Today we are continuing to look at how to share our faith with people. In our study, we are looking at individuals involved with the story of Jesus going to the cross. The thing to note is that each of these individuals is to be invited to the Table to have proximity with Jesus.
The last two posts were spent looking at individuals who need to be at the table because of Sin issues. In this post, we are looking at someone who needs to be invited to the table because they are going through emotional pain., Mary the Mother of Jesus.
As we start, take a moment to read Luke 1:26-33. There is so much packed into this scripture. But the main point I want to pull out of this passage this morning is God Gives Hope With Unique Situation.
If you have ever heard the Christmas story, you understand that Mary was a virgin, she was not yet married to Joseph, and she found out that she was going to be with Child. Mary knew people were going to look down on her. Mary knew people were going to talk about her. She knew it could bring shame to her family and especially to her betrothed husband.
I don’t know how much Mary knew about biblical prophecy at the time, or if she studied it after she said yes. But this passage of scripture you just read to you fulfilled three prophecies about the Messiah.
1) Born To A Virgin - Isaiah 7:14
2) Messiah would be an Heir to King David - 2 Samuel 7:12-13
3) Throne Will Be Eternal - Psalm 45:6-7
So Mary finds herself in a unique situation, but she finds Hope because God is coming through on His promises. When we find ourselves in unique situations, we can have Hope as well because our God is creative. And He will continue to amaze us by what He does and when He does it.
Our Second Point today is, God, Gives Hope In Life’s Difficult Situations
We could all sit around and come up with a list of difficult life situations. Things like losing a job, getting passed over on a promotion, losing a grandparent, parent, or spouse after a life well-lived. These things are never easy, and there is mourning that we have to do.
They are challenges, but they are not often earth-shattering situations. Here is one of those situations for Mary’s life that was a difficult situation. When we look at Luke 2:41-52, we see Mary, Joseph, and Jesus going to Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus is Identified as 12 years old.
If you are not familiar with the passage, Jesus stays behind to teach in the temple, and Mary and Joseph leave in the group returning home, not knowing Jesus is still at the temple. However, I want you to pick up on something that you can see in John 2:1-5.
Joseph is not mentioned at all in the passage. Would Joseph not have gone to a wedding with Mary? And up until now, Joseph was always with Mary. This, along with the fact that we never see Joseph again after this, implies that Joseph died somewhere between Jesus being the age of 12 and 30 when his ministry began.
Mary went through a difficult life situation. We don’t know Joseph’s age when Jesus was born, but Joseph died early in Jesus’ life. Mary and Jesus had to walk through this difficult situation. But Mary never lost Hope. How do we know this? The passage of scripture we just read.
Jesus says it’s not yet my time, and Mary just looks at the servant and tells them to do whatever Jesus says. She still has full Hope, full confidence in who Jesus is. Why? Because she knows what God spoke to her.
Our third and final point today is that God Gives Hope In Devastating Situations.
Life can give you difficulty, but sometimes we experience devasting situations. In these moments, we so often want to pull away from everyone else. When we fast-forwarded in Mary’s life, we see John 19:23-27 playout.
No parent should ever have to bury a child. Let alone an innocent one who was crucified. Let alone the one you believed to be sent to you by God. Let alone having to do it without your husband!
No matter how much Mary trusted God, this had to be one of if not the lowest moments of her entire life. Hope must have been at a low. But even at this moment, Jesus gives direction to John, the disciple He loved, to take care of his mother.
Here is still the Son of God giving hope and comfort to His mother while He is being crucified. Mary is receiving Hope during a devastating situation from her son. God the Son. God has not forsaken Mary in this moment. Quite the opposite. Jesus is making sure Mary is invited to the table that she remains in close proximity. Because It was Friday, but Sunday was coming.
Everything was about to change. True Hope was about to come. But Mary just needed to stay close. She needed to be a dinner guest. She needed to remain in close proximity. And if she would do that, she would experience true life change. For her and all of humanity.