MIRACLES … perhaps because of the age in which we live, have taken on the cloak of the fantastical, whimsical, or the special effect in a movie. Maybe because of the very tough times in which we live they impossible. Rarely, for many, do “miracles” embrace the category of “possibility” because of something supernatural, much less because of God.
Even those who “believe” in miracles have romantic notions of how and where they take place. Too often we suppose that supernatural miracles only happen in special or splendid circumstances. But part of the great Good News at Christmas is that God clothes Himself in the ordinary – and does amazing things!
The Scriptures themselves help us shake off some of these romantic notions even as we contemplate the Christmas story. Later in Jesus’ life Nathaniel is quoted as saying in John 1:46: Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? This comment tells us what a "non-special" place Nazareth was. It was below common! It was a place of low expectations or even "no expectations"! It was, if you will, the Lansing, Michigan of Galilee.
But the incarnation – God taking on human flesh and nature – has to do with God interrupting common people and interjecting into their lives expectations, hope, and miracles.
- It is a living realization that God introduced a new era in divine history with "Emmanuel" – “God with us.”
- It is the fact that from this time on God would be “with us" as ordinary people in our daily lives, teaching us to be ready, to be aware of His desire of personal, divine intervention.
- It is people being open to more than they ever dreamed and much more than they ever could realize by themselves.
I think it is important that we remember today the reality that God seemingly chose the most unlikely town and the most common, ordinary people to introduce the greatest miracle of all time. Luke, in the first chapter of his Gospel, gives us much to contemplate and learn regarding the incarnation. But three important truths about the miracles of God found there are worth remembering and contemplating. I would invite particular attention to Luke 1:26-38.
26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Truth #1: God doesn't need a special setting.
26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
Do you ever wonder what Mary was doing? What was the weather like in Nazareth that day? Too easily we move to romantic, unreal scenes due to the influence of pageants, movies and TV.
But this is no fairy tale! God refused to give His Son a silver spooned entrance into the world. He simply sends His word of promise to ordinary people living in the most ordinary circumstances.
One author posits some unanswerable questions!
- Was Mary at prayer when the annunciation occurred, or perhaps washing dishes or scrubbing clothes?
- Was there a shaft of light upon her countenance or just a streak of perspiration?
- Was she approached during a quiet or convenient time during her day or was this encounter an interruption?
- Was she “poised” … as though having read a scripture in advance or was she just plain frightened by the angel’s appearance?
- Was her family financially fixed or was her engagement to Joseph an economic relief for her parents.
- Was she beautiful, socially adept, and personally desirable or was she just possibly a plain girl with simple faith, raised in an ordinary home, scheduled for an arranged marriage and headed for a predictable future married to the town carpenter.
These questions do, however, help us come to terms with this first truth. Truly, nothing in salvation’s story (history) requires elegance in this part of the account. In fact, the Scriptures argue for Mary's situation to have been among the lowliest!
Mary herself highlights this truth as she breaks forth in song after the angel leaves and sings (Luke 1:46-48 & 52-53): 46 "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; ... 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.
These words are from an ordinary, if not poor girl, who has suddenly had the simplicity of her world invaded by divine revelation and promise.
You and I need to understand that God is always waiting in the wings to come on to the stage of our lives, where flies fill the air, where unpleasant smells annoy the senses, and where circumstances declare that there is “no possibility” OR "no hope"!
God doesn't need a special setting in which to perform a miracle! He does need an open, believing heart that embraces a loving and great God in faith!
Hannah is an example of this in the Old Testament. We read in 1 Samuel 1:13-17,19: 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine."
15 "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief." 17 Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." … 19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah ... and the LORD remembered her.
God doesn't need a special setting in which to perform a miracle! He does need an open, faith filled heart and a willing person … that is, a life simplified, disciplined enough … to include, a humble walk of repentance, prayer, and a trusting relationship with God engendered by His Word!
Our loving God is as interested in transferring His hope and promises to where you live right now as He was when He sent the promise to a woman in Nazareth twenty centuries ago. God doesn't need a special setting.
Truth #2: God didn’t need sinless people!
28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
I want you to know that this girl from Nazareth was just like you and me -- she wasn't sinless either.
I respect the sincerity of those whose reverence for Mary is rooted in the proposition of her "immaculate conception". Those two words frame a tradition that suggests that Mary was somehow born miraculously herself, somehow kept forever sinless from birth, in a way that prevented her having inherited sin in her own nature or person.
Interestingly, Luke 3:21-38 traces the linage of Mary back to Adam and begins it with Heli, who was the father, not of Joseph, but of the virgin Mary. Mary had a father and a mother and she was a normal girl. Not sinless … but just like you and me.
She also had children after Jesus. It is recorded for us in Mark 6:3: Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
To deny the sinlessness of Mary is not to adopt an unkind spirit toward her or to attack sensitive souls. I have the highest regard for Mary. She was highly favored and every generation will call her blessed (Luke 1:48) because she was the mother of Jesus. But the fact is Mary didn't need to be a sinless human to bring forth a sinless Savior. In fact Mary's humanness is really essential to us fully appreciating her miracle. Only then can we see how determined God was to become incarnate. Mary's humanness means that Jesus was human as well as divine. God and Man. Luke, quoting the angel, reminds us from an earlier verse in this chapter (35): The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
Why are the two natures of Christ – the human and the divine – so important to our salvation? I will let the Holy Scriptures give the perfect commentary:
Hebrews 2:17-18: 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 4:15-16: 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
2 Corinthians 5:21: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Friends, I know that there will be times that the enemy comes to YOU, as he has to me, and says, “Why should you expect anything from God? You are a sinner.” Well, folks, sinning does not stop the door from opening to God's “favor” and “grace” in your life. God dealt with sin FOREVER in Jesus Christ so that He could be Emmanuel – God With Us!
This miracle first happened to an ordinary sinner in an ordinary town to set forth this lesson to all of us … God does not show favoritism. (Romans 2:11) If that is true, then God is in the miracle business in our lives as well.
Nothing is impossible where you live either - no matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done.
- God doesn't need a special setting.
- We don't have to be sinless!
Truth #3: God desires us to be open to – and believers in – His special, supernatural, unlimited possibilities!
37 For nothing is impossible with God." 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Mary was, or became, open to God's divine possibilities. Without that humble, Holy Spirit wrought acceptance, there would have been no miracle. (Cf. Philippians 2:12, 13) God wants us to be – indeed, we need to be – open to His miracles, grace, and power. The Holy Spirit wants to stretch the boundaries of our horizons of faith that have been so molded – LIMITED – by human thinking and experience.
Those difficult, tough or problematic things that invade our homes, work, family, minds and cause bad habits and addictions … have a way of taking over, of dictating “limitations”. We submit to them too easily. We think, "I guess this is the way it’s going to be." Things CAN”T change. Too many people have shut out the possibility of God intervening in a miraculous way in their lives at any time in their journey of life
But the Holy Spirit is ready to bring us beyond those controlling, limiting circumstances! Through the Word of God, He wants to talk to you about things you have been afraid to ask for or imagine ... because God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us …” (Ephesians 3:20) Maybe its that …
- You've settled for what others have said about you! In fact you believe now that they are accurate and you have quit believing that you could ever be different.
- You have believed that things are hopeless and there is no way out! But God wants you to listen again to HIM.
- You have said that there is too much wrong in your life and God could never love you … much less desire a relationship with you. Not true!
- You have believed the report of the doctor and have settled in to die or live with that diagnosis for the rest of your life!
- You believe that God’s grace and power in Jesus can forgive your sin but that it cannot help you overcome sin. Wrong!
The God of miracles is still with us today!
The question is “What do you believe?” … and “Who do you believe in?” I am merely asking you to remember the historical account of Jarius’ daughter in Mark 5: 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." 35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?" 36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
And you know the rest of the story!!
You say that only happened in biblical times. NO! That's not true! It happened in my life and family! … and I am forever thankful to a great, gracious, and generous God!
God is still a God of miracles! He is the same yesterday, today and forever! (Hebrews 13:8)
Are you ready for a miracle today? Are you open? Are you believing? Don’t miss them already taking place in your life. May God open your eyes of faith to more fully believe and see the …
- Miracle of forgiveness! He wants to come to you again today!
- Miracle of Healing!
- Miracle of temptations resisted and sin overcome and mastered … in union with Jesus Christ!
- The miracle of HOPE …
Don’t forget:
- God doesn't need a special setting.
- You don't have to be sinless!
- That the gift of saving faith embraces a God of unlimited possibilities!
We are in a season of Miracles! God has already done so much for us and through the Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8:32 that He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will he not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?
We live in Michigan and, yes, times are tough. Here, however, is the encouragement: During this Christmas and in the New Year ahead may you be blessed by believing that our God of Grace – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is a God of great giving and awesome generosity!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
In Christ … the best is yet to come!
-- pm
