Dial In with Jonny Ardavanis - Five Hallmarks of the Christmas Spirit Pt. 1

Episode Date: December 8, 2023

In this episode, Jonny Ardavanis examines Mary’s song of praise in the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel. In her song, Mary articulates the proper response that everyone should have to the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Although falsely praised and prayed to in the Roman Catholic tradition, Mary is however, a model of Spirit-filled worship to the One who was born to save His people from their sins. There isn’t a story in all of fiction that is better than the Savior who would come and be born of a teenage girl - the virgin Mary! “My soul magnifies the Lord (Luke 1:46).” - MaryWatch VideosVisit the Website Follow on InstagramFollow on Twitter

Hey folks, my name is Johnny Artavanis and this is Dial-In. I want to mention a couple things before we jump into our episode, the first of which is to wish you a Merry Christmas. We're going to talk more about what that even means in this episode and answer the question, why is Christmas so merry? But secondly, I want to update you on some exciting news in regards to Dial-In Ministries. We've been waiting for our non-profit status to be finalized

and over the next month or so, we are going to receive our status as a 501c3. In doing so, it'll enable us to receive the necessary support to not only continue to do what we are already doing, but to double down on our efforts of producing weekly resources, videos, blogs, and so forth. In the future, the goal is to provide teaching series with adjacent workbooks that walk individuals and small groups through important books, topics, and themes in the scripture. I'm excited for what the Lord has in store for Dial in Ministries in 2024, but I'm ultimately grateful for the opportunity that I already have to study and communicate God's word in my church, Stonebridge Bible Church in Franklin, Tennessee, and to you here who are already listening and you're at cars or headphones and so forth.

Well, in this episode, I want to begin an Advent series wherein we look at a wonderful young woman in the scripture who models for us what Christmas is ultimately all about. With that in mind, let's dial in. Well, Christmas Day is quickly approaching us. Over the next couple of weeks, consumers in the U.S. will spend over $900 billion on the holiday shopping craze. That's close to $1 trillion, which accounts for nearly one-sixth of all yearly retail sales in America. Consumers such as you and I spend this money on our friends, our loved ones, ourselves, but also on our pets. According to one survey, the average American pet receives $50 in gifts. Yes, Tom and Jerry won't be left out this year.

Even dogs and cats get new toys and new outfits. According to PR Newswire, 34% of Americans purchase gifts for their dogs, while 22% purchase gifts for their cats, and only 19% of Americans purchase gifts for their in-laws. The emphasis on giving is visually cued by the appearance of lights and evergreens in our homes and in the spaces and places around us. These remaining days of December mark what are often the coldest and shortest days of the year, but the frigidity of the temperature and the brevity of the days are driven away by the lights being strung in the warmth of what we culturally have come to identify as Christmas cheer,

or some might say the Christmas spirit. The season we find ourself in is one that is often defined by generosity, kindness, and charity. I was watching the Los Angeles Laker game the other day, and in the bottom right corner where the score is highlighted for viewers, there was this branding on the bottom corner. It said the season of giving. And that is what culturally this season is all about. A time to give hugs, give cards, give presents. But we need to ask the question, what is the Christmas season ultimately all about? Obviously, if you've grown up in a Christian home, you know that the point of Christmas is the Christ of Christmas, that Jesus, the son of God, took on flesh. And John 1 14 says, dwelt amongst us and we beheld his Jesus, the Son of God, took on flesh, and John 1.14 says, dwelt amongst us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the Father, full of grace and truth. But

what should our response be to the wonder of the season in which we celebrate Christ's birth and the reason for why he came? Well, to answer that question, I want to look to Luke chapter 1 in the New Testament, and in doing so, I want to look at the greatest of hymns in the New Testament. This hymn is not written by Paul, nor Peter, nor the Apostle John. It is written by a young teenage girl who had just been told by the angel Gabriel that she would give birth to the Savior, Jesus Christ. The opening paragraph of Luke's gospel describes a time of profound darkness for the people of God. It has been over 400 years since they have heard a prophet of God preach.

There were those, of course, as we will soon observe, that worshiped and served God, but typically and generally it was a time of apostasy and spiritual declension. However, in the midst of this time, there was a couple in Luke's gospel named Zacharias and Elizabeth, who are described in Luke chapter 1 verse 6 as two individuals who are both righteous in the sight of God, and they walked blameless in all of the commandments and requirements of the Lord. We read over descriptions of individuals such as these far too casually, but it's worth our consideration. In a time at the beginning of Luke's gospel, where many had turned away towards legalism and self-righteousness and others had turned towards apostasy, here was a couple that was righteous

and blameless. Luke chapter 1 details that this couple was two things. Number one, they were advanced in age, and secondly, they were childless. They were blameless and righteous, it had said. So this barrenness was not a punishment for sin, but rather so that the power and purposes of God might be demonstrated through Elizabeth's advanced age. The term advanced in years details for us that this woman we are presently examining is likely in her 70s.

And yet it says, while Zacharias, her husband, was performing his priestly service before God, he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense. And in verse 11, it says, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. Zacharias was in verse 12 gripped with fear, but the angel says to him, do not be afraid, Zacharias,

for I have heard the petition and your wife, Elizabeth, will have a son and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. And in verse 16, it says, He will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. It is he who will go as a forerunner before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children and the disobedient to the

attitude of the righteous and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Zacharias responds to the angel Gabriel as anyone would in their 70s and 80s and says, how can this be since we are old and advanced in years? And yet his unbelief could not overpower the power of God. It says in Luke chapter one, verse 24, after these things, Elizabeth, his wife became pregnant and she kept herself in seclusion for five months. I provide this context because first of all, it's in the scripture,

but also to draw our attention to the fact that there is not only one miraculous birth in Luke's gospel, but two. And the first of which is with Elizabeth, miraculous birth in Luke's gospel, but two. And the first of which is with Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, and the one whom Jesus will say, of men born of woman, none are greater than John the Baptist. Luke 1.26 continues this marvelous story by detailing that the same angel who appeared to Elizabeth, that being Gabriel, would go in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy to a city in Galilee called Nazareth. It's important to remember that this was and is a real place. I've been there. And the angel Gabriel goes not to a princess engaged to a prince,

but to a poor girl engaged to a lowly carpenter. She was not advanced in years like Elizabeth, but was likely between the ages of 13 and 15 years old. And yet, as we will observe, her lack of age is contrasted by her advanced maturity and love for God. The account that follows you are likely familiar with. The angel greets Mary by telling her that she is favored by the Lord. Verse 29 of Luke 1 says, but she was very perplexed at this statement and kept pondering what kind of greeting this was. Of course, Mary was perplexed. I want you to imagine a young teenage girl in your mind and to consider their perplexity that would grip them

if the angel of the Lord has showed up in your house and told your daughter greetings favored one. Gabriel responds by saying, the angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall name him Jesus. And he will be great and will be called the son of the most high. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. And his kingdom will have no end. Mary said to the angel, how can this be since I am a virgin?

The angel answered and said to her, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you. And for that reason, the holy child shall be called the son of God. And behold, even your relative, Elizabeth, has also conceived a son in her age. And she who also was barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing will be impossible with God. And Mary said, Behold, the bond slave of the

Lord, may it be done to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. It says in the verses to follow that Mary left immediately for the hill country to the city of Judah. This was roughly an 18-mile journey, but Mary would have departed in haste for several reasons. First of which, who was going to believe Mary that a child was miraculously conceived within her womb? The penalty for adultery was significant. Deuteronomy 22 called not only for divorce in such circumstances and the breaking off of a betrothal, but for execution. Would she be stoned? Would she be an outcast? All of these thoughts would have surely swirled around in her mind. Who is possibly going to believe that this child is begotten by God? Who is going to believe that the angel Gabriel appeared to a young teenage girl

and told her that she is going to be the virgin mother of the savior of the world. Well, there was only one woman that was going to definitely believe her. It was a relative of hers. It's Elizabeth, who had six months beforehand been told by the same angel that she would miraculously bear the forerunner of the Messiah. So Elizabeth knew that the miracle child within her womb would be the messenger that would make way for the Messiah, the child, the boy that was to be born within the womb of Mary. So Mary makes haste to the house of Elizabeth. And when meeting her and greeting her, it says that the baby within Elizabeth's womb leaped for joy.

And although Elizabeth was four times the age of Mary, she asks in humility in Luke 1, 43, How has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. Mary likely spends the next number of months, not only with her literal relative, but with a spiritual auntie, an older woman who had lived a blameless and righteous life. And now in the company of each other, these first time mothers would spend their pregnancy together, learning, relying and growing in the Lord. Now, after being greeted by Elizabeth, Mary bursts forth

with praise. I want to examine the thrust of her song that she sings or the hymn that she writes for the remainder of this episode. But before we dive more deeply, I want to say one thing. There are nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics in the world today. And there are thousands upon thousands of churches that exalt and magnify the teenage girl that gives birth to the Savior. There are figurines, statues, necklaces, because Roman Catholics believe that Jesus was born to a woman who was a perpetual virgin, that Mary lived a sinless life, and because of her sinless life, she never died, but ascended to heaven like Jesus, which is called the Assumption of Mary. Catholics now believe

that Mary is the Queen of Heaven and reigns with her son Jesus as the co-redeemer. In his Ineffabilis Deus in 1854, Pope Pius IX established as doctrine the immaculate conception of Mary when he said, Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, conceived without original sin, and since she has been appointed by God to be the Queen of Heaven and Earth, and is exalted above the choirs of angels and saints, and even stands at the right hand of her only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. She presents our petitions in a most efficacious manner. What she asks, she obtains. Her pleas can never be unheard. For this reason, Catholics pray to Mary, believing her to bend the arm and incline the ear of an otherwise busy God. Maybe you've heard the prayer that's called the Hail Mary. Catholics pray, Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Now, as a reaction to this false and unbiblical and heretical view of the person and function of Mary, we may be inclined to not look with necessary intentionality at what is a truly remarkable woman. Catholics convolute who Mary really is. And as we will see here in the scripture, Mary is not someone to be worshipped. She is herself a worshipper. She is not someone to be prayed to. She is someone who models what it looks like to pray to God, the savior of the world, and

to burst forth with praise. It's remarkable that this teenage girl who is in frightening circumstances and in a shocking situation chooses not only to trust God, but to worship him through song. What follows in Luke chapter 1 for Mary is an explosion of praise. And in her song that she sings, known as Mary's Magnificat, in Luke chapter 1 verses 46 through 55, Mary models what the Christmas spirit truly is. In her singing, we see five hallmarks of the Christmas season. Those are that Mary is, first of all, full of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, she is full of worship. Third, she is full of humility. Fourth, she is full of joy. And fifth, she is filled with gratitude. I want to look first

with you at the reality that Mary is full of the Holy Spirit. Now, where do we see this in Luke's gospel? Well, we know that the angel Gabriel promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon her in Luke 1, verse 35, in regards to the conception of the Messiah within her womb. But the response of her heart to what God is doing produces an awareness of God's spirit in her life. Mary says in Luke 1, verse 46 and 47, My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. Mary says in Luke chapter 1 verse 46 and 47, Of course, this entire hymn of praise is an outburst of the Holy Spirit's working in her heart and mind. But we see the evidence of the Spirit's working in Mary's life, not just in the style of her response, that being song, but in the substance of what she says. Nearly every word

that flows from this young teenage girl is a direct quote from other portions of scripture. Do you want to know if someone is filled with the Spirit of God? It's whether or not they're filled with God's Word. Spurgeon used to say that John Bunyan, the great author of The Pilgrim's Progress, was so spirit-filled and so word-saturated that if you pricked him, he would bleed, bibline. He was filled with the truth of God's word, and consequently, he was filled with God's spirit. And so is the mother of our Lord, the teenage girl, Mary. I want you to observe as what Mary says in her hymn of praise is a mere reflection of the truth that she had learned upon her mother's knee that was directly from the Old Testament. Mary says in Luke 1, 46,

This is a quote from Psalm 34, verse 2, which says, In verse 47, Mary says, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. This echoes the words of Isaiah 45, verse 21, which says, In verse 48, Mary says, For he has had regard for the lowly state of his bond slave. And we read in Psalm 136, verse 23, that God remembers us in our low estate. In verse 49, Mary says,

for the mighty one has done great things for me. And in Psalm 126, verse three, it says the Lord has done great things for me. In Luke 1, 49, Mary says, holy is his name. And in Psalm 111, verse nine, the psal Mary says, holy is his name. And in Psalm 111 verse nine, the psalmist says, holy is his name. In verse 50, Mary says, his mercy is upon generation after generation. That's a direct quote from Psalm 103 verse 17, which says that God's mercy is upon generation after generation. Mary is with her relative Elizabeth, who is advanced in years, but the distinctive gap in age is bridged when both parties are full of the Spirit as a result of being full

of God's Word. Mary likely couldn't read. She didn't have her own Bible, but what is obvious to us here is that Mary had likely grown up in a home that honors God and in a synagogue that prioritizes his word, and it had become the conviction of her own heart. When Mary begins to worship, she draws from the wells of her heart, and when she speaks, she speaks scripture. Mary is not someone to be worshiped, but what she is is an example and embodiment of Colossians 3.16, which says, Let the word of Christ dwell within you richly, with all psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your heart to God.

Jesus says in Matthew 12, Out of the heart the mouth speaks. And when Mary both speaks and sings, she pours forth scriptures because that is what is within her heart because she is filled with God's spirit. So first of which, Mary is full of the spirit of God. Secondly, she is full of worship. Mary begins her psalm of praise by saying, my soul will magnify the Lord. Now listen, you and I cannot make God any bigger or greater than he already is. But Mary is determined with everything in her to elevate the name of God. Mary has a towering view of God because she has, although young in years, discovered the infinite worth of God himself.

The word for magnify is megaluno. It means to make great. And here that is Mary's desire to make great the name of God. There is nothing passive about her worship. It is intentional and intense. Worship is not lethargic. It is passionate and true worship begins with a high view of God. Truly, if you were to boil it all down and ask the question, what is the Christmas season all about? The answer would be simple. It's worship. Mary knew that the one within her womb was the savior of the world. She says so explicitly in Luke chapter one, verse 47. In Matthew's account of the angel appearing to Mary, Gabriel tells Mary that she will name the boy Jesus because he will save his people from their sin. Mary is worshiping God because as a sinner, she is thrilled that God would save her. She is not sinless. She is a sinner and she recognizes her need for a savior and God's provision of a savior. And so she responds appropriately with worship. This is the response of every single person who basks in the wonder of the incarnation. To worship someone is

to ascribe worth to them, and Mary, far from drawing attention to herself, deflects and directs all the attention towards God, who is unraveling his sovereign plan. Worship is the appropriate response to all those who understand what Christmas really is. In Luke chapter 2 verse 20, the shepherds respond in worship. In Luke chapter 2 verse 38, the prophetess Anna responds in worship. In Matthew chapter 2 verse 2, the magi ask the question, where's the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. They do so when they see Jesus in Matthew 2 11. It says they bowed down and worshiped him. Even Herod, the wicked king, says report back to me once you find the boy so that I too may go and worship him. The only logical response to the greatness of God and the arrival of the newborn king is worship.

Mary worships because of the stunning reality of verse 48. Mary says, For he has had regard for the humble state of his bond slave. And then in verse 50, Mary says, Mary understood something that God is upon generation after generation. Mary understood something that God is not only a great and sovereign king. He was a merciful and is a merciful and tender hearted God. He has regard for this young woman, Mary, because he has regard for all of his creatures.

This is who he has been for generations past. And this is who he will be for all generations to come. Mary says his mercy is upon generation after generation, and his mercy is made manifest in the person of Jesus Christ, who is within Mary's womb. Malachi 3.6 says, I, the Lord, do not change. Mary knew this. God was and is at his core a merciful God. Starting in Luke 1, verse 51 and through verse 55, Mary seven times will declare what God has done.

She is looking back on the faithfulness, provision, kindness, and love of God and bursts forth with praise. Her life has been brief up to this point, but the experience of God's people through all the ages has resounded one theme. Our God is great, and he is worthy of our worship. But the experience of God's people through all the ages has resounded one theme. Our God is great, and he is worthy of our worship. Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. And Mary understood that elation in knowing God begins with the exaltation of his name in worship.

Mary is a young girl, but she is one who is filled with the Spirit. And the most obvious thing that strikes us is that this girl is much like any other girl, yet she has discovered God's amazing grace. Today, teenagers ask, does God really care about me? Does He know I exist? Does He have a purpose for my life? And Mary, the mother of Jesus, was beginning to know the answer, not only for her, but for all of God's children. And the answer is yes, he does have a plan. He has regard for those who are lowly

and for that reason, Mary worships God. Back to our original question, what is Christmas all about? Well, it's about worship. And if you miss this, you missed the point. What often gets lost in the hustle and bustle of presents, parties, and holiday plans is that in order to worship, we must slow down. Contemplation comes before worship. And as Mary considers what God has done and thinks about the reality that the Son of God was in her womb, she can't help but sing to God. Can I ask you something? Is there any place in your holiday calendar that you have personally set aside for a time to worship God? This Christmas,

you will prepare room in your budgets for holiday gifts and presents. You will prepare room in your house for seasonal decor. You will prepare room in your schedule for holiday parties and events. But Isaac Watts once gave us this reminder in the hymn, Joy to the World. He said, let every heart prepare him room. It's easy for Christ to get pushed to the corner of Christmas, but have you prepared room for the Savior of the world in your heart? Mary responds with worship, but that is only possible because she had prepared him room there in her heart. Now, if Jesus was to evaluate your wallets, your purses, your calendars, and your heart today, and in this season, would he be able to say, yes, I am the reason for the season in their life?

It's one thing to say with our lips. It's an entirely other thing to express with our lives and with our hearts. I said that there are five hallmarks that Mary exhibits in regards to modeling what the Christmas season is all about, and there are. We've examined two thus far, and we will look at the third, fourth, and fifth in our following episode. They're too important and too prevalent to survey quickly here, so we'll have to look forward to our next episode. They're too important and too prevalent to survey quickly here. So we'll have to look forward to our next episode. Until next time, I hope you stay dialed in.