Christmas Message – Part 1 

Don McDaniel

December, 2016

Luke 1:26-55  ^“26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

²⁸ And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

²⁹ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

³⁰ And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

³³ And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

³⁴ Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

³⁶ And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

³⁷ For with God nothing shall be impossible.

³⁸ And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

³⁹ And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

⁴⁰ And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

⁴¹ And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

⁴² And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

⁴³ And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

⁴⁴ For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

⁴⁵ And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

⁴⁶ And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

⁴⁷ And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

⁴⁸ For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

⁴⁹ For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

⁵⁰ And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

⁵¹ He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

 

⁵³ He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

⁵⁴ He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

⁵⁵ As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

 

COMMENTS:                                                                                      Throughout scripture there are very few recognized by God with a special commendation: 

1. One was David who God honored as “A man after His Own Heart” : I Samuel 13:13-14 “¹³ And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.¹⁴ But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.”

The following words describe the heart of David as seen in his own writings:

Humble – Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. Psalm 62:9

Reverent – I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:3

Respectful – Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. Psalm 31:9

Trusting – The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

Loving – I love you, O Lord, my strength. Psalm 18:1

Devoted – You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. Psalm 4:7

Recognition – I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. Psalm 9:1

Faithful – Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6

Obedient – Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Psalm 119:34

Repentant – For the sake of your name, O Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. Psalm 25:11

But David sinned greatly and nearly lost all but redeemed himself by seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness.

1. Another was Daniel, who God honored as “highly esteemed” : Daniel 9:23 “At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.”  Daniel remained true to God from his childhood through his old age, faithful in worship and service all his life.  Few have been as faithful as Daniel and gives us a wonderful example to pattern our lives after.
2. But our best example (except for Christ Himself) and most highly honored is Mary, Christ’s earthly mother.  God honored her as “ highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” Luke 1:28.  Few have been privileged to be visited by an angel or at least an angel of rank of Gabriel or Michael. 

I believe we, as Protestant Christians fail to recognize and honor Mary like Catholic Christians.  Their crosses show Christ still on the Cross and they even pray to Mary as an intermediary.  I do not agree we should honor her to that degree, but I believe we tend to diminish her example by not recognizing her and her faithful life.  The significance and depth of her prayer of praise recorded in Luke 1:46-55, after receiving the news Gabriel gave her, reflects a Christian maturity and understanding and depth of relationship second to none in scripture and far beyond her young years.  Consider she could have been as young as 12 or as old as 15 when she received this message from Gabriel.  Such proves she already had a deep and personal relationship with God.  Her pray not only helps us learn how to pray and praise our Lord but also shows us 17 of God’s Attributes.

As we prepare for the Christmas Advent Season, let’s reflect on the preparation and planning God did to pave the way for His coming as our human example as well as our Savior.  There are countless prophecies foretelling of His coming. I discovered a list of 351 old testament prophecies with scripture reference as well as new testament fulfillment, so attached at end of this message.  I can’t say if that list is complete but is impressive and confirms the significance and attention God gave both to paving the way for Christ’s coming but also the significance He placed on that coming and desire for us to prepare for His coming.

He also put a great deal of thought and planning into selecting his earthly family and especially His earthly mother.  What was to be the significance of his mother?  Why did He choose Mary, a poor humble young girl with no experience or preparation for such an amazing job and responsibility as well as privilege.  Yet imagine the grief and pain she was to endure when she saw her beloved son but also her Savior dying on a horrible cross?  What prepared her for such a job but also such a burden?  And why did God take Joseph home, sparing he the pain of seeing Christ die while leaving Mary to endure that burden alone?  Well, these are just a few of the many questions that will just have to wait til we get to heaven and learn the rest of the story and background but also the ripple affect on subsequent generations.  I am completely convinced when we do learn the rest of the story, we will be in awe of God’s plan and fulfillment and benefits.  But until then we can only imagine and trust His perfect will and plan.

So let’s begin to look closely at Mary’s response to Gabriel’s visit and news as she prays and reveals these attributes of God.  I think you too will be amazed to discover her depth of understanding and love for the God she knew so well and who knew her even better.  She was privileged and blessed to be chosen an Christ’s earthly mother, but she had earned that privilege without knowing it by being true to the God who she loved dearly  and who loved her dearly too.  We would do well to follow her example.

To be an unmarried girl or woman bearing a child in her day would have brought a likely outcome of death or at least outcast from her family and community.  Joseph struggled with how to respond to the news until he too was visited in a dream where God directed him as he should respond.  How their parents responded to the news is not given but I’m sure they struggled too.  Yet they knew Mary and Joseph and likely could not imagine how they could have sinned in such a way because of their character and past conduct.  Yet the story they gave of the angelic visit and revelation from the angel was too overwhelming and unbelievable to grasp either.  Was the Messiah going to be born and was their daughter going to be the Messiah’s mother?  How would you take such news? Yet time would prove it out and Mary would be protected by those who would judge her otherwise.   The Angel Gabriel’s message came to pass and Mary and Joseph raised Jesus and established the home for Him intended.

Mary had some time to think and reflect on what had happened and what was going to happen as she prepared and journeyed to visit her elderly cousin Elisabeth. Mary could have allowed worry and fear to grip her soul and likely was tempted to do so on journey until she saw Elisabeth and they exchanged stories and ministered to each other.  It was then she chose to worship and praise God as her response.  Worship is the opposite of worry as praise is the opposite of complaining.  So, let’s begin to look closely at Mary’s prayer recorded in Luke 1:46-55 and 17 of God’s attributes she expressed in her prayer of worship and praise:

1. GOD IS LORD

Mary begins in vs 46: “My soul doth magnify the Lord”.  She recognizes God is her Lord but in charge and she is glad for that and completely trusted Him to do as He foretold but also to protect and provide for her too. For Elisabeth to also have a similar miracle only confirmed God was close and involved with both.  To bring such an encouragement to Mary and Mary to Elisabeth showed the level of understanding and love He had for them both and enabled them to encouraged and support each other during the next 3 months.

2. God is Savior

Mary then says vs 47: “⁴⁷ And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.  Her soul worships and magnifies her Lord and her Savior.  God was very personal to her and she did not rely on the priest to be her intermediary and only way of communicating to God.  She also fellowshipped with God a lot more often then once a week in worship at the temple.  God was revealing to her that the baby growing in her would become not only the Savior of the World and people of all generations but also her Savior too.  How much of that revelation she was aware of as she prayed this prayer is not known.  Likely the full extent of that revelation would come to her much later.  Again, this is another question we will have to wait til heaven to receive the true answer.

3. GOD IS OMNISCIENT

Mary then responded in vs 48: “ For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”   God is all knowing (omniscient) and is aware of Mary’s weak and modest and vulnerable condition and position. She didn’t have to explain how she felt nor concerns flooding her mind, but simply submit and worship and enjoy His care and presence. He already knew she was young and poor and at risk of judgment and persecution but she was confident He would take care of her. 

4. GOD IS RESPECTFUL

Mary continues in vs 48: “for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”  Even though Mary felt very humble and insignificant, she was realizing God was lifting her to a noble state the responsibility she was being groomed for would be noticed by all going forward. She wasn’t bragging but she was submitting to God’s will.  She was amazed God would honor and show respect for her and further humbled her and caused her to be in awe of Him.

5. GOD IS MIGHTY

May continues in vs 49:  “For he that is mighty hath done to me great things”  She is really saying God has her best interests in mind and is both capable and willing to take care of her and has promised to do so.  She is also saying she has nothing to worry about.

6. GOD IS PERSONAL

She not only states that God is mighty but that He has done great things to her, which means He not only knows her and her needs but is personal and active in addressing her needs and providing for her.  He’s personal.  She really didn’t have anything to worry about so could focus on worshipping Him in her prayers instead of telling Him about her concerns and needs.

I think the truth of her confident worship in the midst of real dangers and uncertainty is a significant lesson for you and me to learn and follow too.  We can and should have and exercise such faith and confidence too and He wants us too.  This too demonstrates the level of maturity she had in her walk with God, but I imagine the whole experience of the visit from Gabriel and days after resulted in a dramatic change in her beyond her level of maturity before.

7. GOD IS HOLY

Verse 49 concluded with “and holy is his name.  God’s name is Holy and all that He does is good and wonderful.

How often do we encounter difficulties or even tragedy and the first thing we believe is He is punishing us or judging us or even abandoning us when He is simply preparing us for greater work and blessings.

Worship is the answer to fear and anxiety and even coveting.  Mary chose to worship no matter how she felt. She let her mind respond and make her heart submit to what she knew in her mind and soul to be true.  The joy she experience was genuine but was a result of her will submitting to God’s will and plan. A valuable lesson for us to learn and relearn because, let’s face it, practicing this lesson does not come natural or easily but is vital to learn and practice.

8. GOD IS MERCIFUL

Mary continues in vs 50 “⁵⁰ And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.” She knew from history and personal past experience that God was also merciful and quick to forgive those who seek His mercy.  She knew scripture and history well enough to also know for certain He both has and will continue to demonstrate consistent mercy to the faithful and she could rely on that. Even she knew she was a sinner deserving God’s judgment but also knew His mercy was showering her because she has received His forgiveness and feared Him.

9. GOD IS WORTHY

Mary demonstrated confidence that God was worthy of her trust and worship and love.  Who else was so worthy of the level of trust and faith and worship she expressed?  Who else could she trust so?  Who else could bring her such joy and fulfillment?   Who else could so transform a young girl into mighty prayer warrior and instill such courage in her?  Who else could transform a young inexperienced poor girl into a worthy mother of God? Who else is so worthy to be feared and revered so?  NO ONE BUT GOD ALMIGHTY!!

10. GOD IS POWERFUL

Mary goes on in vs 51:  “He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts”.   She is saying none is can match His strength or power.  She also is saying many have tried but all have failed and all will fail who challenge His Will.  The proud will always fail. 

11. GOD IS SOVEREIGN

Mary continues in vs 52:  “ He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.”

Mary’s confidence was not in herself but in the God she served and trusted and knew.  She knew God was sovereign and solely in charge of all. She also knew God was able to fulfill all the prophecies and promised foretold.  All the 351 prophecies of His coming, she might not have known or realized, but she knew enough to be completely convinced she was in a very good place (in His hands) and living in a wonderful time.  She didn’t have it all figured out nor did she understand all that God was revealing to her, but she understood and realized enough to get really excited and overwhelmed with Joy at the realization she was going to be a part of God’s work coming to pass.

12. GOD IS GRACIOUS

Vs 52: “and exalted them of low degree.”  Mary expresses praise for God’s graciousness to not only notice but responding to give dignity and provision and help to those who have been persecuted and destroy by the proud and rich.  Disgrace means someone without grace. God gives grace to those who have been disgraced by the proud and rich.  This is encouraging to the hopeless and defenseless and helpless.  It gives hope to you and me too.  Mary didn’t know what would happen but she did know God and that made all the difference for her.  It can make all the difference to us too.

13. GOD IS JUST

Vs 52:  “⁵² He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.”   God is just.  He will not allow evil to prevail and will restore, as He did to Job, all that is lost or taken unjustly from His faithful children.  Why does He allow some to suffer for a time?  We can’t know but examples like Job’s give us some idea of some of the reasons but He has promised to use all we experience for our good. Romans 8:28-33 “28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.” It may not be for  us to know and understand, just as it wasn’t for Job until time of testing and growth was over, but he did learn when God was ready to reveal that to him.  What Job had to do in meantime was hang on and keep his eyes on the God he trusted and not allow himself to sin and turn from the God he trusted.  So must we.

14. GOD IS GENEROUS

Vs. 53 “He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.”  Mary knew God was generous and had resources sufficient to meet all needs.  Notice she didn’t say all wants or desires but needs.  God knows what we have need of and what wants that which will harm us if they are satisfied or given to us. She also states that the wealthy of their own means will not receive anything from Him.  The things of this world will not last but what God gives us will have both eternal value and will last for an eternity.  That causes us to look beyond our current circumstances and our current needs to what He has in mind for us and time frame for receiving such from Him.  Did Mary still have needs and concerns.  By worshiping her Lord, she was forcing her will and mind into complying with His will and timing.  That battle I believe was a daily one for her, as it is for you and me.  But it is one, like with her, can only be won by keeping our eyes and heart on Him and frequently worshiping and praising Him and reminding ourselves what He does and is like.  By acknowledging His attributes, we increase our faith and confidence He will take care of us and we have no need to worry.   

15. GOD IS HUMBLE

Mary’s prayer and way  she both related to God and prayed shows as level of humility in God to bring Himself down to her level and to love and care for her at that level.  He demonstrated this countless times in scripture both in old testament and new testament.  By the way he relates to the proud and compassion He has with the poor and lowly reveals just how much compassion He has on the humble and how much He relates to them.  Christ’s life demonstrates this quality even more.   The fact that the one sin that separated satan from God and forced God to eject him from heaven was the sin of pride.  God has no room for the proud. 

16. GOD IS FAITHFUL

Vs 55:  ““⁵⁵ As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.”             She says he’s faithful. He is. “He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” What she’s saying is this: he’s totally faithful. If he says he’s one way, he’s going to be that way. If he says he does certain things, he does those things. He is a faithful God.

17. GOD IS ETERNAL

Mary also reveals in vs 50 that God is eternal and faithful from one generation to another. ^“50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.”

 Attachment #1