“Gabriel’s Surprise for Mary”
Luke 1:26-38

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Second Sunday in Advent—December 9, 2018

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

For our Advent and Christmas services this year, we are having a sermon series on “The Angels of Advent,” looking at what the Bible teaches about angels, and their prominent role in the Advent and Christmas story, including today’s Gospel Reading:

“God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.’”

The book of Hebrews says, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”  The real role models for our youth, and for all of us, should not be rock stars or sports heroes.  Our real role models should be the heroes of our faith.  “Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” 

And there is no better example for us to imitate than the Virgin Mary.  The Virgin Mary is an especially appropriate example for young people, because Mary herself was probably a young teenager when Jesus was born.  In those days people had much shorter life spans, and so they got married much younger.  Girls were usually married right after puberty.  Since Mary has just become betrothed to Joseph, she is probably between 13 and 15 years old when the angel appears to her.

“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.”  Mary found favor with God NOT because she was sinless, NOT because she was perfect.  The Virgin Mary was a human, in need of a Savior, just like you and me. 

I mentioned last week that the book of Hebrews says there is an “innumerable number of angels,” and out of all these angels the Bible gives names to only two.  In last week’s Gospel Reading, Gabriel appeared to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah.  Gabriel appears again in today’s Gospel Reading, to announce to Mary another birth, her Son, who will be the Messiah himself. 

The name “Gabriel” means “mighty man of God.”  Most of our modern, popular depictions of angels are either feminine, or childlike cherubs.  Although Jesus tells us elsewhere that angels do not have gender, they are neither male nor female, in the Bible whenever angels show themselves they always have a masculine appearance, like Gabriel, the “mighty man of God.”

The other angel given a name in the Bible is the archangel, or head angel, Michael.  His name is really a question: “Who is like God?”  That is what we call a rhetorical question, expecting the answer, “No one.”  With his very name the archangel Michael gives glory to God, by proclaiming the truth that no one is like god, no one is sinless and holy like God.

The Virgin Mary found favor with God NOT because like God she was sinless, NOT because like God she was perfectly holy, but because she believed God’s promise to send the Messiah, she had faith that the Holy One to be born of her would be the Savior, HER Savior.  As Mary proclaimed in her famous song we call the Magnificat, which we read at the opening of our service: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God MY Savior.”

Today’s Old Testament reading records the prophesy of Isaiah seven hundred years earlier: “The Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”  Immanuel means “God with us.”  Isaiah prophesied that’s who the Messiah would be: God in human flesh, God come down to earth and made man, Immanuel, God with us. 

The Hebrew people believed God’s promise to send the Messiah and they looked forward in faith to his coming.  From generation to generation they taught their children that someday the promised Messiah would come.  And young Hebrew girls in particular were taught that they might be the one chosen by God to fulfill Isaiah’s prophesy, “The Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son.”  The Virgin Mary found favor with God because she believed God’s promise to send a Savior.  That is the first example of the Virgin Mary for you to follow: her faith. 

“The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.”  The name “Jesus” literally means, “The Lord Saves.”  As the angel tells Joseph, “You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

Jesus is your Savior, the Babe of Bethlehem came to save you from your sins.  On account of his birth, life, death, and resurrection, God forgives you all your sins.  As St. Peter says in Acts, “Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”  Like Mary, believe God’s promise; like Mary, have faith in the Messiah; like Mary, accept Jesus into your heart as your Savior.

“You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.  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, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.’ ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’”

That is the second example of the Virgin Mary for you to follow: her purity.  St. Paul says in 1st Corinthians, “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God.  You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”  Because of her faith, the Virgin Mary honored God by living a pure life.  Mary and Joseph were planning to come together in a few months as husband and wife.  Mary was keeping herself pure for her husband. 

Follow the example of the Virgin Mary.  Like her, live a pure life, reserving sexual relations only for marriage, only with your wife or husband.  As St. Paul says in Ephesians, “Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity . . . these are improper for God’s holy people.”  And in 1st Thessalonians, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God.”

“‘You will be with child and give birth to a son . . .’  ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’  The angel answered, ‘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. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.’”

The startling revelation that Mary would have a baby put her in the worst possible predicament.  First of all, Joseph, her betrothed, would know for certain that the child could not be his, for they had never had relations.  What will Joseph think?  Will he still want to marry her if is she is pregnant?  Will Joseph believe what has happened, that this child has been miraculously conceived?  What about Mary’s family and friends?  What will they think?  And how will the people of Nazareth react?  The Old Testament punishment for adultery was being stoned to death; will this sentence be carried out?  If Mary says “yes” to the Lord, she is putting in danger her reputation, her future, her marriage, even her life.

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”  That is the third example of the Virgin Mary for you to follow: her trust in God.  Despite all the uncertainties, despite all the unknown’s, she trusted in the Lord.  Follow the example of Mary, as Proverbs says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”  That is the fourth example of the Virgin Mary for you to follow: she served the Lord.  Mary was called by God to serve him in a very special and unique way.  You are also called by God to serve him in your life, in your own special and unique way.  St. Paul says in Romans, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”  St. Peter says, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.” 

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”

Follow the example of the Virgin Mary’s faith: “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.”  Like Mary, believe God’s promise, accept Jesus as your Savior.

Follow the example of the Virgin Mary’s purity:  “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”  Like Mary, keep yourself for marriage, reserve sexual relations only for marriage, only with your wife or husband.

Follow the example of the Virgin Mary trusting the Lord and serving him: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”  Imitate the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary.