Word of Salvation – Vol. 14 No.44 – October 1968
Mary's Faith
Sermon by Rev. Prof. J. A. Schep, Th.D. on Luke 1:38
AN ADVENT SERMON
SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 1:26-38
PSALTER HYMNAL: 306; 329:1,4,6; 452:1,2,4; 361; 493
In our text we hear Mary, the mother of our Lord, answer the angel Gabriel who announced to her the birth of the Lord Jesus. It is an answer which reveals to us Mary's faith.
There are two things that strike us in connection with Mary's faith:
Firstly: it was an exceptionally great faith.
Secondly: it was a sacrificial faith.
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."
To understand how exceptionally great a faith speaks in these words, we must for a moment give full attention to what actually happened there in Nazareth.
A young woman, Mary by name, a virgin, is living there. She is a descendant of King David: But all the glory of David's House is gone. The Romans rule over Israel. Mary and Joseph, her husband-to-be, a carpenter, belong to the lower classes of society. When later in the temple they bring the sacrifice of purification, this sacrifice consists of two young pigeons, the sacrifice of the poor.
Then, suddenly, in Mary's quiet room, an angel appears. An angel who greets her with the words: "Hail! O favoured one; the Lord is with you!" Little wonder that Mary is "greatly troubled" at such a saying.
Mighty questions arise in her soul: "I, specially favoured by the Lord?" "And an angel to tell me this? What is all this about?" The angel lets her ponder for a while... but then he reveals the secret to her: This is God's favour upon her: Mary will have a child such as never a mother bore. ‘Jesus’ she must call his name: Redeemer, Saviour. And great He shall be: the Son of the Most High, the Son of God, and the King of Israel on the throne of David. A King who shall reign for ever and ever!
Again, Mary ponders for a while. One thing becomes clear to her: she is to be the mother of the promised Messiah! But, at the same time, a new and great question arises in her heart: "How can this ever be possible? I am not even married. Oh messenger of God, tell me how this can be?" Then Gabriel tells her the whole secret of Jesus birth: "Mary will become a mother in a completely unusual way. No earthly father will be involved. God Himself, God the Holy Spirit, will overshadow her and create new life in her womb; a holy child, God's own Son."
Well, now Mary knows all about it. Does she really? Oh she knows nothing! It's all one great mystery, one humanly incredible and impossible miracle.
The Lord knows how difficult it is for Mary. Therefore a last encouraging word from the angel: Let Mary visit her old kinswoman Elisabeth, and she will see a miracle: that old woman is going to have a child! Visible evidence of the fact that nothing is impossible to God.
Then the angel waits for Mary's reply.
What will the answer be?
New questions?
All possible objections?
No, this is Mary's answer: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."
Is it not clear now that here we are confronted with an exceptionally great faith? Mary believes and accepts one of the most mysterious miracles that ever happened on earth. She believes and accepts it with the simple faith that nothing is impossible to God, and that God's promise will not fail.
Centuries before, the Lord gave a promise to Sarah, Abraham's wife, Mary's first mother. Sarah was to have a son in her old age.
A miracle, but not so great as the miracle Mary had to believe. And Sarah laughed, the laugh of unbelief: "impossible!" Mary does not laugh in unbelief; she believes - she believes more than Sarah had to believe.
Half a year earlier, the same angel Gabriel had told Zachariah that he should have a son in his old age. Zacharias - a priest, grown grey in the Lord's service. He could not believe unless first he received a sign. Mary does not ask for a sign. God's Word alone is sufficient for her. If ever there was a true daughter of believing Abraham, then it was Mary.
When Abraham was required to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah, he had so great a faith in God's promise that through Isaac he should have a great offspring, that he reasoned: "After I have sacrificed my son, God will raise him up from the dead. For the promise of my God is trustworthy, and nothing is impossible for Him."
O yes, such is Mary's faith when she says: "Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your Word."
* * * * *
Roman Catholics (and, alas, so-called ecumenically-minded Protestants are more and more following suit), glorify Mary for this reason. They say that Mary gave God the "go-ahead sign" and so made it possible for God to give us Christ through a virgin.
We reject this idea with all our heart. It means boasting in man instead of glorying in the Lord. Mary's faith, like all true faith, was God's gracious gift.
By His Holy Spirit, the Lord prepared not only Mary's body, but also her soul to receive the holy Child.
Here all glory be to the Lord, who worked this exceptionally great faith in Mary's heart. And let us not forget that, by doing so, the Lord was aiming at our salvation. The Lord Jesus was very God, but also very man. As a human child, He had to be instructed in the Word of God by His earthly mother. Only so could He grow in wisdom, as the Gospels say He did. Only so could He become a Saviour as we need him.
That's why Mary must have an exceptionally great faith. That's why the Lord gave her such an exceptionally great faith. He did it for our salvation.
Let us praise His holy Name!
* * * * *
And let us pray the Lord that He may grant to us also a truly great faith in His promises and in His power.
Mary had only the Old Testament. We have the full Word of God, at the centre of which stands the greater evidence of God's faithfulness and power: the Resurrection of our Lord from the dead! And the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of faith, has been poured out upon the Church. Now, more than ever, the Lord may require a great faith from his people.
In the epistle to the Hebrews we are exhorted to come to God "in full assurance of faith". The apostle James warns us not to doubt when we pray, for then we shall receive nothing from God. Jesus himself rebuked the disciples when they showed little faith.
Oh yes, Scripture requires a great faith in God's promises and in God's power. God is worthy of it, because His promises are trustworthy, and His power knows no limits.
And for the coming of His Kingdom a great faith is necessary: for a Church without a great faith is a powerless Church: it makes no impact upon the world, it does not conquer the world.
This is the lamentable situation of the Church today: lack of a great faith. Oh yes, in theory we all believe that all God's promises are true and that God is almighty. But how often is it just a theory, and nothing else?
- The Word says that we need not and may not worry, because God cares for us. But all too often, we do worry as if He did not care!
- The Word says: "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity". Is not the assurance of sins forgiven lacking in many a heart among us?
- The Word says: "If any one sees his brother sin, a sin not unto death, he shall pray God for him and God shall give him life". How often do we pray for a sinning brother, and believe that God will give him life?
- The Word says: "All that we ask God for in Jesus' name in accordance with His will, believingly, we shall receive." How often do we pray the prayer of faith, knowing that we shall receive what we ask for?
- The Word promises miracles of grace and wonderful Spiritual powers to those that believe and ask for them: Where is our faith in miracles for today, and in Spiritual power for our poor souls?
Let us confess our unbelief, which makes our lives so poor, so unfruitful for the extension of God's Kingdom and for the conversion of sinners in the world around us.
Let us live close to the Word. Let us read the promises of God, and meditate on them, and take them to heart, and pray for the Holy Spirit to break down our unbelief and to strengthen faith. And then lay hold on God's promises, and expect much from Him. Expect great things from Him. He has promised them and He is able and willing to grant them – if we but trust Him by faith. As Mary trusted Him by faith when she said:
"Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord;
let it be to me according to your word."
II. And let us not forget then, that a truly great faith is always a sacrificial faith; a faith which is prepared to bring sacrifices.
What a great sacrifice Mary was required to bring to God! Don't make light of it. Was she not young and inexperienced? And then to be required, body and soul, for a motherhood which was to be one great mystery, unequalled in the history of mankind! Surely, this meant a tremendous sacrifice! The sacrifice of all her personal ideas and desires! The sacrifice of becoming a willing instrument in the hands of the Lord, whatever the cost involved!
And that cost involved – was it not tremendously great? For Mary could not possibly reveal the secret of Jesus' birth to the world around her. No ne would believe her. Why, many years later, when Jesus preached among Israel, the Jews cast it in his teeth: "you have been born from adultery, and would you teach us?"
And could Mary tell Joseph what had happened to her? Well the gospels make it clear that she did not tell him. Why not? We are not sure. Perhaps she thought: "It is all too strange: incredible; how can Joseph ever believe me?" So she remained silent, and Joseph came to see more and more clearly that his dear Mary was with child but it was not his child.... And he would have left her, if God had not given him a special revelation in a dream!
Oh yes, Gabriel's message made Mary's life from now on one great risk. Her good name at stake. Her marriage with Joseph in jeopardy. Her whole being required for this most unusual service of the Lord. Be sure that she at least realised something of the great sacrifice involved.
* * * * *
Was she prepared to bring this sacrifice? Listen carefully to her answer. This is what Mary says: Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord – or, as the Greek actually has it – I am the slave of the Lord.
And this is what Mary also says: Not just: I believe your word, but more: let it be to me according to your Word.
Oh, what can Mary mean but this: Oh Lord my God, to Thee I yield, body and soul. Use me, as Thy slave, as Thou wilt use me. Whatever the cost may be, Thy will be done, Thy word be fulfilled in me. If only Thy Kingdom may come.
If this is not a sacrificial faith, then what is?
There is an old Christian picture, symbolising Mary's life. This is the symbol: An altar, God's altar; and on that altar a heart, Mary's heart, being burnt to death!
No sacrifice too great. If only God's Kingdom may come.
* * * * *
Such a sacrificial faith, brethren and sisters, however different the outward form may be, is required of all believers. True faith never stops at believing that God has done something for us and in us. The whole Bible tells us that true faith also implies the belief that God will do something through us.
By true faith we not only become beloved and forgiven children of God, but also servants of the Lord, to be used for the furtherance of His Kingdom in the world around us.
And such serving of the Lord, by doing His will, living to His glory, calling unbelievers to Him, warning the unconverted, etc., etc., such serving of the Lord makes us truly happy indeed. It brings its own blessings. If we are not happy and if we don't feel blessed, then there may be something wrong and lacking in our Christian service!
But this blessed service of the Lord always involves at the same time much sacrifice. We have to forsake our own will and do God's will, as the Bible speaks of it. We have to crucify our flesh, with its passions and lusts. We have to shun the world and its alluring pleasures and treasures. We shall be open to special attacks of the devil. We shall suffer the hatred of people, outside the Church and even within the Church. We may lose our friends, our jobs, even our lives, in the service of our God.
Mary was prepared to bring these sacrifices of faith in the service of the Lord. Let us search our hearts and lives, and ask ourselves the question: Are we? Am I?
Let us realise that without the spirit of sacrifice, our faith is lifeless, worthless and without fruit for the furtherance of God's Kingdom.
The world has no respect for Christians who just talk in a Christian way, but who do not live a sacrificial Christian life, a life of self-denial and holiness.
When did most conversions take place, by the hundreds and thousands? In the early centuries of the Christian era, when many children of God were prepared to sacrifice everything for the Lord and for those around them even their own lives.
Could this not be one of the reasons why the Church today does not attract the outsiders, and why conversions seldom take place?
Could it not be that the spirit of sacrifice and of sacrificial love to God, to one another and to the world, is lacking so much? That the great majority of Christians are lovers of self, lovers of ease, lovers of money, lovers of pleasure?
Oh, let us watch and pray that we be not like that. The temptations are many.
The whole world around us, our whole so-called Christian world, is characterised by the sins Paul sums up in 2Tim.3:1,2: "In the last days there will come times of great stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of God, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it."
We all have the form of religion. Let each of us ask ourselves: have I got the power of it?
Is my life, in all its aspects, fundamentally different from the selfish, pleasure seeking world?
Is my faith a living faith? A faith by which I offer my whole life to God as a living sacrifice?
A sacrifice of love and gratitude? A sacrifice of self-denial, of doing God's will, and seeking God's honour, and working for God's Kingdom, whatever the cost may be?
* * * * *
May Christ grant all of us the grace not to rest till, with Mary, we have become true bond-slaves of our God, full of faith and full of the spirit of sacrifice.
We cannot work these things in our own strength. But Christ will grant them to us, by His Holy Spirit, if we earnestly and wholeheartedly seek them in prayer.
Amen.