The First Response to the Christmas Message
The First Response to the Christmas Message
24th December 2023
Luke 1:26-38
I recently heard of a girl who was listening carefully to the Christmas message at her church.
She was intrigued by the details in the Christmas message, wanting to integrate this into her knowledge of God.
She asked her Minister after the Christmas service,
"Which virgin was the mother of Jesus?
The virgin Mary, or the King James Virgin?"
(Here at St John’s we use the ‘New Revised Standard Virgin’ – which doesn’t sound as interesting does it!)
Once again, at this special time of year, we proclaim the Christmas message.
What we have in today’s Bible reading is the story of the first person ever to hear the Christmas message.
As we consider this proclamation to Mary, and Mary’s response,
we are invited to hear the Christmas message for ourselves, and make our own response.
The angel brings the message and Mary makes corresponding responses.
This dialogue is a bit like the responses we use in our worship together.
But I want to look at the angel’s message in full before we examine Mary’s responses.
The angel talks about the “Most High”.
And essentially the message is that: the “Most High” has become the most low.
The Creator becomes a baby.
Presbyterian Minister Tim Keller highlights are two things about this message:
1. God is far greater than we thought
In Christianity, we believe in a God who became a humble human being.
This idea is often rejected by other beliefs and philosophies, who feel it reduces God.
However, it’s through this very act of becoming ‘the least’ that God’s greatness is really seen.
If someone considers themselves too great to get down on the floor to play with a toddler - how great do we think that person is??
God is big enough to extend to and incorporate the little.
Mary was the first to hear this greatness of God.
The incarnation not only shows God’s majesty but also reveals how truly flawed we humans are.
Let’s say people gave me the following gifts for Christmas
1. a copy of the book ‘How to win friends and influence people’,
2. a gym membership, and
3. hair dye
– those giving these gifts are saying to me I’m an old, fat git!
God gives us the gift that doesn’t shame us, but lifts us from our trouble.
So, this message is that God is far greater than we thought and, secondly…
2. We are more sinful than we thought
The messenger says: “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” (v31)
This is significant, as the name Jesus literally means ‘God rescues’.
As we said last week (with the kids) Jesus is the King who comes as a baby to save us – to welcome us in to where it is we truly belong.
The incarnation of Christ, therefore, represents the Gospel, showing us both
· God’s majesty
· and the serious nature of our sins.
The same was true back then as now: people carry on without an awareness of the extent of their need – filling their lives with all sorts of substitutes for the real thing, missing out on where we truly belong.
Christmas, then, is a powerful reminder of our mistakes, shown through the gift of God’s son.
This gift points to our deep flaws, showing us the purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice to rescue us.
Let me read this quote from the author Dorothy L. Sayers:
“For whatever reason God chose to make [people as we are]— limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death—He had the honesty and the courage to take His own medicine.
Whatever game He is playing with His creation, He has kept His own rules and played fair.
He can exact nothing from [humanity] that He has not exacted from Himself.
He has Himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair and death.
He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and thought it well worthwhile.”
(Creed or Chaos? and Lost Tools of Learning)
Was it worthwhile…?
What did God get out of this…?
Us.
This message tells us God is this great – that he becomes one with us.
He holds nothing back, in order to keep company with us.
So, the message is that God is far greater than we thought and, we are more sinful than we thought.
Mary (in a sense) is the first Christian.
She’s the first to understand how God is going save us – with this person Jesus at the centre.
With the time left, let’s look at Mary’s responses to this message:
· Mary responds to the message thoughtfully…
She “pondered what sort of greeting this might be”.
We can translate this as a description of Mary thinking of how to account for what is happening.
Mary uses her brain:
how do I account for what I’m hearing?
This response is a good example for us, as we seek greater understanding in our faith.
· Mary responds to the message sincerely…
How does this work? I’m a virgin.
She knew virgin births were no less miraculous back then than now!
She asks her questions of faith.
We can pray to God, and seek God’s answers to our legitimate questions – even our doubts.
· Mary responds to the message with personal commitment…
“let it be with me according to your word.”
Things are going to get awkward.
In her culture, she probably expected to be abandoned by Joseph, and ostracised by family and friends.
There was a cost to her commitment, but she was willing to respond this way anyway.
“I am not God – You are.”
Will we respond the same way?
Are we willing to experience the cost of our own commitment to God?