December 7
2013
Christmas – A Season of Faith
Second Sunday of Advent (II of IV)
Sign or Surrender
“And Zacharias said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” (Luke 1:18).
“Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her. “(Luke 1:38)
This week we will look at Christmas as a Season of Faith, through the stories of Mary and Zacharias. The Christmas story as recorded in Luke tells us that an angel of God appeared to both Mary and Zacharias, bringing them the news that they were to be involved in the Christmas miracle. Let’s begin with an understanding of who these individuals were, what there circumstances were, and the message they received from the angel Gabriel.
Background
Zacharias
Luke tells us that Zacharias was a priest, married to Elizabeth who was of the daughters of Aaron and “they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.” (Luke 1: 5-7). Zacaharias served as a priest before God, and at this time his “lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of God.” (Luke 1: 9). It is important to note that the burning of the incense was something that a priest only did once in his lifetime. The timing of the Lord is always AWESOME!
Mary
Luke tells us that Mary was “a virgin, betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.” (Luke 1: 27), from a small town in the city of Galilee, Nazareth. Luke tells us nothing of her belief, status or circumstances in life, but we can assume from the overall story that she was a young girl, from a simple background.
The Message
Zacharias
As Zacharias enters the temple of the Lord to burn incense, an angel of the Lord appears to him. The angel says, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1: 13-17).
Mary
The angel Gabriel begins his conversation with Mary by stating, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among woman!” (Luke 1:28). And continues,“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33). “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1: 35-37).
The Response
Zacharias
When Zacharias saw Gabriel, we are told, “he was troubled and fear fell upon him” (Luke 1: 12). Zacharias was assured that there was nothing to fear and the message was delivered. “And Zacharias said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” (Luke 1:18). Zacharias asked for a sign from God. In response to his request for a sign, Gabriel identifies himself as one “who stands in the presence of God” (Luke 1: 19) and tells Zacharias that because of his unbelief he will be mute until the day that “these things take place.” (Luke 1: 20).
Mary
Upon receiving the initial greeting from Gabriel we are told that Mary “was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was” (Luke 1: 29)but there is no mention of fear. Upon receiving the message Mary questions Gabriel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ (Luke 1: 34). A question that seeks understanding of the message she has been delivered. In her final response Mary humbles herself and surrenders herself to the will of God. “Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1: 38).
Now that we know the story, let us consider it through the lens of faith.
Zacharias is a priest, serving God for many years, considered righteous in the sight of God, along with Elizabeth his wife, who is of the daughters of Aaron. Zacharias has prayed to God for a child, yet he and his wife are described as advanced in years and his wife is called barren.
The angel Gabriel has come to tell Zacharias that his prayers have not only been heard but are about to be answered! Elizabeth will bear a son. And not only that, many will rejoice over his birth. And further more their son will be great in the sight of the Lord, will be filled with the Holy Spirit, will fulfill prophecy, and prepare the way for his Lord! WOW! What a message! What joyous promises Gabriel delivers to Zacharias – on this one precious day, as a priest of the Lord, the day he comes to the temple to burn incense before God!
This is a message of hope and joy. There is no expectation of either he or his wife, just to accept the answered prayer and rejoice in it. The reproach of Elizabeth who has been called barren will be removed and all will know that it has been by the Hand of God – a miracle. Zacharias will have his son and can rejoice in the knowledge that his son will fulfill the prophecy of the scriptures, that the God that Zacharias has spent his life serving will use his son to prepare the way for the coming Lord!
And what does Zacharias do with this message? He questions God. He asks for a sign – a sign from God that this angel of the Lord is telling the truth. He, who sees the vision with his own eyes, receives the message with his own ears, and has nothing to lose and everything to gain by the fulfillment of this message, asks God for a sign.
Mary, on the other hand, is a young girl, who has not yet known a man, betrothed to Joseph, in a city of Galilee, called Nazareth.
The angel Gabriel comes before her and tells her to rejoice for she is highly favored, the Lord is with her and she is blessed among woman. The message starts off well. But then he tells her that she will conceive a Child. Not any Child, but a Son, the Son of the Highest – He will have the throne of David and will reign forever, with no end to His Kingdom. This Child will be conceived within her body by the Holy Spirit and will be the Son of God!
This is also a message of hope, joy, prophecy fulfilled, and the arrival of the Messiah! BUT this message requires MUCH of Mary, unlike the message to Zacharias. This message requires that Mary surrender her body to the Holy Spirit and allow conception of the Son of God to occur. WOW! Now we must remember Mary is a young, unmarried girl. She has not known a man, but she is about to made visibly pregnant. What will her betrothed think, her parents, and the people around her? Will she be labeled an adulteress, shamed, shunned and even stoned for her sin? Who will believe that she is carrying the Son of God?
And this is the Son of Almighty God! Imagine the responsibility that is being placed upon her young shoulders, her tender mind and spirit, and her physical body. The expectation that she will bear within her the Son of God and then raise the Son of God, from a baby to a man. The expectation, the decisions, the power – what will it mean that He will have the throne of David and His kingdom will rule forever, why me, why has God chosen me?
But what is Mary’s response? Twofold. Initially she asks of Gabriel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1: 34). This is not a doubting question but rather a question of one who seeks understanding from God, rather than a sign.
And then Gabriel offers her the two things she hasn’t asked for:
1) A sign – Elizabeth who has been called barren has been with child for six months
2) Reassurance – with God nothing will be impossible
And then Mary says simply, “Behold, the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1: 38). Words of simple faith and complete and total surrender!
Consider your own faith for a moment. Where are you like Zacharias, where are you like Mary? Has your faith required much of you or little? Has that affected whether you have been accepting of the voice of God, or whether you required repeated messages and signs from the Father? Do you know what you believe in? Do you seek to understand the things of God that you don’t understand? Or do you just ask lay out your fleece again and again as the Father speaks to you and asks you to surrender your life to His will and His plan and purpose?
Do you have trouble believing that anyone would have faith that would allow them to simply believe and surrender to God as Mary did, despite the potential consequences for her? Do you have difficulty believing that anyone would question God rather than jumping to their feet and praising the Father for answering their prayer in such a powerful way, as Zacharias did?
What does your faith cost you? Mary’s faith cost her everything, complete surrender – but the Lord carried her. Zacharias’s faith would have cost him nothing, but his lack of faith cost him the ability to speak until after his son was born and the Word of God had been fulfilled.
What is God asking you to believe and/or do, in faith, this Christmas Season? Less hustle and bustle, more quiet time with Him? Less of the world’s Christmas and more of the simplicity of the message of hope, love and faith? Less concern about keeping up with the neighbors and more time teaching your children what Christmas really is about – hope, love, family, friends, fellowship, the birth of the Christ Child. Is He asking you to step out of you comfort zone and reach out His hand of love or hope, through you and your family, this Christmas Season?
Ask the Lord of all faith, hope and love to guide you, to speak to you, and to open up your mind and spirit to hear His Words as you take time to listen to Him this Christmas Season – as you seek to really KNOW what the Season is all about!
Let us pray together.
Gracious Father of all faith, hope and love, we come and sit still before you as we prepare for this Christmas Season. We have lost our way and we seek Your direction to find Your path among the paths of the world. We thank you, for the most precious gift of all time, Your Beloved Son, who You sent to earth in the form of a Baby in Bethlehem. The first step of a journey that would lead to Calvary and His shed blood for our salvation. We ask Father that you would speak to us, show us the journey back to the true message of Christmas – the message that is not just for a season but one that we should live out everyday of our lives – our bodies, minds, and spirits, an extension of Your Almighty Hand in this world. We Praise Your Almighty Name as we bring these things before you in the Name of Jesus. Amen and Amen and Amen!
***If you missed the first Advent Devotion, scroll down****
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