Difference between revisions of "Sermon for September 1st, 2019"

Revision as of 17:50, 30 August 2019

Luke 1:26-35 (NT page 56)

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.

John 19:38-42 (NT page 114)

38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. 39 Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. 40 They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. 42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

The Apostles’ Creed – I Believe in Jesus, Part II

A little boy desperately wanted a new bicycle for his birthday, and his mother suggested that he might say a prayer to Jesus asking for one...but that Jesus might expect some good behavior in return. So that night the little boy got down on his knees and prayed, saying, "Dear Jesus: If you'll let me have a bicycle for my birthday, I promise I'll be good for six whole weeks." Then he remembered what the Bible taught about honesty, and he started over again: "Dear Jesus, If you'll give me a bicycle, I'll be good for six whole days." He stopped again, and then said, "Dear Jesus: I really want a bicycle, and six hours is about the best I can...awww forget it." Then, frustrated, the little boy went downstairs to where his mother kept a small statue of the Virgin Mary. He lovingly took the statue in his arms, carried it up the stairs, gently wrapped it in a white cloth and carefully placed it under his pillow. He got back down on his knees and resumed his prayer: Dear Jesus: If you ever want to see your mother again..."

We've been talking about the ancient statement of faith known as the Apstles' Creed, and today we come to the part that mentions the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, as well as the Roman governor who presided over the crucifixion of Jesus, Pontius Pilate. Apart from Jesus himself, these are the only two individuals specifically named in the creed, and that means these two names have been spoken over and over again by countless Christians in every time, place, and language. I'm going to end today's sermon talking more about these two names and their significance. But first, I want to walk us through this section of the Apostles' Creed, one phrase at a time:

I believe in Jesus Christ . . . "who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried."

Conceived by the Holy Spirit

Born of the Virgin Mary

Suffered under Pontius Pilate

Was Crucified, Died and Was Buried

• Only Matthew and Luke (not John, or the earliest gospel, Mark) mention the "virgin" birth. Paul doesn't mention it either.