By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, December 4, 2011 · Second Sunday of Advent
Sermon Series: Tear Open the Heavens – Isaiah 64:1
Sermon Text: Luke 1:26-38
Sermon Theme
There are two women in Scripture who are identified with Bethlehem. The first is Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob. She dies giving birth to a son, Benjamin who will be the ancestor of the apostle Paul. The second of course is Mary, the mother of Jesus. In Gabriel’s visit she is presented with three seemingly impossible ideas. The first is God’s election. She has been chosen to give birth to the Messiah. Second, she must reject the beliefs of her world in which Caesar is the savior, the son of God. Third, she must surrender to the will of the Lord in a way that may cost her the security and safety of this world. To believe the message of the angel is to reject the false claims of the empire. Gabriel’s message to Mary applies to us as well, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).
Sermon Outline
I. Designate
Gabriel after speaking with Zechariah comes to Mary six months later. He calls her “favored one” and tells her, “The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). Why is Mary favored? Why is the Lord with her? No explanation is given. We can presume that Mary was righteous and blameless as were Zechariah and Elizabeth. However Scripture says nothing to that effect. Like everyone else she is essentially afraid of what is happening to her. Gabriel tells us, “Do not be afraid” because she has found favor with the Lord (Luke 1:30). Again the focus is completely on the promises and grace of God and not on Mary. This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel is not about the worthy or the righteous, much less the religious. It is all about God calling a sinful humanity to himself. Mary is the second woman in Scripture to be told not to fear a birth that will take place in Bethlehem. This word was given to Mary’s ancestor Rachel who was in hard labor giving birth to her son Benjamin. Rachel dies on the road to Bethlehem. Mary will have to travel this same road. So will we.
II. Danger
For Mary to accept the call of the angel is to put herself in a number of dangerous situations. To begin with, she will appear to be pregnant outside of marriage. Betrothals in Israel could take place at very early ages. However it was not common for a couple to cohabit together before they were officially married. Neither however was it strictly forbidden. However Mary is not being told that she will bear Joseph’s child. Rather “the Holy Spirit will come upon her.” This will give rise to the view that Jesus is an illegitimate child (Mark 6:3; John 8:41). Mary would be viewed as being guilty of adultery and could face a death penalty. She will learn that she must travel the road to Bethlehem. Rachel gave birth on that road and died as the result even as she was given the same promise Mary received, “Do not be afraid” (Genesis 35:17). There already is someone sitting on the throne of David, King Herod. What will be his reaction to this birth? There is much to perplex Mary and much for her to ponder. Yet she confirms the call of the angel by stating, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord” (Luke 1:37). She stands on God’s Word alone. Mary, unlike the priest Zechariah, is a model of faith.
III. Deny
In the Roman empire of Mary’s time Caesar Augustus was viewed as the son of God. As foretold in Virgil’s epic poem, The Aeneid, written a hundred years earlier, Caesar’s kingdom will have no end (cf. Luke 1:33). Rachel, the first Biblical woman of Bethlehem, symbolizes sorrow. She is first mentioned as personifying the sorrow of Israel going into the Babylonian captivity. Yet God will take away her weeping and give her a future with hope (Jeremiah 31:15-17). In the Christmas story she symbolizes the women of Bethlehem weeping over their children whom Herod has killed (Matthew 2:16-18). The symbol of Rachel reminds us that we can neither deny nor escape the sorrow and injustice of the world. Mary, however, will rejoice (Luke 1:46). For Mary to accept the word of the Lord given through the angel is to deny the power of this world. The deified Caesar Augustus is not the son of God. He is not the savior of the world (John 4:42). Herod is not the King of the Jews (Luke 19:38). For Mary to believe the word of the Lord is to disbelieve the claims of the world’s leaders (I John 4:1). To confess Christ is to reject the world’s system (I John 2:15). The example of Rachel leads us to deny false hopes and simplistic answers. The example of Mary calls us to serve the Lord and to reject the way of the world.
Questions for Us
- Is Mary’s humble standing an aid to her faith? Why do you think she accepts the word of the Lord and Zechariah does not?
- Why is the role of Rachel often neglected in the Christmas story?
- What does it mean for us to reject the way of the world, especially during Advent and Christmas?
