WEBVTT

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 A very good morning to you and also Happy New Year. We are only a few days into January and it is a real delight to be here today. I know many of you here. I've been a member here for quite a long time. I think I'm heading not far off 20 years, but it is a great joy to be here. I'm also on staff here, so a lot of you will know me in a far more operational capacity than what you see me here today.

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 In fact, you won't know me in this capacity at all. I am definitely a case of a long time listener, first time speaker. I emphasise a little bit with Mary today as I have slightly been placed in the spotlight, so to say. So thank you very much for that, Steve. I appreciate that.

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 But in all seriousness, though, it is actually a joy and a privilege to be asked to speak on Mary, Jesus' mother.

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 And I hopefully will encourage you all, and Mary will encourage us all, to be inspired by her faith in what we'll see as really quite scandalous circumstances.

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 So let's begin by having a little bit of a look about who Mary is.

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 Mostly, we think of Mary at Christmas, don't we? We might see her in a nativity. I grab this from my nativity scene at home.

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 That's generally where we might see Mary. We don't even really see her much in the shops anymore.

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 Every now and again, you might see a little bit of a nativity scene. But generally, this is what we think of when we think of Mary.

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 Mary. She's very much part of Christmas.

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 And in fact, the Bible doesn't give us a lot of specific information about who Mary actually was in terms of a biography.

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 Of course, the spotlight and the gospel tends to be more focused on her son, Jesus, and rightly so.

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 And we don't actually hear anything about Mary until Gabriel, the angel, comes and speaks to her.

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 Some things we do now about Mary is that she was a Jewish woman.

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 She was probably born around 20 BC in Nazareth, in Galilee.

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 And she would have been living in the first century Roman Empire.

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 As a Jewish woman of this particular time, her path in life would have already been planned out for her.

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 When we very first meet her, she's actually engaged to Joseph.

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 And she probably wouldn't have been much more than 15, which is not very old.

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 I have a daughter who's 15, so this story blows my mind every day.

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 As a Jew, Mary would have been taught about and learnt to memorise the Hebrew Scriptures, which is also known as our Old Testament now.

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 Jewish people had to know Scripture.

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 They had to commit it to their hearts and their minds.

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 They knew it inside and back to front.

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 So she would have known about the promised Messiah.

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 Mary is mentioned a few other times in the New Testament, but without much more insight as to who she is as a person.

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 One key moment worth mentioning is at the wedding in Cana, where Jesus turns water into wine.

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 In John chapter 2.

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 This event is actually quite a significant turning point in the relationship that Mary has with her son, Jesus.

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 She shifts a bit from being his mother.

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 She continues to be still his mother, but she takes on more of a discipleship and a follower role as he turns water into wine and brings on some miracles in his life.

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 Mary was also at Jesus' crucifixion.

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 And we do know that she was still alive when the new church began, and we can see that in Acts chapter 1.

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 After this time, there's no other mention of her in the Bible at all.

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 We know that Mary had other children, such as James, who went on to lead the early church in Jerusalem.

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 And while we don't have a lot of details about Mary's life, we know a lot more about her than we do about her husband, Joseph,

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 which is incredibly significant and very unusual in this patriarchal society.

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 As the most significant woman in the early Christian movement, quite a lot of speculation and legend has surrounded her.

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 For instance, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that Mary was sinless.

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 And as someone sinless, they teach that she would have been bodily raised into heaven before she neared death.

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 And for some, she's actually even more significant than Jesus to the Christian faith.

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 She is prayed to as the mother who has the ear of her son and can therefore intercede on behalf of those who pray for her, pray to her.

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 However, if the Bible is our authority in these matters, and here at St. Paul's the Bible is,

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 we hold fast to the truth that the Bible is the word of God here,

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 then there's no explicit evidence or even implied assumptions that this is the case for Mary.

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 The Bible encourages us to have a very realistic picture of who Mary was.

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 She was a human in every way, just like we were.

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 She's not to be elevated to any kind of demigod status.

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 Mary is an engaged teenage peasant girl of Jewish heritage from a backwater nothing village in Galilee.

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 She has absolutely no social standing, and she is well on her way to disappearing into a life of obscurity, just like most of us.

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 And then everything changed.

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 Our Mary of history is thrust into the spotlight, and her life takes a substantial shift.

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 So let's have a look at what her life might have looked like as it takes a turn.

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 Everything changed when she had a visit from an angel.

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 This angel has informed her that she is going to have a baby.

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 Now normally that would be a very exciting time.

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 It's a moment of excitement, it's a moment of joy.

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 You probably want to go share it with everybody that you know.

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 And perhaps this was actually Mary's hope after she and Joseph settled down.

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 Instead, Mary finds herself deep in the middle of a...

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 Because this baby is going to be born out of wedlock.

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 I just want to paint a little bit of a picture for you as what this might look like in Mary's day and in her society.

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 Women in this culture who had children out of marriage could at the very best carry a very unpleasant stench-like stigma around with them for the rest of their life.

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 Or at worst, it could actually bring physical danger, possibly even death.

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 And would also extend to their husbands as well as probably their extended family.

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 We see in Matthew 1 that even Joseph had decided to break off the engagement.

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 He knew that if he married her, then they and their families would be shunned,

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 and they'd always be suspected in their shame and honour society.

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 So for her to accept this situation that the angel has presented,

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 Mary knew that for the rest of her life, she would be stigmatised as that woman.

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 And there is no indication as her life went on that this speculation or this gossip ever would have left her.

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 It's not like everybody believed that Jesus was God's incarnate,

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 and so Mary carried the stigma of being an unfaithful woman for her whole life.

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 Who was going to believe a pregnant peasant teenage girl that God made her pregnant?

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 And who was even going to believe an older woman, her relative Elizabeth, that the Holy Spirit made her pregnant?

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 So just to add to this stigma in Mary's life,

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 she also had the issue of being the mother of Jesus.

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 I'm going to say that to raise the Son of God is probably going to bring about a fairly substantial amount of pressure.

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 So after the scandal surrounding his birth,

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 it is likely that many people around Mary would not have been very warm or welcoming as her life went on,

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 because as Jesus grew older and throughout his life and throughout his ministry,

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 Mary would have experienced speculation and disdain over many of Jesus' claims.

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 And I think it's also helpful to remember that she was a normal human mother.

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 She had normal feelings and she had normal emotions,

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 and yet she was raising a perfect, sinless child.

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 When Jesus was 12, his family was returning to Nazareth from Jerusalem after the Passover feast.

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 A full day after leaving, they realised that Jesus was not with them.

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 They lost the Son of God.

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 And they took three days to find him.

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 Now, if you are a parent or a carer of a child in any way,

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 and you haven't laid eyes on them for a few minutes,

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 you may know the feeling.

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 The feeling of initial stress building up,

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 to panic a little while after.

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 Even if it's just a few minutes,

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 it feels like hours.

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 One of my children used to go and hide underneath the clothing racks when we were in the shops

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 and couldn't find them.

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 Zach, where are you?

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 Can't find you.

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 But eventually you find them.

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 When you do, there comes this feeling of relief,

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 but there is also this irritation, frustration that's going on as well.

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 So you can imagine the frustration that Mary must have felt

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 and how distressed she would have been after three days.

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 So when they eventually located him back in the temple,

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 she said,

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 Son, why have you treated us like this?

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 Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.

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 Mary was hurt by what appeared to be the carelessness

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 and the selfishness of Jesus.

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 And while Jesus tried to explain to her,

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 she actually at this stage still didn't understand.

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 There were many times that Mary had to deal with the frustration

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 of taking second place in Jesus' life.

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 Matthew tells us of a time where she arrived at the house where he was teaching

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 and the crowd was so large that she had to stand outside the house

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 and just be patient and just wait quietly.

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 There were many times that she just had to wait quietly

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 while his ministry unfolded.

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 And probably the worst for a mother,

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 she experienced the grief and the horror of watching her son

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 tortured and killed by crucifixion,

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 the most horrendous way of death.

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 In so many ways,

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 Mary had to let go of what she treasured so much in her son Jesus

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 so that he could fulfil God's mission.

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 Mary was unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight over 2,000 years ago

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 and she is still in the spotlight today

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 despite us not knowing very much about her.

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 We've just celebrated Christmas.

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 Seems like a million years ago.

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 It was only a couple of weeks.

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 Around half of the world's population celebrate Christmas.

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 It's the most widely celebrated holiday in the whole world.

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 More than 160 countries declare it a holiday season.

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 So Christmas is big.

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 But it started very, very small.

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 It started with a teenage girl

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 in a nondescript town in the Middle East.

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 And what the angel told Mary

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 was a message that had been foretold for many years.

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 This teenage girl was the very first person

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 to get the message

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 that the long-promised great salvation

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 would come into this world

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 through a baby born in Bethlehem

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 and that his name would be Jesus.

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 This Jesus is Lord of the Universe

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 descending into time and into space

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 to save humanity.

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 Mary is the very first person

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 to hear the good news

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 in the form that we have it today

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 and it's pretty incredible

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 that our model for belief in Jesus

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 is a teenage girl,

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 an unwed peasant teenage mother.

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 Mary is still in the spotlight today

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 not just because she is the mother

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 of the most influential person in history,

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 but because of how she responded to him.

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 And this is where we might see,

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 this is where we see Mary's steadfast faith.

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 With all that Mary was navigating

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 from such a young age

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 and right through her life,

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 her faith is quite remarkable.

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 Mary's first response to the angel

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 is a healthy doubt.

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 The assumption of many of our day

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 is that religious people

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 just don't ask questions.

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 They just have a blind faith

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 and they just turn their minds off.

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 But this is not what Mary did

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 and it's not what we should do either.

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 When the angel showed up

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 and greeted Mary,

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 we're told in Luke 1

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 of Mary's response.

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 It says,

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 Mary was greatly troubled at his words

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 and wondered what kind of greeting

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 this might be.

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 Now to be clear,

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 I have not studied

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 any ancient languages at all.

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 However,

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 as I worked on this talk,

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 I had a privilege of doing

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 a bunch of research and reading.

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 And during this time,

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 a helpful point that I came across

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 was that this word in the passage,

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 wondered,

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 in its original language,

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 is an accounting word.

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 It means to take an audit.

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 It's a rational word.

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 It means taking stock

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 or weighing up arguments.

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 And I felt it's important to clarify

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 because when the angel showed up

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 and Mary started to ask questions,

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 her response is very thoughtful

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 and it's very considered.

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 It's the heart

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 and it's the head

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 working together.

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 She has her doubts.

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 She's asking questions.

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 And this is so important

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 because we can often assume

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 that these ancient people

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 are a little more ignorant

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 than us modern people.

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 In our modern arrogance,

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 we just assume

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 that former generations and ages

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 were superstitious

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 and that they believed anything.

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 And yet,

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 people back then

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 had the same kind of IQs

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 that we do now.

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 They could think.

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 Mary is responding

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 in the same way

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 that we would

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 if an angel showed up

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 and started talking to us.

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 The difference between

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 them back then

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 and us now

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 is that we have been trained

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 not to believe

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 in the supernatural at all.

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 But Mary,

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 as a Jew,

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 had been taught

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 not to think

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 that God could possibly

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 be human at all.

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 And so be assured

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 that the barriers

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 that Mary faced

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 for belief

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 back then

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 are just as big

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 as the ones

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 that we face today.

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 But a combination

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 of evidence

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 and experience

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 can shatter

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 those barriers.

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 It's interesting

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 earlier in the chapter

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 that an angel

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 appeared

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 to announce

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 another miraculous birth.

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 this time

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 to Zechariah

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 who was the father

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 of John the Baptist.

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 Now Zechariah

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 also asks questions

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 and he is very doubtful.

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 The angel

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 ends up striking him mute

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 and he can't speak

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 until his son

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 is born.

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 Mary's response

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 to the angel

00:15:05.820 --> 00:15:06.799
 is very similar

00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:08.360
 but the angel

00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:09.120
 blesses her

00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:10.580
 and leaves.

00:15:10.980 --> 00:15:11.779
 So what is that

00:15:11.779 --> 00:15:12.240
 all about?

00:15:13.220 --> 00:15:14.159
 Did Zechariah

00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:15.060
 get a grumpy angel

00:15:15.060 --> 00:15:16.019
 and Mary's

00:15:16.019 --> 00:15:16.879
 was in a better mood?

00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:18.320
 Not at all

00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:19.200
 but what we have

00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:20.500
 is the Bible's nuance

00:15:20.500 --> 00:15:21.960
 on the issue

00:15:21.960 --> 00:15:22.559
 of doubt.

00:15:24.100 --> 00:15:25.159
 The Bible doesn't

00:15:25.159 --> 00:15:25.860
 present doubt

00:15:25.860 --> 00:15:27.220
 as being all bad

00:15:27.220 --> 00:15:28.439
 or all good.

00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:30.980
 There's a kind

00:15:30.980 --> 00:15:31.399
 of doubt

00:15:31.399 --> 00:15:32.299
 that is a sign

00:15:32.299 --> 00:15:33.639
 of a closed mind

00:15:33.639 --> 00:15:35.159
 and a kind

00:15:35.159 --> 00:15:35.519
 of doubt

00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:36.340
 that is a sign

00:15:36.340 --> 00:15:37.419
 of an open mind.

00:15:38.939 --> 00:15:39.700
 One kind

00:15:39.700 --> 00:15:40.399
 wants answers

00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:40.940
 and the other

00:15:40.940 --> 00:15:41.379
 doesn't.

00:15:42.299 --> 00:15:43.000
 Mary's doubt

00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:43.740
 is the kind

00:15:43.740 --> 00:15:44.799
 that wants answers.

00:15:45.419 --> 00:15:46.340
 She is absolutely

00:15:46.340 --> 00:15:47.259
 willing to get

00:15:47.259 --> 00:15:48.060
 out of the driver's

00:15:48.060 --> 00:15:48.700
 seat of her

00:15:48.700 --> 00:15:49.399
 own life

00:15:49.399 --> 00:15:50.500
 if she can be

00:15:50.500 --> 00:15:51.160
 shown that the

00:15:51.160 --> 00:15:52.040
 truth is other

00:15:52.040 --> 00:15:52.540
 than what she

00:15:52.540 --> 00:15:52.840
 thought.

00:15:54.879 --> 00:15:55.639
 Zechariah's doubt

00:15:55.639 --> 00:15:57.040
 was using questions

00:15:57.040 --> 00:15:57.580
 as a way

00:15:57.580 --> 00:15:59.180
 to stay in control

00:15:59.180 --> 00:15:59.879
 of his life.

00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:02.360
 Mary's doubt

00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:03.740
 finally led to

00:16:03.740 --> 00:16:04.860
 what we might

00:16:04.860 --> 00:16:05.899
 call a cautious

00:16:05.899 --> 00:16:06.780
 surrender.

00:16:09.460 --> 00:16:10.360
 Her words

00:16:10.360 --> 00:16:11.920
 in Luke 1.38

00:16:11.920 --> 00:16:13.220
 are great.

00:16:13.460 --> 00:16:13.860
 It says,

00:16:13.860 --> 00:16:15.039
 I am the Lord's

00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:15.399
 servant,

00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:16.220
 Mary answered,

00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:17.200
 may your word

00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:18.720
 to me be fulfilled.

00:16:20.300 --> 00:16:21.100
 She knows

00:16:21.100 --> 00:16:21.519
 what she's

00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:22.039
 being called

00:16:22.039 --> 00:16:22.379
 into.

00:16:23.480 --> 00:16:24.080
 She's about

00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:24.860
 to have a child.

00:16:25.960 --> 00:16:26.700
 Even if Joseph

00:16:26.700 --> 00:16:27.620
 stays with her,

00:16:27.980 --> 00:16:28.680
 people will be

00:16:28.680 --> 00:16:29.419
 able to add it

00:16:29.419 --> 00:16:29.600
 up.

00:16:29.700 --> 00:16:30.580
 They had calendars.

00:16:32.279 --> 00:16:33.139
 She lived

00:16:33.139 --> 00:16:34.039
 in a traditional

00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:34.960
 paternalistic

00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:35.500
 society.

00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:37.080
 She knew

00:16:37.080 --> 00:16:37.399
 she would

00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:38.440
 always be seen

00:16:38.440 --> 00:16:39.220
 as the bearer

00:16:39.220 --> 00:16:40.259
 of an illegitimate

00:16:40.259 --> 00:16:40.680
 child.

00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:40.719
 child.

00:16:41.659 --> 00:16:42.279
 She was

00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:42.779
 about to

00:16:42.779 --> 00:16:43.879
 begin a life

00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:44.539
 of disgrace

00:16:44.539 --> 00:16:45.339
 and she

00:16:45.339 --> 00:16:45.799
 says,

00:16:46.359 --> 00:16:46.819
 I'll take

00:16:46.819 --> 00:16:47.019
 it.

00:16:48.719 --> 00:16:49.299
 I could

00:16:49.299 --> 00:16:49.819
 only imagine

00:16:49.819 --> 00:16:50.179
 that she

00:16:50.179 --> 00:16:50.799
 was cautious

00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:51.299
 but it

00:16:51.299 --> 00:16:51.739
 was a

00:16:51.739 --> 00:16:52.079
 surrender.

00:16:54.719 --> 00:16:55.299
 When the

00:16:55.299 --> 00:16:55.919
 angel said

00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:56.199
 that she

00:16:56.199 --> 00:16:56.439
 was going

00:16:56.439 --> 00:16:56.639
 to give

00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:57.039
 birth to

00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:57.559
 a child

00:16:57.559 --> 00:16:57.799
 and you

00:16:57.799 --> 00:16:58.139
 will call

00:16:58.139 --> 00:16:58.519
 his name

00:16:58.519 --> 00:16:58.919
 Jesus,

00:16:59.399 --> 00:16:59.879
 Mary knew

00:16:59.879 --> 00:17:00.479
 right away

00:17:00.479 --> 00:17:01.159
 that something

00:17:01.159 --> 00:17:01.779
 significant

00:17:01.779 --> 00:17:02.319
 was going

00:17:02.319 --> 00:17:02.719
 on.

00:17:04.460 --> 00:17:04.919
 Mary didn't

00:17:04.919 --> 00:17:05.559
 get to do

00:17:05.559 --> 00:17:06.460
 what is normal

00:17:06.460 --> 00:17:07.019
 and right

00:17:07.019 --> 00:17:07.599
 for a parent

00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:08.000
 to do.

00:17:08.119 --> 00:17:08.419
 She didn't

00:17:08.419 --> 00:17:09.019
 get to choose

00:17:09.019 --> 00:17:09.579
 the child's

00:17:09.579 --> 00:17:09.859
 name.

00:17:10.680 --> 00:17:11.340
 In every

00:17:11.340 --> 00:17:11.920
 other normal

00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:12.320
 case,

00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:12.799
 the father

00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:13.259
 and the

00:17:13.259 --> 00:17:15.440
 mother have

00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:16.220
 authority over

00:17:16.220 --> 00:17:16.700
 the child.

00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:17.380
 It is their

00:17:17.380 --> 00:17:17.940
 right to

00:17:17.940 --> 00:17:18.340
 name the

00:17:18.340 --> 00:17:19.200
 child but

00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:19.640
 not this

00:17:19.640 --> 00:17:19.980
 child.

00:17:21.880 --> 00:17:22.680
 If Jesus

00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:23.120
 were to come

00:17:23.120 --> 00:17:23.860
 into Mary's

00:17:23.860 --> 00:17:25.140
 life or

00:17:25.140 --> 00:17:25.700
 into our

00:17:25.700 --> 00:17:26.940
 life, he

00:17:26.940 --> 00:17:27.360
 would be in

00:17:27.360 --> 00:17:27.740
 charge.

00:17:28.759 --> 00:17:29.539
 He names

00:17:29.539 --> 00:17:29.860
 us.

00:17:30.360 --> 00:17:30.779
 We don't

00:17:30.779 --> 00:17:31.240
 name him.

00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:32.440
 He calls

00:17:32.440 --> 00:17:32.799
 the shots

00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:33.259
 for us.

00:17:33.340 --> 00:17:33.620
 We don't

00:17:33.620 --> 00:17:33.980
 call the

00:17:33.980 --> 00:17:34.380
 shots for

00:17:34.380 --> 00:17:34.640
 him.

00:17:36.700 --> 00:17:37.480
 Mary says,

00:17:37.600 --> 00:17:38.060
 I am the

00:17:38.060 --> 00:17:38.460
 Lord's

00:17:38.460 --> 00:17:38.740
 servant.

00:17:38.920 --> 00:17:39.279
 May your

00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:39.820
 word to

00:17:39.820 --> 00:17:40.299
 me be

00:17:40.299 --> 00:17:40.919
 fulfilled.

00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:41.980
 Mary knows

00:17:41.980 --> 00:17:42.339
 she is

00:17:42.339 --> 00:17:42.899
 taking her

00:17:42.899 --> 00:17:43.639
 hands off

00:17:43.639 --> 00:17:44.159
 her own

00:17:44.159 --> 00:17:45.359
 life and

00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:45.819
 she is

00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:46.559
 taking Jesus

00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:47.220
 into her

00:17:47.220 --> 00:17:47.639
 arms.

00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:49.740
 Her

00:17:49.740 --> 00:17:50.180
 surrender

00:17:50.180 --> 00:17:50.779
 was willing

00:17:50.779 --> 00:17:51.319
 and it

00:17:51.319 --> 00:17:51.899
 was joyful

00:17:51.899 --> 00:17:52.639
 even if it

00:17:52.639 --> 00:17:53.279
 was cautious.

00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:54.779
 She doesn't

00:17:54.779 --> 00:17:55.379
 do it under

00:17:55.379 --> 00:17:55.839
 duress.

00:17:56.599 --> 00:17:56.919
 In fact,

00:17:57.019 --> 00:17:57.460
 Mary heads

00:17:57.460 --> 00:17:57.799
 off to

00:17:57.799 --> 00:17:58.200
 visit her

00:17:58.200 --> 00:17:58.419
 cousin

00:17:58.419 --> 00:17:58.740
 Elizabeth.

00:17:59.879 --> 00:18:00.279
 We see

00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:00.700
 from verse

00:18:00.700 --> 00:18:01.359
 36 that

00:18:01.359 --> 00:18:01.700
 she is

00:18:01.700 --> 00:18:02.220
 miraculously

00:18:02.220 --> 00:18:03.059
 pregnant with

00:18:03.059 --> 00:18:04.659
 John the

00:18:04.659 --> 00:18:04.919
 Baptist.

00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:06.899
 When the

00:18:06.899 --> 00:18:07.399
 pregnant Mary

00:18:07.399 --> 00:18:07.940
 arrives at

00:18:07.940 --> 00:18:08.419
 Elizabeth's

00:18:08.420 --> 00:18:08.700
 house,

00:18:08.980 --> 00:18:09.660
 John leaps

00:18:09.660 --> 00:18:10.420
 inside of

00:18:10.420 --> 00:18:10.700
 Elizabeth.

00:18:11.820 --> 00:18:12.840
 While Mary

00:18:12.840 --> 00:18:13.420
 is visiting

00:18:13.420 --> 00:18:14.019
 her relative

00:18:14.019 --> 00:18:14.440
 here,

00:18:14.560 --> 00:18:14.740
 it is

00:18:14.740 --> 00:18:15.240
 actually a

00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:15.740
 meeting of

00:18:15.740 --> 00:18:16.100
 the two

00:18:16.100 --> 00:18:16.500
 children.

00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:18.100
 Even as

00:18:18.100 --> 00:18:18.779
 an unborn

00:18:18.779 --> 00:18:19.220
 baby,

00:18:19.380 --> 00:18:19.620
 John

00:18:19.620 --> 00:18:20.500
 acknowledges

00:18:20.500 --> 00:18:21.400
 that someone

00:18:21.400 --> 00:18:23.060
 greater is

00:18:23.060 --> 00:18:23.400
 in the

00:18:23.400 --> 00:18:23.680
 room,

00:18:23.900 --> 00:18:24.140
 so to

00:18:24.140 --> 00:18:24.440
 speak.

00:18:25.820 --> 00:18:26.160
 Elizabeth

00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:27.039
 confirms to

00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:28.279
 Mary that

00:18:28.279 --> 00:18:29.120
 in fact Mary

00:18:29.120 --> 00:18:30.039
 is carrying

00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:30.920
 the Son

00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:31.400
 of God.

00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:32.960
 She says,

00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:33.440
 blessed are

00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:33.860
 you among

00:18:33.860 --> 00:18:34.480
 women and

00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:35.100
 blessed is

00:18:35.100 --> 00:18:35.539
 the child

00:18:35.539 --> 00:18:35.819
 you will

00:18:35.819 --> 00:18:36.100
 bear.

00:18:37.059 --> 00:18:37.559
 But why

00:18:37.559 --> 00:18:38.039
 am I so

00:18:38.039 --> 00:18:38.559
 favoured that

00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:39.039
 the mother

00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:39.579
 of my

00:18:39.579 --> 00:18:40.460
 Lord should

00:18:40.460 --> 00:18:40.900
 come to

00:18:40.900 --> 00:18:41.120
 me?

00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:44.140
 And at

00:18:44.140 --> 00:18:44.660
 this point,

00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:46.220
 Mary overflows

00:18:46.220 --> 00:18:47.660
 with joy that

00:18:47.660 --> 00:18:48.420
 God's promised

00:18:48.420 --> 00:18:48.960
 Son and

00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:49.720
 Rescuer is

00:18:49.720 --> 00:18:50.400
 coming into

00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:51.940
 the world and

00:18:51.940 --> 00:18:52.440
 she breaks

00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:53.039
 out in song.

00:18:54.140 --> 00:18:54.460
 I'm not

00:18:54.460 --> 00:18:54.740
 going to sing.

00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:57.000
 It is a song

00:18:57.000 --> 00:18:57.660
 that declares

00:18:57.660 --> 00:18:59.039
 God is true to

00:18:59.039 --> 00:18:59.660
 his promises.

00:18:59.660 --> 00:19:01.940
 He is a

00:19:01.940 --> 00:19:02.700
 merciful God.

00:19:02.820 --> 00:19:03.279
 He is a

00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:04.240
 powerful God.

00:19:04.519 --> 00:19:04.940
 He is a

00:19:04.940 --> 00:19:05.380
 God who

00:19:05.380 --> 00:19:05.900
 turns the

00:19:05.900 --> 00:19:06.640
 values of

00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:07.160
 the world

00:19:07.160 --> 00:19:08.080
 on their

00:19:08.080 --> 00:19:08.900
 head by

00:19:08.900 --> 00:19:09.680
 favouring the

00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:10.279
 poor, the

00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:11.200
 hungry and

00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:11.779
 the lowly.

00:19:14.380 --> 00:19:15.200
 So what can

00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:15.759
 we take away

00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:16.259
 from Mary

00:19:16.259 --> 00:19:16.540
 here?

00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:18.960
 Why are we

00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:19.540
 looking at

00:19:19.540 --> 00:19:20.120
 Mary now

00:19:20.120 --> 00:19:20.880
 after Christmas?

00:19:22.759 --> 00:19:23.440
 This poor

00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:24.200
 teenage girl

00:19:24.200 --> 00:19:24.740
 at the bottom

00:19:24.740 --> 00:19:25.460
 of the first

00:19:25.460 --> 00:19:26.380
 century social

00:19:26.380 --> 00:19:27.900
 ladder is

00:19:27.900 --> 00:19:28.600
 now known by

00:19:28.600 --> 00:19:29.120
 the vast

00:19:29.120 --> 00:19:29.640
 majority of

00:19:29.640 --> 00:19:30.320
 people who

00:19:30.320 --> 00:19:31.000
 ever lived.

00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:33.580
 Not because

00:19:33.580 --> 00:19:34.140
 she made

00:19:34.140 --> 00:19:35.060
 herself great

00:19:35.060 --> 00:19:36.480
 but because

00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:37.240
 she humbled

00:19:37.240 --> 00:19:39.000
 herself and

00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:39.700
 she surrendered

00:19:39.700 --> 00:19:40.440
 to the one

00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:41.900
 infinitely greater.

00:19:44.120 --> 00:19:45.040
 What is even

00:19:45.040 --> 00:19:45.900
 more amazing is

00:19:45.900 --> 00:19:46.420
 that she did

00:19:46.420 --> 00:19:47.340
 this before

00:19:47.340 --> 00:19:49.060
 she knew what

00:19:49.060 --> 00:19:49.560
 the greater

00:19:49.560 --> 00:19:50.340
 one was going

00:19:50.340 --> 00:19:50.920
 to do for

00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:51.220
 her.

00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:53.560
 The Easter

00:19:53.560 --> 00:19:54.180
 events tell

00:19:54.180 --> 00:19:54.580
 us that

00:19:54.580 --> 00:19:55.380
 everything Mary

00:19:55.380 --> 00:19:55.820
 did for

00:19:55.820 --> 00:19:57.360
 Jesus, Jesus

00:19:57.360 --> 00:19:58.200
 had done for

00:19:58.200 --> 00:19:59.440
 Mary but by

00:19:59.440 --> 00:19:59.880
 infinite

00:19:59.880 --> 00:20:00.259
 measure.

00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:02.220
 We're told

00:20:02.220 --> 00:20:02.759
 later in the

00:20:02.759 --> 00:20:03.299
 New Testament

00:20:03.299 --> 00:20:03.880
 that though

00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:05.180
 Jesus is the

00:20:05.180 --> 00:20:06.180
 creator, God

00:20:06.180 --> 00:20:06.900
 of the universe,

00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:08.340
 he humbled

00:20:08.340 --> 00:20:09.700
 himself and

00:20:09.700 --> 00:20:10.539
 he became a

00:20:10.539 --> 00:20:11.100
 servant for

00:20:11.100 --> 00:20:11.420
 all.

00:20:12.279 --> 00:20:12.740
 He went

00:20:12.740 --> 00:20:13.779
 lower than

00:20:13.779 --> 00:20:14.799
 anyone before

00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:15.180
 him.

00:20:15.980 --> 00:20:16.880
 He became

00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:18.140
 the baby of

00:20:18.140 --> 00:20:18.799
 the lowest.

00:20:19.799 --> 00:20:20.380
 The God

00:20:20.380 --> 00:20:21.080
 whose power

00:20:21.080 --> 00:20:21.680
 and might

00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:22.860
 created the

00:20:22.860 --> 00:20:24.420
 universe was

00:20:24.420 --> 00:20:25.539
 cradled in

00:20:25.539 --> 00:20:26.460
 the arms of

00:20:26.460 --> 00:20:27.120
 the teenager

00:20:27.120 --> 00:20:27.640
 that he

00:20:27.640 --> 00:20:28.079
 made.

00:20:31.059 --> 00:20:31.960
 This God

00:20:31.960 --> 00:20:32.680
 took his

00:20:32.680 --> 00:20:33.420
 hands off

00:20:33.420 --> 00:20:34.079
 his life.

00:20:35.120 --> 00:20:35.700
 Just before

00:20:35.700 --> 00:20:36.500
 his execution,

00:20:36.980 --> 00:20:37.680
 his prayer to

00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:38.259
 his father

00:20:38.259 --> 00:20:38.640
 was,

00:20:39.340 --> 00:20:39.799
 not my

00:20:39.799 --> 00:20:40.400
 will but

00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:40.960
 yours be

00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:41.259
 done.

00:20:42.100 --> 00:20:42.620
 Just like

00:20:42.620 --> 00:20:43.180
 Mary said.

00:20:45.240 --> 00:20:46.120
 As we head

00:20:46.120 --> 00:20:47.000
 into 2025,

00:20:47.779 --> 00:20:48.660
 as we think

00:20:48.660 --> 00:20:49.279
 of our own

00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:50.380
 faith in God,

00:20:51.120 --> 00:20:51.819
 as we consider

00:20:51.819 --> 00:20:52.460
 the depth of

00:20:52.460 --> 00:20:53.140
 our relationship

00:20:53.140 --> 00:20:53.680
 with Jesus,

00:20:53.860 --> 00:20:54.440
 this side of

00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:55.140
 the cross in

00:20:55.140 --> 00:20:55.840
 the 21st

00:20:55.840 --> 00:20:56.259
 century,

00:20:57.759 --> 00:20:58.320
 may we not

00:20:58.320 --> 00:20:58.920
 fall lower

00:20:58.920 --> 00:21:00.120
 or fall short

00:21:00.120 --> 00:21:01.320
 of the faith

00:21:01.320 --> 00:21:02.400
 that this

00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:03.380
 first century

00:21:03.380 --> 00:21:04.140
 unwed,

00:21:04.780 --> 00:21:05.720
 peasant teenage

00:21:05.720 --> 00:21:06.420
 mother from

00:21:06.420 --> 00:21:06.900
 Palestine.

00:21:08.180 --> 00:21:09.300
 We have more

00:21:09.300 --> 00:21:10.120
 resources than

00:21:10.120 --> 00:21:10.640
 Mary did.

00:21:11.580 --> 00:21:12.180
 We live this

00:21:12.180 --> 00:21:12.860
 side of Jesus.

00:21:13.360 --> 00:21:13.980
 We have Easter.

00:21:14.620 --> 00:21:15.180
 We have the

00:21:15.180 --> 00:21:15.940
 ultimate reason

00:21:15.940 --> 00:21:17.220
 to follow in

00:21:17.220 --> 00:21:18.020
 Mary's footsteps.

00:21:19.280 --> 00:21:19.700
 Mary didn't

00:21:19.700 --> 00:21:20.380
 have the benefit

00:21:20.380 --> 00:21:21.140
 of knowing that

00:21:21.140 --> 00:21:21.700
 her son would

00:21:21.700 --> 00:21:22.000
 die.

00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:23.400
 that he would

00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:24.000
 be resurrected

00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:25.359
 and that he

00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:25.880
 would repair

00:21:25.880 --> 00:21:26.359
 the broken

00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:27.000
 relationship

00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:28.019
 between humanity

00:21:28.019 --> 00:21:28.579
 and our

00:21:28.579 --> 00:21:29.279
 creator God.

00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:31.259
 We have that

00:21:31.259 --> 00:21:31.619
 benefit.

00:21:32.700 --> 00:21:33.599
 We have the

00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:34.279
 benefit of

00:21:34.279 --> 00:21:35.099
 God's gift to

00:21:35.099 --> 00:21:36.259
 us over 2,000

00:21:36.259 --> 00:21:36.839
 years ago.

00:21:37.460 --> 00:21:38.319
 We have the

00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:39.000
 evidence of

00:21:39.000 --> 00:21:39.700
 Jesus' death

00:21:39.700 --> 00:21:40.240
 and his

00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:41.099
 resurrection and

00:21:41.099 --> 00:21:41.779
 we have the

00:21:41.779 --> 00:21:43.019
 evidence of

00:21:43.019 --> 00:21:43.920
 his promise to

00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:44.460
 this world

00:21:44.460 --> 00:21:44.960
 fulfilled.

00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:47.779
 We are able

00:21:47.779 --> 00:21:48.539
 to see Jesus

00:21:48.539 --> 00:21:49.539
 being a great

00:21:49.539 --> 00:21:49.920
 servant.

00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:51.940
 we have

00:21:51.940 --> 00:21:52.420
 God's

00:21:52.420 --> 00:21:52.700
 goodness.

00:21:53.300 --> 00:21:53.560
 We have

00:21:53.560 --> 00:21:54.279
 his kindness,

00:21:54.600 --> 00:21:55.279
 his infinite

00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:55.900
 generosity.

00:21:56.920 --> 00:21:57.840
 We have the

00:21:57.840 --> 00:21:58.519
 gift of the

00:21:58.519 --> 00:21:59.240
 Holy Spirit.

00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:02.820
 Mary believed

00:22:02.820 --> 00:22:03.800
 the angel when

00:22:03.800 --> 00:22:04.620
 he said in

00:22:04.620 --> 00:22:05.560
 verse 37 that

00:22:05.560 --> 00:22:06.039
 with God

00:22:06.039 --> 00:22:06.620
 nothing is

00:22:06.620 --> 00:22:07.100
 impossible.

00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:08.800
 A poor

00:22:08.800 --> 00:22:09.820
 15-year-old

00:22:09.820 --> 00:22:10.600
 near the bottom

00:22:10.600 --> 00:22:11.460
 of the social

00:22:11.460 --> 00:22:12.600
 ladder knew

00:22:12.600 --> 00:22:13.120
 that if she

00:22:13.120 --> 00:22:13.860
 surrendered to

00:22:13.860 --> 00:22:14.600
 God she would

00:22:14.600 --> 00:22:15.700
 fall even

00:22:15.700 --> 00:22:16.180
 lower.

00:22:16.180 --> 00:22:18.160
 yet her

00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:19.580
 faith, her

00:22:19.580 --> 00:22:21.380
 trust and

00:22:21.380 --> 00:22:21.920
 her deep

00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:22.460
 love of

00:22:22.460 --> 00:22:23.660
 God allowed

00:22:23.660 --> 00:22:24.759
 her to

00:22:24.759 --> 00:22:25.820
 accept his

00:22:25.820 --> 00:22:26.200
 plan.

00:22:27.840 --> 00:22:28.779
 She humbled

00:22:28.779 --> 00:22:30.240
 herself and

00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:31.160
 she became a

00:22:31.160 --> 00:22:32.680
 servant and

00:22:32.680 --> 00:22:33.460
 she sings.

00:22:34.620 --> 00:22:35.340
 In this

00:22:35.340 --> 00:22:35.799
 scandalous

00:22:35.799 --> 00:22:36.539
 situation,

00:22:37.120 --> 00:22:37.620
 unsure

00:22:37.620 --> 00:22:38.440
 situation,

00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:40.019
 she breaks

00:22:40.019 --> 00:22:40.779
 out in song

00:22:40.779 --> 00:22:41.279
 and she

00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:42.180
 spends time

00:22:42.180 --> 00:22:43.100
 praising God.

00:22:43.099 --> 00:22:44.619
 and for

00:22:44.619 --> 00:22:45.879
 2,000 years

00:22:45.879 --> 00:22:46.899
 she has been

00:22:46.899 --> 00:22:47.919
 celebrated as

00:22:47.919 --> 00:22:48.319
 blessed.

00:22:50.019 --> 00:22:51.099
 The way of

00:22:51.099 --> 00:22:52.199
 greatness is

00:22:52.199 --> 00:22:52.819
 the way of

00:22:52.819 --> 00:22:53.299
 the humble

00:22:53.299 --> 00:22:54.799
 surrender to

00:22:54.799 --> 00:22:55.480
 the infinitely

00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:56.379
 great one.

00:22:58.579 --> 00:22:59.500
 So this

00:22:59.500 --> 00:23:01.319
 year, as

00:23:01.319 --> 00:23:01.799
 you consider

00:23:01.799 --> 00:23:02.339
 your next

00:23:02.339 --> 00:23:04.219
 step, please

00:23:04.219 --> 00:23:05.099
 treasure Jesus.

00:23:06.779 --> 00:23:07.379
 Open your

00:23:07.379 --> 00:23:08.299
 heart and

00:23:08.299 --> 00:23:08.959
 your mind.

00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:10.319
 Echo the

00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:11.299
 words of

00:23:11.299 --> 00:23:12.039
 Mary over

00:23:12.039 --> 00:23:13.019
 every aspect

00:23:13.019 --> 00:23:13.659
 of your

00:23:13.659 --> 00:23:14.099
 life.

00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:15.859
 Let it be

00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:17.039
 done according

00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:17.779
 to your

00:23:17.779 --> 00:23:18.019
 will.

00:23:18.019 --> 00:23:18.079
 Amen.

00:23:18.079 --> 00:23:18.119
 Amen.

00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:18.180
 Amen.

00:23:18.180 --> 00:23:18.240
 Amen.

00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:18.299
 Amen.

00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:18.339
 Amen.

00:23:18.339 --> 00:23:18.399
 Amen.

00:23:18.399 --> 00:23:18.420
 Amen.

00:23:18.420 --> 00:23:18.440
 Amen.

00:23:18.440 --> 00:23:18.500
 Amen.

00:23:18.500 --> 00:23:19.019
 Amen.

00:23:19.019 --> 00:23:19.059
 Amen.

00:23:19.059 --> 00:23:19.180
 Amen.