There are 18 more shopping days until Christmas.  19 if we count desperation shopping on Christmas.  Putting that in perspective:

(cartoon)  “’Twas the night before Christmas”

Maybe this is closer to home? 

(cartoon) “Don’t you just hate all the stress of the holidays?”  “What stress?”

We are in the season of Advent.  Today is the second Sunday of Advent.  Advent means… “coming” or “arrival.”  Part of Advent is slowing down to focus on the coming or arrival of Jesus.  His incarnation - which is the $10 million theological word that describes… Jesus’ coming “in carne” in the flesh of humanity.  Jesus’ birth.

There are only 25 days left until 2015.  Gone by fast.  Hasn’t it?  We need to slow down and focus.  Otherwise we may blow past Christmas like people blow past Thanksgiving on the way to the mall.  There is way too much here that God has for us.  So, we’re taking 4 Sundays to look at one chapter - Matthew 1.

Last Sunday we looked at the first part of Matthew 1 - the genealogy of Jesus.  We saw God at work in that genealogy.  God’s love towards people like us.  God in His justice dealing with our sin and offering us salvation in Jesus.  God’s faithfulness to His people - to us.

This morning we are moving on to the second half of chapter 1 - starting at verse 18.  Would you take deep breath and let’s read this out loud together.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.  When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:  “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him:  he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a Son.  And he called His name Jesus.  

Verse 18 tells us:  When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

In our morally bankrupt culture where marriage is hugely misunderstood - abused - a disaster seemingly to be avoided - when people are shacking up and hooking up and kids are being had outside of marriage and adultery is becoming acceptable even in the church - we miss the weight of the standard of the holiness of marriage that God declares for us in His word and what betrothal is all about.

Betrothal is way more than what we think of today as being engaged.  Betrothal was a legally binding pledge - a legal contract.  Betrothal was a contract that gave the couple permission to prepare for this holy state of marriage - a contract that was seen as binding and as holy as marriage.  Which is why - for example - which is why in verse 19 Joseph is called the husband of Mary.  Which is why infidelity - during betrothal - just as in marriage - was considered adultery punishable by stoning.  (Deuteronomy 22:23,24)

Similar to marriage only a legal divorce could break a betrothal.  Meaning ending a betrothal was an extreme - a disaster.  Breaking the contract of betrothal was seen by the whole community as shameful - a stigma that could haunt someone’s reputation for life - dog the reputation of a family maybe for generations - their standing in the community - potentially ruin any future opportunity for marriage. 

But as serious as all that is - betrothal was still not marriage.  Meaning that betrothal was not a license to have sex.  The sexual union of the couple is only proper after they are formally married - after the wife has the right to move in with her husband.  

That’s a lot different than today.  Isn’t it?  And it worked a whole lot better than all the brokenness and woundedness of today.  Maybe God knows something.

In the midst of their betrothal Mary is found to be with child.  “Found” means her pregnancy becomes obvious.  She knows it.  Joseph knows it.  And yet, we’re told that Mary and Joseph had remained chaste.  “Before they came together” Jesus is born.  Which raises a whole lot of questions.  Especially if we’re hearing this account for the first time.

We’re told that behind the pregnancy is God - the Holy Spirit.  Meaning that their chastity is huge and that this is a God thing.  

Let’s be clear about that.

Conception happens every day around us by the mechanisms and biology of what God has created.  Conception - pregnancy is a God thing.  But its not a miracle.  Just basic God created biological processes taking place.  But what happens here is a unique work of the Holy Spirit tweaking the natural God created processes so that Mary remains a virgin and Joseph - betrothed husband of Mary - is not the biological father.

That’s a miraculous work of God.

Meaning - let’s make sure we’re together - meaning that the baby Jesus - is born - incarnation - born the child of Mary into the fullness of what it means to be human and yet He’s born without the terminal disease of sin that we all, in our humanity, suffer with.  Which - down the road about 33 years - enables Jesus to fully represent each of us on the cross - dying in our place - fully human.  He’s one of us.

And yet that also means that Jesus is able to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.  That is that Jesus - son of God and not son of Joseph under the curse of Adam’s sin - Jesus is able to die in our place as our perfect sinless unblemished by sin sacrifice totally acceptable to God.  Because He is fully God Jesus is able to do and be only what God is able to be and do for us.  You and me.  Our Savior.

That’s astounding.  Isn’t it?  What God - Jesus - has done for us.  How can we possibly process the enormity of all that?  In reality, we can’t.  We certainly don’t want to go numb on that - blowing past what God’s done - while we’re rushing through Christmas on the way to 2015.

During this season of the year - during Advent - at Christmas - we often  focus is on what God has done for us.  The coming of Jesus our Savior - His incarnation - His birth - the outpouring of God’s love.  Often the focus is on our need and how we benefit from God’s love and grace.  But life is about… God.  Not us.  Which means that all this is about God not us.  How can we possibly respond to God in a way that even comes close to processing Who He is and the astounding reality of what He’s done?

Which is why we’re looking at Mary this morning. 

We’re going to move over to Luke.  Luke’s gospel gives us more details of what took place with Mary.  Hugely helpful to us this morning.  How did Mary process and respond to all of what God is doing?

Luke 1 - starting at verse 26 - familiar verses.  Let’s read them together and get them fresh in our minds:

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.  And the virgin’s name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”  But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

And Mary said to the angel, “Say what?” or “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.  And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.  For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Going back to Genesis - Adam sins and immediately God gives us a foreshadowing of His plan of redemption - God talking about the offspring of the woman bruising the head of the serpent.  God chooses Abraham out of Ur - promises that through Abraham’s offspring all the nations of the world would be blessed - and then creates and protects a nation of offspring through whom will come the Messiah.

God gives Daniel a vision of the sequence and timing of that coming to the nation.  God speaks through His prophets giving His people signs to identify the Messiah when He comes.  The Holy Spirit is expected to be active in the Messianic Age.

What Gabriel tells Mary brings together all of what God has been doing - from Adam till now - in history - in the lives of His people - brings the vast sweeping scope of the working of the almighty holy God of creation down into the reality of what will take place by God the Holy Spirit in Mary - the miraculous conception and the birth of Jesus.

That is astounding.  Isn’t it?  How is Mary suppose to process the enormity of all that?  Verse 38:  And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”  And the angel departed from her.  (Luke 1:26-38)

Whatever God wills may it be done in my life - conception by the Holy Spirit - betrothed and pregnant - shame and rejection.  Life is about… God.  Not us.  For a teenager this girl had guts and an amazing sense of Who God is.

Moving down to Luke 1 - starting at verse 46 - Luke gives us more of what’s going on inside this amazing teenager.  What is an example for us in our response to God.

Luke 1 - starting down at verse 46 - also familiar verses - take a breath and let’s read and get this fresh in our minds.

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.  For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.  He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”  

What’s here is Mary’s response.  Mary begins “My soul magnifies the Lord.”  That’s the focus for everything that comes next.  “Magnify” in Greek is “megaluno” - meaning to mega magnify - greatly glorify - to declare the greatness of God above and beyond anything or anyone else. 

“Magnify” comes from the Latin “magnificat” which is where the  title comes from “The Magnificat” - which is a liturgical song that many churches use in worship.  Mary’s response - expressed outwardly - publically - towards God is worship the focus of which is God - greatly glorifying God above and beyond all others.

Which doesn’t mean that we’re all suppose to burst out in singing for the next 19 days.  But there is a perspective here - a heart level attitude - an example of a response that offers back to God what magnifies - what brings glory and honor to Him Who is the One Who has done such an astounding thing in our lives.

Looking at Mary’s response - thinking through what all that can mean for us - we want to focus on just three examples of magnifying - from Mary’s response - that can help us as we slow down and get our focus and hearts where they need to be during this Advent season.

The first - verses 46 to 48 - is God’s Choice of Mary.

A long time ago in a church far far away I was participating in a worship service in an Armenian Apostolic Church.  Which, if you haven’t been to an Armenian Apostolic worship service you should go.  Its something like a Roman Catholic mass but with incense and a lot of chanting…  in Armenian. 

Over the altar was this painting of Mary and Jesus.  Mary holding the infant Jesus.  I was sitting next to a priest who I knew fairly well.  A brother in Christ.  So we could discuss some of these touchier issues.  So, I asked, “Why is Mary always so prominent?  Why not focus on Jesus rather than Mary?  Aren’t you worshiping Mary too?”

“Oh no,”  He said.  “We don’t worship Mary.  We honor her.  She’s the mother of God.”

There are some who’ve elevated Mary to the point of being equal - or pretty close to being equal - with Jesus.  They consider her to be free of original sin - perpetually a virgin - ascended to Heaven without dying.  Some say that Mary is an intercessor for the church.  Someone to whom we can pray through and even pray to and she answers our prayers.  Some have even suggested that she’s like a female Savior.  Jesus being male.  Mary being female.  In a sense, the female counter part to male deity.  A mother goddess.

Which - by the way - was not anything close to what my friend was suggesting.

Mary declares, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior - emphasis on God being my Savior.   He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.  He’s the master I’m the servant - literally a house slave.  Because of what God has done - all generations will call me blessed

Mary’s a teenager - a young girl that God has chosen.  Generations to come will remember Mary as the one whom God  has blessed.  From the heart she’s sharing from her relationship with God - not in self-exalting terms - equality.  But from the perspective of humility - an indentured servant - a slave - someone who’s experienced and is open to the undeserved miraculous blessing - the working of God in her life. 

She’s sharing from her surrender to her Savior God - offering herself to be used as He wills.  Her entire being - her soul - her spirit - magnifies - worships - exalts and adores God - for what He is doing.  She’s totally open to whatever God desires to do in her and through her.

Sometimes we get caught up in the form of worship - feeling like we need to sing the right songs in the right way or have the right body language - sitting or standing and raising hands or not.  Which does have its place.  But we know that isn’t the point.  Just because the externals are wonderful doesn’t mean we’re worshiping.

During Advent it becomes way too easy for us to get lost in the places we need to be and things we need to do - things of the season that make us feel good - even to celebrate what God has done for us with programs and carols and music - and to come up short on worshiping - exalting or magnifying God - because we’re focused on ourselves.

We know this:  Worship comes from the heart.  Yes?

Thinking about Mary’s response to God - and this season of Advent - its helpful for us to be reminded that magnifying God flows out of our intimacy with God - out of our lives that are surrendered to Him - humility before Who He is and who we are.  We are servants of Our God and Savior.  He has chosen to come to us and to do for us what we could never do for ourselves.

We have a great opportunity - right now - to slow down - to purpose to make the time to contemplate who we are before God - what He is about doing in our lives - and to renew our daily commitment of surrender and service to Him.  To allow our worship - the songs and carols and prayer and testimony - to flow from that relationship - to express back to Him our surrender - our openness - our declaration of who He is.

Let’s go on.  The second example of magnifying - verses 49 and 50  focuses on God’s Presence With Mary.

Mrs. Kim is a Chinese Korean living in Northeast China.  In an interview with Voice of the Martyrs she talked about her ministry in Korea and about what its like there for our siblings in Jesus.

Let me read for us some of what Mrs. Kim shares:  “The work is very difficult.  The larger it gets the more dangerous it gets as well.  Our first arrest happened in 1999.  Four believers were caught worshiping together.  They were arrested and sentenced to seven years.  A young man who was trained extensively and active in the Bible delivery was recently arrested and has disappeared.  I am really worried about him.

Another family was arrested - the whole family, including the children.  They are all in prison except the father.  He was executed.  Some former prisoners have died from their imprisonment as well.  They will let a prisoner go when they are near death.  They usually die within a few weeks or months after their release.

Just this year a family was arrested.  The parents were taken to one prison and the children to another.  The authorities burned their house down.  Two children (a son and daughter) of one family I helped came into China for more training.  But when they were returning to North Korea, they were caught and charged with “treason” and becoming “Christians.”  They have been publicly executed.  This is the saddest for me.  I was very close to this family.  So many have been arrested…so many killed.

But - listen to this - I am also thankful for others working in North Korea.  I know there are many people doing what I do.  I see them coming across the border.  No one ever speaks a word, but you just know who they are.  They have wings.” (1)

Think about this.  Mrs. Kim is in contact with 40 plus house churches and has started another 60 plus.  She’s there - along with others - who are silently crossing the border - into a country where the government publicly executes Christians.  No questions asked.  Listening to their testimonies - these people are praising God for the opportunity to do what for most of us causes fear and significant hesitation in our hearts just thinking about it.

Mary testifies of God’s presence in her life.  “He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.  And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation.”

God is the one who has done mighty things in her life - brought her to know Him - helped her to live a godly life - given her a Godly man to be betrothed to.  As she fears Him - honors and obeys Him - she’s experiencing His mercy in her life - blessing instead of condemnation.

In everything that Mary is about to face - God would be there.  The ridicule for her out-of-marriage pregnancy - watching her first born Son grow up - leave home to wander Palestine - His rejection - to see her Son suffer and die on the cross - horribly.

The presence of God in our lives doesn’t mean the absence of pain or difficulties.  We live in a world that’s under bondage to Satan.  There is a lot of pain out there - woundedness - despair.  Life is an accelerating race to stay ahead.  The answers humanity has come up with are empty and hopeless.  There are uncertainties we all live with.

And, no Christian is immune from the struggles of life.  In fact, being a Christian makes it worse.  Being a Christian means being a target - hated and harassed and a focal point of Satan’s war against God.

Turn to the person next to you and remind them of that, “You’re a target.”

But we are not alone in all that.

Remember these words?  We’re going to sing these in a few moments.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus,

Born to set They people free.

From our fears and sins release us;

Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s strength and consolation,

Hope of all the earth Thou art.

Dear Desire of every nation,

Joy of every longing heart. (2)

In the midst of all of the crud of life - God’s presence teaches us that He is the One to be honored - because of who He is - because of His mighty deeds - His creative power - His holiness - His perfection - His mercy and grace - and His sustaining presence in our lives.

Magnifying God is an opportunity to declare that He has chosen to be with us - even in all this.  Our life experience with God - His presence - His blessing - the spiritual satisfaction in our lives - the inner peace - and hope and purpose - which only God comes from God - teaches us to respond - as Mary did - with praise and worship.  To thank Him and praise Him for coming - for choosing to break into our lives and to be here with us.

Third - magnifying God - verses 51 to 55 - Mary’s third focus is on God’s Faithfulness To His People. 

A few years back Chuck Swindoll wrote this, “Remember waiting for that first baby - the anticipation of bringing home this soft, cuddly, wonderful, delightful infant?  And finally the birth and everything’s fine and a day or so later you come home.  The first week you realize that what you really have is cross between “The Terminator” and “The Swamp Thing.”  I mean, this creature sleeps when you’re awake and is wide awake when you’re asleep, and has a set of lungs to drown out a Concord jet.  My wife used to say, ‘Honey, I’m forgetting what our baby’s face looks like, I’m spending so much time at the other end.’” (3)

There was  brief moment when I thought about showing video of our children being born.  A very brief moment.

What’s it like - seeing your child for the first time - hearing him or her cry - seeing them move?  Holding this baby - that for 9 months you’ve dreamed about and waited for.  Men - we sort of get this - being there and experiencing all that with your wife.  But we don’t understand it like our wives do.

Think about Mary.  After 9 months of pregnancy and all that that involved.  Even the donkey ride to Bethlehem.  What stirred within in her when she heard the voice of Jesus cry out for the first time?  What did she feel when He was placed in her arms the first time - tiny - fragile?  When she looked into His face for the first time - her Son - what emotions poured through her heart.

Do you remember the song written by Mark Lowry, “Mary Did You Know?”  Remember these words?

Mary did you know, that your baby boy

Would one day walk on water?

The blind will see, the deaf will hear,

The dead will live again,

The lame will leap, the dumb will speak

Praises of the Lamb?

Mary did you know, that your baby boy

Is Lord of all creation?

Mary did you know, that your baby boy

Will one day rule the nations?

Did you know, that your baby boy

Was Heaven's perfect Lamb?

And this sleeping Child you're holding

Is the Great I AM (4)

What Mary sings here gives us a pretty good idea that Mary did know.  Not all of it.  But enough.  Enough to trust God and worship Him.

In Mary’s response there are at least 10 examples from Hebrew history - examples of God’s working in the lives of His people - examples that area all about God’s remembering the promise He made to Abraham of redemption through the coming Messiah.

“He has helped His servant Israel,  in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”  (verses 54,55)  

When the Old Testament ends with Malachi - there are 400 plus years of silence that are finally broken by God speaking through Gabriel to Zechariah.  Zechariah who’s the husband of… Elizabeth.  Zechariah who’s name means… “God Remembers.”   

God speaks through Gabriel to Mary.  Mary knows that God once again is speaking - accomplishing His will - working within His people.  This child is the fulfillment of prophecy - the Messiah.  God is faithful - to His people - to His promises.  God will use her in faithfully fulfilling His promise to His people.

What God has done for us is astounding…  an indescribable gift which ultimately is not about us.

God who is faithful to His promises to us - who is with us in whatever we’re going through - that God Who deeply loves each one of us has chosen us to come to us - chosen us to be His - to use us for His glory - to magnify Him before others.

That is so worth slowing down for.  Intentionally.  To worship Him - to praise Him - to glorify Him - testifying of Him before others - especially those who need to know Him.

Which is the bottom line of Mary’s worship - her response to God - our response to God - her heart level surrender to God - her openness - her humility.  That’s where our response needs to begin. 

May all of us take time - intentionally - to do whatever is necessary - to renew our surrender to God.  We are His servants.  Life is about Him.  Our lives need to be about Him.  May others see Him in us - being magnified - because we are totally His. 

_______________

1. The Voice Of The Martyrs, November 2005

2. Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus, Charles Wesley

3. Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes

4. “Mary Did You Know?” words by Mark Lowry, Music by Buddy Greene

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.