INTRODUCTION:

In January of this year, a hospital in London, England, mistakenly sent letters to over 30 unsuspecting patients informing them that they were pregnant. Apparently one of the workers hit the wrong key when they were entering the information into the form letter telling people their operations had been postponed. Instead of informing patients about a rescheduled procedure, the computer sent identical form letters telling the patients they were "great with child." Among the recipients of the letters were six elderly men. (1)

Can you imagine their shock and surprise when they got those letters? "Dear Mr. Smith, Congratulations on your 93rd birthday. Doctor what's-his-name and the staff at so-and-so general hospital are pleased to inform you that you are expecting a baby . . ."

I'm surprised it didn't put some people in cardiac arrest. There were probably a few older women who were about to faint, too. If they didn't have high blood pressure, that letter sure would have caused it. Don't you know, that's exactly how Mary must have felt when the Angel of the Lord, Gabriel, decided to pop on over to her house one day and drop the Good News, literally into her lap.

Mary was probably busy with all those household chores that kept women so busy back then. She might have been up to her elbows in kneading the dough for the next day's bread. Or maybe she was weighed down with the fresh produce for the evening meal.

Maybe it was dark, the day's chores were complete and Mary was actually resting. And into that darkness, the light of Gabriel's glory started increasing like the light from a dimmer switch being turned up. Or maybe it was just there, that blinding light of the Angel. Who knows.

Whatever the case, Gabriel was there. And his words were just as intrusive and shocking as that letter from the hospital.

Let's listen to those words together through the reading of the Scripture. You can follow along in your Bible or the Pew Bible on pg 53 or 1253 if you would like.

Luke 1:26-38

[26] In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,

[27] to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

[28] And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."

[29] But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

[30] The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

[31] And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him 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 ancestor David.

[33] He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

[34] Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

[35] The angel said to her, "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 holy; he will be called Son of God.

[36] And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.

[37] For nothing will be impossible with God."

[38] Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

[NRSV]

Mary's reaction wasn't much different than the one you or I'd have made was it. Having heard the passage, today I want us to look at THE QUESTION, THE RESPONSE AND THE REASON.

I. FIRST, LET'S LOOK AT THE QUESTION:

A. Mary was both frightened and curious. The Angel begins his announcement with some pretty odd words. "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." Those words perplexed her but Gabriel brought both words of comfort and then words that probably scared the bejeebers out of her. "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."

God has to have a great sense of ironic humor because first Gabriel calms Mary's fear and shock of having been addressed by the Angel of the Lord. And then the Angel drops the bomb. She is going to become the mother of the Savior of the World. What an awesome privilege. And what a frightening responsibility.

B. The shock of it all caused Mary to ask THE QUESTION: "How can this be?" "How can this be?"

There's nothing unusual about THE QUESTION. It's the question we all ask in the midst of crisis. Isn't it. That and "Why me?" We all know how Mary felt because it's the question we ask in the face of cancer, when we lose our job, when we're in an accident, when we lose a loved one. That's what I asked when I had my heart attack. "How can this be? Why me?"

It's a cry of shock and a deep cry for help that really asks: "How am I going to handle this." And "Lord are you still with me?"

The answer for Mary and for us, came from the angel. "Do not be afraid." Here was this Messenger of God with life changing, world changing news and the very first thing this Good News bearer had to do was calm and comfort this young girl down.

But you know, that's always been the first words out of angels mouths. "Do not be afraid."

Part of us cries out, "That's easy for you to say, you're not in my shoes." But that's because the first thing we have to overcome is the shock and the fear. The curves of life make us feel cut off and alone.

But that's the very reason for the message of angel. That's the very reason for this season, we're not alone. Because of Mary and the child she bore, we don't ever have to be a lone ever again.

In the midst of the harsh realities of life and living, in the midst of the struggles to survive and hang on; in the midst of the trials and temptations of life: WE ARE NOT ALONE. Emmanuel, God is with us. That's why Gabriel was telling this frightened little girl not to be afraid. That's why the Angel of the Lord told the shepherds not to be afraid.

And that's why we don't have to be afraid when THE QUESTION comes pouring out of our mouths in the midst of the shock and fear of a personal or family crisis.

II. SECOND, LET'S LOOK AT THE RESPONSE:

A. Even though Mary was frightened, she still became the model for obedience. Through Gabriel, God said this is the plan and Mary didn't hesitate. She obeyed. And a savior was born.

Most of us, theologians included, can't conceive in our minds how God could do such a thing. How God could step out of heaven and become one of us, born of a virgin.

The truth is Mary probably couldn't either. She couldn't conceive of it in her mind. But in her heart she could believe it and as a result, she conceived the Son of God.

Rather than fretting about what she didn't understand, she put her life and faith in God's hands and said "Let it be. Let God's will be done. If this is what you want Lord, then I'm up for it."

And because of Mary's "Yes" to God, because she responded by saying, "Let it be!" God became one of us and came for us.

B. In the Philippines, in Manila, tens of thousands of people make their homes on the city garbage dump. They live in shanties constructed of things others have thrown away. They scavenge the garbage for their food. Many of them are born, live, and die without ever leaving this massive garbage dump.

In their midst live some Americans who left their homeland to be missionaries to the poorest people in Manila. They left the comfort and security of their homes and became part of the garbage dump people in order to proclaim the love of Jesus Christ to people who would never hear it otherwise. (2)

That's what Jesus did for us. It's called the Incarnation. I don't understand it completely. Every time I hear it, I want to ask THE QUESTION: "How can this be?" I have trouble conceiving it but like Mary, I don't have any trouble believing it and giving THE RESPONSE Mary gave as my response: "Let it be." Why? Because, like Mary, I know THE REASON.

III. THIRD, LET'S LOOK AT THE REASON:

A. I know THE REASON He came for us. He came to set us free. He came to teach us how to live. He came to give us hope. He came to offer forgiveness. He came to heal. He came to remind us we don't have to go through this life alone. He came so that we could be reconnected to the very source and power of life, God.

He came to give His life for us, so that we would know the Grace and forgiveness of God. So we could start over and start clean. He came to defeat death and to show us that there was life after death for those who believe. And he proved it by tearing open the very grave they buried Him in and coming back.

B. I know THE REASON he came for us. He came for us, so He could come back for us.

I have a good friend, John Aymond. He's the pastor at Western Hills United Methodist Church in west Fort Worth. John is a retired Marine Colonel. He did two tours of duty in Viet Nam. He doesn't talk about it much. But there is one story that he tells over and over.

He was the company commander out on a routine patrol at night. It was one of those nights that was darker than dark. It was so pitch black that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The patrol had finished their reconnaissance and was headed back. One of the things they drilled into soldiers was to always know where the rest of your platoon or patrol was at all times.

John was bringing up the rear. All of a sudden, John realized that he didn't know where the man in front of him was. He stopped and couldn't hear a thing. He said his heart just froze in his chest. He sat for five minutes trying to hear any sound that might be his platoon. But there was nothing but night noises and the dark.

And that's when he said he became frightened. No, the words he used were absolutely terrified. Here he was in hostile territory, cut off from his platoon and alone in the pitch black dark. And to make matters worse, all of a sudden he heard a rustling in the brush. And it wasn't coming from the direction he thought the platoon had gone.

He knew it was the enemy. As his terror mounted, waiting for the inevitable confrontation. Then, unexpectedly, he heard a familiar voice call his name. And relief flooded his soul. He wasn't alone. The soldier in front of him, noticed he was missing and came back.

It wasn't until years later that incident really impacted him. But in the middle of that night mission, John came to understand what God's love through Jesus Christ is really like. Jesus didn't just die on the cross for us. He Came Back for us. He Came Back to rescue us and bring us home.

THAT'S THE REASON.

CONCLUSION:

Jesus Came For Us.

He Died for Us.

And He Came Back For Us.

That might cause you to ask THE QUESTION, "How can this be?"

The answer will definitely cause you to respond. But will it be THE RESPONSE, "Let it be?"

If it does, then you already know THE REASON because you know Him. If you haven't ever met Him, I hope you got a glimpse of Him today. Because He gave his life for you.

And He wants to help you live the good life. A life that is pleasing and gives glory to God.

Remember what the Angel told Mary: "Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God."

How can this be? Just remember what John 3:16-17 says:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

God sent His Son, Jesus for you. That means "you have found favor with God."

1. "Hospital Tells Elderly Men They're Pregnant," Reuters, London, (Jan. 10).

2. (Leith Anderson, A Gods Eye View of Christmas)

3.

4.

www.SermonWriter.com (Copyright, Richard Niell Donovan, 2000)

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www.deaconsil.com

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The Clergy Journal, (Logos Productions, Inc., Inver Grove Heights, MN)

Preaching Magazine (Preaching Resources, Jackson, TN)

Circuit Rider, (The United Methodist Publishing House, Nashville, TN)

The Interpreter's Bible, (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1953)

The New Interpreter's Bible, (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1995)

Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Cycle A, (CSS Publishing, Lima, OH, 2002) SermonPrep Version.

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Preaching the Parables, Cycle A, (CSS Publishing, Lima, OH, 1997) SermonPrep Version.