Poet Luci Shaw has said that Protestants,
in reaction to what they perceive as a worship of Mary in Catholicism,
have fallen off on the other side, abandoning her,
to an “evangelical limbo.”
Yet she has so much to teach us.
Unlike the other women, who all seem to have something dubious in their past,
Mary seems without flaw, though we know she could not have been,
for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Yet, God chose her.
She found favor with Him.
And we can learn so much from her:
But before we go there, we will consider both the significance of genealogies in the Bible,
and look briefly at “Uriah’s wife,” the other woman listed in the genealogy of Christ.
This is Christmas week, and for many of you a very busy week,
but I hope you’ll take time each day to be with Him.
Today, this Sabbath day, this Eve of Christmas Eve, watch this and share your reflections.
This is my youngest grandchild, Steven Lano, singing O Holy NIght at two years old. He plans to sing for our Christmas Eve service – I’m praying God will help him to actually do so!
1.What stands out to you from the above and why?
2. How do you imagine the annunciation happening?
Christmas Eve: Good News, Not Good Advice
In many liberal churches who claim to be Christian, the Christmas story is taught as a beautiful metaphor rather than a historical happening. Yet genealogies represent history, not metaphors.
3. Read the following article from The Gospel Coalition, based on Keller’s book: Hidden Christmas. Share what stands out to you.
Tuesday: Christmas – Unto You is Born a Savior
Prepare your heart for today with this:
Between Ruth and Mary, another woman, is mentioned, but indirectly. Instead of naming her by her name, which was Bathsheba, she is referred to as “Uriah’s Wife.” Tim Keller believes this was a way of highlighting David’s sin and the repercussions that sin brings to others. “No man is an island,” as John Donne put it. Whenever we sin, even if it is in the privacy of our own bedroom, it ripples out to hurt not only ourselves but others. Bathsheba was a victim of David’s sexual abuse — he used his power to get what he wanted from her. Then when his sin led to her pregnancy, he devised a cover-up, putting her husband at the front of the battle line. God sent a prophet to David who told him the baby would die. So many were victims of David’s great sins. Yet God sent Jesus as a Savior for we who are sinners. David responded in repentance, writing Psalm 51.
4. Read Psalm 51.
A. Share anything that quickens you and tell why.
B. On this Christmas morning, give thanks for the Savior born to you, and confess any sin to Him, beginning this day clean and with restored joy. (You don’t have to write your sin here — but you may!)
Wednesday-Thursday: Mary’s Magnificat
Mary knew the Scriptures, for her Magnificat references many psalms, and Mary used the psalms to pray, a habit we would be wise to imitate. We will do some of that today, and you might consider taking this habit into the New Year, taking either a whole psalm or part of a psalm each morning and using it for prayer. If you have done this many times before, consider using a different translation or paraphrase.
5. Read Luke 1:46-49
A. How does Mary begin her song, and what does she call God?
B. In Psalm 8, her ancestor, David, looked at the starry host and asked, “What is man that you are
mindful of him?” How does Mary rephrase this psalm here?
C. How has the Lord been mindful of you lately? Can you praise Him for that here?
6. Read Luke 1:50-55
A. Verse 50 is a quote from Psalm 103. First, how does Mary put in her magnificat?
B. Now look at it in Psalm 103:17-18. What promise and what stipulation do you find?
I struggled with the above a bit, feeling like God rewards those who do good works, but Spurgeon helped me when he wrote: This is all of grace from first to last, yet it is no panderer to sin…faith keeps the covenant by looking alone to Jesus. In other words, we can be confident God has His hold on His children, and they reveal their adoption through their faith.
C. Brennan Manning calls it “The Ragamuffin Gospel.” Mary sees that too — what does she see in verses 52 and 53, quoting Psalm 107:9? If you are poor, oppressed, and hurting — how can you rejoice in this?
D. What, according to verse 54-55 do you learn about God?
E. God may bless the rich as well, though we know it is harder for them to trust in God. Abraham was wealthy, but knew it was God who blessed him, and he, we know, is in heaven. What does 1 Timothy 6:17-19 warn those who are rich?
F. Using this part of Mary’s Magnificat as a springboard, pray to your God.
Friday: Keller Sermon
7. Listen and share your notes and thoughts.
8. What is your take-a-way this week and why?