Message preached at Mount View Presbyterian Church on December 22, 2024, fourth Sunday in Advent.
Welcome to the fourth Sunday in Advent. May the Lord be with you. [And also with you.] As we mentioned in the Advent Candle ceremony, we’ve already explored the other three themes of this holy season: Hope in the salvation we have in Jesus and his return to bring us to his eternal home; the Peace that comes from living a life united with the Savior; and the Joy of the fellowship we have with one another.
Today, we look at the final theme of Advent, Love. God’s love is the foundation that supports and sustains our Hope, our Peace, and our Joy. God’s love also enables us to love one another, and this love binds us together as a congregation and allows us to be a powerful witness in the community, the city, and the world.
It is God’s love, then, that makes us a family, children of God and brothers and sisters in Christ and members of the body of Christ. It should not surprise us then that God chooses to keep the revelation of his son within one extended family as well. We looked at John the Baptist a couple weeks ago, whose mother, Elizabeth, was Mary’s “relative.” John’s conception was a bit of a mystery as well. When another older couple in the Bible, Abraham and Sarah, had a baby, we’re told that Abraham “had relations” with Sarah and she conceived. In Luke’s gospel, we’re never told that Zechariah had relations with Elizabeth. Was John’s conception a miracle as well? It wouldn’t have been “immaculate” like Jesus’s was, as Elizabeth certainly wasn’t a virgin at her age. But she had been barren. Makes you go “Hmmm.” I’ll save the rest of my speculation for a blog article.
We don’t know exactly what the relationship was between Mary and Elizabeth. Given the age difference, one might suspect Elizabeth was her aunt. Regardless, the end result was that Jesus and John the Baptist likely grew up together, so John was a first-hand witness to Jesus’s early life and could vouch for Jesus’s character and perhaps even his divine nature.
In our Gospel passage today, we read about Mary going to see Elizabeth when they both are pregnant. Elizabeth was already six months along (Luke 1:26, 36). We see that even in the womb, John the would-be Baptist understood that Mary was pregnant with the Son of God. Elizabeth knew as well, as she called Mary “the mother of my Lord.” On the one hand, our rational minds might say John could not possibly have any memory of that encounter. But on the other hand, we might also say that John had an innate. Elijah-esque spiritual insight into who Jesus was.
It would seem that Mary had gone to help Elizabeth with her pregnancy. We know Elizabeth was six months along, and at the end of our passage this morning, we find out Mary stayed with her for about three months. It doesn’t take too much speculation to assume Mary was there for the birth of John. If John leapt in Elizabeth’s womb when pregnant Mary arrived, can you imagine what it must have been like while they were that close to each other for three months? How anxious was he to be born? Did Mary get a chance to hold John close to her pregnant belly so he could hear the early stages of Jesus’s beating heart in her womb?
I know a lot of $20 theological words, but I can’t think of any that might describe an innate spiritual connection of two sons of different mothers still in the womb. It would have been very interesting to see John and Jesus together as children. They would have had a connection stronger than twins!
The family connection and family dynamic between Jesus and John is made quite obvious in the early chapters of the Gospels. It’s almost certain that Elizabeth would have told John the story of how he leapt in her womb upon “meeting” Jesus for the first time. Mary probably didn’t have to tell Jesus whose son he really was. Jesus seems to have already figured that out by the age of 12, as he gets separated from his earthly parents. I have to wonder if John in the entourage that had traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover when Jesus found himself talking with the teachers of the law at the steps of the temple.
Jesus knew the temple was his Father’s house. Which meant it was also his “inheritance.” His to honor. His to defend the integrity of. His to ensure the freedom of entry and access to all peoples. Of course, we find out in Acts after his resurrection that his followers would no longer be restricted to the temple to worship. His followers themselves would be the temple of God. All the more reason for Jesus to love the church and pay the ultimate price for its salvation and longevity.
Before I dive into discussing Mary’s Magnificat, I want to remind you of another miraculous birth story of sorts; miraculous because it was the answer to one woman’s earnest prayers for a child. Her name was Hannah, and we read about her in the beginning of a book that bears her son’s name, 1 Samuel. She wanted a son so badly that she pledged her firstborn to be dedicated to the Lord’s service for life. After Samuel was born and weaned, she turned him over to the care and training of Eli, the father of two of the priests at Shiloh. Samuel would grow up a Nazarite, like Samson, but he would remain faithful to the end. He oversaw the transition of Israel from a theocracy to a monarchy and was responsible for appointing and anointing David as King of Israel after the people’s choice, Saul, failed miserably.
Samuel’s complete story is also for another time. The reason I mention this story is that, along with Hannah offering up her son to Eli’s care, she also offers up a prayer of thanksgiving that is most likely the model for Mary’s Magnificat. Here’s what she says in 1 Samuel 2:1–10 and see if you hear the parallels to Mary’s song and to a certain extent, Zechariah’s song at the end of Luke 1:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.
2 “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
For the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.
4 “The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.
6 “The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7 The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
He seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.
“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world.
9 He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.
“It is not by strength that one prevails; 10 those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
It’s pretty easy to see the parallels between the two texts. They speak of personal and political victories over enemies; relief for the poor and oppressed, and the Lord’s sovereignty and power in the heavens and on earth.
Getting back to the Mary and Elizabeth story again, we can see there is something mighty that happens when a family follows the Lord and supports each other in prayer and service. Although these events we’re reading about seem to have a little more historical significance than anything you or I may have done or ever do, we should not let that discourage us from rejoicing with family and praising God for the birth of our precious children. It is nearly impossible to trace the influence and the domino effect of what we do and how that may impact the future. You only have to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” to see a fictional portrayal of how one man influenced his small home town for the good of all.
We can of course always pray for our families and especially our children, that they might know the blessings of the Lord and the rewards and support of connecting with a faith community. We can pray for our young children that they would be protected from the negative and unhealthy influences that increasingly show up in ads and content on social media apps and sites and even in some kids’ television shows and educational materials. We can pray for opportunities to show mercy and compassion to those who need help and support in times of great need. We can and have been praying for loved ones facing serious illness or end-of-life issues and be there for them with emotional, material, and prayerful support. I can speak from personal experience that in this time when I’ve been praying for my sister Lindee that I have sensed the presence of the Lord more deeply and that my faith has been strengthened even more.
As the body of Christ here at Mount View, our own church family, you have done great things to the extent of your ability, providing help and comfort with gifts and offerings of quilts, food, and clothing items dedicated to those in need. God has truly blessed this congregation as you continue to reach out and draw closer to him and to each other through your ministry.
For those here who haven’t been to church in a while, I would like to encourage you to consider finding a congregation that is a good fit for you and your family situation. Of course, we’d love to have you here every Sunday. But if you don’t live around here or you’re looking for a different style of worship, churches are like each of us: unique in their makeup, their ministry, and their demographic. I can guarantee you that if you look with an open heart and mind, you will find a congregation that’s a good fit for you. But also remember that the church is made up of imperfect people, so no church is perfect. But they might be a little more perfect if you get involved. Think about that for a minute, hmm?
Jesus was born to show us the way back to God. Those of us here believe the church, whether it be Mount View or somewhere else, is the way to find and remain connected to God and Christ-followers. I pray that all of you will have a blessed Christmas season and that in some way, big or small, you will experience the hope, peace, joy, and love of Christ and his family of believers. Amen.
My opinions are my own.
Scott Stocking
Sunday Morning Greek Blog 