"Rejoice!" based on
Luke 1:26-38
4th Sunday in Advent - B,
Pastor Troy Slater, Our
The portion of this sermon
that consists of the first-person "speaking" from the angel Gabriel was
modified from a sermon by Rev. William Weedon of St.
Paul Lutheran Church of Hamel, IL which appeared in the
Can you imagine what it must have
been like for Mary that day when the angel Gabriel came to her nine months
before the very first Christmas? Fear
apparently was her initial reaction fear at the sight of Gabriel. But beyond that no doubt there was amazement
at the message the angel brought; humility at being chosen for so great a task,
to be the God-bearer; wonder at how God would bring this miracle about beings
she was yet a virgin. Of course all the
thoughts and feelings she must have felt are really beyond even our
imaginations as a message of great wonder and joy was brought to her that day.
But I would like to focus on some of
the thoughts and feelings that must have occurred that day. But not the thoughts and
feelings of Mary, rather the thoughts and feelings of another character from the
scene that day the messenger of the message the angel Gabriel. Lets look at this scene that we have before
us in our Gospel text from the vantage point of Gabriel, the angel. After all, the angels certainly saw all that
God was doing in regards to His fallen human race. They saw the war in heaven when many of their
fellow angels, led by Lucifer, rebelled against their Creator and were then
cast upon the earth. They saw how some
of Gods other creatures the man and the woman - were led into sin by Lucifer
and in turn infected all of God's "very good" creation with the
curse. They saw it. The angels see it as mankind continues
to rebel against our Creator.
And so no doubt it has been with
total amazement that they have watched the Lord God deal with a fallen mankind
with mercy and with grace. They watched
with amazement as the Lord God promised a Savior, directed all of history
toward the bringing of that Savior, and then, incredibly, magnificently,
climactically even became that Savior. In
1 Peter it says regarding the Gospel of Jesus, even angels long to look into these things. Yes it must have been with amazement that the
angels watched Gods plan of salvation for a fallen human race unfold. It must have been a true privilege and honor
for Gabriel to come to one of these fallen creatures - a young maiden named
Mary - and announce to her that she was about to conceive in her womb the
Savior the Christ child - God Himself.
And so it is that I would like to
focus a bit on the angel Gabriel or at least look at the miracle of the
incarnation from his perspective on that day nine moths before the very first
Christmas. And we are going to do this
in first person that is, I will speak as if I am standing in his shoes - or
wearing his wings I guess we should say - first speaking to us, and then
speaking to Mary. So listen now to the
angel Gabriel.
I must say that I stand here amazed
before the Maiden even as she looks in amazement at me. But my amazement is greater than hers. That's right my amazement is greater than
hers. For you see she is amazed at my
appearing to her, but I, I am amazed at the good tidings of great joy that I
bring to her. For she
shall be a mother - she shall conceive in her womb though she is a virgin. But it is who her Son will be that fills me
with the greatest awe. For this child
that shall be born her, truly will be hers. A human being exactly as she is a human
being. A flesh and blood creature who grows from childhood to adulthood. A creature who eats and sleeps and breathes
and all else that comes with being human.
"But that's not it - that's not
all that He'll be - and this is why I stare in awe at her. For the little Child that she shall soon bear
- the helpless infant who will nurse at her breast, is
none other than the Son of the Highest, God the Son, the eternal Word of the
Father through whom I was made, through whom she was made, through whom all
things are made. She shall be mother of
the Eternal One who was even before the stars began their shining or the
planets began their dancing. She shall
be the mother of Him whom it is our delight to serve and to worship and to
praise, forever and ever. She shall be
the God-bearer. The God-bearer she shall
be.
"The Child she bears will reign
over David's house forever. The promise
of the Kingdom that has no end is fulfilled in Him.
O Mary, blessed young
woman do you know what that means? He
will reign through endless days and those over whom He reigns
will live in endless life. The one whom
you shall carry in your womb will be the one through whom death itself will be
destroyed. Through His deeds the sin
that separates the human race from the all-holy Father will be covered, atoned,
pardoned. Do you know how He will do it,
O lady? No, I can see that you don't
know. And that is best for now. For the day will come soon enough when you
will stand on a darkened hill called
"And do not worry yourself over
how this promise I bring to you today will be fulfilled. God knows that you are a virgin but His Holy
Spirit will overshadow you and fill you and change you and inside of you life
Himself will begin to grow. So the Holy
One born of you will indeed be my Master, my Lord, my
God - your God. For
indeed, it is impossible for any word of God to fail. His promises are more certain than heaven and
earth. He has said it and so it will be
for nothing - that's right nothing - is
impossible with God. And so rejoice, O
Mary! Rejoice and be glad for it shall
be so.
"O Mary, humbly do you bow your
head. Humbly do I hear you utter those
words, 'I am the Lord's servant.' Humbly
do I hear you say, 'May it be to me as you have
said.' And so the moment has come and
the great time of God's keeping all His promises has begun. Begun in you, O Mary, begun
in your womb which He shall make His holy temple and His home for the next nine
months. In that home His tiny
infant heart will beat beneath your own.
In that home His flesh shall form - until a night in
"Yes Mary it is with amazement
that I look at you, even as you look in amazement at me. For God is coming to save His people from their
sins. God HIMSELF is coming. So rejoice!
Yes, rejoice."
"Then the angel left her."
Here in just a few evenings we will
gather here and marvel at the miracle of God himself coming into the flesh to
be our Savior. We'll gather at the
manger and behold the Christ child - the one born of a lowly, humble girl named
Mary. A miracle of God's grace to be
sure - a miracle so amazing that even the angels can't
help but to be in awe. Yes even the
angels can't help but to be in awe.
Amen.
And may the peace of God which
surpasses all human understanding - and dare we say - even all angelic
understanding - guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.