One Unplanned Pregnancy Saved Us

I was really struck by this post and it reminded me just how scandalous the birth of Jesus would appear from a human perspective.  This was the viewpoint apart from heaven coming to earth. It was the unplanned pregnancy that saved us!  This is the birth that brought us to the place of full salvation.

However, from God's perspective it was all part of the plan and the timing was perfect.  We read in Galatians 4:4

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

"The time had fully come"  In other words, there was nothing unplanned from the viewpoint in heaven.  God in His perfect timing knew the political, social and cultural conditions were completely set to launch the plan for the Saviour of the world.

However, you still you just have to imagine the process that Mary went through and she, apart from Christ himself, is very necessary to this whole Christmas story!

The story that has been given to us Luke 1:26 – 56 is an incredible description of events for her.  Let's take a step back and imagine what she felt, what she struggled with, and what she believed, as she embraced the plan of God for her life.

Mary did you know? like the song written by Mary Lowry....  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U2G8wsbXBo

Did she know the far reaching implications of what was about to happen to her and through her to impact the world in a way that would change it forever?

What did she know?

She knew she’d been visited by an angel. Vs. 26

She knew by the angel’s words that God was with her.  Vs. 28

She knew that she had been chosen by God or had “found favour” with God. Vs. 30

She knew she was going to have a child… more specifically a son. Vs. 31

She knew what to name him. Vs. 31

She knew that he would be the Messiah, however she understood that to be. Vs. 32, 33.

She knew that God the Holy Spirit was the Father and that her child would be the Son of God vs. 35

She knew that this was somehow all tied to her cousin Elizabeth’s baby. Vs. 36.

It’s really not a lot of information to go on if you think about it.  And the angel didn’t address any of Mary’s questions beyond the “Do not be afraid,” basically, you got this comment.

Mary must have had questions although I’m not sure she ever had a chance to voice them.  Maybe even a few objections cropped up in her mind initially.

I’m not ready to have a baby.  This isn’t fair.

Why would God choose me?

I’m no one special.

How will I tell Joseph?… we aren’t married yet.

How will I tell my parents?

What will people say?

I don’t know what to do.

I don’t know how to raise the Son of God.

What if I teach Him something wrong?

What if I do something wrong to Him?

I’m sure all of these thoughts and probably more were racing through her mind in the wake of the angels visit.  But one thing the angel had said seemed a little out of place.  The angel had said that this whole thing was somehow tied to the baby that her cousin Elizabeth was carrying.  Mary knew about the miraculous conception of Elizabeth in her old age.  Elizabeth had been barren for so many years.  …What did that have to do with this baby?  Maybe Elizabeth could help her understand all this.

 Elizabeth lived up in the hills of Judea so Mary doesn't hesitate to make the journey to go and visit with her cousin Elizabeth. When she arrives, Elizabeth greets and prophesies over Mary, and it’s the verse 45  really stands out.  

“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” 

Mary’s response to what was happening to her would be wrapped up in her level of faith! 
 Blessed is she who has BELIEVED!!

You see Mary hadn’t been given a choice.  She was chosen by God.  The baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  She was going to give birth to the Son of God one way or the other.  The significant thing for us to note here is HOW she responds to the situation that has been thrust on her.

The question is whether she would go along be-grudgingly, an unwilling participant in a plan she had no control over?  Would she complain and shake her fist at God about how unfair it all was?  Would she do the bare minimum as a parent, providing basic nurture and food and water and clothing, but reserving her love because she had no choice in this whole scenario?

OR…

Would she feel like she was never doing a good enough job?  Always wondering if someone else could have done this better.

But this isn’t what we observe in Mary’s situation is it? 

Elizabeth hits the nail on the head when she says to Mary…Mary…where is your faith?  This is about believing.  If you believe Mary, you will be blessed and everything the Lord has spoken to you, this great plan of bringing hope, peace and a Savior to the world…Mary it will be accomplished because you believe!

I never really thought of it this way before.  That part of the plan for my salvation… for your salvation, hinged on the fact that a teenage girl chosen by God would have to choose incredible faith – would have to believe that what God had spoken to her was true and would come to pass, so that the Saviour of the world could come to earth and ultimately become the sacrifice for our sins.

And Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s words in the next 10 verses, tell us that she absolutely believed.  And in the moment of Mary’s believing, I believe the Holy Spirit revealed to her some things that we observe in these words of worship we now know as the “Magnificat”

Let's look at three main truths that really stick out of Mary's Song of Worship

1.            God’s Salvation Is Personal

vs. 47 …my spirit rejoices in God MY Saviour

She recognized her own need of a Saviour…that this child she was carrying who would be the Saviour of the world, would also be her Saviour too.

vs. 49 …The Mighty One has done great things for ME!

Sometimes we think that there are too many songs focused on me but here’s the truth, salvation is deeply personal.  It was for Mary and it is for us to.  God wants to meet us in that quiet place, a place of vulnerability and openness to Him.

vs. 50 …His mercy extends to those who fear Him.

Romans 3:10 states “there is no one righteous, not even one.”

Mary understood this.  We all need a Saviour.  If you’re here today and you haven’t come to that realization yet, consider this.  The woman who brought the Son of God into the world, understood that her child , Jesus, would be her Saviour.

And if you need a Saviour today, it’s really quite simple to receive Him.

Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

2.            God’s Kingdom is “Upside Down” to the way the world thinks

In vs. 51 – 53 Mary speaks of things that could only have been revealed to her by the Holy Spirit.  Most of the people in Israel were looking for a Messiah who would take down the Roman empire by force and set himself up as a king and deliverer over Israel.  They were looking for a revolutionary.

But in these verses, Mary has some insight into what Jesus’ kingdom will really be like.  It will be an upside-down kingdom in the eyes of the world.

…He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts

…He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble

…He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty

What are some examples of our upside-down kingdom and the way God has shown that to you personally?

•             the first will be last

When I got my first full time job as a youth pastor, my prof at Seminary said, “well, you were a dark horse!”

•             in your weakness will be your strength

•             God picks those who the world picks last…the choosing of David, the youngest…

The way of Jesus is countercultural. It is upside-down and inside-out—a kingdom, where weakness is power, power is weakness, and suffering leads to glory.

Really, it is the world that is upside down – God’s kingdom is what brings it back to normal.  Turns it right side up.

What Mary was saying was that Jesus came for everyone.  One preacher said it this way. 

“The humble are valued by God, and even the arrogant can humble themselves and become right with God.  The oppressed can find mercy and help.  The oppressors can stop their oppression, and find grace.  Those who are weak can be strong in God.  The strong can admit their weakness apart from God, and find true strength.”

Jesus wants to take your life and put it right-side up today.

3. God is a God of Covenant

God keeps His promises.  Mary spoke about God’s faithfulness to His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever.  This is a reference to God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants…the children of Israel.

He had promised them not only a vast land and numerous descendants, but also a deliverer.  A Messiah.  And at last, the Messiah was to come to them through Mary.

So Mary believed and in believing, she had revealed to her some incredible insight into the plan of God for the saving of the world. 

But there is one more thing I want to note about Mary – even beyond her faith.

She did believe, and that made an incredible difference in her attitude toward this whole scenario.  But she did more than believe. 

She EMBRACED what God was doing through her and she took it on as a joy. 

How do we know that?  Well, look at the song of praise we just spoke about.  As Elizabeth prophesied over her, her response was one of worship to God for what He was doing through her life. 

She was EMBRACING what God had planned for her as the mother of Jesus. 

She took the responsibility on whole-heartedly.  Later at the stable, after the shepherds had gone, we’re told that Mary “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

 That’s the kind of thing you say about a mother who is embracing what is happening to her. 

She and Joseph made sure that Jesus was presented for consecration at the temple.  Vs. 39 of Luke 2 says that “Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord…” with respect to raising Jesus. 

When He was 12 they took Him to the temple for Passover.  It’s the picture of a mother…and a father, who were embracing the responsibility of parenthood.

You see, believing in Jesus is one thing.  Lots of people believe in Jesus – they believe he lived and was a great teacher and that He died – some even believe he was raised from the dead – but they still haven’t EMBRACED Him for themselves.

Now to me, that’s what owning the miracle of Christmas is all about.

Mary made her faith in Jesus, personal.

Mary had a choice to make. She could play a role in this first Christmas story and just be a player in the miracle of the incarnation

OR 

she could literally OWN the miracle for herself?  Embrace the plan that God had for her life and be changed by what God was doing through her?

It took great faith for her to EMBRACE what was happening to her.  But what a difference it made! 

Remember Elizabeth’s words…”Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.” Just for a minute, picture that scenario in your minds … how it might have played out.

Now…you might be here today and you’ve never owned the miracle of Christmas for yourself.  Maybe you’ve always believed IN the story; that God sent Jesus on that first Christmas to be born in a manger – but you’ve never EMBRACED the truth for yourself.

Today is the day of salvation!

My thanks to Duane McLean for his insights compiled in this post!

Overwhelmed by Wonder!

Every Christmas growing up my parents would make us reenact the Christmas story and it was always a good laugh.  I mean someone had to play the donkey so throw the brown blanket on one of us.  Rhonda was Mary and everyone else took their roles.  It was easy being a shepherd for the play because all they did was just show up!   However, as we will see, the fact that the shepherds were the first to hear the good news is no small story and God showed up in a huge way!

The shepherds lived most of the year outside, away from the townspeople. "Abiding in the field" "they were the true outdoorsmen”  Shepherds were constantly with their sheep, since the sheep were vulnerable to all kinds of trouble They had to move about during the rainless summer and to stay for months at a time in isolated areas, far from the owner's home. So, herding sheep was an independent and responsible job.

It was also significant to note that Migdel Eder is also right by Bethlehem as Micah 4:8 prophecies!  Here is where the perfect, spotless lambs were kept for the temple sacrifice and here is where the final sacrifice for our sins was born!

I want to talk about the overwhelming sense of wonder that was felt by the shepherds in
Luke 2:8-20  

Wonder Is Found In Simplicity v8

Now to understand why God got in contact with the shepherds, let’s skip forward ahead about 32 years or so and see what Jesus is doing. Because if we watch Him I think what we will discover is the plan was found in complete simplicity.

We also need to understand what God was up to on that first Christmas night and so let's take a moment to watch where Jesus showed up during his time on earth.  Here are two clear examples for us to see and both of them we can find in this gospel of Luke. So let's take a look at them one at a time.

Brennan Manning in his book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, says this about how intimate this act of meal sharing is. He says this, "Sadly the meaning of meal sharing is largely lost in the Christian community today. In the Near East, to share a meal with someone is a guarantee of peace, trust, fraternity and forgiveness. The shared table symbolizes the shared life. For an Orthodox Jew to say I would have dinner with you is a metaphor implying I would like to enter into friendship with you. To extend a dinner invitation is to say, come to the miniature sanctuary of my dining room table where we will celebrate the most sacred and beautiful experience that life affords. "Friendship." That's what Zacchaeus heard when Jesus called him down and invited him to dinner. And that's why Jesus practice of ‘going out for lunch’ caused such hostile comments from the very beginning in his ministry.

Look at Luke 5:27-32.   This time it involves Levi, the tax collector, who we later know as the disciple Matthew who wrote the first gospel.

So let's again reference back to that. Go back to Luke 2, 8 and 20. We have heard this story now. So you don't really need to read it again, but think about it. Of all the people that God could have announced the birth of Emmanuel to. God with us. The Savior. The Messiah. This long awaited One. You know if you want to get the word out, there would seem to be more influential people, more together people that you would want to go and make this announcement to.

One theologian remarks  that shepherds were those whose daily occupation rendered them ceremonially unclean and not in the Pharisee's eyes to be associated with. And because of the shepherd's job to be out in the fields, to be with the sheep, they literally were considered unclean. But being out there with the manure, with the uncleanness of the animal, they could not go into the temple until they were ceremonially cleaned and that was a big deal. And yet on this momentous night, who does the Father go straight to on purpose and with such a glorious show, do you think he was trying to make a point? I think so. Not only a point, but just as Jesus did again, Jesus was taking his cue from the Father making a very intimate point.  God, our Father, calls us into intimacy, community and He calls everyone, even the most unlikely!

Some of Israel's great heroes were shepherds -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. Both Psalm 23 and Jesus compare God's care to that of a Good Shepherd. But in the First Century, it seems, shepherds -- specifically, hireling shepherds -- had a bad reputation.

However, Jesus distinguishes between the good shepherd and the hired farm hand. (John 10:11-13). He tells a parable of the shepherd leaving the ninety-nine sheep in the fold while searching the hills to find the missing one (Luke 15:3-7). Perhaps this is because Jesus, who has fellowship with the despised and sinners, knows and appreciates them as people. 

Wonder Is Reflected In Glory  v9-14   

One minute the shepherds are talking quietly in the darkness of the winter sky. The next moment the hillside is ablaze with light and booming with the sound of an angel's voice."An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified." (2:9)

This appearance wasn't at a distance, but upfront and personal. "Appeared" is the Greek verb ephistemi, which here means "to stand at or near a specific place." Often this use of the verb occurs with the idea of suddenness.
The brightness is more than just mega-candlepower. It is the radiance of God's own glory. Doxa!!  Here it refers to "the condition of being bright or shining, brightness, splendor, radiance." Throughout the Old Testament the presence of God is referred to as overwhelmingly bright, burning as fire in the way that God spoke to Moses, led his people through the desert at night.
God's angels sometimes bear this same bright glory In this case the glory shines around the whole area .The result in the shepherds is predictable -- abject terror. "Terrified"
This Good News angel has the enviable task of being the first herald of Messiah's birth. "Bring good news" is the Greek verb evangelizo, from which we get our English word, "evangelize." Later in the New Testament it is widely used for "proclaim the message of salvation, preach the gospel.The message the angel brings is very good news that results in joy. "Joy" and it is joy intensified – great joy!!
Notice how broad is the angel's message. It's not for just the devout or pure of heart or the Jew, but "for all the people." It is truly amazing and wonderful news for all those who are apart from God and struggling with the purpose of life.
Shepherds were about as low on the social scale as it was possible to get.. They were the strangers in most minds that first night, but not with God.  Am I making myself clear? Isn’t it amazing? Isn’t it astonishing that God would say, “You know, the first people who are going to hear the message of the birth of My Son, the Savior, the Messiah, are one of the most despised group of people in that society. Isn’t that amazing?

Christmas is a glorious time for us to celebrate the birth of our King Jesus.  He is the absolute glory of God and our brightest hope.  This season once again gives us an incredible opportunity as I heard today that over 50% of Canadians polled say they will attend some type of religious service so I invited my whole hockey team to our Christmas

Eve service!  The beauty of Christmas to me is found in the verses of 2 Corinthians 3:18 where it states, And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.  We as followers of Jesus are being transformed, we radiate the glory of  the Lord and just like Peter and John in Acts 4, my prayer is that people will see that we have been with Jesus. 

Wonder creates a sense of urgency! v15,16

One of the greatest joys for parents is to watch our children open their presents to exclaim… this is what I’ve always wanted.  The shepherds didn’t hesitate.  They didn’t doubt, they believed!

Wonder compels us to respond! v17-20

When God meets His people and speaks to them, they cannot either forget His word nor can they be unaffected by it. They worshipped, and they shared it. They had known the revelation of God, and it changed them.
True worship comes only when we have seen and heard God. It comes as a response to Him. Following that worship the message does not depart from the people; rather it creates a deep and irresistible desire to share that message.
So what can we do with this? How can we live differently this Christmas season in light of what we see God, Jesus, Levi and Zacchaeus and the shepherds doing? Can we make an agreement? That over the holidays we look for strangers in our midst? Would you imitate both the Father and Son as they made it their point to seek out those taking up the margins of their world?
Wait, wait, wait  Jack. Are you asking that I go out to the outcast, out there and reach out to them? Yes I am. And for some of you that might literally mean like going out to the street, a soup kitchen, the homeless shelters, where you can roll up your sleeve and be the gospel to those people. God is going to call some of you to do that and you need to be listening for it.

For most of us though, I want you to look for the stranger that may be right in your midst. Where there is a sole part of your routine that you don't even see him anymore. You know, what this might look like is going out of your way at the office Christmas party that's coming up to look for that awkward person or that person not like you and make your way to them. Now can I be so bold as to say, and don't just be polite. Try to connect with them. Be curious about them. Listen with your hearts. That's the start of intimacy.

Or maybe you've got a neighborhood Christmas party coming up. How about going out of your way to meet the people that you normally would avoid or at least the people that you don't naturally gravitate to, you don't talk to them because they are not like you or maybe they are not easy. Being an aroma of the gospel to those neighbors. Maybe you are a student. What would it look like this Christmas season to get outside of your comfortable and safe group to go across those lines? Find someone you could sit down with at lunch, in a class or a sporting event. Pursue them on a personal level and listen with care.

So, why would we do this? You know, to be honest. To go out of our way for these kind of people, it's a least a few things. It's uncomfortable. It's extra work. It can be awkward. There is risk involved and sometimes you know frankly it can be messy. Why would we do this? We do this because like Zacchaeus, Jesus has called us by name. He said, I want you. A Savior has been born for you!   I want to have fellowship with you. He wants to know us and has called us by name and we can do this because out of that overflow, that memory that Jesus has called us by our name, we have an unbelievable Christmas gift to share with others.

So again, if I could be so bold, if you would do this I will guarantee you two things. Two things I will guarantee you. That you will get at least two presents this Christmas. The first present you will receive if you do this, is joy. It's always the key byproduct of living outside yourself and in line with God and Jesus.

And secondly, I will guarantee you this present as well, you will be surprised. People because they bare the image of God are amazing creations. Be prepared to be surprised by their character and their stories if you allow them to connect with you and you listen.

So, we see in these passages that we read and many others, Jesus going on purpose to the left out, the sinners, the marginalized, and in his teachings in ministry he includes Samaritans, prostitutes, demon possessed, and strangers. Now why? Why would we do this? Well, we know obviously from his words much of the motivation that made him do this. He said, "I have come to call the righteous, not sinners." The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. And God knew exactly what He was doing that first night of Christmas