The Apostles' Creed, part 2

Introduction
A few year ago, I had a church member tell me how much he appreciated reciting the Apostles' Creed in church each Sunday.  You see, he didn't grow up in a Methodist church, but a little country church and they didn't say the creed.  And when he came to the Methodist church, he was skeptical of what seemed like a unnecessarily formal ritual.  But after a a while, he asked his young daughter what Christians believe and she recited to him the Apostles' Creed.  And man told me, "I get it now."

The Apostles' Creed is a beautiful and succinct summary of the basic Christians faith--what we believe.  It’s important to know, everything in the Creed is based on Scripture.  Now, you can't look up the Apostle's Creed and find it in the Bible.  But all the principles it teach are in the Word.  And that's why we believe it.  

Matthew 16:13-17
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”[a]
14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah,[b] the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John,[c] because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.

Ephesians 1:4-5
Scripture tells us that God sent Jesus to save and perfect His children.  Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.”

Who is Jesus?  If a person stopped you on the street and asked, “Who is Jesus?”  What would you say?  What would you say if they asked you what He did?  Perhaps you would be at a loss about what to say, but you don’t have to be, because we recite who Jesus is and what He did every Sunday in our Apostle’s Creed.  Say it with me:

The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord: 
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended to the dead;
the third day He rose from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead...

The Creed (founded upon Scripture) tells us who Jesus is and what He did:
“He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary…”

You know the Christmas story.  God sent the angel Gabriel to appear to Mary.  In Luke 1:34-35 it says, Mary asked the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.”  The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.”

Jesus is special.  He was part of God’s plan to save us from the beginning.  He is the Son of God.  He is the product of a miraculous birth. He is the fulfillment of a multitude of prophecies given hundreds of years ahead of time. 

Yet He was also born as a helpless baby to a very human mother.  He was flesh and blood. 
He had to grow up like us.  He had to learn.  He felt emotions, got his feelings hurt, felt hunger, got tired, cried real tears and shed real blood.  Hebrews 2:17 says, “It was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God.”

Jesus also suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.

Pilate – Pilate was the Roman governor in charge of Jerusalem when Jesus was arrested.
Matthew 27:1-2 – “Very early in the morning, the leading priests and other leaders met again to discuss how to persuade the Roman government to sentence Jesus to death. Then they bound him and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.”  [A real person…  Seat in Caesarea Philippi…]

Suffered – John 19:1-3 – “Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on his head, and they put a royal purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, and they hit him with their fists.”

Crucified – John 19:17-18 – “Carrying the cross by himself, Jesus went to the place called Skull Hill (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they crucified him.”

Buried – Mark 15:46 – “Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth, and taking Jesus’ body down from the cross, he wrapped it in the cloth and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance.”
These are real places.  These are not just stories.  These events really happened.  Jesus is a real man who went through utter agony and paid the ultimate price for you and me!

Descended to the Dead - Not all denomination say this one; there are various interpretations and some choose to leave it out.  But this concept is also in Scripture.  In 1 Peter 3:18-20 it says, "Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.  So he went and preached to the spirits in prison—those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat."

And 1 Peter 4:6 — “For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead…”
(See also Acts 2:2, 31; Ephesians 4:8-10; and Romans 10:6-7)

There are differing interpretations on why Jesus descended to the dead and what it means.  I find comfort in thinking that it means even those who lived and died before Christ's atoning sacrifice had a chance to hear His message and be saved and Christ personally took them the message.

On the Third Day, He rose from the dead.  When the Jesus’ followers came to the tomb to put spices on his body in Luke 24:5-6, the angels said, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead!

Thousands, if not millions, of people visit this tomb every year.  Jesus is still not there.  I’ve been there and I’ve seen it and I can testify.  The tomb is empty; Jesus is risen!  I know He is risen, because I talked to Him just this morning!

We believe in a Lord who has authority over everything—even death.  When you begin to worry that your problems are too big, remember you believe in Jesus Christ who rose from the grave!  He can overcome any problem you face—even death.  

He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

It was important for Jesus to return to heaven.  It tells us that His home is heaven.  Jesus has taken His rightful place on the heavenly throne.  We too should set our sights on our Heavenly Home and think not only of this world.  For even if we suffer and die here (as Christ did), our true Home is in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus’ ascension to heaven also tells us that we have a job to do here on earth.  If Jesus wanted to do all the work, He would have stayed until all the work was done.  He ascended to heaven so we would have a chance to do some of the work ourselves.  Though Jesus empowers us and helps us to accomplish his plans, we are the ones who have to act as his hands and feet.  We are his body.  If we don’t act as Jesus to this world, no one will.

Acts 1:11b say, “Someday, just as you saw him go, [Jesus] will return!”  One of the fundamental beliefs of our faith laid down in the Bible is that Jesus is going to come back to judge the living and the dead.  One day, all people will be held accountable for their actions.  Therefore, it would be wise for us to live a life of godly service, doing as much good as we can with what we have in the time we have left. 

Say it again with me:
We believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: 
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended to the dead;
the third day He rose from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

Salvation Comes from Jesus
Do you truly believe?  Reciting the words doesn’t save you. Only a personal relationship with Jesus based on true faith saves you.  It is when your eyes are suddenly opened and you realize, “Oh my!  Jesus really does want to save me!  He really did suffer and die for me.  He was whipped for my transgressions.  He was punished for my disobedience.  He bled to wash away my sins!  He died for me!  And on the third day, He rose from the grave.  He ascended to heaven and one day He’s going to come back for me and I want to be ready!” 

When you realize that, repent, and you pray in your heart, “Lord, I believe in You and I want You to save me!  Forgive me!  Help me to live the way You want me to live!  Be the Lord and Savior of my life!” Then, you will be saved. 

#5 Mary, Mother of the Messiah

Introduction
[Click here to listen to the podcast]

Of the 40 generations of men in Jesus family tree listed in Matthew 1:1-16, only five women are named.  It’s amazing any women are named at all, since the patriarchal custom of the biblical writers was to omit women.  So, the fact that these five particular women are named is a clue there’s something very special about them and we need to pay close attention.  And yet, these five heroines of our faith are not famous for the things you would think.  Every one of their situations was scandalous in some way or another.

Tamar was impregnated by her father-in-law. Yet she was also wise and cunning. She sensed God’s hand at work in the family of Judah’s and was willing to do anything to be part of it.

Rahab was a Canaanite prostitute who grasped her chance to break free from sin and destruction by professing her faith in God and joining His holy people.

Ruth was a destitute foreign refugee who clung to God and His people and found redemption.

Bathsheba had an affair with the king and lost her child, but she became a queen who advocated for the oppressed and powerless.

Today, we will consider the best-known of the five women in Jesus genealogy—Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Matthew 1:16-25

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

¹⁷ All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

¹⁸ This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Joseph

Joseph is not Jesus' biological father.  However, the Gospel of Matthew spends 16 verses telling us Jesus' lineage through Joseph. What does that say?  One thing it says is Joseph adopted Jesus as his very own son.  Joseph treated Jesus as his flesh and blood and there was no distinction in his heart or mind that Jesus wasn't his actual son, even though the relationship wasn't biological.  How many have known this special adoptive love that treats one as a son and daughter by choice?  Think about it:  most people do not get to choose their parents.  You are born and your biological father and mother are who they are, like it or not.  And parents are compelled by the laws of nature to love their biological children.  On the other hand, adoption is an actual choice.  An adoptive parent chooses to accept and love their adopted child.  Nature does not require it.  And it is a very special kind of love when someone chooses to adopt a child who is not their biological son or daughter.  The same could be true for step parents who chose to love their step children as their very own.

It is worth noting here the situation into which Jesus was to be born.  Jesus, the most important man who ever lived, who is the Son of God, was born in need of adoption.  He grew up in the home of a father who was not related by blood.  Mary was his mother, but Joseph was under no obligation whatsoever to accept Jesus.  Yet Joseph chose to adopt God’s Only Begotten Son as his own.

But what of Mary? Who is she?

Mary, the Mother of Jesus

Mary has been famous to Christians for 2,000 years.  She is so integral to our faith she is named in the Apostles’ Creed, “We believe in Jesus Christ… who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary…” Some people admire Mary so much they treat her like a goddess, even praying to her. Who is this fascinating mother?

The Bible does not focus on Mary.  After the stories of Jesus’ conception and birth, Mary is only mentioned 12 more times.  Mary is there in the background throughout the story of the New Testament, but never as the focus.  The focus is always on Christ—the Son of God, the Savior of the world.  Even so, Mary is there at the birth, she is there in the midst of Jesus’ ministry (struggling to understand like the rest of us).  She is there at the cross as her son dies, at the tomb when he rose from the grave, and she continues to help lead the church with the Disciples in the Book of Acts after Christ ascended to heaven.

There is absolutely no description in the Bible of what Mary looked like or how she dressed.  In our world today, we are very focused on how women look, what clothes and makeup they wear, hairstyles, body image, etc.  However, the Bible mentions nothing about Mary’s appearance.  That tells us these physical things were not important.  Maybe they shouldn’t be as important to us either.  From God’s perspective (the perspective that really matters) true beauty has nothing to do with physical appearance or fashion.  The true beauty of a woman comes from the way she responds to God. 

Mary would have been a young girl when the angel Gabriel came to her (probably only about 12 or 13 years old) .  That was the age most first century girls were offered for marriage in Galilee.  Mary was engaged, so we know she was of age.  What do you think of when you think of Mary?  You might think of a young woman just out of college between the ages of 20-30 years old because that’s the typical age women get married in our culture.  Let me blow your mind a bit.  My daughter, Abigail turns 13 in one month.  Right now, Abigail is the age Mary would have been when she became pregnant with the Son of God.

Mary was engaged to Joseph. She was an ordinary girl looking forward to marriage and a normal life, but the angel’s visit changed her life forever.  Mary was afraid and troubled by Gabriel. She never expected the incredible news she would have a child or that her son would be the Messiah. Although she couldn’t comprehend how she would conceive the Savior, she responded to God with belief and obedience.

Although it was a huge honor to be chosen by God, her calling would demand great suffering.  Just as there is pain in childbirth and motherhood, there would be much pain in the privilege of being the mother of the Messiah.  Mary was a willing servant. She trusted God and she obeyed His call.

The angel told Mary in Luke 1:28 that she was highly favored by God. This means Mary was given a large portion of grace or "undeserved favor" from God. Even with God's favor, Mary would still suffer much. Though she has come to be  highly honored as the mother of the Savior, she would first know disgrace as an unwed mother.  She almost lost her fiancé.  Risked being stoned to death (the penalty for pregnancy out of wedlock in her time).  Her precious child would grow up to be rejected and cruelly murdered.  Mary's submission to God's plan would cost her dearly, but she was willing to be God's servant.  Mary was a woman of rare faith and obedience.

Misunderstandings

We are deeply in debt to Mary.  Her willing obedience to God brought the Savior into our world.  It's no wonder that people for thousands of years have sought to honor Mary, the mother of the Messiah.  Unfortunately, there is something in human nature that leads people to idolize and worship those we especially admire. 

Some venerate Mary as divine.  They even say Mary—like Jesus—never sinned (a doctrine known as The Immaculate Conception).  The Bible never says Mary was without sin.  To the contrary, the Bible tells us in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.”  Every person who ever lived has sinned at some point—including Mary.  Furthermore, we see that Mary struggled to understand Jesus’ ministry just like his Disciples.  At one point in the Gospels, Mary shows up along with her other sons and attempts to take Jesus home with her because they thought he was crazy (Mark 3:21, 31).  She didn't understand.  You seen, Mary was not perfect.  She was a sinner in need of God’s grace and salvation just like you and me.  2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”  It is through Jesus Christ that Mary is saved—just like you and me.

Conclusion

What do you see when you think of Mary?  You may be tempted to picture the perfect women portrayed in the porcelain nativity scene sculpted by an artist.  Is that the real Mary?  Is that who you think you need to emulate?

I urge you not to turn Mary into some mythical figure.  Let her be the real girl she was in the Gospel.  The real story is much more compelling than the myth.  Mary was young, poor, and female in a time when women were not highly regarded.  She was a real mother who faced real challenges.  She had no special powers or abilities that you don’t have.  All she had was a willing and obedient heart.  God saw her faith and obedience and He helped her succeed.  You don’t have to be perfect for God to choose you or help you—you just need to be willing and obey.

Mary was like so many mothers.  She was there in the background the whole time nurturing, supporting, and encouraging.  She had too much to do and never enough time to do it.  She wasn't a super mom; she was just a regular person depending on God to help her through.  She was not the central character in the story, but that’s OK.  She never needed the focus to be on her.  To the contrary, she must have recognized as she came to understand more fully who her son was that the focus should always be on him instead of her.  Jesus is Lord, not Mary.  Jesus is the Savior, not Mary.  Jesus is the one who takes away our sins, who answers our prayers, who directs our path. 

I think it would disturb Mary if we spent too much time honoring her.  She would say, “Why are you giving me all this attention?  Don’t look to me!  Don’t worship me! I’m just a person like you.  Please! Please, look at my Son over there!  Isn’t he wonderful?”  Oh that we all had that attitude.  This life is not about us!  It is about Christ! “Turn your eyes upon Jesus!  Look full in his wonderful face and the ting of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace!”

And Mary’s life encourages us to be the best we can be—not because she was perfect, but—because she was just an ordinary girl.  You don’t have to be perfect or even special to make a difference.  Mary was just an ordinary young girl who was willing to be the mother God wanted her to be.  Are you willing to obey God’s plan for your life?  Do you trust God to take what you have to offer and use it for the glory of His Kingdom?  That’s the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus.