclaimed, "the LORD is with you, blessed are you among women”. At first glance, it would seem that this would mean that her pathway would be smooth. But we know that following God neither promises nor guarantees us an easy way; in fact, it often paints a target on our backs; and we end up – as we say today – “Tim Tebowed”.

Mary was a simple maiden in a small, obscure, Galilean village; and she was chosen to give birth to a child who had no human father! To the neighbors, it was simply a classic case of an unnamed father, a shamed mother, and a baby who "came too soon".

How was she to reveal such a staggering revelation to Joseph? Worse than wagging tongues and better gossip and slander was the possibility that she would lose the man she loved. But God also revealed to Joseph his Divine plan; and, to Joseph’s credit, he and Mary were married.

Later, Mary visited with her cousin, Elizabeth in Hebron; and we have the very first testimony ever given by human lips about Jesus.

Luke 1:39-41

[39] And Mary arose (“arose immediately”) in those days, and went into the hill country with haste (“spoudes” = “speed, diligence, care, earnestness, with purpose”) into a city of Judea;

[40] And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

[41] And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation (“a normal greeting”) of Mary, the babe leaped (“a strong, struggling leap”) in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled (“filled completely, to satisfaction”) with the Holy Ghost:

She was not going on a casual, friendly visit; she had a very specific reason for going, a meaningful purpose. She was going so that she and Elizabeth could encourage and share with each other. They both had similar situations. God had acted upon both their bodies, performing a miracle for both. Elizabeth’s womb was made alive for the son of Zacharias to be conceived, and Mary’s womb had been made alive to conceive as a virgin. It would be great encouragement because Elizabeth was already six months pregnant, giving visible evidence that God had already acted upon her miraculously.

Mary knew about Elizabeth’s miraculous conception, but Elizabeth did not know about Mary’s. After a long journey, Mary entered Elizabeth’s home and greeted her; and Elizabeth’s supernatural behavior began.

“The baby leaped in Elizabeth’s womb”. The baby had probably kicked before, but this was different from all the others. It was a sign to Elizabeth that the Baby within Mary was someone very, very special, someone who was about to be revealed to her under the filling (influence) of the Holy Spirit.

Elizabeth was instantly “filled with the Holy Spirit,” and she was led to greet Mary as the mother of Messiah, the coming Lord: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42).

Elizabeth was older, and being the wife of a priest, she was recognized in a higher and more honorable social class; but poor and unrecognized Mary was blessed both because of her Child and her obedience. She was chosen by God to serve in a more special way.

The Holy Spirit revealed that the Baby was not only the promised Messiah, but He was the Son of the Highest, of God Himself (Luke 1:32, 35). Elizabeth was clearly controlled by the Holy Spirit; as she confessed that the coming Child of Mary was the Messiah, the Son of the living God; and contrasted her son as to be “great”, while Mary’s Son was to be “greatest”. He was her Lord, the Lord God Himself, the Son of the Highest.

Elizabeth’s confession was a very personal thing; which she apparently never shared with her son John (John the Baptist), because he apparently did not know Jesus was the Messiah until Jesus’ baptism (John 1:31-34).

John had to discover and confess Christ for himself. So do we all. It is a personal decision.

The result of Mary’s believing the Word of God was that she was to see the performance of God’s promises, the things told her from the Lord.

Mary’s song is known as the Magnificat. Mary proclaimed God and His glorious mercy to man. Mary was proclaiming the salvation of God, a salvation wrought through the promised Messiah, her Savior. Mary was not singing about herself; she was not praising herself. She said very definitely, “My soul doth magnify the Lord”. The Lord was the subject of her song, the subject of her praise and rejoicing.

People who are filled with and controlled by The Holy Spirit are not always bragging about it, preaching how they have done so many great things; or always having to prove it by their actions. A spirit-filled Christian will be readily evident by the way he lives.

Mary was bound to be tired and exhausted. She had just arrived from a long trip and as soon as she walked in the door, Elizabeth began her proclamation of praise under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and Mary’s song followed right behind that. Mary forgot her tiredness, for her faith was being reassured and confirmed.

Mary’s praise was habitual (in the present tense); it was the habit of Mary’s soul to magnify the Lord, and she kept on magnifying Him.

Mary was greatly blessed by God, yet she did not slip into the sin of pride, nor did she think that she was a favorite of God. The more we are blessed by God, the more dangerous the sin of pride becomes. We must learn to live praising God more and more. The more He blesses us, the more we must learn to praise Him.

Mary expressed her faith in God as “her Savior” (Luke 1:47-48)

Mary said that she was a sinner and needed a Savior just like everyone else; and she made a personal confession: “God is my Savior.” She was proclaiming that God saw her need and saved her.

Mary recognized the lowly background from where she had come. To the world she was a nobody: poor, obscure, unknown, insignificant, of little purpose and meaning in life. The very expression “the low estate of His handmaiden” suggests that Mary was even considered the least within her own household.

It is important that we all remember where we have come from, just how far down we were when God saved us.

No matter how low, how nothing we may be, God cares and will reach down and out to us. He will take us by the hand, lift us up, and give us purpose, meaning, and significance. God will make us somebody and use us, giving us a full and meaningful life (John 10:10).

There were many other problems in Mary's life. She gave birth to her firstborn child at Bethlehem, 70 miles from home. None of her family was with her. There were no skilled or experienced mid-wives present to supervise and assist the birth of the baby. Only Joseph and the animals of the stable were around her.

The baby was born in the cattle stall, not in a clean room at the inn.

While her Son was still very young, Mary was uprooted and had to flee with Him to Egypt to escape the cruel tyrant – Herod.

When Jesus was a young adult, He apparently assumed His place as the head of the home because His legal father had died; and He took over the ownership and leadership of the family carpentry shop.

When He was about thirty years old, He left the carpenter shop at Nazareth and embarked on a ministry that seemed senseless.

Mary had seen the wise men from Persia worshiping her son, but she was soon to see the religious leaders of her nation plotting his death. Truly the sword was to pierce her heart.

This “highly favored woman of Israel” became a symbol of everything we see in Christian womanhood and motherhood. She was obedient to God's revelation and submissive to his plan. "Let it be according to thy word", she said. She laid everything she had on the altar, including her honor, her reputation, her love, and her home. We would do well to imitate her.

Mary was “highly favored” of God. You have been “highly favored” too. God has seen fit to call you into His Family; and I hope you have had the good sense to accept His offer. Mary was just a young girl who was chosen by God to perform a service, have a ministry – that of mother to The Son of God.

When you look at that, it seems more and more impossible; staggering; astounding.

I have been favored by God to have had several young ministers called into service under my ministry. I was called upon to preach in overflow services at Tennessee Temple University with my college and seminary professors sitting right there. God has used the ministry at this church and at First Baptist Church of Wartburg, Tennessee to call and train five full time pastors and seven ministers with various ministries. Your ministry will go right on in them!

We were privileged to have Dr. J Harold Smith to visit with us many times when he was alive and his office was right across the parking lot. Many of his staff have been here as members of this church. Pastors, missionaries, and evangelists have come through this ministry to park their membership while they are awaiting God’s call to further service.

I have said all that to say this. That can be very intimidating! But it is a ministry which The Lord had entrusted to our unworthy hands.

If Mary were here today, she could fully well relate to this! How would you like to be called upon to serve as mother and nurturing agent to The Son of God?

The last we see of Mary is in a prayer meeting: “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren” (Acts 1:14). Here we find her not being worshiped but worshiping. We see her not being prayed to, but praying like all the others. She had been favored of God and by God and had done her work for him faithfully. Now she dropped back into the middle of the Fellowship of God's people.

Let us, like Mary, join in prayer in Jesus name to a heavenly father who hears and responds and keeps his promises.

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