Responding to the Christmas Message
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