21
December 2008 St. Athanasius Lutheran Church
Advent 4 Vienna, VA
“The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came”
Text: Luke 1:26-38
Grace,
mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Amen.
In
the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God.
For this
moment the angels had been waiting. Ever since the fall of man into sin. Ever
since they were sent to guard the entrance to Eden and the Tree of Life. Ever
since God promised to send a Saviour. God knew the time appointed, but they did
not. And so when God called Gabriel to Himself and gave him the news to
deliver, what joy there must have been among the angels! The time had come, and
Gabriel was the appointed messenger.
In
the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named
Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
Not to
Jerusalem, but to Nazareth, was Gabriel sent. And not to the daughter of a king
or priest, but to an unmarried virgin engaged to a carpenter who was a
descendant of David. Which is appropriate, since God was now beginning to build
the house He had promised David. And the cornerstone would be the stone the
builders rejected (Mt 21:42) - and so not to be found in Jerusalem, but in little
Nazareth. And so to Nazareth Gabriel descends, to a carefully chosen virgin, by
the name of Mary.
And
he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she
was greatly troubled at the saying . . .
Mary was
troubled - not at the appearance of Gabriel (for perhaps he didn’t look like an angel, but like a man)
- but at his words. For he didn’t simply say “Greetings” or “Howdy” - but really, “Rejoice!” Rejoice, because she is the favored
one. Favored by the Lord, and the Lord is with her. But she is lowly, she is
simple, she is nothing. Why should she be noticed at all, let alone
favored? And so she has trouble grasping what is being said to her. But Gabriel
is undeterred. He faithfully and patiently - although probably about ready to
burst with joy! - delivers the message he has been entrusted with.
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call
his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will
reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
A more
amazing paragraph I don’t think
has ever been written. A virgin will conceive without knowing a man, and bear a
son. And a true son of Mary’s he will be. Flesh of her flesh. A human being exactly as
she is a human being. A boy who grows and eats and sleeps and breathes and does
everything else a human being does. And yet this boy that will lie in her arms
and nurse at her breast will be the Son of the Most High God. The One who made
and rules all things. The One who was before all things. The One whom all the
angels worship. She is going to be not just the mother of a baby boy, but the
mother of God.
And what
will this one do, this one who will be named Jesus? He will fulfill the
promises made to David and Jacob, restore the people of God, and reign over
them forever. Forever, Mary! Do you know what that means? That both He
and the ones He rules over will live forever. It will be a kingdom that
death cannot touch, Mary! For this one to be born of you will destroy death and
cover, atone for, and pardon the sins that separate the human race from the
all-holy Father. He will do it, Mary, for you, for all people. You do not know
how yet, but that is best for now. But the day will come when you will stand on
a darkened hill and see a sight of love so grievous that it will tear your soul
in two. But it will be his love for you and for all people that drives him
there, and that will keep him on that cross. We’ll call that day “Good” though it will look
anything but.
But
worry yourself not about that yet, Mary. Now is the time for rejoicing. You are
the one, the chosen one, the favored one, to be the mother of the Saviour. . . .
I wonder how big was Gabriel’s smile to utter those wonderful words?
And
Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
Note
well - Mary says not: how can this be (in doubt), but how will
this be? Faith believes, though there seems to be no small obstacle to her
conceiving.
And
the angel answered her, “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
called holy—the Son of God.”
The
Spirit that hovered over the waters at creation and gave life, will do so
again, in Mary. And conceived of the Holy One, the Spirit, this child will be
holy - pure and sinless. For a sinless, spotless Lamb is required to atone for
sin. And so the Life of the World will begin His life in Mary’s womb.
“For, Mary, nothing will be impossible with God.”
Actually
what Gabriel said there was that “no Word of God is without power.” It is not possible for any Word of
God to fail. And so the Word that brought forth all life at creation, will also
bring forth life in your womb, Mary.
Yet not
only in Mary’s womb,
but when this boy learns to talk and begins to speak and proclaims the Word of
God, what His words will do! His Word will heal the sick and raise the dead.
They will bless and they will comfort. They will give faith and forgive sins.
They will make water the vehicle of the Holy Spirit, and bread and wine His
very body and blood. His Word will always accomplish that for which it was
sent. (Is 55:10-11) Always. Then, now, and for the generations to come.
Whether spoken by Jesus, angels, apostles, pastors, or you.
And
Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the
Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
Yes,
Mary is the servant of the Lord. But the greater servant is the One now
conceived in her womb - by Word and Spirit. This Jesus, who has come to serve
her and all people. To take our humanity as His own; to take our sin and lay
down His life for the life of the world. It is according to His Word of
promise, made in the beginning, and the Word of His promise fulfilled, spoken
by Gabriel.
And so
it is also with us - we who like Mary are lowly, simple, nothing, not deserving
to be noticed by God at all. Yet we are not only noticed, but favored. For in
our hearts faith has been conceived by the same Word and Spirit of God. And so
as Mary has spoken, let us also speak: “let it be to me according to your Word.” The Word that says
your sins are forgiven, and they are. The Word that says you are my son, my
daughter, and you are. The Word that says take eat, take drink, and you do -
the very body and blood of Jesus. And the Word that on the last day will enter
your ears and say “arise!” - and you will. To life eternal. In
His everlasting kingdom. At the foot of His throne. Where sin and death and
sadness are no more. Where the One who was once embraced by Mary, will then
embrace you.
The time
has come!
And
the angel departed from her.
Yes, he
departed, but the separation is only temporary. For they will meet again, as
will we, as we together bow before this Child born of Mary, and worship Him in
eternal joy. The farewells we speak in sadness now, will be overshadowed by the
joy of His welcome then, when all who have trusted in this Child reunite in
Him.
So
Gabriel departs - his message delivered, his job complete. But now with us is
Immanuel - God Himself with us. And He has promised us: “Behold,
I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20) He has come to
never depart. To be with us through thick and thin, until the end of this age,
that we may be with Him into the ages forever. And so He comes - to Mary, to
us. The Word is fulfilled. The Word is made flesh!
In the
Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now the
peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through
faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
(Many of the thoughts, words, and phrases in this sermon taken from the research and writing of Rev. William Weedon, as found in Concordia Pulpit Resources, Vol. 19, Part 1, pp. 17-18)