The Nativity

So I was thinking more about this Nativity scene that you and I see at this time of year, and I wanted to share some thoughts with you.

We come now to the Christmas season, namely to the birth of Jesus the Messiah, especially as the story is told by Matthew and Luke. A supernatural person enters the world in a supernatural way. The Incarnation comes about by the virgin birth. We will look at several points that surround the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Annunciation

“God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth…to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph.” – Luke 1:26-27

After some four hundred years of silent waiting, suddenly God broke the silence, though not through a prophet but through an angel. The message that Gabriel brought to Nazareth all but overwhelmed Mary – partly because she was to become a mother although she was still unmarried and a virgin, and partly because of the superlative threefold descriptions she was given of her son to be born.

Firstly, he was to be named Jesus, indicating that he would be given a saving mission.

Secondly, he would be great, for he would be given a further and more elaborate name, the Son of the Most High. Mary would not have understood this as meaning what we mean when we call Jesus the Son of God but rather that he would be the Messiah, since Son of God was an acknowledged messianic title (see Psalm 2:7-8).

Thirdly, he would reign over Israel forever. Indeed, his kingdom would never end.

Savior, Son, and King were the three titles that the angel told Mary to give him.

No wonder Mary was “greatly troubled” (v. 29), even completely mystified by the angel’s message, and asked him what it meant. Here is Gabriel’s majestic reply: “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…For nothing is impossible with God” (v. 35-37). We will reflect on the fact and meaning of the virgin birth tomorrow, but meanwhile, we must now listen to Mary’s Song.

Just some questions to think about:

a. What do these three names mean to you? Savior, Son, and King?

b. Can you imagine the power of this moment for Mary? How would you respond at your age? Most believe Mary was about 14 years old when she gave birth to Jesus.

c. What made her different from every other young Hebrew girl? Why could she be trusted with so much?

Mary’s Song

“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; 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. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.’” – Luke 1:46-55

Ever since at least the sixth century the church has cherished Mary’s Song and has included it as the Magnificat in its liturgies. But this raises an important question. How can we sing her song? A Hebrew virgin chosen by God to give birth to the Messiah, the Son of God, gives inspired expression to her wonderment that she should have been thus honored. How can we take her words on our lips? Is it not entirely inappropriate for us to do so?

But no. it has been recognized down the ages that Mary’s experience, which in one way was absolutely unique, in another is typical of the experience of every Christian believer. The God who had done great things for her has also lavished his grace on us. Mary seems herself to have been aware of this, for her “me” and “my” of the beginning of her song moved later into the third person: “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation” (v. 50). As in the song of Hannah after the birth of Samuel, so in Mary’s Song, God turns human values upside down. There are two main examples.

Firstly, God dethrones the mighty and exalts the humble. He did it with Pharaoh and with Nebuchadnezzar, in both cases rescuing Israel from their exile. He still does it today in our experience of salvation. Only if we get on our knees beside the penitent publican will God exalt us with his accepting forgiveness.

Secondly, God dismisses the rich and feeds the hungry. Mary was hungry. She knew from the Old Testament that one day God’s kingdom would come, and she was longing for that day to come. Hunger is still an indispensible condition of spiritual blessing, while complacent self-satisfaction is its greatest enemy.

If we want to inherit Mary’s blessings, we must diplay Mary’s qualities, especially humility and hunger.

Some more questions to think about:

1. What does this story teach you about worship? Where does true worship originate? How does this story transform your thinking about magnification and worship of God with singing?
2. Are you hungry for God’s presence in your life? Are you truly desperate for his touch on your life? Mary was expectant, and therefore had a heart prepared to worship the Lord. Do you come in each Thursday night with a thankful heart because of His grace shown in your life?