Prepare for God’s Promise
with Rev. Laura Sherwood
December 8, 2024
God doesn’t call us because of our abilities but because of our availability. When we open our hearts to God’s work, the extraordinary becomes possible.
The Scripture
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Luke 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”
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Prepare for God’s Promise
We are in a beloved season when we re-tell the Christmas Story in worship, in our Bible studies and classes, and in our special music offerings. Many of us also have the joy of sharing this story with the children in our lives. So, when you think of the Christmas story, where does it begin? Perhaps you picture Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem or the angelic announcement to the shepherds. Others might go back further to Gabriel’s astonishing message to Mary or even to Zechariah and Elizabeth, whose prayers for a child were answered in the birth of John the Baptist. Each moment is a thread in the larger tapestry of God’s work—a story that calls us to prepare, to trust, and to believe in the fulfillment of God’s promises. At its best, it is a story that involves us and our availability to how God’s spirit might work through us, ordinary people, to help the world prepare for the birth of Emmanuel, God With Us.
In today’s Scripture passages, Mary and John the Baptist embody this call to prepare. Mary’s response to Gabriel’s life-altering news and John’s voice crying out in the wilderness both show us that preparation for God’s promise isn’t about having every answer or seeing the full picture. It’s about trusting God’s faithfulness even when the way forward is unknown and being open to God’s Spirit working with our own.
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Hope and Peace in Advent
Last week we began the season of Advent, which is a season of preparation, by lighting the first candle of Advent—the candle of hope— to remind us of the promise that God is faithful. Hope sustains us in the waiting, whether we are Zechariah and Elizabeth longing for a child, Mary waiting to see how God’s plan unfolds, or a church discerning its future in a season of transition.
Today, we lit the second candle, the candle of peace. Peace that is more than the absence of conflict; but a sense of wholeness and restoration that comes from God’s presence. This is the peace Mary found when she said, “Let it be with me according to your word.” It is the peace that John the Baptist proclaimed as he prepared the way for Jesus. And it is the peace we are invited to receive and embody during Advent, as we open our spirits to what God is bringing forth.
Mary’s Trust in the Unknown
Let’s take a closer look at the first scripture reading that describes Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel – arguably one of the most profound moments of trust in Scripture. Imagine the scene: a young woman, likely in her teens, suddenly confronted with the news that she will bear a child— and no ordinary child, but the Savior of the world. Mary’s initial reaction is understandable: she is troubled and asks, “How can this be?”
Her questioning resonates with us. How often do we find ourselves in situations where the path ahead feels uncertain? For Mary, the stakes were high. In her culture, an unplanned pregnancy could bring public shame, rejection, or worse. Yet, after her initial hesitation, Mary responds with incredible faith and opens here Spirit to what God is doing, with words that seem to come from a place of deep peace: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.”
Mary’s peace doesn’t come from knowing all the details of God’s plan. It comes from trusting that the One who calls her is faithful. This kind of peace can sustain us, too, especially when we are in seasons of waiting and uncertainty.
John’s Call to Prepare
In the second reading from Luke 3, we meet John the Baptist, Mary’s relative, who steps into his role as the one who prepares the way for Jesus. John proclaims a bold and challenging message: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.” He calls the people to repentance, urging them to clear away anything that hinders their relationship with God, their openness to what God is brining forth.
John’s task wasn’t easy. Scripture doesn’t tell us explicitly how he felt about his mission, but we can imagine the weight of it. Did he ever wonder if he was making an impact, if people would even listen? He may have struggled with self-doubt or worried about whether he was equipped to fulfill his calling.
But John shows us something powerful: preparing the way for God isn’t about our abilities—it’s about our availability. John made himself fully available to God’s call, trusting that the Spirit would work through him to accomplish the task. As he stepped forward in trust and faith, I imagine that his spirit was filled by God’s peace.
Peace in the Waiting
Mary’s and John’s stories teach us that peace doesn’t come from our circumstances but from trusting the God who walks with us. Mary trusted, even as she faced an uncertain future. John found peace in the wilderness, even as he prepared others for a Messiah yet to come.
As a church in transition, we are invited to embrace that same peace. The search for a new pastor, while filled with unknowns, is not a journey we walk alone. God is present, guiding us, preparing us for what’s next. Peace anchors us as we discern, trust, and prepare together to open our spirits to what God is bringing forth.
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Plans
As Mary and John also remind us that God doesn’t call us because of our abilities but because of our availability. And, when we open our hearts and spirits to God’s work, the extraordinary becomes possible. Mary, a young woman from an obscure village, and John, a wilderness preacher, became central to God’s plan, and helped prepare the world for what God was bringing forth.
Living as People of Peace
This season of Advent preparation is not only about preparing for God’s promise; it’s about living into that promise here and now. Like Mary, we are called to say yes to God’s plan, even when it challenges us. Like John, we are called to proclaim God’s message, even when it requires courage. The second Sunday reflection of our Advent devotional, A Time for Wonder, puts it this way: Being available vessel grants us the privilege of being in contestant collaboration with the Spirit at work within us.
Partnering with God’s Spirit in this way, brings to us a deep peace, even when circumstances around us may be anything but peaceful. As we reflect on the light of the candles of hope and peace, we are reminded that God’s promises are sure, God’s peace is present, and God’s Spirit is calling us to be part of what God is bringing forth.
Prepare for God’s Promise
This season of Advent preparation holds the tension between what is and what will be. It reminds us that God’s promises are not only for the future but are breaking into our lives even now. So, how is God calling you to prepare your heart this season? What might God be asking you to trust God with? Is your spirit open to what God might be bringing forth?
Like Mary, may we have the courage to say, “Let it be with me according to your word.” Like John, may we proclaim God’s promise with boldness. And as a church, may we walk forward with hope and peace, trusting that God works through even us, to help prepare the world for what God is bringing forth.
In the name of our Emmanuel, God With Us. Amen.