LIfe of Christ: Our Response

A study of the person and life of Jesus Christ

Lesson Three: Responding to Jesus as the Christ

Over the last two weeks we have looked at Jesus as the Son of God and as the Messiah and fulfillment of OT prophecy. Today we are still pre-birth in our study of Christ and we will look at how Mary, the one God chose to be the mother of Jesus, and her relative Elizabeth, the mother of John who is the forerunner of Christ, responded to God and to the coming of Jesus.

I did not get this lesson until my sophomore year in college. Once I realized that God wanted to use me in His story and the outworking of His plan on earth I was humbled and amazed. As Ro. 12:1-2 says, I desired to live as a living sacrifice of praise to God. I am still fumbling through that today, but the desire is there. Before this I lived almost 2 years as a Christian in selfishness and apathy in response to God sending Jesus. I lived for comfort and pleasure rather than realizing the joy of sacrificing the flesh to live out God’s truly fulfilling plan for my life.

Last lesson we read the angel Gabriel announce to Mary that she would be the mother of God’s Son…Luke 1:34-35 (notice the divine nature and human nature)…the angel also told her about Elizabeth…vs. 1:36-38 and John as the forerunner…vs. 1:13-17.

We see Mary’s first response in Luke 1:38

·      She accepted God’s plan and chose to willingly participate.

This is where it all begins. We have to be willing to participate. We can get there like Mary or like Jonah but God will work to get us on board.

 

Luke 1:39-40

Mary went to see about the work God had done in the life of her cousin Elizabeth. This was no light task… the travel would be hard and would have taken several days.  Mary was in Nazareth in the region of Galilee, which is in northern part of Israel. Elizabeth was down south in Judah probably in the west hills of Jerusalem. The trip would have been a sacrifice for Mary, but that was her response.

Mary- Vs. 41-45

We see in verse 45 what moved Mary to respond…she believed what had been spoken to her.  Her faith in God’s word and God’s plan moved her to act. I find it challenging to really believe that God’s plan for my life is really real but knowing that it is, how could I do anything else?

We must believe God and trust His will for our life, participating in the way He wants to use us in His story.

 

Elizabeth- Vs. 41

Elizabeth knew that her son was the forerunner to prepare the way of the Messiah and this “leap” in her womb apparently signaled to her that Mary was with this child. They both were “filled with the Holy Spirit” which is to say she was in step with God’s revelation. This was God’s way of confirming the prophecy for Mary and Elizabeth.

Vs. 42

Elizabeth spoke blessing upon Mary and Jesus. “Blessed” literally means “well spoken of.” She proclaimed the blessing it would be to carry Jesus and how they both would be well spoken of by others.

We should celebrate the way God uses others in the outworking of His plan. Not only must I trust God’s plan for my life I should trust and celebrate God’s plan in other people’s lives as well. We are all working together to participate in what God is doing. It’s a community effort and I should better view myself, and my role, within the community of believers.

Vs. 43

Can you hear the sound of amazement and humility in her voice? She is humbled just to be in the presence of Jesus in the womb of his mother. She is amazed that she is a person that gets to participate in God’s story as bearing the forerunner.

Vs. 44

We see her confirmation. To be in the presence of Mary and Jesus who was in her womb led her to respond with joy, blessing, humility, amazement, and confirmation. How 

Vs. 46-50

Mary praised God for the outworking of His plan and her participation. The praise is filled with amazement. She called God my Savior showing an intimate acquaintance with Him. She spoke of His faithfulness (v. 48), power (v. 49), holiness (v. 49), and mercy (v. 50). Realize this would also bring persecution, she didn’t know how Joseph would react, she didn’t know what this meant for her life but she was excited to be a part of God’s work.

Vs. 50-56

Mary praised God for His special favor on Israel (v. 51-55). Through the Child that she was to bear, God was being merciful to Abraham and his descendants. Mary was aware that the birth of her Child was a fulfillment of the covenant promises to Abraham and his people. Israel and all the nations of the world will be blessed with the promised Savior of Israel.

Vs. 56

Mary probably stayed for the birth of John before returning to Nazareth.

 

Are you still amazed and living in response to who Jesus is?

My prayer is that we would be refreshed to the reality that as believers we can live in the presence of God, that He wants to use us in His story, and that our lives would be marked by amazement and faithfulness as we participate in the outworking of His plan.

 

Amazed with who He is, humbled to participate in His story,

 my life as a living sacrifice to Him.