Mary’s Story – Saying Yes to God

What this episode covers

Outline with blanks Completed Outline Luke 1 46-56 Scroll to 32:49 for sermon Luke 1:26-56 We’re going to read some Scripture. This is from Luke chapter 1, verses 46 through 50, a very familiar passage. So, words are on the screen and you can follow along as I read. This is Mary’s song, Mary’s Magnificent, as it’s sometimes called, and I’m just going to read a portion of it, and then we’ll look at Luke chapter 1. And Mary said, and my soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. For He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me, holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. Well, this morning we’re going to look at Luke chapter 1 and think about Mary’s story, Mary’s story. I like meeting people, and I like listening to their story. Everybody has a story of their life, and for me, it’s just fascinating to listen to a person’s story. I actually even enjoy, in a weird sense, reading obituaries because if they’re well-written, it tells a person’s story. And one of the things that we realize as we look into Scripture, and this is from Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10, it tells us that God is writing a story in our lives. Ephesians 2:10 says, for we are God’s workmanship. Some translations say handiwork. The New Living Translation says we’re God’s masterpiece created in Christ Jesus to do good works. The word there translated masterpiece or handiwork is really a Greek word poiéma. It really, we could say we’re God’s poem, we’re God’s story, and God wants to write a beautiful story in the canvas of each of our lives. And we’re going to see that in Mary’s case and Mary’s life this morning as we look at Luke chapter 1. One commentator made this statement, if we want to have a merry Christmas, M-E-R-R-Y, we have to understand Mary’s Christmas, M-A-R-Y apostrophe S. And so, this morning we’re going to look at the Christmas story through the lens of Mary from Luke chapter 1. Now let me set the context for you, because as we look at Scripture, remember that at the close of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi, until Matthew chapter 1, Luke chapter 1, there’s 400 silent years. 400 years go by where there’s no prophets, there’s no revelation, and the nation of Israel is what? They’re waiting for their Messiah. That’s a long time to wait. I mean, this next year, 2026, July 4th, we’ll celebrate 275 years as a country, as a nation, United States of America. Imagine waiting 400 years where it seems like God’s not doing anything, like God’s silent until Matthew chapter 1, Luke chapter 1, the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth and the message that in their old age they’re going to have a baby, and then of course is John the Baptist. And so that’s the setting of Luke chapter 1. God now is beginning to move after 400 years of silence, seemingly silence. And the angel Gabriel is being sent, and God’s in motion, working out the arrival of the Messiah, as Galatians 4:4 says, in the fullness of time, at just the right time in human history, God sent forth His Son. I. The facts about Mary So, we’re going to look at our outline this morning and then think of a couple application truths from Luke chapter 1. So, let’s start with the facts about Mary, the facts about Mary. This will be review for most of us, but we need to understand who Mary was. And so, let’s pick it up in Luke chapter 1, verse 26. Dr. Luke, physician Luke, writes, in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. So now he’s giving us the time frame here. Elizabeth is six months along, six months pregnant with John the Baptist. And what happens? God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth. So, God sends Gabriel, His messenger, there’s only two angels that are mentioned by name in the Bible, Michael and Gabriel. So, God sends Gabriel to a city of Galilee named Nazareth. Now here’s fact nu

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.