(Pastors Notes) “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Savior” Part 1: Mary

“Ordinary People, Extraordinary Savior” Part 1

• Have you ever noticed that when God writes a story, He rarely starts with the people we would pick?
• If wewere choosing the people surrounding the birth of the Son of God—the Savior of the world—we would probably form a committee, look for impressive résumés, find someone with influence, maturity, experience, and a platform. We would look to Jerusalem—the center of power—not Nazareth, a tiny, overlooked village no one cared about.
• But God delights in starting His greatest works in the most ordinary places… through the most ordinary people.
• And that is exactly where our story begins, because the miracle of Christmas is not just that God came to us, but that He chooses to work through people who never imagined they would be chosen—people like Mary… and people like us.
• Mary wasn’t extraordinary.
  Jesus was.
  But when an ordinary life is placed in the hands of an extraordinary Savior—everything changes.

So today, as we look at her story, we’re really looking at how God meets ordinary people with extraordinary grace… and what He can do through a heart that is willing to trust Him.

(26) In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, (27) to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. (28) Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! ” (29) Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. (30) “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! (31) You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. (32) He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. (33) And he will reign over Israel  forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (34) Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” (35) The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. (36) What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. (37) For nothing is impossible with God. ” (38) Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Luke 1:26-38 – NLT

1. God’s Chooses us: Mary was favored not for her status but for her heart of obedience. unlike this worlds race to be the best. to be the most qualified candidate for a job or position.  Mary was not chosen for her moral excellence or good works. God simply knew the position of Mary’s heart. that she would do his will.

• its not about qualifications but having a heart obedience.
• God looks throughout the earth for those whose hearts are toward him.
• consider David chosen by God to be king of Israel. his brothers were, by all measure outwardly more qualified. but Again in this passage it says God looks at the heart.

Application: where is your heart focused today? does it flinch at hearing the challenge of obedience and following Gods ways. does it look for shortcuts and ways to get around doing what you should? Some say God knows my when the question is do we know his heart?

• i think if we really knew his heart toward us it would fill us with great joy like Mary.
• She did not see Gods call on her life as a burden but as a blessing.

Transition: However sometimes we can feel alone if we are the only Christian in our class or at work or even in our family. We want to share but we don’t want to get in an argument. We want them to know Jesus but just feel like the odd person.. so what do we do?   Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth

(39) A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town (40) where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. (41) At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. (42) Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. (43) Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? (44) When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. (45) You are blessed because you

believed that the Lord would do what he said.” (46) Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. (47)  How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! (48)  For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. (49)  For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. (50)  He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. (51)  His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. (52)  He has brought down princes from their thrones and

exalted the humble. (53)  He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. (54)  He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. (55)  For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.” (56) Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.
Luke 1:39-56 – NLT.

3. We are not on our own? I have read this passage many times. what i was most struck with this time was the relief that Mary must have felt when Her cousin confirmed what God was doing with Mary. It wasn’t just being affirmed that she was on the right track. it was this overwhelming sense that she wasn’t alone.

One of the hardest things about being a Christian is that you can feel it just you against the world. That your kind of on your own. But when you connect to a church family that sees the world as you do that is also dedicated to serving the Lord that is supportive of your call. well that changes things.

Transition: So Mary obeys.
She surrenders.
She steps into a calling that is costly, risky, and completely beyond her understanding.

And then something beautiful happens, she goes to Elizabeth, and for the first time she realizes she’s not alone. God has surrounded her with confirmation, community, and encouragement. Her faith is strengthened… and it breaks out into worship.

But Mary’s song isn’t just a moment of praise, it’s a declaration of hope.

Because Mary understands something we often forget:
If God is faithful in the beginning of the story, He will be faithful at the end of the story.

Her Magnificat doesn’t just celebrate what God is doing in her—it looks ahead to what God will one day do for the whole world.
She is carrying the One who will turn everything right-side up again.

And that leads us into our final truth today:

4 . In the end God will right every wrong. we live in a world were human beings try to bring about some perfect world,, some utopia by means of ideas we think are new but are just the same old ideas repackaged. or we We think we will make a more perfect world by inventing new things like AI what could go wrong?

 this song that Mary wrote in response to Elizabeth is known as the Magnificat.  in the style of the Psalms Mary’s hope is the same as all of hopes . We believe that one Day God will carry out judgement and lift up the righteous and reward those who follow him and that everything that is wrong and evil and destructive will be undone.