Why God Says "Yes" to Some and "No" to Others

(Teaching notes for Luke 1:5–38; see sermon here.)

Joel Green

o   The intersection of these two worlds is of critical importance for Luke, who will show how the unfolding events in this world of ancient Galilee and Judea are of universal significance.

Luke 1:29

o   And she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.

Luke 1:34

o   How will this be, since I am a virgin?

Luke 1:35

o   The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

Luke 1:37

o   Nothing will be impossible with God.

Luke 1:38

o   Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.

Martin Luther King Jr.

o   Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

David Brooks

o   It wasn’t hard to find data. For example, between 1948 and 1954, psychologists asked more than 10,000 adolescents whether they considered themselves to be a very important person. At that point, 12 percent said yes. The same question was revisited in 1989, and this time it wasn't 12 percent who considered themselves very important, it was 8o percent of boys and 77 percent of girls.

o   Psychologists have a thing called the narcissism test. They read people statements and ask if the statements apply to them. Statements such as "I like to be the center of attention... I show off if I get the chance because I am extraordinary… Somebody should write a biography about me." The median narcissism score has risen 30 percent in the last two decades. The largest gains have been in the number of people who agree with the statements "I am an extraordinary person" and "I like to look at my body."

o   Along with this apparent rise in self-esteem, there has been a tremendous increase in the desire for fame. Fame used to rank low as a life's ambition for most people. In a 1976 survey that asked people to list their life goals, fame ranked fifteenth out of sixteen. By 2007, 51 percent of young people reported that being famous was one of their top personal goals.

o   In one study, middle school girls were asked who they would most like to have dinner with. Jennifer Lopez came in first, Jesus Christ came in second, and Paris Hilton third. The girls were then asked which of the following jobs they would like to have. Nearly twice as many said they'd rather be a celebrity's personal assistant—for example, Justin Bieber's—than president of Harvard. (Though, to be fair, I'm pretty sure the president of Harvard would also rather be Justin Bieber's personal assistant.)

o   As I looked around the popular culture I kept finding the same messages everywhere: You are special. Trust yourself. Be true to yourself. Movies from Pixar and Disney are constantly telling children how wonderful they are. Commencement speeches are larded with the same clichés: Follow your passion. Don't accept limits. Chart your own course. You have a responsibility to do great things because you are so great. This is the gospel of self-trust.

Darrell Bock

o   Sometimes underestimating God is as dangerous as rebelling against him.

C. S. Lewis

o   It seems to me that we often, almost sulkily, reject the good that God offers us because, at that moment, we expect some other good. […] God shows us a new facet of the glory, and we refuse to look at it because we’re still looking for the old one.