Dec 10 2017 Advent 2 - Jesus Came to Remove Our Shame

Today we are going to look at 2 pregnancies – how they contrast and compare:

Luke tells it in the greatest detail:

Luke 1: 5 During the reign of Herod king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division, and he had a wife named Elizabeth, who was a descendant of Aaron. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. 7 But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both very old.

If we look at verse 6 – they were VERY RIGHTEOUS – BLAMELESS – an unbelievable couple! And in their worldview – this sense of blamelessness would always be equated with the experience of God’s blessing – Righteousness and physical blessedness went hand in hand – that was their worldview, but in reality, it was not always that way. In their perspective, being barren was a curse. It is always a difficult thing – we all know folks who have struggled with the pain and heartache of this – but in their world, there was also judgment.

Luke is making it clear that this barrenness is not a judgment. He is saying this is a good couple.

But in our world, it is just a reality that some people will not be able to have kids and it has nothing to do with how righteous someone is. There is help for it with science, but even with all the science we have, for some it is still impossible.

We see, in the Bible, those who walked with God and experienced blessing and those who experience struggle.

Being a Christian does not guarantee no suffering. It can feel random. Why me and not this other person? Why does it seem so easy for this person and not another?

And usually, the answer is there is no explanation that will satisfy us.

If there is something we are missing – and wonder why it doesn’t happen for us – with guilt – and questioning – it would ruin us.

Sometimes it is just reality.

8 Now while Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the holy place of the Lord and burn incense. An angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared to him.

This would happen for a priest basically once in a lifetime. The priest would long for this opportunity. Here is Zechariah’s big moment! Serving his country and his faith. And all of a sudden, he is thrown this curveball! Where did THAT come from? And there is an ANGEL there! It probably startled him

12 And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, was seized with fear.

It is not just a person, but an angel! Do not be afraid! They almost always say that – why? Because it is a fearful sight!

13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you will name him John. 14 Joy and gladness will come to you, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.

They have probably been praying for this for decades – beyond any opportunity of bearing children – and NOW the angel continues - 14 Joy and gladness will come to you, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.

This will be for the benefit of not just ourselves – but for others. But we need to realize – whatever blessing we receive – is to bless others.

Psalm 67 – God blesses us so that we might bless others – that is my paraphrase. We tend to think of blessing – now I have what I want!

Our grandson went to sit on Santa’s lap – and they told him to tell Santa everything – and he did! And then he told Santa everything for his brother too – and I think we think that is how God blesses us – which might be okay if you are four – but God wants us to bless others – not just hold on to it. Too often, we don’t experience blessing because we are just clinging to it and unable to let it go.

15 He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go as forerunner before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him."

This baby – John the Baptist – has a very specific role – a preparation ministry. He will not be the Main Event. He’ll be the warm-up band. Zechariah and Elizabeth are a bridge – between the old and the new

18 Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well." 19 The angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, (That would have been hard words to hear! And I’m sure he said it with authority!) And I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will be silent, unable to speak, until the day these things take place."

Zechariah was a righteous man – following all the commands righteously and blamelessly – and when God comes through in the biggest way possible – he has a crisis of faith and doubts – and I think that is there to say – Me too. The best will have crisis times in their faith. The very best of God’s people – this will happen to.

As we think about this – this is an answer to a decades-long prayer – but I wonder if it had become routine – and no longer any real sense that this could happen.

What I think is amazing – despite his unbelief, God still does it. He doesn’t need our faith. He can work in and through and with us even when we doubt. I ask this – not to make you feel guilty – what are you praying for – for a long time – that maybe you have lost faith that it could happen. Maybe something you have always prayed but lost the vision for it. God can still work.

There are many stories of those who prayed for something their whole lives and it doesn’t come to pass until after they have died.

Would it be okay if you never saw the answer to prayer but it still came to pass? It would be okay.

23 When his time of service was over, he went to his home. 24 After some time his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. She said, 25 "This is what the Lord has done for me at the time when he has been gracious to me, to take away my disgrace among people."

This is the verse – we are told by the narrator about Elizabeth – but we don’t hear from her until she is five months pregnant. Zechariah was unable to speak. We don’t know if he wrote it out for her. We know nothing. All we know – is – five months pregnant – This is what the Lord has done for me. She is one who receives God’s grace. That is all she has done. Yes, she is righteous and blameless – but all she does is receive it – she has done nothing to earn it. But she is a great example of our response to God’s blessings – they come only by God’s grace – not by anything we can do.

We all have shame – some we bring ourselves and some others have laid upon us – and disgrace – and God, in His grace, wants to remove all of that. Before God there is no shame for us. There is no disgrace. Shame almost never has a positive effect.

There is a conviction that we might experience that can lead us in a positive direction – but shame and disgrace do not do that – and so often, people try to use shame and disgrace to motivate people and it never works.

God removes her shame.

Mary and Elizabeth are very different in their experience of God – they play enormously different roles.

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, the angel Gabriel (same angel – he must be the baby announcing angel!) was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!" 29 But she was greatly troubled by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. 30 So the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God!

Here is the contrast. When he went to Zechariah – he went to an older couple who could not have children. But with Mary – the word virgin means that she is a very young woman – yes, it explains that she has not had relations with a man yet – but the first context is that of being a young woman.

The other interesting thing – her response to the angel.

She was greatly troubled by his words – and wondered about the meaning of his greeting. So then he says – do not be afraid – probably because that’s what he always says! But her response is different. Favored one – Graced one. You have found GRACE/FAVOR with God. I think Mary did not feel she was favored. In her context – she, like Elizabeth and Zechariah, did not appear to be those blessed by God. They did not have the observable physical circumstances where people would say – wow – that person is blessed by God! She was poor – she was lowly – she lacked the physical blessings. And for Mary – this was all God’s grace – and later, when she gives her song – her Magnificat – her view of herself is of great humility. It comes out – I’ll let you read that on your own – but it shows – only through humility do we receive God’s grace. It only comes to the humble. You cannot work at humility. It is simply the acknowledgment and recognition that we totally need God in everything. That we are totally dependent on Him in every way.

Righteousness – Mary and Elizabeth were both righteous folks. Righteousness without humility is a very ugly thing. You can’t really be righteous without humility – but there are many who live ‘right’ – as if they are always right – and lack humility – and that is the ugliest of the ugly. God blesses those who are humble. He is opposed to the proud. He comes up in full battle array against the proud.

31 Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to 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 him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end."

And just like with Zechariah and Elizabeth– He will be a blessing to you – and a blessing to the world. And later – it says he will be a pain to you – as a sword will pierce your soul – but He will be a blessing to you and to the world.

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

This is totally different from Zechariah’s response. HOW is this going to happen – since I have not had a relationship with a man? – not that she doesn’t believe it will happen.

35 The angel replied, "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 the Son of God.

Elizabeth’s story happens a few times in the Old Testament. Mary’s story? No examples. Nothing comes even close.

36 "And look, your relative Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age– although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month! 37 For nothing will be impossible with God."

Both situations are the same, in that only God could do it. And there are so many circumstances in our lives where we say – only God can do it. We would much rather there be another way. I would. It is so much easier when I can make it happen. But God brings us to the point where we can’t – because we have tried for decades and decades.

38 So Mary said, "Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

What we see in Mary’s faith – I love this – she was not the positive personality kind of faith – getting up there and saying – Let’s do this with the power of God! But rather – she simply said – Yes. I am the servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.

Such a simple, humble faith.

Faith is saying yes to God.

Both of these women were honored and blessed and favored – yet there are some unique contrasts.

Zechariah and Elizabeth had their prayer for decades answered. They are finally blessed with a child. They fit into the Old Testament pattern of women being able to have a child beyond the point where they should be able.

With Mary – the angel never even mentions her name. Favored One. That is all he calls her. She is the graced and favored one. It is all God’s initiative. She was not praying for a child – especially in this way.

I think Mary is a picture of how we are saved in Christ. I would say she is the first to be saved by Christ. God is the initiator, we are favored by grace – and we simply receive it. I remember when He did it in my life. He said – Graced one – and I received it. God will do that for us. We must simply receive that grace. Let’s pray...