LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY 20 DECEMBER 2020
LUKE 1 VERSES 36 - 45
The angel had just appeared to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus. He had also revealed to Elisabeth her cousin that she too would give birth to a child. When the angel had departed from Mary she went to visit Elisabeth. A life-changing experience would take place in both their lives. They shared their news together. Isn't it wonderful when the people of God come together to share what God has done in their lives?
The course of their lives. 2 lives whose course was very dramatically changed. Our lives can be changed very quickly and dramatically too. Perhaps through sickness, unemployment, a hospital stay, maybe a relationship in our lives. Elisabeth would give birth to John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Lord himself. He would prepare the way of the Lord. Mary would give birth to the Saviour of the world. What a position to be in. Both these lives were changed by reason of a miracle. What the angel said would happen to Mary and Elisabeth would have naturally been impossible. Zacharias and Elisabeth were both elderly. Elisabeth was past the age of child bearing and she was in fact barren (verse 7). In verse 18 Zacharias admitted to the angel that he was old. "For with God nothing shall be impossible." (verse 37) How could Mary have a child - verse 34 "seeing I know not a man?" The angel told her "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Immaculate conception, conceived of the Holy Ghost. He would come into the world as the sin bearer, a sacrifice for our sins. There is a miracle that can take place today for you. A miracle of grace. That we can be saved. It is a work of God in our hearts. God can reveal the depths of our hearts and then reveal the middle cross of Calvary. On the middle cross Jesus died for a lost mankind. If you are not saved today it will take a miracle of grace to change the course you are on. The bible speaks of 2 ways - the narrow and broad way. One leads to heaven and home. We are also told that few find the correct road. Don't rest on a false profession but trust him afresh. There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. Turn from your sin and come to the Lord.
The company Mary sought. "And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah. And entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth." (verses 39 and 40) They were related by blood, cousins but also spiritually related because God touched and changed their lives. Now they wanted to come together, to communicate with one another in fellowship. Isn't that wonderful - the change that takes place in our lives. God gives us a bond with other Christians. Is there a longing in your heart for fellowship with others? The journey Mary went on was some 70 miles. It was not a comfortable journey particularly on foot. It was fraught with many changes. Remember the story of the Good Samaritan and how there were thieves and robbers waiting to attack those walking along the road. Many today are living under great persecution, would love to be sitting in fellowship with other Christians. Rejoice this morning that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. The 2 men on the road to Emmaeus from Jerusalem experienced something that day, they met with Jesus personally. As a result they wanted to be with people of the same company so they rushed back to Jerusalem. The disciples in Acts 4 went to their own company. Solomon when he came to the throne tried to sort out the taxes. The elderly advisors told him to reduce the taxes and the people would follow him but when Solomon turned to those of his own age he was advised to increase the taxes. Solomon divided a nation because he chose to follow his friends. He also took wives who turned his heart against God.
The conversation they had. Their conversation was all about spiritual matters. Elisabeth said "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For lo; as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." (verses 42 to 45) Elisabeth told of the role Mary would play and the blessing she brought into her home that day. Our conversation should be about Christ, always to uplift one another. Paul said in Colossians 3 verse 6 "let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt." Malachi 3 verse 16 "Then they that feared the Lord they spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it." We need to be careful with our conversations as the Lord listens to them. James 4 speaks of the tongue "Speak not evil one of another" and earlier "the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of hell ... But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." The 2 on the Emmaeus road, their conversation was all about what had happened in Jerusalem. They were so disappointed that Jesus had died. They thought he had come to relieve them of the Roman authority. On the Mount of Transfiguration the conversation was about the coming death of the Lord.
The comfort this meeting brought. Mary burst into song - verses 46 - 55. Mary needed a sympathetic ear at this stage in her life. She needed that encouragement from Elisabeth. In the days ahead she would face finger pointing, criticism and even her family would turn against her. For these 2 women their lives would change forever. Has the miracle of new birth taken place in your life today?
No comments:
Post a Comment