A puzzled Mom and a Baby's Mission.
Luke's next exciting installment is what we now call "The Annunciation." And there is so much we can say about it!For today I want to introduce Mary briefly and then zoom in on Jesus' mission. We'll come back to Mary when she visits Elizabeth.
Mary lived in Nazareth - a back-water in Galilee... She was probably young (16 or 17) and was engaged to a carpenter named Joseph. Engagement usually lasted a year and was regarded as binding. Ending it required divorce and if Joseph died during the engagement, Mary would have been called a widow. Being pregnant and not from your future husband would be considered adultery...
Mary's emotions are a lovely picture of her and our humanity. She's afraid (the Greek implies a very primal fear) but also puzzled. Our assumption is that when God sends messengers, it's because we're in trouble. We're very aware of our broken sinfulness. Mary did not expect to be considered "favoured". Then she is curious: "How can this be?" And then she is quietly acquiescent. "I'm the Lord's Servant." But she has some processing to do. We'll see the outcome of that later...
Now let's consider Jesus' mission:
Gabriel described the Work and Mission of Jesus in three main thrusts:
1. He was to be named Jesus. This is a variant of "Joshua" and means "the Lord Saves" or "the Lord Delivers." It was a name commonly given to Jewish boys because the Jews desperately hoped for a Political Messiah who would save and deliver them from the yoke of Rome. They wanted a Gideon or a Jephthah to chase their enemies into the sea and give them peace.
Jesus had three greater enemies then Rome in His sights: He came to rescue us from sin, death and Satan. Both His incarnational-ministry and His death-resurrection-ascension accomplished that.
2. Great and Son of the Most High God. Jesus never achieved greatness by earthly standards: He did not amass wealth or status, He didn't hobnob with the powerful and famous. He demonstrated another greatness - He revealed God to us. In His teaching and in His actions, in His identification with us and in His tears for us, He, as the Son of the Most High, showed us what God is like.
3. He was given the Throne of David - He is the King and head of the church. The church has survived persecution, the dark ages, the crusades, the "enlightenment", communism and secularism and will continue to thrive.
This is why He was born and this is why His life led inexorably to the cross.
| In the sixth month, 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 be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob 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 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. 36 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. 37 For nothing is impossible with God." 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. (Luke1:26-38) |
