The Fourth Sunday in Advent – December 24th, 2023
Trinity Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas
Rev. Joshua Woelmer
Text: Luke 1:26–56
“The Announcement to Mary”
Theme: What did Mary know about the coming Messiah? What do you know about his works for you?
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
When the youth group was having its Christmas party before going caroling, we went around the room answering the question, “what is your favorite Christmas carol?” A lot of the usual ones came up, but I know a few people answered with a fairly new song, “Mary, Did You Know?” It was written in 1991, and it has been made famous by a band called Pentatonix. It has a very catchy tune, which is probably why the song has millions and millions of views online. The premise of the song is that it asks Mary if she knows who her baby boy is and what he will do one day. There are declarative statements throughout.
Here is a list of things it asks Mary:
Did you know that your baby boy…
Would one day walk on water?
Would save our sons and daughters?
Has come to make you new?
“This child that you delivered, will soon deliver you.”
Did you know that your baby boy…
Will give sight to a blind man?
Will calm the storm with his hand?
Has walked where angels trod?
“When you kiss your little baby You kiss the face of God.”
Did you know that your baby boy…
Is Lord of all creation?
Would one day rule the nations?
Is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
“That sleeping child you’re holding is the great, I AM.”
This song is a great example of declarative questions. It’s a teaching technique where the teacher asks somebody if they know a list of things that are true. The students may or may not know that those questions are in fact true. Here’s an example: “Did you know that George Washington crossed the Delaware? Did you know that he did so on Christmas Eve in 1776? Did you know that he caught the Hessians completely unaware? Did you know that this provided much-needed encouragement to the American troops fighting in the Revolutionary War?”
Even though this is a great rhetorical technique, let’s ask the question for real: what did Mary know about the Messiah? Let’s answer this question before and after the Angel Gabriel came to Mary.
First, what did Mary believe about the Messiah before the Angel Gabriel came to visit her? Well, let’s look at the Old Testament promises of the Messiah. We must believe that Mary was a faithful Jewish girl. She had heard of the promises of the Old Testament. She believed in them. God would not have sent his son to anyone else. She may not have had a super clear understanding of these promises. After all, even Jesus’s disciples get confused as to his purpose as the Messiah.
What are these promises that Mary would have believed in? The Messiah would be born from a woman to crush Satan’s head (Gen 3). He would be from the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David. He would be born in Bethlehem (Mic 3). He would be a mighty king (Isa 9). The Messiah would do great things (Isa 29, 35, et al.). There are a few passages where God promises that He Himself will be the Messiah. That is, that he will take up bodily form to save his people (Ps 110). Of course, there’s the prophecy that a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and give him the name “Immanuel” (Isa 7:14).
So how does this line up with the song? Mary would have believed that the Messiah would come to deliver them. The Messiah would do marvelous things. Isaiah 35:5–6 says, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” He would give sight to the blind man. There are hints in the Old Testament of other things, but it’s like seeing the pieces of a puzzle all scrambled up, and you’re trying to make sense of it all.
The Angel Gabriel appearing to Mary changes everything. It’s as if he puts a number of pieces together for Mary to see the greater picture. He appears to her with these words: “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you! … Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (28, 30–33).
There’s so much here to unpack. The angel praises her for being favored by God for this task. He talks about the identity of the child that will be in her womb. He will be called Jesus, the Son of the Most High. He will be an eternal king. What is Mary’s response? “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (34). If you remember a few weeks ago, I criticized Zechariah for not believing that God could bring a child from a barren woman. This is very different. No virgin has ever conceived a child without a man’s help. There’s no precedent for any of this.
So Gabriel gives the answer: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. … For nothing will be impossible with God” (35, 37). Mary’s response is breath-taking: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (38).
Now what did Mary know? So much more! She knows that her baby is the Son of God! She knows that he will be an eternal king. She knows that when she kisses the face of Jesus, she kisses the face of God. Her Magnificat is a beautiful list of what she knows will happen one day. It doesn’t contain everything, but it doesn’t need to. She confesses that God has looked upon her, and she rejoices in this fact. If you pay attention to her Magnificat, she proclaims many of these things that the Messiah will do as if Jesus in her womb has already done them.
Let’s go through our list again.
Did she know that he would one day walk on water? Maybe not exactly, but probably that he would be able to.
Save our sons and daughters? Yes, in one way or another.
Make you new? Sure!
Would deliver you? Yes.
Give sight to a blind man? We already mentioned this one above.
Calm the storm? It’s interesting…this isn’t in any prophecies. Like walking on water, her Son would be able to do this, but she would need to see it unfold.
Walked where angels trod? Yes, he’s the Son of God.
That you kiss the face of God? That he is the Lord of all creation? Would one day rule the nations? Yes.
Is heaven’s perfect Lamb? I’m not sure about this one. John the Baptist had not yet proclaimed that Jesus is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Nonetheless, I love this message from the song: “That sleeping child you’re holding is the great, I AM.”
Dear Christian, much has changed since Mary heard the promise of the angel and responded with her Magnificat. But let me ask some important questions as you prepare to celebrate the birth of the baby that spent nine months in His mother’s womb:
Christian, did you know that this baby is the great I AM of the Old Testament?
Did you know that this baby came as one of us?
Did you know that he would one day suffer?
Did you know that he would die on the cross?
Did you know that he would rise again?
Did you know that this baby ascended to be with you in an even greater way?
Did you know that he unites you to himself in baptism?
Did you know that he gives you his body and blood in bread and wine?
Did you know that he is Lord of all creation?
Did you know that he rules the nations even now?
Did you know that he will come again?
Did you know that you will see his face one day?
Christian, did you know that this baby will soon deliver you?
Now may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.
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