Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Christians are made up of different personalities and temperaments
• Responses to the Gospel message are different by personality:
• The shepherds seem to be extroverts - explanation
• Their reaction is different to Mary's - explanation
• What is our reaction?
• Like Mary?
• Mary's confidence in God's word and trust in the Lord shines forth
• God uses different people in the church
• Looking at Mary's response to the Christmas message
• Overview:
• The visit of the angel - humble faith
• Meeting with Elizabeth - joyful praise
• The visit of the shepherds - quiet contemplation

The visit of the angel - humble faith

• She was betrothed to Joseph (a state akin to marriage)
• She had hopes and desires for the future
• The message from the angel was to turn her life upside down - Luke 1:28
• She was initially troubled - Luke 1:29
• She was a thinking girl and considered the greeting
• Truth comes first to the mind and then the heart
• She began to contemplate
• She was initially fearful - Luke 1:30
• She had found favour
• She asked how this could be - Luke 1:34
• The Holy Spirit would come upon her (v35)
• A humble response (v38)
• She was content to be the maidservant of the Lord
• We often want to be masters of our own destiny
• Mary chose to follow the path of God (even though she knew it would later cause such sorrow)
• The world pours scorn upon the Immaculate Conception
• How can intelligent people believe in the virgin birth?
• The book "Is Christmas Unbelievable" - yes, there is corroborating evidence
• Mary believed in simple faith
• We should challenge the skeptical - in which 'miracle' do you believe?
• We believe through faith
• Consider the 'Attributes of God' - nothing is impossible for God
• Unbelief is offensive to the mighty God
• Have a humble trust in the word of God

Meeting with Elizabeth - joyful praise

• v39-45 - The account of Mary meeting with Elizabeth
• v45 - Mary trusts
• 'Blessed are those who believe'
• The Magnificat (v46ff)
• She rejoices in God her Saviour (v47)
• Is He your Saviour?
• Mary needed a Saviour as she needed to be saved from her sin
• Do you recognise your sin?
• She recognises her lowly state (v48)
• Can you say 'He who is might has done great things for me'?
• Can you tell others what God has done for you?
• She rejoices in God holiness (v49)
• Do we see the duplicity in us and mess within the world?
• We can look to God who is pure and holy
• She rejoices in His mercy (v50)
• Example
• Psalms
• Do you stand in awe of the living God?
• Do you treat Him lightly and take Him for granted
• She rejoices in Kingdom Values (v51-53)
• He has put down the high and mighty and exalted the meek and lowly
• She rejoices in the Covenant keeping God (v54-55)
• What was happening to her was a fulfillment of a promise made to Abraham
• This song is similar to the one given by Hannah in 1 Samuel 2
• Reading v1,2,5,7-8b
• What is the 'Christmas Spirit'?
• To respond with joyful praise
• Christmas is all about worship
• Oh that we would worship

The visit of the shepherds - quiet contemplation

• There was no room - she has to use a manager, a feeding trough
• There was the pain of giving birth with no family or healthcare practitioners
• The shepherds are first to visit
• Mary pondered all these things in her heart - Luke 2:19
• Consider the life of Jesus - brief overview
• What is your response to these things?

Closing Remarks

• Consider the life of Jesus - brief overview
• What is your response to these things?
• Let us be like Mary