Advent, which means coming, is a
traditional observance among more liturgical Christian bodies. It is spread
over several weeks leading up to Christmas; each Sunday of Advent offers us a
look into the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Advent actually begins a segment of
the liturgical calendar which extends into January with the Epiphany . Advent may be described as a "progressive retrogression", that is it begins in the future and moves into the past.
Advent: Fourth Sunday 12/22/2013 :His Purpose In Us
Dear Reader Please Scroll Down to Read
the First Installment(s) in the Advent Series
Advent: Fourth Sunday 12/22/2013 :His Purpose In Us
The angel Gabriel came to young Mary there in Nazareth and gave to her the message that she would be the one who would bare the long anticipated Messiah.
That promise that resound down through the ages; for the confines of Eden ,that the, awaited One was now come.
This anticipation would culminate in an unlikely time and place.
Anticipation that God would save His people.They had sought it and longed for it now it was come. God would come Himself to each and all.
"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS" Luke:1:26-30
Mary, with the conception of Jesus, now became , what is called by some theologians, the "Theotokos", which means the God-bearer. Mary would be in many ways what we all should be. All of us should bear the life of our Lord within us, to the world around us, to be pregnant with the purpose of God.
Mary yeilded her life to will of God seeing the magnitude of God's purposes revealed to her through Gabriel. Mary yieldness brought honor to our Lord.
When a woman is pregnant it is almost always obvious to those around her, there is a radiance which shows from within. The life with in, has an outward impact ; but the life within Mary was that of the very Son of God.
Jesus was impacting those around Him even before He came forth out of the womb. We can see this very truth as Mary visits her older kinswoman Elizabeth in the Hill Country of Judea. Jesus in the life of Mary was bring joy to Elizabeth and even the unborn John.
"And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And what is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, see, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy."(39-44)
Jesus, in the life of Mary, was bringing joy to Elizabeth and her own unborn son John. This tell us that when we are pregnant with the purpose of our Lord in our own lives, His life with in us can have impact, not just to those immediately around us but to future generations yet unborn.
"And Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord,
That promise that resound down through the ages; for the confines of Eden ,that the, awaited One was now come.
This anticipation would culminate in an unlikely time and place.
Anticipation that God would save His people.They had sought it and longed for it now it was come. God would come Himself to each and all.
"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS" Luke:1:26-30
Mary, with the conception of Jesus, now became , what is called by some theologians, the "Theotokos", which means the God-bearer. Mary would be in many ways what we all should be. All of us should bear the life of our Lord within us, to the world around us, to be pregnant with the purpose of God.
The Magnificat
"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word."(38)
Jesus was impacting those around Him even before He came forth out of the womb. We can see this very truth as Mary visits her older kinswoman Elizabeth in the Hill Country of Judea. Jesus in the life of Mary was bring joy to Elizabeth and even the unborn John.
"And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spoke out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And what is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, see, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy."(39-44)
Jesus, in the life of Mary, was bringing joy to Elizabeth and her own unborn son John. This tell us that when we are pregnant with the purpose of our Lord in our own lives, His life with in us can have impact, not just to those immediately around us but to future generations yet unborn.
Mary then sings the Hymn , the Magnificat, that has echoed through the ages acknowledging the Glory and Great Mercy that the Lord was showing to Israel and all peoples. It was spontaneous yet inspired Hymn similar in fashion to those found in the Old Testament such as the Song of Victory sung by the woman of Israel after the crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus , and Hannah's song of praise in 1 Samuel. This hymn is some times called Mary's Song or Canticle of Mary. It is best known as the
Mangnificat:
"And Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from now on all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty has done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He has showed strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever." (47-55)
Trusting God's Purpose
"and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them." Luke:2:7
"And this shall be a sign to you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."(12)
Again, this is a sign to us that when we look into the manger of Bethlehem we will see the cross of Calvary.We can not separate the two they are forever joined in Jesus.
Uses Us
These words reflect the assurance that God's will would be accomplished in Mary's life and the life of the people to whom the Messiah was coming, that is to all of us.
The fulfillment would not be without suffering. The delivering of Jesus in an out of the way place, in less than ideal conditions, may have seemed to be a contradiction of the promised glory of the Messiah. There is no indication that Mary's labor was any different from others babies birth, there was tiring pain and blood.
The fulfillment would not be without suffering. The delivering of Jesus in an out of the way place, in less than ideal conditions, may have seemed to be a contradiction of the promised glory of the Messiah. There is no indication that Mary's labor was any different from others babies birth, there was tiring pain and blood.
At Jesus' entrance into human history there was little attention paid by the masses and the full impact of what had occurred, and what was begun at His conception by the Holy Spirit , in the town of Nazareth, would not seen for years to come and beyond.
That the true measure of which was seen at the cross, and then the empty tomb of Resurrection into the glory of the Messiah that came forth in that lowly state there in Bethlehem.
That the true measure of which was seen at the cross, and then the empty tomb of Resurrection into the glory of the Messiah that came forth in that lowly state there in Bethlehem.
God has visited His people He has assumed, and now shares our humanity so we might share his eternity .
" and the Word became flesh" John:1:14
Even there at birth we see the death of the cross which awaited Him, symbolized in the wrapping of the child in strips of swaddling clothes. This is sign to us that when we look into the manger of Bethlehem we will see the cross of Calvary, Jesus being wrapped in the manger as He would be in the Tomb.
"and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them." Luke:2:7
"And this shall be a sign to you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."(12)
" Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
and placed it in his own new
tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of
the entrance to the tomb and went away." Matthew:27:59-60
Again, this is a sign to us that when we look into the manger of Bethlehem we will see the cross of Calvary.We can not separate the two they are forever joined in Jesus.
Uses Us
Our Lord used the life of one of us, that is Mary, to become one of us. And even now Jesus is still one of us, yet , His Deity is undiminished. It is now, that at the Resurrection that He is glorified.
"when he comes into the world, he said, Sacrifice and offering you would not, but a body have you prepared me:" Hebrews:10:5
It is this human body that stands glorified, even now in the heights of Heaven, this glorified humanity is what we ourselves will share with Him. That His birth and death has made possible the way for us to have eternal life and to stand with Him in eternity.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we
shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is." 1John:3:2
Jesus became like us in birth and death so that we might become like Him in resurrection and life.
An Ordinary Person
Mary was no different than we, she was an ordinary girl , who yield herself and was used by the Great God to bring forth Salvation to all who will be freely receive it. We ,like Mary, if we but yield ourselves to call of God upon our lives, can be used by God to effect the lives of those around us for generations to come and beyond into eternity.
This what the Lord can do in each of lives, all for His glory and the Salvation of many around us. this is but one of the many meanings to the Advent Season when we are pregnant with the purpose of God .Amen
Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor
The
Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.
2101 Old National Pike.
Washington,
Pennsylvania.
www.gcfountainoflife.org
The
Fountain of Life is heard on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in
Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM in the Arden Fair Grounds area
of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela,
Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
No comments:
Post a Comment