Sermon Snippets: Christmas Characters – Mary

“Mary, did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? This child that you deliver will soon deliver you.”

As I write this blog post, this popular song is playing on the radio. Hopefully, I recounted the lyrics correctly.

Today, we look at the next Christmas character, Mary, the mother of Jesus. We are looking at sermon snippets from a series my pastor did called ‘The Characters of Christmas.’ The last time we were together, we looked at Joseph. Joseph was faithful to Mary and the Lord.

Today, we take a deeper dive into the mother of Jesus. Let’s look at the pastor’s sermon notes on Mary.

Unlike Joseph, who God spoke to through dreams, Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel. 

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He 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, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^[a] the Son of God. ³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.”

What do we see about Mary in the above passages?

Unlike Joseph, Mary had questions. 

Some characteristics of Mary we see in the text:

1. Mary was in Nazareth, a town in Galilee.
2. She was a virgin.
3. Mary was the Lord’s servant.
4. Mary was highly favored.
5. Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph.

As a result of the angel’s visit:

1. Mary was greatly troubled.
2. Mary wondered.
3. Mary questioned the angel as to how it was going to happen.

Gabriel’s message to Mary:

1. You have found favor with God.
2. You will conceive a child.
3. You will give birth to a son.
4. You are to give him the name Jesus.

What is special about this son Mary will carry?

1. His name will be Jesus.
2. Jesus will be holy and great.
3. Jesus will be called the Son of the Most High; the Son of God.
4. Jesus will reign forever.
5. His kingdom will never end.

How will this happen?

1. The Holy Spirit will come upon Mary.
2. The Most High will overshadow Mary.

Wow!

What do we read in verse 38? “I am the Lord’s servant.” In other words, she will do whatever the Lord tells her to do. She’s all in for what God is doing in her life. She was obedient. And think about this – all in no matter what others thought about her being pregnant prior to taking Joseph as her husband.

But Mary’s story doesn’t stop there. Let’s look at Luke 2:16-19.

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Think about this for a moment.

1. The appearance of the angel Gabriel.
2. The virgin birth of the Messiah.
3. There was no room in the inn, so Jesus was born in a manger.
4. The shepherds visited the baby.
5. Wise men came from afar to see who the angel of the Lord announced had arrived.
6. Mary and Joseph traveled to other places to protect Jesus.
7. Mary treasures what God is doing in her life.

No matter what was happening, Mary and Joseph were faithful and obedient to God’s calling.

The world is constantly coming at us in chaos, but we must stay faithful and obedient to God no matter what happens. Sometimes what God is doing is not going to make sense to those outside the will of God.

Be like Mary and Joseph.

God used uniqueness in the birth of Christ, spoken about throughout scripture.

Christmas is all about the gospel message.

What will you do with the gospel message?

Blessings,

Bible Gateway 

Sermon Snippet Summary of Haggai and Malachi