Why Mary - Part 2

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Please measured in essence a vision on today send out all day girl who's just overly pregnant with the baby that you carry is the Savior of the room to handle the Turning Point of Jeremiah Texas back to the story of Mary and how she processed the most incredible news given any expectant mother. This is the conclusion of his message why Mary thank you for joining us were celebrating Christmas on Turning Point by asking questions about the meaning of the season we've already talked about why Jesus became a man why Joseph and were in the middle of our discussion of why Mary, well we started on Friday was finishing today why Mary removed from the announcement of Jesus birth to the agony of his death. It is the right transition to make. I remember years ago when our Christmas program is to start with the birth of Jesus and all of the celebration of Jesus and then we actually went through his life story and we acted out and we ended up at the cross.

I cannot tell you how many people wrote me letters angry that we had the cross in the Christmas story and saying that was the bloodiest story and it took away from the joy of Christmas. I had to explain to them that if you don't have the cross, you might as well not have a cradle there's no reason for the cradle. If there isn't any cross. And so the transition from the birth of Jesus's death is a normal and natural. One ladies and gentlemen. Jesus Christ was born to die.

That's why you came to this earth as most of you know the words from Jesus on the cross seven distinct statements that Jesus made in his dying hour before he gave up his spirit to the father and those seven statements are found in all the gospel spread out in the gospel. Some here somewhere there usually a series of messages that some preachers preach before Easter, the seven last words from across want to give them to you quick I just want to show you what they are because there's a point I want to make from all of this. The first word from the cross is in Luke 2334 father forgive them for they know not what they do. That is a prayer for God to forgive those who were crucifying Jesus Christ. The second word is Luke 2343 Jesus said to him, assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise at the word of forgiveness to the repentant thief was hanging next to Jesus, the forthrightness Matthew 2746 and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying Eli Eli Lammas about that. I that is my God, my God, why have you forsaken me word of resignation spoken to the father in heaven. The fifth word is John 1928 after this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled.

Said I thirst. The sixth word.

So when Jesus had received the sour wine he said it is finished bowing his head. He gave up his spirit in the seventh word is and when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice he said, father, into your hands I commit my spirit. Now if you listen carefully you know I left without some of your sin. I would have to go up and ask him afterwards.

What was the third one when I left it on purpose because in many respects, it doesn't belong. It's out of context. It doesn't fit all these words, these profound words from the cross from the lips of Jesus words of forgiveness, words of resignation words.

At first, but the third word is the word we read a few moments ago when Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by, he said to his mother, behold, your son, and he said to the disciple, behold your mother and from that hour that disciple took her to his own home is a pastor so what's the big deal about that is not an amazing thing that when Jesus hung upon the cross in the agony of the crucifixion, in the last moments of his life here on this earth turn his thoughts away from all that was involved on the cross to his concern for his own mother around the cross that they were the onlookers and the bystanders the critics of our Lord were there. Many were there who would mock him with their words somewhere who decided if you are the son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross. The chief priests and scribes, the elders of the Jews pointed their fingers at him and shouted if you're the Christ, save yourself some of Jesus friends were also there.

John mentioned some who were present that day.

If you merge the two lists were the names are given, you will discover that Mary, Jesus, mother Mary the wife of Cletus and Salome and John's mother and Mary Magdalena and John, his beloved disciple where there is an interesting three Mary's left at the cross and Jesus turned to John and one of the last moments on the cross and concern himself with the well-being of Mary and the Scripture says that when they left the place of crucifixion. John took Mary to his own home has to be one of the most tender moments in all of the New Testament record. By the way, did you notice the first three words from the cross from Jesus were all about others. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. This day you shall be with me in paradise. And John, that's my mother take care of her record concerning Mary and John is still with insights about godliness and translate into our culture into our very homes as we think back to the life of Jesus and his mother will identify with so much. They must've experienced.

In fact, in the Christmas story.

There is a little prophecy that makes us look into the crucifixion to remember when Jesus was taken to the temple by his parents and presented to Anna and to Simeon to remember that part of the story is right there in Luke chapter 2 often omitted from the Christmas message just read to you versus 34 and 35 of the second chapter of Luke. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, behold, this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against US a sword will pierce your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. These words recorded by Luke or spoken by Simeon when Jesus as an infant, was presented to Simeon and Anna in the temple of the Bible says that Simeon took Jesus in his arms and blessed God and then Simeon turned to Mary and prophesied the words that we just read told Mary that her child would be the cause of much sorrow and much pain in her life, spoke of a sword, piercing through her own soul. This prophecy was given 30 years before the crucifixion, but it was being fulfilled.

Now, as we have read from John Mary watches her son being beaten and nailed to the cross. One of the most solemn moments in the movie the passion of the Christ is the scene where Mary is watching her son as he is being beaten by the Roman soldiers. What an awful moment for her. I can see that play in my mind. I've only seen the film two or three times shied away from that. I remember being in the film, watching people, some covered their eyes so they didn't have to watch I have to say to you men and women that marinate no more pain in her life than most of us will ever ever know. She knew about the godliness of suffering.

I'm sure there's no one in this building was not left and agonized in some way, perhaps over your children. Not like she wept for Jesus, but in other ways. I think Simeon's words are very appropriate. He said when something's wrong with one of your kids. It's like a sword, piercing through your soul is not true. There's pain and then there's pain most of us as parents we would take on 100 times. The pain that we witness in the lives of our children if they're going through a tough time.

Maybe a sickness or disease or some relational issue at home or whatever. Simeon told Mary. Mary you're going to suffer in your godliness is going to be a day in your life when your experience is like someone put a sword right through your soul. The children can be the source of the greatest heartache and the source of the greatest joy is that not true. And let me just add grandchildren to that list could I say that to the fact grandchildren of the blessing should've had before we had her children, my grandchildren were in the green room a few months back and just published the Bible.

Beautiful leather covered Bible to my grandchildren, came in the room and they wanted to know since they saw beautiful. This was if they could have a copy so I made a deal with and I said yeah you can have a copy of this Bible, but you promise me one thing you read it started to read and were reading better so I said, you gotta start at the beginning.

You gotta read.

So the next week.

After that have this Bible for a few days. Can we call me on the phone and she said okay pop you got read the New Testament. Now you can answer the questions I said okay. What's the question is one of want to know how Mary and Joseph had a baby if they didn't know each other-tell and after father.

Yes, we have great joy with her children only but if you've ever gone through a crisis with one of your kids you know there's also great serious sword, piercing kind of pain as I've said before, there is no pain like parental pain the day when Jesus was crucified.

Mary experience the fulfillment of Simeon's words and a sword pierced through her soul James Stocker who was a wonderful writer of New Testament truth has written some wonderful books on the life of the Lord Jesus describing this moment in Mary's life. He wrote there Jesus hung before her eyes, but she was helpless.

His loans bled, but she dared not touch them. His mouth was parched, but she could not moisten it.

The nails pierced her as well as him performs round his brow were circle flame around her heart. Motherhood.

Let's face it is morning pain. They don't call it labor for nothing. In fact, I suspect that if God did not repress the pain of childbirth in the minds of mothers there would never be any families with more than one child think for just a moment the pain in Mary's life. She had known pain and the anxiety and anticipation of her own son's death.

She knew it was coming was like out there wondering when is the shoe going to drop. She knew that he was born to die. How much about the way in which this would take place. We can only guess what she saw.

The events transpired that led her son to this moment and finally the day of her son's death arrived, and all of its stark tragedy. Her dreaded dreams had come true, they were more terrible than she had ever anticipated the babe of Bethlehem the board of Nazareth, the brawny workmen of the carpenter shop. A gentle man of Galilee teacher without equal, the mighty man of merciful miracles, the humble man of patience and grace.

Her own son is now arriving before her own eyes in the throes of agony and death 13th-century Latin writer described this moment in Mary's life in these poetic lines. He wrote near the cross Provigil keeping student. The mother worn and weeping where he hung the dying Lord through her soul in anguish, groaning, bowed in sorrow. Sighing, moaning past the sharp and piercing sword old the weight of her affliction occurs one God's benediction goes for God's holy one, all that speechless senseless yearning.

All those eyes never turning from her wondrous suffering son can I say to mothers.

It could not have been two different Mary than it would've been for you. I have watched as a father with four children, all at home for several years. The special kind of chemistry that exists between a mother and her children, especially the ones you notice fathers. But when the little one falls and scans up her near his knee in the driveway gets all bloodied up. They don't run for you then run for mom mom wishes they would run for you, but they do not, and you have watched as I have, as a loving mother takes a little child and tenderly and carefully ministers to their needs wiping the dirt and blood and all the rest off of the sword gently ministering to the child must always be a Band-Aid. Lots of hugs and kisses, reassurances, and that was the way it was for Mary and Jesus grew up just like our children grow up all those memories of those early days playing through the memory bank of her mind when she stood there that day watching the awful apparent in his life was part of Mary member in those moments. Can you imagine what she felt as she stood there watching her son dying where the crown of thorns was placed upon his brow. She had planted kisses when he was a boy and those hands and feet. She had held when he was an infant were now nailed to the cross. The disciples they would leave him. His friends would forsake him the nations would reject him by his mother. She was there to the very end.

What did she do. Interestingly enough, I have searched the Scriptures and I found not one word, not one she suffered in silence as her son died.

She was pierced through with the sword. The cold steel of that sword pierced at mother's heart when Jesus died, and when in his dying moment he called out to her snapshots of Mary, his birth and his death. We reminded that God wants us to learn from the people of the Bible that he paints in living color and we learn from Mary the submission of godliness and the surprise of it and then a lesson we would rather not learn the suffering of but doesn't not do our hearts.

Well, do we not feel a sense of identification with him in our own suffering that we suffer not as others who don't suffer we suffer is the Lord Jesus who suffered and is Mary who suffered part of life. We either embrace it and learn from it or we spend our entire existence on this earth finding against something which we can never ever overcome. Interestingly enough, Mary is mentioned once more in the Bible. After the events that we discussed today in the list of people who were in the upper room.

She is listed last after everybody else. For all of you want to elevate Mary beyond the place where she belongs in the Bible. Just remember that and then after that she's never mentioned again in all the New Testament. I don't know if you read a devotional throughout the year is about that time to select one if you haven't done so already. Many of you have told me that you have read Oswald Chambers my utmost for his highest.

It's a great great read. And though it's written a little bit before our time and has some archaic language in it it's worth it just to get the message from I want to close today with a little reminder of what the meaning of all this should be to us as we think about the Lord Jesus and Mary Christmas and all of his December 25 devotional.

Oswald Chambers said this is Jesus Christ was born into the world and came into history from outside of history did not evolve out of history, our Lord's birth was an advance he did not come from the human race came into the human race from above.

Jesus Christ is not just the best human being there ever was, is a being who cannot be accounted for by the human race at all, is God incarnate, not man becoming God but God coming into human flesh coming into it from the outside is life is the highest and the Holy Ghost, and it entered into humanity at the Lowe's store. Our Lord entered history by the Virgin Mary came into this world from outside of the world and then Chambers makes this point.

Listen carefully, just as our Lord came into human history. From the outside so he must come into us from the outside. Contrary to what many say there is no divine spark in every one of us that just needs to be fanned into a flame. There is there is nothing within us that can ever make us acceptable to God.

The only way we can ever be acceptable to God, is God. From the outside allows his son to come and live within us and here's the remarkable thing as it relates to Mary. Mary was the mother of Jesus, but she Jesus to be her Savior as much as every one of us in this room. In fact, when she was singing the song which we know as the Magnificat that she sign when she met Elizabeth. Here's what she said my soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior is fantastic as this is the Savior who was born in the home of Mary have to be born again in the heart of Mary in the Savior's birth. We celebrate during the season is a Savior who must be borne in our hearts as well. He comes into our hearts. From the outside, and the question I have to ask you today is this, have you invited him to come into your heart and take up his residency with friends. The material that you're listening to why the Nativity is available in a study guide format.

You can get this from our website. It will give you the outlines of all of these Christmas questions. If you're a pastor or a teacher or small group leader.

This is a good way for you to dig into the real meaning of Christmas may not work for you this year because of the timing, but you will have it for the next season and be ready to really celebrate Christmas. According to the Scripture. See you next time right here is message from Shadow Mountain Community Church insignia pasta Jeremiah your story of Turning Point impact on your life right was a Turning Point PO Box 38, San Diego, CA 92163 or visit our website at Jeremiah.old/your company driver 365 day devotional for 2021 for each day of the gift of any amount you can also download the free Turning Point.

My father is not final tablet apps over the keywords Turning Point ministries access to programs and results Jeremiah.will/linear for the child's Gary. Hopefully please join us tomorrow as we continue the series brought the Nativity on Turning Point. Jeremiah said