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Have Yourself a Merry Little Chalcedon Christmas

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Introduction

King Ahaz was enough of a good guy to at least have the prophet Isaiah tryingto encourage him. Ahaz had refused to join in with an anti-Assyrian alliance, and Syria (also called Aram) and Ephraim (also called Israel) attacked Judah for not joining with them. They failed in that attack, but succeeded gloriously in rattling Ahaz badly. Isaiah invites Ahaz to ask for a sign from God, but Ahaz (rebelliously) declines to do so. And so Isaiah offers the sign—a sign with two layers.

The Text

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Summary of the Text

We are not told this explicitly, but the first Immanuel might well be a son to Isaiah. In this section of the book, the prophet has had two other sons with names full of meaning (Is. 7:3; 8:1). And the word for virginhere is interesting. The Hebrew word almahmeans young woman orvirgin, and so the sign for Ahaz was not one of a remarkable birth. The sign was that before a child could be conceived, borne, and grow to a rudimentary knowledge of right and wrong, the kings that he was so worried about would be long gone. But then centuries after this, when the Old Testament was translated into Greek (starting in the 3rdcentury B.C.), the Greek word the rabbis chose to render the word almahwas parthenos. Parthenosmeans virgin, only virgin, and nothing but virgin. So the first Immanuel was born of an almah, and the second Immanuel was born of a parthenos.

“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin [parthenos] shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matt. 1:22–23).

But the real sleeper in this passage in found in that word Immanuel. When you read this verse on a Christmas card, or hear it read at a Christmas program, the effect is profoundly comforting. God with us. But if your experience is anything like that of the early church, at some point you will have to say, “Hey . . . wait a minute.”

From the Very Start

Jesus is the single most arrestingfigure in all of human history. And for His followers in the first century, the authority of His person translated immediately and naturally into responding to Him as God.

This in itself was really unusual, because Jesus was born in the tribe of Judah, in the nation of Israel, a people that had had pagan forms of idolatry painstakingly beatenout of them over the course of multiple centuries. From the incident of the Golden Calf down to the exile into Babylon, the people had repeatedly fallen prey to gross idolatry. But after the exile, the Jews were fanatical about not allowing images in their midst—all their idols were now down in their hearts. In other words, if a manwere to come to be treated as God, this is the last place on earth where you might expect something like that to happen.

“Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Matt. 14:33) “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). “Inthe beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1–3). “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Col. 1:16–17).

So from the very beginning, Christ has been worshiped by Christians as the Creator God (Rom. 1:4). That was the raw material.

The Nicea “Wait a Minute”

But it did raise some questions. And it did provoke some heretics, who denied it all and wanted to be accepted by the Church anyway. All these things took centuries to unfold, but by 325 A.D. it all came to a point. The question came to this: homoousiaand homoiousia—was Christ the samesubstance with God the Father, or of a similarsubstance with Him? This was actually a monumental question. The wiseacre historian who belittled it as a huge ruckus over the letter iotais just showing us how much he knows—that’s like saying the debate over atheism and theism is a debate over the letter a.

Nicea settled the question definitively. Christ isGod. He is not “like” God.

The Chalcedon “Wait a Minute”

It took another century (451 A.D.), but there was another “wait a minute.” If Christ is God, then . . . the question naturally arises . . . is He really manthen? And, if so, what is the relationship between His Deity and His humanity? And those are the questions addressed by the creed we recited this morning.

The Definition of Chalcedon affirmed, in unambiguous terms, that in the “hypostatic union” we find one person, the Lord Jesus, who has two natures that were united without confusing them, mingling them, or mashing them together. That which is predicated of one nature can be faithfully predicated of the person, and that which is predicated of the other nature can be predicated of the person, but that which is predicated of one nature cannot be predicated of the other nature.

So let me make it concrete. Jesus is God. Jesus was 5’11” (say). Can we say that Deity is 5’11”? Jesus is God. Mary is the mother of Jesus. Is Mary the mother of God? No. She was the mother of the one who isGod.

Implications

There are numerous implications, but one writer thinks (correctly, in my view) that this decision at Chalcedon was one of the most pivotal events in all church history. “Chalcedon handed statism its major defeat in man’s history.” In a world of undifferentiated being, the state can swell up to any size it wants. But not anymore.

To use the categories of the theologian Peter Jones, there are two basic approaches to reality—oneismand twoism. In oneism, all things are part of the same great chain of being. In twoism, there is an infinite divide between Creator and creation. There is one (and only one) intersection between the two, and that intersection is our Lord Jesus Christ. But note, even at that intersection, the nature of humanity and divinity must never be muddled. In fact, coming to Christ is the only way to prevent them from being muddled.

Because of what happened in the first Christmas, and because of how it was defined and defended at Chalcedon, it is possible for mankind to be saved and glorifiedwithout being deified. The Incarnation brings us together with God, but with a hard stopbuilt into the system.

The point of union and the point of distinction are forever and always the same, our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Waiting for Christ’s Consolation

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Text: Luke 2:25-35

Advent Waiting

This Sunday begins the season of Advent. Advent is a season of waiting and anticipation for the arrival of Jesus at Christmas. Two traditions that have developed during Advent are writing wish lists and then waiting for those wishes. “What do you want for Christmas?” is often answered by writing a wishlist. But then follows the long wait for those hope for gifts. At Advent, we have an annual opportunity to want and wait. How do we do this? We need to learn how to want and to wait like Simeon. Simeon was a man waiting for the consolation of Israel and was led by the Spirit to Jesus Christ.

Waiting for the Consolation of Israel (2:25-28)

Luke introduces Simeon as a just and devout man, “waiting for the Consolation of Israel.” Consolation means comfort, sympathy, compassion. When Simeon is waiting for Israel’s consolation, we find that Simeon is waiting for a person––the Lord’s Christ. The Spirit has revealed to Simeon that he would not see death until he has seen the Lord’s Christ. Consolation is coming to Israel, because the Christ is coming to Israel. How is he waiting? He is waitingas a just and devout man. He is waitingwith the Holy Spirit upon him. That means that a believer can be filled with the Spirit and still not have all he wants.

Spirit-Filled Simeon

When Simeon waits in the Spirit, the Spirit leads Simeon to the Christ. Verse 27-28, “So Simeon came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God” (vs. 27-28). This may be an odd question, but what right did Simeon have to go to Jesus? What are his credentials to go up to a mother, scoop up a baby, and bless God and the family? Simeon’s credentials are the Holy Spirit! Luke makes it very clear that the Spirit leads Simeon to Jesus.

This is not limited to Simeon but to all believers. Simeon is a picture, a forerunner of the church––all Christians who have the Spirit are lead to the Christ. So, if you have the Spirit, what are you waiting for? The Consolation is here because Jesus the Christ has come.

My Eyes Have Seen Your Salvation (vs. 29-32)

Simeon gathers Jesus in his arms and blesses God, saying, “Lord, now You are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel” (vs. 29-32). Simeon sees Jesus and concludes this is the fulfillment of God’s promise. Jesus is Lord’s Christ. Jesus is God’s salvation.

Simeon says that he can now depart in peace. Having seen the Lord’s Messiah, Simeon can die a happy man, a satisfied man, a fulfilled man. We often use this phrase in jest, “I can die happy now…” The focus of this sentiment is not the desire to die, but the value of the desire fulfilled. Luke shows that Simeon’s desire to see his Savior was so valuable, so glorious that nothing else experienced is his whole life could match this sight.

Jesus is God’s salvation that he has prepared before the face of all peoples and for all people. What do all people need to be saved from? The answer is in Jesus’ name, “You shall come his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Mat. 1:21).

Blessings From a Piercing Sword (vs. 33-35)

Joseph and Mary rightfully marvel at what Simeon says about Jesus. And then Simeon blesses them with a specific word to Mary, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (vs. 34-35). These prophecies are fulfilled in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Remember that Simeon is saying all of this as a blessingto Mary and Joseph. But what he is saying does not seem like a blessing, a comfort, but a deep grief, a soul-piercing sorrow. So how was such a piercing to be a blessing to Mary—to see, as she was to live to see, her Son mocked, stripped naked, body flayed open and brutally crucified? Simeon is revealing how God will comfort his people, bless his people––through the cross. It is the crucifixion of the Christ that brings consolation for the world.

The Thoughts of Many Hearts Revealed (vs. 35)

Advent is a season that reveals the thoughts of many hearts. What did the advent of Jesus reveal in this story? A longing and ache for the consolation of Israel. The soul-piercing sorrow of a mother. The Advent season is not the absence of grief, fear, pain, dread. Rather it is the season of God entering into our grief, fear, pain, dread. That’s why our Advent preparation must not be all jolly and jingle bells. A pierced heart is present, a life-time of longing. Advent is a season of waiting for Christ’s Consolation. But wait like Simeon who was led by the Spirit to Jesus Christ.

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Christmas Eve 2017

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As Christians we confess the reality of the true and living and triune God on two levels. The ultimate level is God-as-He-is-in-Himself, independent of any creation. The infinite God is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit—God the Speaker, God the Spoken, and God the Interpretation. This is simply and solely the way God is without any reference to us or any other created thing. But the only reason we can know anything about this ultimate reality is because of the second level—how God revealed Himself to us through the incarnation of Christ. Our safest theological method is always and everywhere to look to Christ.

Do you want forgiveness and salvation? Look to Christ. Would you know the Father? Look to Christ. Would you obey the Spirit? Look to Christ. Would you grow in wisdom about what it means to be Godlike? Look to Christ.

And of course, looking to Christ entails paying close attention to His Word.

This means we must distinguish the obedience that Christ rendered as the incarnate servant, on the one hand, from the obedience that He rendered when He first came into the world on the other. The first was attended with bloody sweat and agonized prayer (Luke 22:44), not to mention loud cries and tears (Heb. 5:7). The latter was attended with nothing of the kind. Christ’s entry into the world was attended with everlasting joy, supreme happiness, and eternal love. Christ’s obedience here was made up of frictionless joy. There was no agonistic Gethsemane within the Godhead—there could not have been. But there was authority and there was obedience. This is because there was a Father and there was a Son.

How can this be? What basis do we have for distinguishing the two kinds of obedience?

“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8, ESV). This was the obedience of the incarnate servant, the suffering servant, the God/man, our Lord in the flesh, Jesus of Nazareth. This obedience is why He set His face like flint when He turned toward Jerusalem (Is. 50:7). It is an obedience that presupposes the Incarnation already happened.

But when the decision was made to save us, that decision was made before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). Before there was a world for God to love, God loved us within His own eternal and compassionate purposes. Before there was a world to enter, a decision was made within the Godhead that the Second Person of the Godhead would be the one to accomplish that entry. The eternal Word of God was sent into the world.

Now because God is one, His will is one. Some might ask how this can make any sense—how can there be authority and obedience both when there is only one divine will? It seems a reasonable question, but before we attempt to answer it, we might also ask how we can have a Father, Son, and Spirit with only one divine will? These things are revealed to us; we do not know them because we have triumphed over theological ignorance with our astute analogies. When unfruitful debates break out among orthodox theologians, the one thing you can be assured of is this—no one will have taken his shoes off beforehand. But if we are discussing these things on holy ground, we ought to remember that fact, and act as though we have.

Remember we learn by looking to Christ. We admire Him for His courage on the way to Jerusalem. But we are also taught about His total commitment to the authority of the Father before He was from Nazareth. We are told this repeatedly. He obeyed in His flesh when He went to Calvary. But He also obeyed when He came into this world, a world with Calvary in it.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17).

What I say about the Greek in all this applies equally to the passages that follow. The word for sent is apostello, the verb form of the word for apostle. An apostle is a sent one, under the authority of the sender, and carrying the authority of the sender. The word for world is kosmos. Before the Incarnation, Christ was not in the world. This means that the sending had to happen before He entered the world. And the world eis means into. You can’t be sent into a place if you are already there.

The Incarnate One was certainly sent to Jerusalem to complete His mission. But before that, the pre-Incarnate One was sent to assume the form of a servant, so that He would then be in possession of that mission.

We are told this same thing in multiple places.

“Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?” (John 10:36).

“As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world” (John 17:18).

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).

And here is a passage with both senses of sending in view.

“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world” (1 John 4:14).

Scripture speaks of such things naturally, easily, readily. But we know we must be careful because we are finite little things talking about ultimate and infinite things, which is more than a little bit like roly-poly bugs having heated debates about astrophysics. Our best protection is to understand the limitations of anthropomorphic language, couple that with the necessity of scriptural anthropomorphic language, and to use it all merrily.

Speaking of anthropomorphic images of God, C.S. Lewis put it this way:

“I suggest two rules for exegetics: 1) Never take the images literally. 2) When the purport of the images—what they say to our fear and hope and will and affections—seems to conflict with the theological abstractions, trust the purport of the images every time. For our abstract thinking is itself a tissue of analogies: a continual modelling of spiritual reality in legal or chemical or mechanical terms. Are these likely to be more adequate than the sensuous, organic, and personal images of Scripture—light and darkness, river and well, seed and harvest, master and servant, hen and chickens, father and child? The footprints of the Divine are more visible in that rich soil than across rocks or slag-heaps” (Letters to Malcolm, p. 52).

One final comment before we continue our worship. Remember that God is one, and the three infinite persons we adore are not like any three persons that we might pick out of the congregation here. That would be tri-theism, which we abhor. But neither are the three persons gossamer phantoms, or apparitions merely, which would be modalism, which we also abhor.

The Father is God the Speaker (Gen. 1:3), the Son is God the Spoken (John 1:1), and the Spirit is God the Interpreter (1 Cor. 2:10). This means that the authoritative command did not cross over a chasm in order to reach the Son, and which the Son then weighed in His decision to obey. Remember that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1:1). It would be misleading to say that Jesus obeyed God the way an archangel does; the Word did not obey across any distance. If the Father spoke “a command,” then the Word was the command spoken. The Word is the authority of God and He is the obedience of God.

Can we comprehend all this? Certainly not. Are we privileged to imitate it? Absolutely, yes. All day, every day. This is how we submit to one another in the fear of God (Eph. 5:21). We imitate Him, as dearly loved children (Eph. 5:1). And this is how you will be able to celebrate a Christmas that is fully in harmony with the reason for Christmas in the first place.

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What the Lord’s Brothers and Sisters Knew

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Introduction

Jesus had four brothers, and at least two sisters (Mark 6:3; Matt. 13:55-56). The names of His brothers were James, Joses, Judah, and Simon. James was the author of the book of James, and Judah was the author of the book of Jude (Jude 1:1). With Joseph and Mary having that number of children, it would not be hard for their descendants to number in the many millions today. You ought to be nicer to the person you are sitting next to— they might be related to Jesus. But of course, as we will see, the Lord calculates the importance of these things differently.

The Text

“His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret” (Jn. 7:3-10).

Summary of the Text

At this point in the Lord’s ministry, the Lord’s brothers were not persuaded by Him. They were not believers. They were pious Jews, observing the Feast of Booths here, but they did not believe the claims Jesus was making. They taunted Him—if you want to make a name for Yourself with these miracles that You are doing, you need to go to the big city to do them (vv. 3-4). The text then says explicitly that they were talking this way because they did not believe in Him. The reply that Jesus makes to them shows the true nature of the true antithesis. Jesus says that every time is “their time,” but His time has not yet come (v. 6). The world cannot hate them, which means that in some fundamental way, they were still part of the world system (v. 7). Members of His immediate family belonged to “the world.” Jesus, however, testified to the world that its works were evil— in a way that His brothers could not do. He told them to go up to the Feast, which they did (vv. 8-9). Jesus followed later, but went secretly (v. 10).

Sorting Some Things Out

Several of the disciples were named James also. One was a son of Alphaeus (Acts 1:13). Another was a son of Zebedee, brother to John, and he was martyred by Herod (Acts 12:1-2). A third James, James the Lord’s brother, was a leader in the church at Jerusalem, and was called James the Just by Hegesippus, a second century historian. This James is the one who wrote the book of James. His brother Jude, another half brother to the Lord, wrote the book of Jude.

True Relations

All the references we have to the Lord’s siblings prior to the resurrection indicate that they were not impressed with Him. We have the evidence of our text in John 7, of course, and in Mark, when Jesus made His first big “stir,” they showed up at the crowded house in order to take Him in hand. We see this by the response the Lord gave to them.

“There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother” (Mark 3:31-35).

In the third century, blood relatives of the Lord were called desposyni, those belonging to the master. Now something like that would be fun to discover on ancestry.com, but look at how the Lord places it all in perspective. Anyone can be His brother, His sister, or His mother. How? By doing the will of God.

The Impact of the Resurrection

So before the resurrection, to the extent we have information about it, it shows that the Lord’s siblings did not believe in Him. We know that Mary did believe in Him, but there were family dynamics going on. But immediately after the resurrection, everything apparently changed. After the resurrection, we don’t have any record of unbelief in the Lord’s family. James, the Lord’s brother, is reckoned among the apostles (Gal. 1:19), and a pillar in the church (Gal. 2:9). The Lord’s brothers were reckoned among those in ministry (1 Cor. 9:5). The key appears to have been the fact that Jesus made an appearance to James after the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7).

What is Faith?

Scripture tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). Scripture tells us that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). But most of all, we see in Scripture that faith is a gift, a grace, a present (Eph. 2:8-10).

The gift is not automatic. Someone could have grown up right next to Jesus—in the bedroom next to His—and not have faith. Proximity does not create faith. An encounter with the risen Christ does.

We understand the connection between the baby Jesus and the risen Jesus because we have heard the entire story. But some want a sentimental Christmas with the baby Jesus only. If He stays in the crib, He can’t mess around with my life. Genuine faith cannot function in this way.

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What Mary Knew

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Introduction

Last week we considered what Joseph knew, and obviously Mary knew all the same things, and for the same reason. But she had more direct experience with the marvels that came to earth through her. For example, the angelic communication with Joseph came through dreams, but came to her directly.

The Text

“And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28).

Summary of the Text

At the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel was sent to Nazareth in order to deliver a message from God to a virgin named Mary (Luke 1:26). Mary is the English form of her name—to those who knew her at the time, she was Miriam. This is of course the verse from which the famous Hail, Mary prayer is derived, and so we must note a few things about that. The word hail here is simply a respectful greeting by the angel, not a prayer of supplication. He implies the name of Mary without saying it, and notes that she is “greatly blessed,” which the source of the phrase “full of grace.” The distinction is that Gabriel is saying that she is a recipient of grace here, not that she is a reservoir of it for others. And of course, the Latin form of Hail, Mary is Ave, Maria.

Provided we understand these words in their original context, there is nothing wrong with Protestants saying or singing these words—they are in the Bible. To refuse to do so is the display the very kind of superstition we think we are objecting to.

Sorting Some Things Out

Because a cult of Mary grew up in the history of the Church, and certain problematic doctrines came out of that, we have to take a moment to define our terms. As Protestants, we affirm the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. That is to say, we affirm that at the time of Christ’s birth, Mary was still a virgin, never having known a man. This is a distinct doctrine from the perpetual virginity of Mary, which we do not affirm. (This is why we have a comma in our use of the Apostles Creed—“born of a virgin, Mary”). The title the Virgin Mary refers to a permanent status. That is the doctrine that Mary was a virgin throughout the course of her entire life, along with the doctrine that the birth of Jesus was a distinct miracle, not violating Mary’s virginity. Some early Reformers (Luther, Latimer, and Cranmer) held to the doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity, but it was rightly abandoned by Protestants fairly early. As we noted last week, Jesus had at least six siblings, and Matthew tells us that Joseph refrained from having relations with Mary until after the birth of Jesus (Matt. 1:25).

Another phrase we should be familiar with is the immaculate conception. This is commonly (and wrongly) assumed to refer to the conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb, when it is actually referring to the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother— who, according to tradition, was named Anne. The concern was to make Mary sinless by a miracle, in order to be a fit receptacle for the sinless Messiah. As long as we are here, we should mention another common confusion—the Ascension of Jesus should not be confused with the Roman doctrine of the Assumption of Mary.

And then, of course, Americans have complicated things by dragging these terms into discussions of football— the Hail Mary pass, and the famous Immaculate Reception by Franco Harris of the Steelers.

Taking Care of Background Assumptions

When discussions of prayers to the saints (and to Mary) come up, as they do from time to time, many Protestants don’t know how to answer this argument. We ask one another to pray for each other all the time. We do it in this service. Why can’t we ask dead saints to pray for us in the same way that we ask living saints to pray for us? Why do you have to be alive on earth to pray? The answer is that you have to assume functional omniscience on the part of whatever deceased person you are talking do, and this shapes everything else you do. It becomes, of necessity, a prayer, and not a simple request to a fellow saint.

Now it is a shame we have to spend a lot of time removing clutter in order to develop a biblically high view of Mary. But that is why we should be doing it.

What Mary Knew

We do not know this from Scripture, but based on the customs of the time, Mary was probably between 14 and 16 years of age when Jesus was born. As we consider the remarkable faith of this remarkable young woman, we should meditate on the following things that we know Mary knew.

Mary knew her Bible: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour (1 Sam. 2:1; Hab. 3:18; Is. 61:10; Deut. 32:3). For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed (1 Sam. 1:11). For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name (Ps. 71:19; 1 Sam. 2:2). And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation (Ps. 103:17). He hath shewed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts (Ps. 89:13). He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree (1 Sam. 2:8; Job. 5:11). He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away (1 Sam. 2:5; Ps. 107:9). He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy (Is. 41:8-9; Ps. 98:2) as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever (Gen. 15 & 17)” (Luke 1:46-55).

Mary knew her calling: After the angel had announced God’s intention for her, and explained it, and answered a basic question, Mary responded with a spirit of glorious submission (Luke 1:38). She did this, knowing that it would result in a very hard conversation with Joseph—and possibly others. This was not a “no cost” obedience. Mary knew her salvation: She knew that Jesus would have an everlasting throne (Luke 1:32). She knew her child would be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). She knew God was her Savior (Luke 1:47). She knew Jesus was that Savior (Luke 2:11). She knew that He was the salvation of the entire world (Luke 2:32). She knew that a sword would pierce her own soul (Luke 2:35). And she was there when it all happened (John 19:25).

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