12-8-21 Grace-Tucson Advent Sermon

Luke 1:26-38 Pastor Nathan P. Kassulke

Advent Midweek: Angelic Announcements Wednesday, December 8, 2021 “The Announcement to Mary”

“Do not fail to show love to strangers, for by doing this some have welcomed angels without realizing it” (Hebrews 13:2). The book of Hebrews offers this advice to Christians. There may be times when we meet angels without even realizing that we have met them. In fact, the account we read earlier in Genesis 18 of Abraham speaking with the Lord referred to the Lord as “one of the men.” In the verses before that, Genesis tells us that three men came to Abraham. From the whole context of that account, we realize that two of those men were angels, whether Abraham realized it or not.

While there are apparently times that people have interacted with angels unawares, we know of several times when people were quite aware of God’s special spiritual messengers. Three particular angelic appearances and the announcements brought by those angels are receiving our attention during our midweek Advent services. And all three of the examples which we are considering have at least one particular trait in common. For each one, one of the first things that the angel says is, “Do not be afraid.”

This encouragement from the angel is directly related to the person’s awareness of the angel. This was something unique. This was something different. It quickly became clear to Zechariah and to Joseph and to Mary that they were dealing with a holy, special being. What they were experiencing was a miraculous and glorious appearance. And in sharp contrast, they were ordinary, sinful people. When any experience shines a bright light on our sinfulness, it makes sense that we become afraid and fearful. When the holy glory of God and his created messengers shines on sinful people, it is very natural for them to be afraid.

But in these weeks of Advent, the angels have a message for us, too. “Do not be afraid.” God wants us to hear that word of comfort and encouragement. God wants us to see his answers to our sinfulness. He wants us to take to heart the message that we do not need to be afraid. And in the case of our angelic announcement for today, God wants us to know that we do not need to fear because he does the impossible.

We heard from Luke 1, and we just sang a hymn about the angel’s appearance to Mary. The angel presented Mary with such a unique greeting: “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” And Mary was troubled. What she heard didn’t make sense. And you already know what the angel said, “Do not be afraid, Mary.” And then the angel went on to say more that also did not make sense to Mary.

Mary, the angel explained, was going to become the mother of a child, a special child. He was going to have a special name, the name Jesus. And the angel would go on to explain further how special that child would be.

But it didn’t matter how special this child would be. Mary was confused. She knew what we euphemistically call the birds and the bees. She knew how babies came about naturally. She was not naïve and was preparing to be married herself. So she also knew that the steps that have to be taken before a baby can be born had not been taken. So she asked, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

And the angel, Gabriel’s answer was that this would be a special working of God. This would not happen in the natural way. The Holy Spirit would accomplish this and Mary would be the mother of the Son of God. God does the impossible. He gives a virgin a son. Not only was that one impossible phenomenon happening, the angel announced that Mary’s barren relative was sixth months pregnant at that very time. Just as God had once said to Abraham, so his messenger communicated to Mary: with God there is no such thing as impossible.

When you or I, sinful people, or Mary, another sinful person, when any of us are confronted with God’s almighty power, that can be a frightening thing. Just like the glory of God’s messengers shines a bright light on the sin of people, so also the glory of his power. He has the power to demand, and he has the power to punish when people do not live up to his demands. And none of this should be a surprise to any of us; he is, after all, the one who created the entire universe, all of us included. So God’s message cannot stop with “God

does the impossible by his almighty power.” We need to hear how he does this impossible for our good. And that is exactly what God tells us.

When the angel told Mary about her special child, Jesus, he said that Jesus would do what seems impossible: he would sit on the throne of his ancestor David forever. He would have an endless kingdom. But do not be afraid. This is not a message about his power meant to frighten his enemies. It is a message of his grace—and by that I mean his amazing and completely undeserved love. This message of grace comforts us.

What it means that Jesus would rule forever over the throne of David is that he would be the gracious ruler of God’s people. He would be the head of God’s Church. He did not come to battle against us as his enemies, he came to battle against our enemies and to make us his people.

He came to live for us, to live in our place and to set right all we have done wrong. He came to die for us, to die as the sacrifice that our rebellion against God required. And he came to make us his people forever, who get to live with him in eternity. God does the impossible. He gives the virgin a son, and he rules forever by grace.

But God is not done yet.

As Gabriel spoke to Mary, her reaction changed from troubled wondering to willing service. She was not sure what this angelic greeting could mean, and she was not convinced without some explanation that she, still waiting chastely to be married, was going to have a child. But she heard God’s promises. She heard the promise of Jesus and his eternal kingdom. She heard how God was doing the impossible for Mary and for her relative Elizabeth and for the rest of the world, too.

And she said, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.”

Mary didn’t demand to see the science that would explain why a virgin-born baby was possible after all. She didn’t need to take a poll to see if the angel’s message was popular among her neighbors. She didn’t rebel about how much additional challenge and grief and complication this would bring to her life. She believed.

She humbly accepted what God said and was willing to go through with what God had determined for her.

That may not sound impossible, but it is impossible. It is as impossible as the virgin-born baby and the eternal kingdom. God takes a human being who by nature is in opposition to him, who will throughout life resist his love and his will and his way, and he moves that person to a humble faith by his gracious promises.

As believers, as Christians, and church-goers it may seem very commonplace to us to assume faith, but it should not be taken for granted. It is a miracle that God promises, and it is a miracle that Mary believes.

And we thank and praise God that he has performed that same miracle in our lives. He has taken our natural, sinful, stony hearts and made them into hearts filled with his love and filled with love for others. He has taken our lives and molded them to his service. He has taken our goals and dreams and desires and he has pointed all of them in the direction of heaven. Because with our God and for our God nothing is impossible.

I haven’t heard too many Merry Christmases just yet. It is still early in December, but it is certainly coming.

That’s the greeting that we offer each other regarding the special holiday for which we are preparing. As we consider today the angelic announcement to the one God favored to be the mother of his Son, let me offer a different prayer. I want you to have a Christmas like Mary’s. That’s a Christmas that starts with a realization of sin. It may even start with some fear and wondering. But it is a Christmas that listens to the voice of God from his messengers: “God has shown you favor. Do not be afraid. Jesus rules forever.” Have a Christmas like Mary’s because our God does the impossible for us. May that be the focus of your listening, watching, believing, sharing, and rejoicing.

The Text: Luke 1:26–38 (EHV) 26In

the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.”

29But

she was greatly troubled by the statement and was wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. 31Listen, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.”

34Mary

said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35The

angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Listen, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age even though she was called barren, and this is her sixth month. 37For nothing will be impossible for God.” 38Then

Mary said, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.