Holding On: Through Uncertainty
We all hold on to things at Christmas, hopes for the future, or memories. These are good things. But we also hold onto things that aren’t so good, like disappointments or losses. Isn’t there something about the holidays that makes those seem more raw and poignant?
We hold onto things as the New Year approaches, the joy we receive, the gifts we’ll get or give, and the memories we’ll make. We all hold on to something.
Luke 1
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.
Elizabeth is the mother-to-be of John the Baptist, and her husband is Zechariah. He’s a priest, and they’re both good, righteous people. They prayed for a child for years; they’re both old, so it felt like that prayer was falling on deaf ears. But they kept at it, and God finally answered their prayer.
Have you ever had something that you prayed for over a long period, and it finally happened? There’s some uncertainty and moments of doubt, but you finally experience the payoff. That’s a spot where you can easily see God and praise Him. That’s Elizabeth.
But then there’s this other story that’s quite the contrast.
Luke 1
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.”
We hear these words every Christmas. They’re on banners and greeting cards. We’ve idealized them as if they were some kind of Hallmark movie.
Mary is betrothed to a man named Joseph. She dreams of a future in front of her, all the firsts, and all the things she envisions happening. There’s uncertainty around these things because we don’t know how it’s all going to happen or exactly what it’s going to look like, but there’s also hope.
Hope is one of the big themes of Christmas. We look forward to this time of year because something about it counterbalances the uncertainty we feel about so much else. The antidote to uncertainty is hope. We can handle uncertainty as long as there’s hope.
There’s something about God that gives and requires from us more than greeting card hope. Often, the call and move of God in our lives doesn’t resolve our uncertainty, it actually creates more of it.
The angel’s announcement utterly sucks the air out of the room.
Suddenly, it seems like much more is needed here than hope. Hope is great, but sometimes we feel we need much more than hope. We need something to stand on, move into action with, or do something with.
And that’s what God offers.
Luke 1
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 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.
So, the angel drops this bomb and then leaves. It’s important to note that Mary receives and accepts God’s will and His plans, which will turn her life upside down and make things more uncertain. But it’s not simple. There’s risk, the stakes are high, and the implications are staggering, but they do not crush her.
Has God ever called you to something like that?
It’s stepping into God’s will and leaving behind your own dreams. It’s trading what you pictured your life to be for the unknown or uncertainty. We have this picture of God coming in and making our dreams come true. The right person, situation, or circumstance. Sometimes that happens, but often, it’s more like what Mary experienced.
Sometimes the price of admission to God’s plan is our dreams – it’s trading some of those things for a path of uncertainty.
But it’s so easy to make our plans and then miss God when He doesn’t bless our idea of how He should operate. It should be more like riding a roller coaster: gritted teeth, clenched stomach, a step of faith, yet uncertain faith.
Luke 1
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Most believe that Mary went to visit Elizabeth to share this great news, but it’s probably more complicated than that. When you’re wrestling with something complicated, one of the best things to do is go and share it with someone who might understand, might’ve lived on the path of uncertainty, even hopelessness.
Remember who Elizabeth is – she’s a faithful, righteous follower of God. The God that most people have given up on. Mary is probably seeking confirmation in the face of uncertainty. It’s not a lack of faith, it’s wisdom. We should all do that.
Faith isn’t blindly charging ahead; it’s using our hearts and minds. It’s checking, confirming, and then moving.
There’s always a gap we have to cross into uncertainty. It’s one that evidence and circumstance won’t fill for us. That’s where faith comes in. If you’re counting the cost and facing a gap, that’s a good sign that your journey is from God.
Elizabeth doesn’t judge here or ask questions. She’s filled with the Holy Spirit, and with that speaks life and blessing. And finally, Mary responds.
Luke 1
46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors. 56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
In church history, this last part was known as the Magnificat – the song of Mary. It’s one of the most ancient hymns of the church. It was written down when the church was small, weak, powerless, and surrounded by danger and uncertainty.
That was how Mary felt. It’s sung from a place of confidence, but uncertainty. Mary is saying of God that she has confidence because she knows who He is and who He associates Himself with. Early Christians sang the Magnificat to remind themselves of who God was for people just like them because they were short on hope and long on uncertainty.
This is a song of revolution. That’s who God is. That’s what God does. Sometimes, we have to sing to remind ourselves of this – even if it’s done in the face of long odds or through tears. Mary is hesitant and unsure but roots herself in the narrative of God’s faithfulness. It’s intentional. She may not always feel it, but she does it anyway.
The difference isn’t the level of uncertainty in our lives, it’s who is with us in the midst of it all. The antidote to uncertainty is hope.
The hope God offers us isn’t based on certainty or circumstance but on who He is.
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We hold onto things as the New Year approaches, the joy we receive, the gifts we’ll get or give, and the memories we’ll make. We all hold on to something.
Luke 1
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.
Elizabeth is the mother-to-be of John the Baptist, and her husband is Zechariah. He’s a priest, and they’re both good, righteous people. They prayed for a child for years; they’re both old, so it felt like that prayer was falling on deaf ears. But they kept at it, and God finally answered their prayer.
Have you ever had something that you prayed for over a long period, and it finally happened? There’s some uncertainty and moments of doubt, but you finally experience the payoff. That’s a spot where you can easily see God and praise Him. That’s Elizabeth.
But then there’s this other story that’s quite the contrast.
Luke 1
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.”
We hear these words every Christmas. They’re on banners and greeting cards. We’ve idealized them as if they were some kind of Hallmark movie.
Mary is betrothed to a man named Joseph. She dreams of a future in front of her, all the firsts, and all the things she envisions happening. There’s uncertainty around these things because we don’t know how it’s all going to happen or exactly what it’s going to look like, but there’s also hope.
Hope is one of the big themes of Christmas. We look forward to this time of year because something about it counterbalances the uncertainty we feel about so much else. The antidote to uncertainty is hope. We can handle uncertainty as long as there’s hope.
There’s something about God that gives and requires from us more than greeting card hope. Often, the call and move of God in our lives doesn’t resolve our uncertainty, it actually creates more of it.
The angel’s announcement utterly sucks the air out of the room.
- Mary is unmarried. Pregnancy out of wedlock wasn’t just a social question mark. Under Jewish law, unfaithfulness wasn’t just grounds for divorce. It was grounds for being cast out of society.
- Have you ever had someone come to you and share something that happened, and you think, “What did you just do?”
- At this time, women were pushed into corners of society. They had no power and little standing.
- There had been no prophets for 400 years. It was 400 years of God seeming silent, and then, suddenly, there’s an angel?
Suddenly, it seems like much more is needed here than hope. Hope is great, but sometimes we feel we need much more than hope. We need something to stand on, move into action with, or do something with.
And that’s what God offers.
Luke 1
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 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.
So, the angel drops this bomb and then leaves. It’s important to note that Mary receives and accepts God’s will and His plans, which will turn her life upside down and make things more uncertain. But it’s not simple. There’s risk, the stakes are high, and the implications are staggering, but they do not crush her.
Has God ever called you to something like that?
It’s stepping into God’s will and leaving behind your own dreams. It’s trading what you pictured your life to be for the unknown or uncertainty. We have this picture of God coming in and making our dreams come true. The right person, situation, or circumstance. Sometimes that happens, but often, it’s more like what Mary experienced.
Sometimes the price of admission to God’s plan is our dreams – it’s trading some of those things for a path of uncertainty.
But it’s so easy to make our plans and then miss God when He doesn’t bless our idea of how He should operate. It should be more like riding a roller coaster: gritted teeth, clenched stomach, a step of faith, yet uncertain faith.
Luke 1
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Most believe that Mary went to visit Elizabeth to share this great news, but it’s probably more complicated than that. When you’re wrestling with something complicated, one of the best things to do is go and share it with someone who might understand, might’ve lived on the path of uncertainty, even hopelessness.
Remember who Elizabeth is – she’s a faithful, righteous follower of God. The God that most people have given up on. Mary is probably seeking confirmation in the face of uncertainty. It’s not a lack of faith, it’s wisdom. We should all do that.
Faith isn’t blindly charging ahead; it’s using our hearts and minds. It’s checking, confirming, and then moving.
There’s always a gap we have to cross into uncertainty. It’s one that evidence and circumstance won’t fill for us. That’s where faith comes in. If you’re counting the cost and facing a gap, that’s a good sign that your journey is from God.
Elizabeth doesn’t judge here or ask questions. She’s filled with the Holy Spirit, and with that speaks life and blessing. And finally, Mary responds.
Luke 1
46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors. 56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
In church history, this last part was known as the Magnificat – the song of Mary. It’s one of the most ancient hymns of the church. It was written down when the church was small, weak, powerless, and surrounded by danger and uncertainty.
That was how Mary felt. It’s sung from a place of confidence, but uncertainty. Mary is saying of God that she has confidence because she knows who He is and who He associates Himself with. Early Christians sang the Magnificat to remind themselves of who God was for people just like them because they were short on hope and long on uncertainty.
This is a song of revolution. That’s who God is. That’s what God does. Sometimes, we have to sing to remind ourselves of this – even if it’s done in the face of long odds or through tears. Mary is hesitant and unsure but roots herself in the narrative of God’s faithfulness. It’s intentional. She may not always feel it, but she does it anyway.
The difference isn’t the level of uncertainty in our lives, it’s who is with us in the midst of it all. The antidote to uncertainty is hope.
The hope God offers us isn’t based on certainty or circumstance but on who He is.
For more LHC content, subscribe to our newsletter below or follow us on Instagram.
Want to play catch-up, or are you looking for a specific topic? Check out our collection of sermons here.
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