WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.400 As we close out these final weeks of the year 2020, I've heard from many people who are struggling in their faith. 00:00:10.980 --> 00:00:18.339 They're struggling with enormous levels of doubt, some more than at any point previously in their life or in their faith. 00:00:18.760 --> 00:00:28.760 As I look at our church, in response to the COVID pandemic, out of a desire to prioritize the safety and the love of our neighbors, 00:00:28.760 --> 00:00:37.380 we made the difficult decision as a church to go without meeting in person for worship, and we've been doing that for nine months. 00:00:38.400 --> 00:00:44.799 And even as we plan to start regathering in person very soon from now, this has taken its toll. 00:00:45.500 --> 00:00:51.760 It's taken a spiritual toll. It's taken a psychological toll. It's taken an emotional toll. 00:00:52.420 --> 00:00:56.920 And this pandemic at this point feels interminable. 00:00:56.920 --> 00:01:03.079 And when you add to that the fact that injustice and racial divisions seem irreparable, 00:01:03.660 --> 00:01:08.640 when politically our society feels irreconcilable, 00:01:09.079 --> 00:01:13.700 I think naturally many of us are asking, where is God in all of this? 00:01:13.960 --> 00:01:19.320 When will God powerfully intervene? When will God bring these things to an end? 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:23.640 When will we see evidence of God's healing power in the world? 00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:34.219 And I think that this has caused a lot of doubt to rise up in people's hearts as they question the place of God and the power of God in all of this. 00:01:34.579 --> 00:01:40.079 And that's why I want to look together at this wonderful passage, this Advent passage in Luke chapter 1. 00:01:40.180 --> 00:01:43.040 We'll be looking at verses 18 through 38. 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:51.700 And what we're going to see here is a contrast between two people who are greeted by an angel and given news. 00:01:52.180 --> 00:01:54.660 And these people respond in different ways. 00:01:54.740 --> 00:01:58.300 And in this contrast, we see something about doubt. 00:01:58.920 --> 00:02:04.160 We see something about the role of doubt in the life of the disciple, 00:02:04.420 --> 00:02:06.740 the life of those who desire to follow Jesus. 00:02:06.739 --> 00:02:12.680 And so I think this passage has a lot of comfort and guidance to offer those of us who are doubters, 00:02:13.159 --> 00:02:15.180 even as we seek to follow Jesus in faith. 00:02:15.359 --> 00:02:16.819 So we're going to look at what this says, 00:02:16.859 --> 00:02:20.859 and then we're going to look at three implications for doubt and our discipleship. 00:02:21.099 --> 00:02:21.560 Let's pray. 00:02:22.699 --> 00:02:26.219 Lord, we thank you for your word, and we thank you for the Advent season, 00:02:26.219 --> 00:02:30.719 and we thank you that there is a place given to us in the church calendar 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:36.120 when we might focus on the challenges of waiting and the challenges of uncertainty 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:39.639 and unfulfilled longing and unanswered questions. 00:02:40.180 --> 00:02:42.259 But as we turn our attention to your word, 00:02:42.340 --> 00:02:45.360 I pray that you would speak to us in those deep places in our hearts 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:49.479 where we need reassurance that you are our God, 00:02:49.560 --> 00:02:51.800 that you are good, that you're powerful, and that you love us. 00:02:52.579 --> 00:02:55.180 And so I pray that this would happen for our good and your glory, 00:02:55.400 --> 00:02:56.180 in your Son's name. 00:02:56.439 --> 00:02:56.680 Amen. 00:02:56.680 --> 00:03:03.780 So first of all, just a few minutes to get a sense of what this passage is saying. 00:03:04.480 --> 00:03:09.180 There is a contrast, as I said before, between Zechariah and Mary, 00:03:09.180 --> 00:03:12.719 and I think that Luke intentionally places these accounts together 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:15.420 to draw out the similarities and the differences. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:19.920 There are a number of striking similarities between these two accounts. 00:03:20.340 --> 00:03:24.040 Both people are visited by the angel Gabriel. 00:03:24.039 --> 00:03:27.840 We see that in verse 19 and then again in verses 26 and 27. 00:03:28.340 --> 00:03:32.659 Both of them are given a promise, and a very specific promise, 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:38.879 a promise that they will miraculously conceive and give birth to a son. 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:43.859 And both are equally unlikely to be able to have children. 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:47.459 Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth are old, 00:03:47.519 --> 00:03:52.459 and we are told that their past childbearing years and that Elizabeth is barren. 00:03:52.460 --> 00:03:57.300 And Mary is almost too young to have a child. 00:03:57.420 --> 00:03:58.200 She's a virgin. 00:03:58.439 --> 00:03:59.060 She's single. 00:03:59.180 --> 00:04:00.500 She's not even married yet. 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:05.080 And so both are sort of equally unlikely to be able to have a child. 00:04:05.600 --> 00:04:09.580 And then both respond to the angel Gabriel in the same way. 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:14.780 They both express doubt in response to the good news that is announced to them. 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:15.560 They both ask, 00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:16.280 How? 00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:19.759 We see that in verse 18 and again in verse 34. 00:04:19.980 --> 00:04:21.240 So a number of similarities. 00:04:21.860 --> 00:04:32.899 But then we see that they receive different responses from the angel Gabriel in response to the doubt that they express. 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:35.420 Zechariah has his voice taken away. 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:40.399 Gabriel strikes him mute, dumb. 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:46.279 And this is clearly done in response to Zechariah's questioning of Gabriel's news. 00:04:46.379 --> 00:04:48.039 We see that in verses 19 and 20. 00:04:48.659 --> 00:04:54.859 Mary, by contrast, is met with a gracious response, an even loving response, a patient response. 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:57.159 And Gabriel gives her more information. 00:04:57.319 --> 00:04:59.339 And we see that in verse 35. 00:04:59.339 --> 00:05:04.019 And so you read these two accounts side by side, and you have to ask, why the difference? 00:05:04.339 --> 00:05:09.139 It almost seems as though Gabriel was just in a bad mood when he was talking to Zechariah, 00:05:09.259 --> 00:05:12.839 and in a much better state of mind when he encountered Mary. 00:05:13.259 --> 00:05:16.120 But what we actually see, if we look closely at the passage, 00:05:16.599 --> 00:05:22.039 is we see the truth about the difference between Zechariah's heart and Mary's heart. 00:05:23.159 --> 00:05:26.439 Verse 20 shows us the truth behind Zechariah's question. 00:05:26.439 --> 00:05:30.100 It says, Zechariah did not believe God's word. 00:05:31.100 --> 00:05:35.680 So behind his question, there was a clear posture of unbelief. 00:05:35.879 --> 00:05:42.040 Whereas in verse 45, we see that Mary, by contrast, believed God's word. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:48.220 So even as she's asking the question, she's coming from a posture and a place of belief. 00:05:48.300 --> 00:05:49.379 And we actually see that. 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:52.079 It is something that is said by Elizabeth. 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:56.899 And you can imagine Mary is at the home of Elizabeth and Zechariah. 00:05:57.079 --> 00:06:04.839 And if you remember, Elizabeth has had her husband lose his ability to speak because of his unbelief. 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:06.759 And so then Elizabeth says this. 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:11.399 And you can imagine her sort of looking at Zechariah as she says to Mary, 00:06:11.819 --> 00:06:13.360 blessed is she who believed. 00:06:14.060 --> 00:06:14.539 Zechariah? 00:06:14.719 --> 00:06:17.560 Wouldn't that have been nice if you had had that response as well? 00:06:17.560 --> 00:06:21.100 And so we see that Mary believes God's word. 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:24.000 And then it says that she was willing to obey. 00:06:24.420 --> 00:06:26.579 She responds with submission and obedience. 00:06:26.740 --> 00:06:31.100 In verse 38, it says, and Mary said, behold, I am the servant of the Lord. 00:06:31.180 --> 00:06:33.259 That could also mean the slave. 00:06:33.379 --> 00:06:34.840 I'm the slave of the Lord. 00:06:35.180 --> 00:06:37.019 Let it be to me according to your word. 00:06:37.840 --> 00:06:41.660 And that's a posture of total submission to the will of God. 00:06:41.660 --> 00:06:48.080 And then in response to this, they both receive a sort of poetic justice, if you will. 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:53.520 Zechariah, who does not believe God's word, has his own words taken away. 00:06:54.380 --> 00:07:03.140 And Mary, who believes God's word, goes on to utter some of the most powerful and beautiful words ever recorded. 00:07:03.139 --> 00:07:13.139 The Magnificat, which is a song that she sings about her son Jesus and how he's going to completely transform and renew this world. 00:07:14.860 --> 00:07:19.159 So that's what's happening in this passage, the similarities and the differences. 00:07:19.399 --> 00:07:28.719 But what I want to do now is to draw out some of the implications, some of the encouragement that this offers to those of us who may be struggling in our faith right now. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:30.620 Those of us who face doubt. 00:07:30.719 --> 00:07:32.699 And the thing about doubt is it is everywhere. 00:07:32.699 --> 00:07:36.060 If you're a believer, you will always doubt your beliefs. 00:07:36.219 --> 00:07:40.060 If you're an unbeliever, you will always doubt your unbelief. 00:07:40.180 --> 00:07:42.180 You'll wonder, maybe this is true. 00:07:42.719 --> 00:07:46.420 And so this hopefully speaks to everybody in one way or another. 00:07:46.659 --> 00:07:53.759 But the first thing that we see in this passage is that doubt can either help or it can hinder belief. 00:07:54.039 --> 00:07:56.740 A lot of times people think that doubt is the opposite of belief. 00:07:56.879 --> 00:08:00.060 Well, it depends on what kind of doubt you're talking about. 00:08:00.060 --> 00:08:05.819 Zechariah and Mary both express doubt, but not all doubt is the same. 00:08:06.220 --> 00:08:11.420 Mary asks literally, how will this happen since I have not known my husband? 00:08:11.860 --> 00:08:15.540 And what we see here is an example of honest doubt. 00:08:15.540 --> 00:08:18.420 She's looking for more information. 00:08:18.420 --> 00:08:23.840 She knows that she's a virgin, that she has not been sexually intimate with her husband or anyone else. 00:08:24.060 --> 00:08:26.800 And so she simply wants to understand the angel better. 00:08:26.900 --> 00:08:29.220 How is this going to happen since I'm a virgin? 00:08:30.180 --> 00:08:34.379 Zechariah, if you notice, asks a subtly different question. 00:08:34.700 --> 00:08:36.159 He doesn't ask, how will this happen? 00:08:36.259 --> 00:08:37.300 Give me more information. 00:08:37.299 --> 00:08:39.479 He asks, how do I know? 00:08:40.839 --> 00:08:43.459 How do I know that this is going to happen? 00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:45.599 In other words, he's not looking for more information. 00:08:45.839 --> 00:08:47.919 In a way, he's saying, prove it. 00:08:49.059 --> 00:08:50.500 Now, I've been around a long time. 00:08:50.579 --> 00:08:51.819 I've never heard of anything like this. 00:08:52.019 --> 00:08:56.159 It doesn't align with what I believe is possible in the world. 00:08:56.740 --> 00:08:57.699 How do I know? 00:08:58.459 --> 00:08:59.079 Prove it. 00:08:59.080 --> 00:09:01.220 And this is the difference. 00:09:01.340 --> 00:09:04.520 It feels like a subtle difference, but it's actually a massive difference. 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:09.440 Honest doubt is intellectually humble. 00:09:10.360 --> 00:09:14.820 It comes from a posture and a heart that is humble. 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:19.879 You're starting with the assumption that you don't know everything. 00:09:19.879 --> 00:09:24.860 You're starting with the assumption that there are things out there, possibilities, realities, 00:09:24.860 --> 00:09:29.060 that may be outside of what you believe is possible. 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:31.320 So you're genuinely open-minded. 00:09:31.500 --> 00:09:34.100 You genuinely want to learn more. 00:09:34.800 --> 00:09:40.279 And so this comes from a genuine desire to know and to understand and to trust God more. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:42.759 Help me know more about what you're saying. 00:09:43.659 --> 00:09:50.120 So we see another wonderful example of this in the writing of Habakkuk in the Old Testament. 00:09:50.920 --> 00:09:54.779 Habakkuk is a very interesting and challenging but also encouraging book. 00:09:54.860 --> 00:09:58.720 Because it opens with some very challenging questions about God. 00:09:58.800 --> 00:10:03.899 It opens with the kind of questions that a lot of people are afraid to ask if they're Christians. 00:10:04.279 --> 00:10:06.139 Habakkuk essentially says in chapter 1, 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:12.779 God, you say that you're a good God, but it seems like you let evil happen all the time and you remain silent. 00:10:13.980 --> 00:10:21.200 He says, God, you say that you care about justice, but we're surrounded by injustice every single day. 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:28.340 He says, God, you say that you love us, but honestly, it feels a lot like you've abandoned us. 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:32.540 And he expresses these doubts. 00:10:32.780 --> 00:10:36.940 And if you were just to stay right there, you would think, has Habakkuk completely lost his faith? 00:10:37.020 --> 00:10:39.259 Has he completely walked away from God? 00:10:39.259 --> 00:10:50.080 But if you read on, you realize that even as Habakkuk asks these questions, he's coming from a place of honest doubt. 00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:54.080 And we know that because beginning in chapter 2, the next chapter, we see Habakkuk. 00:10:54.220 --> 00:10:55.299 He's gotten his questions out. 00:10:55.379 --> 00:10:56.639 He's gotten his frustration out. 00:10:56.980 --> 00:11:02.200 And then he is waiting with rapt attention to hear God's response. 00:11:02.200 --> 00:11:07.379 And he is ready and waiting to respond when God speaks. 00:11:08.280 --> 00:11:09.860 And that's the posture of discipleship. 00:11:11.040 --> 00:11:14.680 And so Habakkuk is this wonderful example of honest doubt. 00:11:14.759 --> 00:11:21.500 You can ask hard questions, but with a genuine desire to hear from the Lord and to understand better what is happening. 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:23.500 Dishonest doubt is different. 00:11:24.220 --> 00:11:25.220 It's a different animal. 00:11:25.540 --> 00:11:27.320 It is not intellectually humble. 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:30.200 It's actually something that comes from the place of pride. 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:30.759 Pride. 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:32.759 It's dismissive. 00:11:33.820 --> 00:11:36.000 Dishonest doubt says, no way. 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:37.420 That's impossible. 00:11:37.820 --> 00:11:38.879 That's crazy. 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:45.860 Dishonest doubt walks away without ever really seriously considering the claim that is being made. 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:53.000 It also tends to be intellectually lazy because it's a way of avoiding having to do the very hard work of thinking. 00:11:54.120 --> 00:11:58.800 Thinking well, thinking consistently is very hard work. 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:01.459 And a lot of people just don't want to put in the effort. 00:12:01.579 --> 00:12:07.139 So it's easier to dismiss something than it is to really think through what it means and the implications. 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:14.379 And you can usually tell within the first few minutes of a conversation with someone which kind of doubt they have. 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:18.719 Honest doubters tend to ask a lot of questions. 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:23.379 They ask more questions and they genuinely want to hear your thoughts. 00:12:23.460 --> 00:12:27.160 And so they will ask questions and then they will wait to hear what you say. 00:12:27.540 --> 00:12:28.680 That's honest doubt. 00:12:29.259 --> 00:12:29.340 Right? 00:12:29.580 --> 00:12:33.399 Dishonest doubters don't ask nearly as many questions. 00:12:33.500 --> 00:12:35.700 Instead, they tend to make assertions. 00:12:35.700 --> 00:12:49.060 And often those assertions sound a little more like talking points that they have borrowed or stolen from someone else than actual genuine thoughts that they have personally thought. 00:12:49.620 --> 00:12:52.860 And the reason for that is often that's exactly what's happening. 00:12:53.040 --> 00:12:57.600 You're hearing talking points that are being parroted that have come from somewhere else. 00:12:57.600 --> 00:13:01.740 Again, it's a way of getting around, actually doing the work of thinking well. 00:13:02.620 --> 00:13:09.019 So for those of us who struggle with doubt, it's very important for us to identify what kind of doubt we have. 00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:13.040 And that comes by looking honestly at our own hearts. 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:18.800 Dishonest doubt rooted in pride is a barrier to belief. 00:13:20.060 --> 00:13:21.080 It's a barrier to belief. 00:13:21.080 --> 00:13:29.680 If you're someone who has never really taken seriously the claims of Christianity and you're coming from a posture that says, 00:13:30.020 --> 00:13:32.940 I think I already know most of what's important in the world. 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:37.240 And if something doesn't align with my sense of what is possible, it must not be true. 00:13:37.340 --> 00:13:40.680 If that's the posture that you're coming from, that's going to be a barrier to belief. 00:13:40.780 --> 00:13:43.800 It's going to be a barrier to a lot of different kinds of learning. 00:13:45.020 --> 00:13:48.240 Honest doubt, by contrast, comes from a place of humility. 00:13:48.800 --> 00:13:50.740 It's true open-mindedness. 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:56.840 It's a willingness to admit that there may be things out there, realities that you're not yet aware of. 00:13:56.920 --> 00:14:01.780 Things that may be true even if you haven't experienced them yet in your life. 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:09.160 And honest doubt, this kind of openness, desire to learn, humility, that is integral for spiritual maturity. 00:14:09.980 --> 00:14:14.560 Knowing how to incorporate that doubt into your life of discipleship is integral. 00:14:14.680 --> 00:14:17.400 And we're going to talk about that a little bit more in a few minutes. 00:14:17.400 --> 00:14:18.759 But this is the first thing. 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:21.439 Not all doubt is the same. 00:14:21.819 --> 00:14:29.519 You can either have a kind of doubt that hinders your belief or you can have a kind of doubt that helps your belief, that helps your maturity. 00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:36.500 The second thing that we see in this passage is that doubt can actually be evidence of spiritual life. 00:14:36.899 --> 00:14:40.639 Doubt can actually be evidence of spiritual vitality. 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:59.580 Mary and Elizabeth, if you look at them, Mary and Elizabeth are simply two examples of a much longer list of women that we see all throughout Scripture who seem, at the outset, incapable of bearing children, who nevertheless have children because of God's divine intervention. 00:14:59.580 --> 00:15:08.160 And so we're compelled to ask, as we read this passage, why is this theme so central throughout the story of Scripture? 00:15:08.500 --> 00:15:19.020 Why does God seem to want to find barren women or women who should not be able to have children and to bless them with children? 00:15:19.019 --> 00:15:20.919 Why would that matter to God? 00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:25.399 Well, in the ancient world, being able to have children was extremely important. 00:15:25.539 --> 00:15:27.679 It was, for many women, the highest honor. 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:29.860 It was the greatest thing they could achieve. 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:32.559 And so for that reason alone, it matters quite a bit. 00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:42.079 That's why Elizabeth says at one point, God has taken away my reproach, the shame that she felt at her inability to conceive and bear children. 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:44.500 But there's a lot more going on here than that. 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:50.300 Barrenness is actually a metaphor that God uses to teach us something important. 00:15:50.860 --> 00:15:54.020 Something important about us and something important about Him. 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:58.620 Physical infertility is heartbreaking. 00:15:59.720 --> 00:16:07.140 And I want to be very clear that I in no way want to minimize or disregard the pain that that causes. 00:16:07.259 --> 00:16:08.080 It's heartbreaking. 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:11.980 It's a part of what it means to live in a broken world. 00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:16.100 And it can be devastating for people who truly desire to have children. 00:16:17.180 --> 00:16:21.020 But what the Bible says is that we actually have a much deeper problem. 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:26.080 Something that you might consider a kind of spiritual infertility. 00:16:26.280 --> 00:16:28.500 A spiritual barrenness. 00:16:28.940 --> 00:16:35.980 One of the consequences of sin and our broken relationship with God is that we are spiritually dead, so to speak. 00:16:36.100 --> 00:16:37.280 We're cut off. 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:43.220 We're not able to connect with the one who made us, who is the source of all life. 00:16:43.539 --> 00:16:47.959 So as Paul says in Romans chapter 1, our hearts are actually darkened. 00:16:48.339 --> 00:16:50.679 Our thinking has become futile. 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:53.720 Which means we cannot reason our way to God. 00:16:53.839 --> 00:16:56.100 We can't reach Him in our own. 00:16:56.100 --> 00:17:03.060 The futility means and the darkness means that we may have a longing, but we can't get there on our own. 00:17:03.159 --> 00:17:05.039 We can't wake ourselves up. 00:17:05.299 --> 00:17:10.599 We can't bring ourselves spiritually alive by sheer force of will or devotion. 00:17:10.599 --> 00:17:17.419 So just as barren women in Scripture need God to miraculously give them a child, 00:17:18.099 --> 00:17:25.079 all of us who are spiritually barren need God to miraculously create life within us. 00:17:25.139 --> 00:17:27.599 And this is the image that God is giving us. 00:17:27.919 --> 00:17:31.959 You're spiritually barren and you need God, you need me, 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:37.339 to create life where life should not be possible in your heart. 00:17:37.339 --> 00:17:46.299 All right, so this is why it's so crucial for us to understand what this passage does and does not say about Mary. 00:17:47.199 --> 00:17:51.480 For those of you with a Catholic background, and we have a number of you who are part of our church community, 00:17:51.599 --> 00:17:56.279 for those with a Catholic background, you all know the phrase from the Hail Mary prayer that says, 00:17:56.379 --> 00:17:58.139 Hail Mary, full of grace. 00:17:59.319 --> 00:18:03.279 Now this implies that there is something about Mary. 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:10.139 It implies that Mary must have been extra worthy, that she must have stood out in some way, 00:18:10.259 --> 00:18:18.180 that she must be full of grace, and therefore God saw that and deemed her worthy of this very special blessing 00:18:18.180 --> 00:18:19.960 that he was going to give her. 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:25.480 And you know, that assumption lines up with many, if not all, other religions 00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:29.579 that say that blessing is somehow tied to merit. 00:18:29.579 --> 00:18:33.519 You know, the idea that good people get blessed because they're good. 00:18:33.819 --> 00:18:36.099 If you want to be blessed, then live a good life. 00:18:36.199 --> 00:18:38.839 And that bad people don't get blessed because they're bad. 00:18:38.899 --> 00:18:41.740 And in some cases, they get punished because they're bad. 00:18:42.339 --> 00:18:47.319 That also lines up, by the way, with the kind of cultural American dream. 00:18:47.480 --> 00:18:51.099 The idea that with enough hard work, you can prosper. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:52.720 It's the same idea. 00:18:53.439 --> 00:18:56.899 But this is not actually how we should translate the Greek here. 00:18:56.900 --> 00:19:03.480 The word that we see here that is often translated as full of grace is keheritomenai. 00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:07.560 And keheritomenai is a different Greek phrase. 00:19:07.740 --> 00:19:12.519 Keheritomenai actually means one to whom grace has been given. 00:19:13.380 --> 00:19:13.700 Right? 00:19:13.820 --> 00:19:15.720 One to whom grace has been given. 00:19:15.820 --> 00:19:16.700 It's receptive. 00:19:16.900 --> 00:19:20.160 It's somebody who has received grace that was given to them. 00:19:20.660 --> 00:19:25.440 The phrase full of grace actually is a different Greek phrase. 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:28.360 It's the phrase in Greek, pleris keratos. 00:19:28.860 --> 00:19:34.080 And pleris keratos shows up in places like John 1, verse 14. 00:19:34.320 --> 00:19:35.920 And it's talking about Jesus. 00:19:36.360 --> 00:19:39.779 Jesus who is full of grace and truth. 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:41.000 Right? 00:19:41.080 --> 00:19:45.320 So Luke's point here is not that there is something about Mary. 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:48.519 It's not to say that there's something unique and special about Mary. 00:19:48.660 --> 00:19:50.759 That she's extra good or extra worthy. 00:19:51.120 --> 00:19:54.140 I actually think his point is exactly the opposite. 00:19:54.140 --> 00:20:04.160 And the reason I think that is because by every first century standard, Zechariah should have been the one to receive this special blessing. 00:20:04.620 --> 00:20:08.060 Zechariah was a man which was considered better in the ancient world. 00:20:08.340 --> 00:20:13.680 He was a priest chosen by lot for the high honor of serving in the temple. 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:22.519 To be chosen by lot for your division to serve twice a year and for you to be the one from your division chosen to go and serve in the temple was a great honor. 00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:23.920 He had been chosen for that. 00:20:24.140 --> 00:20:26.320 So obviously God must like him. 00:20:26.500 --> 00:20:26.600 Right? 00:20:26.660 --> 00:20:27.740 That's what people would have thought. 00:20:28.120 --> 00:20:31.920 He's also described along with Elizabeth as being righteous and blameless. 00:20:32.100 --> 00:20:34.880 They were fastidious keepers of the law. 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:42.680 He and his wife had also been praying for a child for however long we don't know but we sense that it's been for a long time. 00:20:42.780 --> 00:20:47.760 And probably like Simeon and Anna they were praying for the consolation of Israel. 00:20:48.700 --> 00:20:54.880 So all of these things point to the fact that if God is going to find somebody who is extra worthy to bless, it should be Zechariah. 00:20:54.880 --> 00:21:00.920 Mary is an obscure young woman, an early teenager. 00:21:01.780 --> 00:21:09.780 We know almost nothing about her but she's probably not been praying for a child because she's not even married yet. 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:20.240 God bestows this special grace on Mary not because she is extra worthy or full of some unique kind of grace 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:29.120 but because he is the kind of God who delights in giving his grace and blessing to people who seem least worthy to receive it. 00:21:30.059 --> 00:21:32.120 That's the point that this is making here. 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:38.120 God delights in giving grace to people who seem least worthy of it. 00:21:38.460 --> 00:21:46.759 In fact, the only people who are unable to receive God's grace are the people who do believe that they are worthy of it. 00:21:46.859 --> 00:21:48.640 The people who say I should get that. 00:21:48.700 --> 00:21:49.819 I should be entitled to that. 00:21:49.819 --> 00:21:53.460 That's the attitude that prevents you from being able to receive it. 00:21:53.859 --> 00:21:58.139 And you know, this is extremely good news for those of us who are doubters. 00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:02.759 Faith is not a way to earn God's blessing. 00:22:03.179 --> 00:22:06.339 Faith is evidence that God has already blessed you. 00:22:07.960 --> 00:22:11.319 It's evidence that God has already blessed you. 00:22:12.700 --> 00:22:19.799 If you struggle with doubt, it probably means that God has bestowed his grace on you. 00:22:19.819 --> 00:22:24.980 It probably means that God has spiritually awakened you. 00:22:25.079 --> 00:22:28.720 If this is something that you struggle with and that you wrestle with, something that troubles you, 00:22:28.819 --> 00:22:32.399 it probably means that the Holy Spirit of God is at work in you. 00:22:33.139 --> 00:22:33.500 Right? 00:22:33.500 --> 00:22:36.579 The fact that you even care is evidence of that. 00:22:38.380 --> 00:22:43.039 Spiritually barren people don't struggle with doubt because they're indifferent. 00:22:44.359 --> 00:22:45.299 They're apathetic. 00:22:45.460 --> 00:22:46.440 They don't care. 00:22:47.140 --> 00:22:50.859 Their hearts are still darkened and their thinking is still futile. 00:22:50.859 --> 00:22:55.119 So this is the second thing I want us to see about doubt. 00:22:55.240 --> 00:22:58.719 Doubt can actually be evidence of spiritual life. 00:22:58.879 --> 00:23:02.179 Evidence that God is at work in you, bringing you alive. 00:23:02.180 --> 00:23:09.960 The third thing, the final thing that we see in this passage, is that doubt does not preclude discipleship. 00:23:10.019 --> 00:23:13.519 A lot of people say, well, I'm so filled with doubt and I'm just not really sure what I believe. 00:23:13.660 --> 00:23:19.019 And therefore, their life sort of reflects that lack of direction or focus. 00:23:19.340 --> 00:23:23.620 And what we see very clearly here is that doubt does not preclude discipleship. 00:23:24.220 --> 00:23:26.220 Mary clearly has some doubt. 00:23:26.220 --> 00:23:34.900 You know, it's worth noting that she doesn't immediately respond with joy and happiness and clapping her hands and dancing when Gabriel shows up and gives her the news. 00:23:35.059 --> 00:23:36.600 She has doubt. 00:23:36.740 --> 00:23:37.940 She has uncertainty. 00:23:38.519 --> 00:23:40.940 She even has some fear and trepidation. 00:23:41.100 --> 00:23:45.500 She's greatly troubled and somewhat disturbed by this encounter. 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:49.980 And yet there is no clearer example in Scripture of what it means to be a disciple. 00:23:49.980 --> 00:23:50.980 Right? 00:23:52.500 --> 00:23:56.579 Mary shows us the two essential pieces of discipleship in her response. 00:23:56.940 --> 00:23:59.039 She believes and trusts God's Word. 00:24:00.460 --> 00:24:03.400 And she responds with submission and obedience. 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:05.220 Verse 38, 00:24:05.339 --> 00:24:05.980 And Mary said, 00:24:06.059 --> 00:24:07.880 Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. 00:24:08.440 --> 00:24:10.220 Let it be to me according to your word. 00:24:10.220 --> 00:24:17.660 And, you know, all through Scripture we see examples from Abraham to Mary to Thomas. 00:24:18.019 --> 00:24:21.600 People who voiced their doubts and questions to God. 00:24:21.740 --> 00:24:24.819 People who even objected to what they were being called to do. 00:24:25.100 --> 00:24:28.680 And yet at the same time they trusted God and they obeyed Him. 00:24:28.740 --> 00:24:30.120 They were able to do both. 00:24:30.380 --> 00:24:36.460 Express their doubts and yet continue trusting and obeying God even in the midst of their doubts. 00:24:36.460 --> 00:24:40.860 And, you know, you see this all the time with parents and children. 00:24:40.980 --> 00:24:44.220 You think about your own parents or if you have children you think about your children. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:51.700 You know, none of my kids are old enough to really understand why I don't let them play on the roof of our house. 00:24:52.620 --> 00:24:52.880 Right? 00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:57.960 They're not old enough to understand why they need to go to the dentist even though it's a miserable experience. 00:24:58.140 --> 00:25:01.160 They don't understand why they need to get immunization shots. 00:25:01.160 --> 00:25:06.640 They don't understand why it's important for them to eat fruit and vegetables instead of sugar all the time. 00:25:06.759 --> 00:25:10.019 They don't understand why I would want to limit their screen time. 00:25:10.140 --> 00:25:12.140 They don't understand things like this. 00:25:12.440 --> 00:25:18.779 But what they do know is that I'm their dad and I love them and I want the best for them. 00:25:19.340 --> 00:25:24.519 And so the important thing for them is not that they fully understand all of my reasons and motives. 00:25:24.660 --> 00:25:28.759 I wouldn't be able to explain many of those things, especially to our three-year-old. 00:25:28.759 --> 00:25:36.099 The important thing is that even if they don't understand and even if they're filled with doubt about what I'm asking them to do, that they still obey. 00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:37.779 Right? 00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:40.519 That they obey not because they understand but because they trust me. 00:25:40.900 --> 00:25:42.259 They trust the fact that I love them. 00:25:42.519 --> 00:25:44.799 And they trust the fact that I want the best for them. 00:25:44.839 --> 00:25:45.680 So they can disagree. 00:25:45.879 --> 00:25:46.640 They can ask why. 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:47.480 They can complain. 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:52.039 But the funny thing is even if they disagree and complain and have all of their doubts, 00:25:52.039 --> 00:25:58.559 if they obey me over time, even if they don't understand my motives, it benefits them. 00:25:59.440 --> 00:25:59.519 Right? 00:25:59.559 --> 00:26:07.420 That act of obedience to their mom and their dad, even if they don't agree or understand, still benefits them. 00:26:07.579 --> 00:26:08.200 They grow. 00:26:08.379 --> 00:26:08.879 They mature. 00:26:09.039 --> 00:26:10.899 They're healthier as a result. 00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:14.440 And the same is true in our relationship with God. 00:26:16.420 --> 00:26:17.059 Right? 00:26:17.059 --> 00:26:18.440 We don't understand God's motives. 00:26:18.679 --> 00:26:24.059 We don't understand many of the things that God calls us to do or the things that God calls us away from. 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:29.759 But the important thing is not always that we understand but that because we trust that he's our loving father, 00:26:30.179 --> 00:26:35.519 because we trust that he loves us, because we trust that he knows what's best for us, that we obey. 00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:40.859 And even if we disagree, even if we doubt, in that act of obedience, we grow. 00:26:41.639 --> 00:26:42.660 We grow spiritually. 00:26:43.039 --> 00:26:44.019 We grow more mature. 00:26:44.420 --> 00:26:46.359 We flourish as a result. 00:26:47.359 --> 00:26:51.660 Now, you may hear this and you say, well, you know, it's one thing to hear the audible voice of God. 00:26:51.720 --> 00:26:57.680 And if a glowing angel appeared in my bedroom and told me something, I would be much more likely to believe it. 00:26:57.700 --> 00:27:01.319 But how do I know that I can trust the scriptures in the same way? 00:27:01.319 --> 00:27:12.720 And, you know, the fact of the matter is there is no one who is more emphatic about the trustworthiness or the authority of scripture than Jesus Christ himself. 00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:20.179 When it comes to the written word of God, there is no one with a higher doctrine of scripture than Jesus Christ himself. 00:27:21.639 --> 00:27:24.939 Jesus saw it clearly as God's word written. 00:27:25.500 --> 00:27:30.759 He quotes scripture to explain virtually every aspect of his ministry. 00:27:30.759 --> 00:27:39.799 He makes it very clear to the Pharisees and the scribes and the teachers of the law that their view of scripture is intimately connected to their view of him. 00:27:41.180 --> 00:27:46.579 All right, if they fail to recognize what is being said in scripture, then they will fail to recognize him. 00:27:46.960 --> 00:27:51.980 When he desires to reveal himself after his resurrection to a couple of disciples on the road, 00:27:51.980 --> 00:28:00.980 he opens the scriptures in order to do it, which is teaching us something about the ability of scripture to reveal Christ to God's people. 00:28:01.120 --> 00:28:08.559 And Jesus made it clear that he lived his entire life not to subvert or overthrow or replace the scripture, but rather to fulfill it. 00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:15.019 In every way he could, he tied himself, his life, his ministry to the scriptures. 00:28:15.019 --> 00:28:23.539 And essentially the message is, if we believe in Jesus and if we trust Jesus, we need to believe what Jesus said about scripture. 00:28:24.079 --> 00:28:29.319 That our relationship with Jesus and our relationship with scripture should mirror one another. 00:28:29.460 --> 00:28:31.480 They're sides of the same coin. 00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:35.400 That's what we see Jesus making clear again and again and again. 00:28:35.400 --> 00:28:46.460 So for all of us who struggle with doubt in one way or another, this is the final assurance that we have. 00:28:46.560 --> 00:28:49.360 The doubt does not preclude discipleship. 00:28:49.420 --> 00:28:51.420 You can be a doubting disciple. 00:28:51.560 --> 00:29:02.100 And in fact, I think many, many people would say that it is almost impossible to be a discipleship for long without having to face and wrestle with a certain amount of doubt. 00:29:02.420 --> 00:29:04.320 It's simply a part of belief. 00:29:05.400 --> 00:29:14.620 So if we draw all of this together, and we think about doubt, and we think about Advent, and we think about the hope of Christmas, I just want to summarize what we've said. 00:29:15.220 --> 00:29:18.660 Doubt can either help or hinder belief. 00:29:18.800 --> 00:29:20.840 It depends on what kind of doubt you have. 00:29:20.900 --> 00:29:24.460 Is it honest doubt, which is essential for mature faith? 00:29:24.840 --> 00:29:29.340 Or is it dishonest doubt, which is dismissive and comes from a posture of pride? 00:29:30.380 --> 00:29:33.660 Number two, doubt can be evidence of spiritual life. 00:29:33.660 --> 00:29:39.060 If you struggle with doubt, if you wrestle with doubt, it's probably because the Spirit of God is at work in you. 00:29:39.400 --> 00:29:40.300 That's why you care. 00:29:41.560 --> 00:29:44.980 And number three, doubt does not preclude discipleship. 00:29:45.320 --> 00:29:50.880 Like children, there will be many times when we don't understand God's reasons, but we still obey Him. 00:29:51.019 --> 00:29:53.220 Because like any good parent, He loves us. 00:29:53.560 --> 00:29:56.019 And He knows more than we do what we need. 00:29:56.019 --> 00:30:03.379 Now there is no doubt that 2020 has been a clear reminder that we live in a barren world. 00:30:04.379 --> 00:30:10.339 That we live in a world that for all intents and purposes seems completely spiritually dead. 00:30:11.660 --> 00:30:16.299 And we find ourselves standing in the place of Zechariah and Mary. 00:30:16.299 --> 00:30:21.019 Because Gabriel's good news was not just meant for them. 00:30:21.460 --> 00:30:27.319 As he makes clear, the kingdom of this child who is to be born will have no end. 00:30:27.480 --> 00:30:31.339 This has implications for every single one of us, including you and I. 00:30:32.740 --> 00:30:37.079 So just as God was able to bring life out of a barren womb, 00:30:37.079 --> 00:30:44.919 the good news of the gospel says that God is now bringing life to a barren world through Jesus Christ. 00:30:45.659 --> 00:30:48.399 And so Christmas confronts us with a choice. 00:30:48.619 --> 00:30:51.679 When we hear these good tidings of great joy, 00:30:51.679 --> 00:30:53.839 will we respond like Zechariah? 00:30:54.039 --> 00:30:56.460 Or will we respond like Mary? 00:30:56.720 --> 00:30:59.960 Will we dismiss it out of our pride and our cynicism? 00:31:00.259 --> 00:31:03.579 Or will we have the courage to respond in faith? 00:31:04.419 --> 00:31:06.500 Will we take God at His word? 00:31:07.899 --> 00:31:10.379 To believe that there is no situation beyond hope. 00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:14.379 To believe that there is no evil that will not be undone. 00:31:15.679 --> 00:31:19.519 To believe that there is no death that will not one day give way to life. 00:31:21.960 --> 00:31:28.179 Because we're dealing with a God who is able to bring life out of places where life should not be possible. 00:31:30.779 --> 00:31:32.199 And that is the heart of the gospel. 00:31:32.200 --> 00:31:38.440 And if ever you doubt that, you have only to look at the cross. 00:31:41.180 --> 00:31:44.299 I don't think we can talk about Christmas without talking about the cross. 00:31:44.299 --> 00:31:52.480 The cross was the Roman symbol of hopelessness, pain, and death. 00:31:52.480 --> 00:32:04.160 And yet Jesus Christ transformed the hard wood of the cross from a barren symbol of death into a beautiful tree of life. 00:32:04.160 --> 00:32:06.440 Let's pray. 00:32:06.440 --> 00:32:09.740 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:32:09.740 --> 00:32:17.579 Lord, and on this last Sunday of Advent, as we look forward to the announcement of the birth of Christ at Christmas, 00:32:17.700 --> 00:32:20.019 I pray that you would prepare our hearts. 00:32:20.019 --> 00:32:27.200 I pray that whatever pride might prevent us from being truly open to the hope of Christmas, 00:32:27.319 --> 00:32:28.859 I pray that you would eradicate that pride. 00:32:28.980 --> 00:32:33.299 I pray for humble, open hearts that genuinely desire to know you more. 00:32:33.299 --> 00:32:39.079 And then, Lord, I pray that you would meet that longing in us by pouring out your spirit on us. 00:32:39.720 --> 00:32:44.200 Lord, I pray this Christmas you would give each of us a powerful reminder of your presence. 00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:50.379 I pray for people to be blessed with overwhelming, undeniable experiences of your joy and your love. 00:32:50.700 --> 00:32:55.919 I pray that our celebration would rise to new heights, Lord, in the coming weeks. 00:32:55.920 --> 00:33:03.420 And I pray this, that we might be a people who, in the midst of darkness, praise you for your glory and the sake of your name. 00:33:04.039 --> 00:33:06.340 And we pray this in your Son's holy name. Amen.