The Annunciation of Our Lord

Transcript

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If only God would make it easier to believe. But the protasis of this if then sentence comes across without its apidosis. Are we really going to say if only God would make it easier to believe, then I'd believe. So much is wrong with this expression. Faith is viewed as intellectual ascent. God must meet our criteria, our standards. But if we neglected these doctrinal problems for a moment, a practical problem arises. If God does nothing special, no miracles, and simply explains Himself at every turn to satisfy our reason, would we be satisfied? Probably not. Likewise, when God does provide the miraculous, will mankind explain it away as the stuff of legends, myths, and fairy tales. Seems like God can't win with sinful man. Isaiah encounters a king of mankind, Ahaz. Ask a sign of the Lord your God, let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. Carte blanche. Ahaz acts as if he wouldn't dare ask such a thing of God, but Ahaz was wearying God. As king of Judah, Ahaz had often looked to idols for answers and for help. And now the only true God offers him a sign, and Ahaz, instead of grasping at it, chose his lack of trust in the true God. Perhaps Ahaz is just being honest, frank. Why would I do that? Why would I ask a sign of that God? I won't believe in God no matter what. Why bother? When you consider all that God had done for his people and his long suffering with their idolatry, their king's idolatry. It's no wonder Isaiah replied, Hear then, O house of David, is it too little for you to weary men that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign, behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. Who is this Emmanuel? The much later son of David, Joseph, heard this, after Mary, his betrothed, was found to be with child. Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us. Joseph listened to God. He took his wife but knew her not until she had given birth to a son, and he called his name Jesus, and Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. If only God were able to make it a bit easier to believe. Well, here's a miracle, folks. A virgin conceived and bore a son. Oh, but it's so much easier for her to be lying, given the fact that she'd be so punished, punished severely if she was found to be a fornicator. Don't the scriptures tell us, though, of Joseph's concern? Aren't they straightforward and honest? And in addition to that, the scriptures tell us of his kindness toward Mary, so that she wouldn't be shamed or killed. Is not the problem with unbelief rather than the miraculous ways God has acted? That's the problem, unbelief. This sign is as high as heaven, and heaven has come down to this lowly earth in this sign, laid in a manger. While it's impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin, it is possible for the Son of God to be born of the Virgin Mary. Mary's no dummy. She knows about the birds and bees, and so she asks the biological question, How will this be since I'm a virgin? The Most High who once dwelt in the tabernacle comes to overshadow Mary. The Holy Spirit will make this happen. And he does so through the word. Mary, your son fulfills what was spoken in Isaiah seven fourteen. Mary, you are the one whom God will have fulfill God's curse against the devil in Genesis three fifteen. I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. But if we get a little bit particular and maybe even persnickety about what God said, a woman doesn't have seed. But the Holy Spirit conceived the eternally begotten Son in Mary's womb. Right away, if we pay attention, the virgin birth was foretold. Nothing is impossible with God. Nothing. Creation, the conception by the Holy Spirit, the virgin birth, why, even the forgiveness of your sins and saving you from the serpent. They're so much fulfilled with what the angel Gabriel announced to Mary. He tells her to rejoice, for God is favoring her. This doesn't mean that God just fancies Mary. It means that God is showing Mary and the world his grace. How so? Why? Because Emmanuel. Because Jesus. Because at that time God was with us in the womb of Mary. We might think it strange that Mary was greatly troubled at these words. After all, we hear them every Christmas, and we ponder them in our hearts with peace, love, and joy. Mary is self-admittedly of humble estate. So is that why she's a little bit jarred by these words? Is she just too humble for this high office? I mean it is a high office, God bearer. Is she processing just too much? This is a whole lot of catechesis. This is drinking from the fire hose. All history meets its point of salvation in this moment, and I'm involved in this somehow? Is she thinking through what this new vocation will mean for her, for Joseph, for her family, for her friends, for the rest of her life? Is she like so many a sinner, terrified at an encounter with a holy angel of God? Well, the angel did say to her, don't be afraid. So we might do a little bit of mere reading and realize that Mary was afraid. Again, God is showing her and the world his grace and favor in his son Jesus Christ. The angel makes it very clear who this son is. Who this child is going to be a son. His name is Jesus. The Lord saves, right? Great, Son of the Most High, David's son, yet David's Lord, whose reign lasts forever, the Son of God. With the virgin birth, God gives a clear sign, which is as high as heaven come down to earth. With Mary's son, we see God's love made manifest in human flesh. We see God's love for mankind and that he became man to save man. God is with us. Do you think prior to the incarnation, the Son of God said to the Father, If only you could make it easier. This is something to ponder so close to Holy Week. When the incarnation meets its purpose, the body formed in Mary's womb, the enfleshed Son of God, was born to offer that body once for all as the only sacrifice for sin, and to impute a righteousness apart from the law to you. When the Son of Mary rode to Jerusalem on the donkey, when he saw his house turned into a den of robbers, when he saw others plotting against him, when he prayed in agony in the garden, if you are willing, take this cup from me, but not my will, but yours be done. The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. To save you and me from sin wasn't easy. Bound, spit upon, punched, whipped, crowned with thorns, mocked, crucified, dead. That wasn't easy. But God wanted to save you. So He did what wasn't easy for you. God favors you for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. He alone is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, yours included. You'd think with the miracle of the virgin birth, the clear love shown to us sinners, that we'd be compelled to believe Mary's Son and Mary's Lord. When God speaks, think of Mary's example of faith, and say with her, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it. When God's word speaks and calls you a sinner, so it is. When God's word speaks and says your sins are forgiven, so it is. When God washes you in holy baptism and promises you eternal life, so it is. Soon you'll hear the words of our Lord in the sacrament. The very body and blood that was conceived in Mary's womb, born and laid in the manger, pinned to the tree, and raised triumphantly from the grave, is with us always according to his word. Rejoice, for the Most High God is present with you in low, humble ways still, delivering his grace and forgiveness to us poor sinners. Amen.