Sermon on November 27 by Pastor Roland Eskinazi

Scripture:  Luke 1 : 46 – 55

Don’t get lost in the trimmings of the meal and miss the main dish in Mary’s song.
Look where Mary is looking …

If you want to sing Jesus in confusing times:

1. LOOK UP – GOD’S SIGHT COUNTS, NOT OURS! (v46 – 47)

• Sing – because God is always bigger than you think
  Is God a mere side-note in your life? Or is He shining at the solar system of your soul?

‘There is greater healing for the soul in beholding splendour than beholding self’.
(John Piper)

• Sing – because God is always closer than you can guess
  Mary rejoices because in Jesus God bridges the gap that separates unworthy sinners from the holy God.
  No-one in the world is a mistake, or of no value to God. God uses a peasant girl, not a queen, to welcome His Son to the world.

2. BOW LOW – GOD’S STRENGTH ALWAYS WINS! (v48 – 53)

• God’s power makes the impossible, possible
  Are you wondering what God is up to in your life?
  When He wants to do the miraculous He often begins with the impossible.
• God’s power aims low to bring high
  The mightiest deed in history is not seen in a military conquest or political movement. God bares His arm in the foolishness of the gospel – in Jesus nailed to a Cross (1 Cor. 1:27)

‘The only system of thought into which Jesus Christ will fit is the one where He is the starting point’.
(Athanasius)

3. HANG ON – GOD’S SPEECH STANDS FOREVER! (v54 – 55)

• If God’s promise stands, why panic?
  Mary’s joy is not in sentiment, or wishful thinking but in truth? God has never made a promise that it too good to be true.

• If God’s promise is Jesus, live for the King
  The way that God has dealt in the past is the clue to how God will deal with us in the future.
  Don’t wait for the world to write its story – play your part in God’s story.
  God is remaking the world – are you part of it?

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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Think about some of the carols we love singing over Advent. Why do you think that they have lasted over the passage of time? Read Mary’s song again. What does it tell us about the God who sent Jesus? Why is important to preach these truths to ourselves every day?

2. What were some of the mighty deeds that God performed for Israel? Why were any of them nowhere close to what God does in Mary’s womb – and what He does when Jesus is crucified? Read 1 Cor. 1:26-29. How should this affect the way we view how the Lord works in history and in the world?

3. ‘God never made a promise that was too good to be true’. What do you think is the greatest promise that God made to the world (see Gen. 3:15)? If God has fulfilled that promise can you trust Him with every promise? Bring your fears and concerns for your family and the future to the Lord. Now pray that God will bless you with a life that magnifies Jesus always.