Sunday
12/19/21 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “Jesus’ Aunt Elizabeth” (“A Real Advent and A Real Christmas!” Series: Part 4 of 5)
Old Testament Scripture: Micah 5:2-5a
New Testament
Scripture: Hebrews 10:5-10
Gospel Lesson: Luke 1:39-45
Today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent.
Today, we have lit the love candle, as we are reminded of the love in God,
through Jesus Christ. As many of us know, I have been preaching a sermon series
the past few weeks called “A Real Advent and A Real Christmas!” Initially when
I planned this sermon series, I was hoping that we would be much further along
with this pandemic than we are now.
Even though this COVID-19 Pandemic has
persisted though, we are still having “A Real Advent,” and we will soon have “A
Real Christmas,” as we are all still here. We are alive, we are all here, and
we are all living through this time. As a result, we can wake up every day,
Lord willing, awaiting the memory of the birth of Christ, we can invite Christ
anew into our hearts daily, as we await the return of Jesus Christ to earth.
As we all know, we have been living
through this pandemic for two years now, and now recently our country crossed
the 800,000 deaths from COVID mark. How do we encounter Christ, love each other
more fully, and continue the mission of the church through times such as these?
In the first week of this sermon series, I talked
about how we will celebrate the memory of Jesus’ birth soon, how we are called to
invite him into our hearts daily, as we await his return.
In the second week of this sermon
series, I encouraged us all to continue to love and live like Jesus Christ. Our
Christian faith is connected to Christ, not just an institution. Sometimes
people fail, sometimes institutions hurt and harm others, but Christ never fails.
When the church looks like Jesus, the church is flourishing. People need that
love, that hope, that care, now more than ever. This is how we live our church’s
mission, especially through COVID.
Last week, I talked about if we were
to create a perfect person to make this world perfect, what would that person
look like? Would we pick a superhero or a military general? What if the Messiah,
the savior would, conquered the world with love, not the sword? Jesus came to
die on a cross for our sins, so that we might see heaven one day. Yet, Jesus
brought heaven to us here on earth, in the sense that we know him. Jesus came
to change us mind, heart, body, and soul. We can be changed here on earth, as we
live, love, and serve like him. We do not need to have faith in Christ only to go
to heaven, but faith in Christ also changes us here on earth, as well. We can daily
become more perfected in love, hope, kindness, and mercy. Jesus came to
transform us in the here and the now, and the world in the here and the now. When
we respond to Christ, we inherit God’s kingdom here on earth, and the one to
come in heaven.
This morning however, I am talking
about Jesus’ Aunt Elizabeth. Some people might think they come from holy families.
Well Mary is going to give birth to Jesus, and her cousin Elizabeth is going to
give birth to John the Baptist. John the Baptist will prepare the way for Jesus
and will even baptize Jesus. Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah is a holy man of
God. That is a pretty holy family.
As it turns out Elizabeth and Zechariah were getting
older and were worried that Elizabeth could not have another child. The Angel
Gabriel then appeared to Zechariah, as he did to Mary and Joseph. The Angel
Gabriel told Zechariah that Elizabeth will have a child, but Zechariah does not
believe the Angel Gabriel. As a result, Zechariah loses his ability to speak
for the duration of Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist.
So, Zechariah could not talk for the
full nine months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. The fact that Zechariah could not
talk for nine months during Elizabeth’s pregnancy could have been great news
for Elizabeth, but who knows!
This morning my sermon title then is
called “Jesus’ Aunt Elizabeth,” as many believe that Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin.
Sometimes I think of Elizabeth and Mary’s aunt, as she was much older than
Elizabeth. Whether Elizabeth was Mary’s aunt or cousin, they were definitely related.
This is why my sermon title is called once again, “Jesus’ Aunt Elizabeth.” It
also makes me wonder if Elizabeth visited Jesus after his birth, and if her and
Zechariah watched Jesus grow up?
What is also interesting about today’s
gospel lesson from the Luke 1:39-45, is that Mary seems to know about Elizabeth’s
pregnancy with John the Baptist, but we have no reason to believe that Elizabeth
knew anything about Mary’s pregnancy. What is also amazing about our gospel
lesson for this morning, is that a pregnant Elizabeth has John the Baptist in
her womb, as Mary has Jesus in her womb. So as Mary and her cousin Elizabeth
are talking, John the Baptist is facing Jesus, as they are both in the womb.
Speaking of Jesus, our reading for
this morning from the Old Testament Prophet Micah, reminds of who this Jesus,
our savior will be. It says once again in Micah 5:2:
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of
the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one
who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is
from of old, from ancient days (Mic. 5:2, NRSV).
Jesus, who is in Mary’s womb will come forth to transform the world.
In our reading from the Book of Hebrews 10:5-10 once again,
we are reminded of Jesus in Hebrews 10:10 once again:
10 And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Jesus will die for us
all, but this morning he is a baby in the whom, like his cousin John the
Baptist is.
Once
again, what is the encounter with Mary and Elizabeth like that occurred this
morning? In looking again in our reading from Luke 1:39-45 it says once again:
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (Lk. 1:39-41, NRSV).
So, Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth and her
husband Zechariah. Mary knew that Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist,
but we have no indication that Elizabeth knew that Mary was pregnant with
Jesus. I would certainly think that John the Baptist inside of Elizabeth’s womb
would also not know that Mary was pregnant with Jesus. Yet, John the Baptist,
the scripture says, leaped in his mother Elizabeth’s womb. I wonder if this was
good news or not for Elizabeth’s body. Not only this, but Elizabeth was also
filled with the Holy Spirit. It is as if the power and the majesty of Jesus Christ
was so apparent that even in Mary’s womb, John the Baptist recognized Christ inside
of Elizabeth’s womb. Further, Elizabeth knew right away as well, as the scripture
says that she was filled with the Holy Spirt.
The gospel of Luke reading for this
morning concludes once again, with Elizabeth speaking. This is what it says:
42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord” (Lk. 1:42-45, NRSV).
The power, the majesty, and the love of Jesus Christ, as
this is the Sunday of the candle of love, is so significant that John the Baptist
in the womb of Elizabeth, and even Elizabeth herself recognize Jesus
immediately. I have to believe then that to have encountered Christ in the
flesh, must have been an amazing thing. To look into his eyes, to see him as
fully God and fully human. Well, how powerful is this? Well powerful enough to
make a baby leap in the womb, and powerful enough to make his mother Elizabeth
know immediately that the baby in Mary’s womb was Jesus.
In this season of “A Real Advent and A Real Christmas,” how
are we seeing signs of Jesus Christ? How are we seeing Jesus, his love, his
hope, and his joy amidst this great pandemic? How are we sharing the love of
Christ, and seeing the love of Christ in others?
Just because we are two
years into this pandemic during this “Real Advent and Real Christmas,” does not
mean that Jesus is not present. I mean after all, John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s
womb recognized him immediately this morning. How are we seeing and acknowledging
Christ then, and how are we seeing Christ in others during this “Real Advent
and Real Christmas”? Pandemic or no pandemic Christ is alive, alive in us, and
alive in Mary’s womb. Come Lord Jesus! Amen.
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