All right, well, two weeks ago, we began a new sermon series in the Gospel of Luke.
And we looked at Luke's introduction to his Gospel account.
We talked about his purpose in writing.
It was so that Theophilus and others might have a well-ordered account of what happened with Jesus.
And it was also so that we might have certainty of the things that we've been taught about Jesus.
In Luke's own words, even though he himself was not from the first an eyewitness,
he later carefully investigated everything from the beginning.
And we heard two weeks ago from Luke about where the first signs of God at work began to take place.
It all started with Zechariah, the priest, at the temple of the Lord.
God sent his angel, Gabriel, to appear to Zechariah in the holy place at the temple in Jerusalem.
And the angel brought good news from God.
Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son.
And they were to name that son John.
And John would be great in the sight of the Lord.
He would be someone to cause great joy for many people.
He would come in the manner of Elijah, the prophet from long ago,
meaning that he would do similar things to what Elijah did,
which was to call people to repent and to turn back to God and to God's ways.
And we heard two weeks ago that Zechariah did not believe the angel's words.
He and his wife were elderly and Elizabeth had been barren and unable to conceive.
And because of his unbelief, Zechariah was given this disciplinary consequence
of becoming mute and unable to speak until the birth of John.
And just as the angel had declared, Zechariah's barren and elderly wife conceived.
She became pregnant.
And this was the first sign, the first indication that God was on the move.
An angelic messenger, a miraculous conception,
and a priest who lost his speech in the hill country of Judea.
Well, the months went by and Elizabeth's baby bump began to grow.
She came to the sixth month of her pregnancy, third trimester about to begin.
And at this time, Luke tells us of another supernatural sign,
another angelic encounter, another message of a coming child.
Let me read it for you from Luke chapter 1, verse 26.
In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth,
a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,
a descendant of David.
The virgin's name was Mary.
So the same angel, Gabriel, the same one that said to Zechariah,
I am Gabriel.
I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you
and to tell you this good news.
God sends that same angel now to Nazareth, a town in Galilee.
Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, they lived in the hill country of Judea,
which was in that southern part of Israel, down around the same area as Jerusalem.
The capital city was located.
But Nazareth was way up north in the region of Galilee,
a little south and a little west of the Sea of Galilee,
a very small, inconsequential town in the northern hill country of Galilee.
And Luke tells us that there in Galilee was a virgin
who was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph.
The word for virgin here means more than simply young woman.
This word was often used very specifically to refer to a young woman of marriageable age
who had never been with a man.
And that this is meant is confirmed later by Mary's own words.
We're going to get to that in a minute.
The other detail that Luke highlights here is the family lineage of Joseph,
the man that Mary is pledged to be married to.
Luke says that he was a descendant of David,
that is, King David, who lived a thousand years before this.
And this too we're going to see the significance of in just a moment.
So here's this couple.
They're living in Nazareth.
They're not yet married.
In our word today we might say engaged.
They're engaged.
In the Jewish culture of that day,
engagement was much more than it is in our day and in our culture.
They actually had the legal status of being husband and wife
during that period leading up to the wedding.
And then for them to break off that betrothal was the equivalent of a divorce.
Nevertheless, they had not yet had the wedding.
They had not yet had the consummation.
And they were still living chaste lives apart from one another.
And all this is implied in that word betrothed,
or pledged to be married, as the translation on screen says.
So God sends Gabriel to Mary there in Nazareth.
The angel went to her and said,
Greetings, you who are highly favored.
The Lord is with you.
Mary was greatly troubled at his words
and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
But the angel said to her,
Do not be afraid, Mary.
You have found favor with God.
Can you imagine this?
Can you imagine what it would have been like in those moments for Mary?
An angel appears to her,
seemingly out of nowhere,
and begins to speak.
Luke says that Mary was greatly troubled,
thoroughly startled, shaken.
And it's almost like she's just sort of caught in this moment,
wondering what's happening here,
unsure of what's going on.
Luke says she was wondering
what kind of greeting this might be.
We see in the words of the angel
that she was indeed afraid.
The angel said,
Fear not, or do not be afraid, Mary.
And then this statement,
You have found favor with God.
Two times the angel refers to this, or says this.
At the beginning, he says,
You are highly favored.
Greetings, you who are highly favored.
And then at the end,
You have found favor with God.
This phrase,
found favor,
others have noted that this was a Hebrew figure of speech
that was often used in the Old Testament.
It may refer here to how Mary is a person of true faith.
It may refer to,
or imply that up till now,
she has lived well in the sight of God.
And so as a result of that,
has God's favor or pleasure.
But more likely,
the main emphasis here
is not so much on how Mary has lived up until now.
More likely, the main emphasis is about
what God is about to give her
and do with her in the present
and in the immediate future.
She is highly favored
because she has been chosen by God
for something exceedingly special.
That word translated favor
is often translated elsewhere as grace.
It's actually the same word.
And it has mainly to do with the giving of a gift.
Not because the recipient is so deserving,
but because the giver is truly gracious.
And generous
and kind.
In fact, we often define that word grace
as unmerited favor.
That's most likely what is meant here.
You have found favor with God.
I don't think it means that God is so pleased
with Mary's faith and performance
that he's about to give her a reward.
I think it means that she's about to know
and experience
the deep and rich generosity
of the Lord who gives.
In a very abundant way
because of what God is about to do with her.
What does the angel say next
to explain this favor or grace
that is coming her way?
Verse 31.
Mary,
you will conceive
and give birth to a son
and you are to call him
Jesus.
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.
And he will reign
over Jacob's descendants
forever.
His kingdom
will never end.
So Mary,
this is the favor
or grace of God
that you were about to receive
and know
you're going to have a baby boy.
You're going to conceive
and give birth to a son
and the name of your son,
you shall call him
Jesus.
Jesus is the Greek equivalent
of that Hebrew,
Yeshua
or Joshua
which means
Yahweh saves.
The Lord saves.
And then the angel
goes on to tell Mary
about who her son
will be
and what he will do.
And
this must have
utterly
blown
Mary's
mind
and heart
away.
your son
Mary
will be
great
and will be
called
the son
of the most
high.
The most
high
is one of the names
of God himself.
It was one of the ways
that God was referred to
in ancient times
as far back
as the days
of Abraham.
Maybe you remember
the story of
when Melchizedek
the priest
of God
most
high
came
and blessed
Abraham.
He was referred to
there as
the creator
of heaven
and earth.
And now
here is Gabriel
telling Mary
that her
son
will be
called
the son
of the
most
high.
Imagine what
Mary must have
been thinking
in this
moment.
Like are you
saying that
my child
will be
the son
of
God?
But before
we even have
time to think
about what
that means
Gabriel
goes on
to say
more.
The Lord
will give
him the
son that
you will
bear.
The Lord
will give
him the
throne
of his
father
David
and he
will reign
over Jacob's
descendants
forever.
his kingdom
will never
end.
Probably the
first thing
Mary understood
from these
words
is that the
angel was
telling her
that her
son would
be
the long
awaited
Messiah.
The great
king whom
God had
promised.
That's probably
the first thing
she would have
thought of.
The fulfillment
of all that
God had
promised to
King David
a thousand
years
earlier.
The reestablishment
of David's
kingdom
through one
of his
flesh and
blood
descendants.
Gabriel
saying that
promise of
God made
long ago
all the
promises made
concerning that
kingdom are
going to be
kept through
the son that
you will
bear.
Mary
your son
will be
the son
of David
who sits
on his
throne
and reigns
over that
kingdom.
But then
here's another
mind-blowing
thing.
Your son
the son
you will
conceive
the son
you will
give birth
to Mary
he will
reign
forever.
His
kingdom
will
never
end.
Like just
imagine that
you are
Mary for
a moment
here.
Like it's
one thing
to be the
mother of
a king
that part
we can wrap
our heads
around.
Okay
I'm going
to be the
mother of
the Messiah
the greatest
king to
ever live.
But up
until this
point in
human history
there has
not been
a human
king
who has
reigned
forever.
Every
human king
has eventually
died.
More often
than not
even the
greatest and
best of
kingdoms has
fallen
and failed
following the
death of a
great king.
Now there
were some
exceptions
some kingdoms
passed on
to the
sun and
some for
many generations
some ancient
dynasties
lasted a good
many generations
but all
of them
have
eventually
faltered
and failed.
Even the
kingdom of
David
by all
outward
appearances
has gone
this way.
The people
of Israel
and Judah
were ripped
out of
their homeland
and taken
into exile
by the
Assyrians
and Babylonians
and since
coming back
the people
of Israel
have scarcely
known their
own sovereignty
like they had
before under
King David
and King
Solomon.
They've been
living in
subservience
to the
powers of
the day
whether it
be the
Greeks
and now
the Romans.
They have a
king now
his name is
Herod
but he's
kind of a
political puppet
of the Roman
Empire.
every human
king till
now has
eventually
died
and every
kingdom
the world
has ever
seen
up until
this point
has eventually
fallen.
But Gabriel
comes from
the presence
of God
and says
to Mary
your son
will sit
on the
throne of
David
and reign
forever.
his kingdom
will never
end.
The only
way that
this could
be true
is if
somehow
Mary's
son becomes
the first
man ever
the first
king ever
to overcome
death
either to
never die
or somehow
after dying
to rise
from the
dead
and then
live
forever.
I'd love
to know
just what
Mary was
thinking as
she heard
this.
The days
and years
that followed
as she
pondered
this.
This would
take great
faith to
believe.
Statistically
the chances
of this
happening
naturally
are zero.
Everybody
dies.
We could
maybe point
to Elijah
the prophet
who was
caught up
to heaven
by a
chariot
of fire
before he
died but
generally
everybody
dies and
yet God
says Mary
your son
will reign
forever
over a
kingdom that
will never
end.
Now imagine
you're Mary
in this
moment.
What's your
first question
for the
angel?
There were
probably so
many questions
that she
could have
asked.
So many
that she
wanted to
ask in
this moment.
And this
is the
question
that Mary
chose to
ask.
How will
this be?
Mary asked
the angel
since I'm
a virgin.
Of all the
things she
could have
asked,
like are you
saying that
my son will
be the
son of
God?
Are you
saying that
my son will
be the
Messiah?
Are you
saying that
my son will
live forever?
forever?
Yet there's
no question
of whether
it will
happen.
This is
not like
Zachariah who
expressed his
disbelief with
his question.
The first
question Mary
asks has to
do with
how.
Not if,
not whether,
but how.
How will I
conceive and
give birth to
this child
since I'm a
virgin?
Actually this
translation on
screen is
kind of giving
us the
dynamic
equivalence.
It's
translating
idea for
idea, but
let's hear the
word for word
translation.
Quite literally
Mary asks,
how will
this be
since I
have not
known a
man?
And that
phrase,
known a
man, is
indeed a
figure of
speech for
what you
think it
is.
So she's
asking the
angel about
the logistics
of this.
Since
presently, by
the natural
way of
things, conceiving
is biologically
impossible.
Like I've
never been
with Joseph
or any
other man.
So like
is this
going to
happen after
Joseph and
I have
the wedding?
Or
what?
The angel
answered,
the Holy
Spirit will
come upon
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.
So the
angel very
clearly
answers
Mary's
question.
The
conception
of this
Son is
not going
to happen
in the
natural
way.
it's
not going
to happen
from you
knowing
a man
Mary.
This is
how it
will happen.
The Holy
Spirit of
God
will come
upon you.
His
power will
overshadow
you,
causing
you
to
conceive.
This is
going to
be a
supernatural,
miraculous
conception
with no
human
father.
God
himself
is going
to make
it happen
in the
womb.
And so
therefore
as a
result
the Holy
One
to be
born
will be
called
rightly
called
the
Son
of God.
God
this
was one
of the
first
things
Gabriel
said to
Mary
just a
moment
before
this
that
he
would
be
called
the
Son
of
the
Most
High.
What
is Mary
thinking?
Like are
you saying
that people
will call
my
child
the
Son
of
God?
And
with this
explanation
Gabriel
is saying
yes
they will
call him
that
and in
reality
that is
what?
That is
who
he will
be.
And at
that moment
I just
sort of
imagine
Mary's
eyes
going
wide.
I
imagine
it
because
of what
the
angel
says
next.
What
the
angel
says
next
seems
to
offer
assurance
that
God
can
in
fact
do
this
thing
that
is
seemingly
impossible.
The
angel
says
even
Elizabeth
your
relative
is going
to have
a
child
in
her
old
age
and
she
who
is
said
to be
unable
to
conceive
is in
her
sixth
month
for
no
word
from
God
will
ever
fail.
So
the
angel
just
kind
of
spells
it
out.
Yes
this
is
seemingly
impossible.
This
is
naturally
impossible
just
like
for
your
relative
Elizabeth
who's
now
six
months
pregnant.
It
was
said
about
her
she
can't
have
children
and
now
she's
elderly
but
just
as
God
said
according
to
his
word
which
came
through
me
Gabriel
she's
in her
sixth
month
now.
What
God
says
he
will
do
however
impossible
it
seems.
Same
goes
for
you
Mary
you
will
conceive
you
will
give
birth
to
a
son
he
will
be
all
these
things
he
will
do
what
I
have
said
and
all
this
will
take
place
apart
from
any
union
with
any
man
because
God
will
be
the
father
of
this
child.
Let's
take
a
moment
just
to
think
about
the
biological
aspect
of
this
miracle.
For
those
of
you
who
have
studied
biology
how
does
a
new
human
life
come
to
be?
Well
there's
one
cell
from
the
man
that
meets
up
with
one
cell
from
the
woman
and
the
two
merge.
Each
one of
those
cells
on
their
own
contains
only
half
the
chromosomes
needed
for
human
life.
And so
these
two
cells
they
merge
at the
moment
of
conception
and
a
new
human
being
comes
into
existence.
Without
that
cell
provided
by
the
man
meeting
up
with
that
cell
from
the
woman
it
is
biologically
impossible
for
a human
life
to
begin.
100%.
It
will
never
happen.
There
cannot
be a
human
being
with
just
23
out
of
46
chromosomes.
They
must
be
paired
with
23
pairs
half
supplied
by
the
mother
half
supplied
by
the
father.
Each
of
those
chromosomes
is
made
up
of
a
single
DNA
molecule
that
contains
many
genes.
That's
the
information
that's
required
to
assemble
you
properly
or to
develop
you
into
a
fully
functioning
human
being.
Think
about
Down
Syndrome
for a
second.
It
occurs
when
there's
an
additional
copy
of
chromosome
21.
Just
one
chromosome.
And
as you
know,
the
implications
of that
one
little
error
in the
process
are
life
altering.
And
so
there
simply
cannot
be
a
human
being
of
any
kind
without
both
the
DNA,
the
genetic
information
supplied
by both
mother
and
father.
It's
biologically
impossible.
And so
with Joseph
out of
this
equation,
what's
required
for Mary
to
conceive
is no
less
than the
miraculous
supernatural
intervention
of God.
God.
I mean,
it's
so
impossible
according
to the
natural
biological
laws
that we
know of
that we
might be
tempted
to ask
whether
God
can
even
do
this.
But
let's
not
forget
who
God
is.
He
is
the
most
high.
He
is
the
creator
of
the
heavens
and
the
earth.
He
is
the
author
of
life.
He
not
only
fashioned
the
first
man
and
woman
out
of
the
dust
of
the
earth
but
breathed
into
them
the
breath
of
life
and
made
them
to
live.
He
didn't
just
form
the
first
man
and
woman
by
his
power
but
he's
the
very
source
of
the
idea
and
design
of
who
they
are.
Who
they
were.
Every
functioning,
every
detail.
And
if
God
can
do
that
and
he
can
he
did
then
by
his
power
he
can
cause
Mary
to
conceive
without
a
human
father.
He
is
all
powerful.
He
is
the
almighty
one.
Is
anything
too
hard
for
him?
Even
our
ability
to
wonder
and
think
about
this
comes
because
he
gave
us
that
ability.
to
think
and
to
reason.
Of
course
God
can
do
this.
But
it
will
be
an
amazing
miracle
of
God's
power.
I
love
the
final
statement
of
Gabriel
to
Mary.
For
no
word
from
God
will
ever
fail.
Some
translations
say
for
nothing
will
be
impossible
with
God.
And
both
of
these
translations
are
important.
I
think
each
of
them
captures
something
the
other
misses.
First
of
all,
this
is
about
God
doing
the
impossible.
This
statement
comes
in the
context
of
two
impossible
things
seemingly.
Elizabeth
bearing a
child
in her
old age
and
Mary
conceiving
without
a
human
father.
But
second,
this
is also
about
God's
word.
What
is it
that
shall
not
be
impossible
with
God?
Quite
literally,
every
word
shall
not
be
impossible
with
God.
Some
translations
render it
as
nothing
or
no
thing
shall
be
impossible
with
God.
But
that
word
translated
as
thing
is
actually
the
word
word.
No
word
shall
be
impossible
with
God.
Hence
the
translation
that
you
see
on
the
screen.
I'd
suggest
to you
that
both
of
these
taken
together
point
us
to
what
Gabriel
meant.
Nothing
God
has said
he will
do
is
impossible
for him
to bring
about.
And this
has been
God's
pattern
not just
so far
in Luke
but in
all human
history
right back
to the
beginning.
The whole
Bible is
the story
of God
speaking
and his
word is
powerful.
What he
says
comes
to
pass
comes
about.
Nothing
he says
is empty
or impotent
and so
I think
it's
both
a statement
of God's
all
powerful
nature
as well
as a
statement
of his
faithfulness
to keep
his word
no matter
how
difficult
or impossible
that may
seem.
And I
love
Mary's
very
simple
response
of faith
here in
verse 38
she says
I am
the Lord's
servant
may your
word to
me
be fulfilled
and the
angel left
her.
So Mary
doesn't doubt
or disbelieve
like Zachariah
did.
She says
I'm the
Lord's
servant
quite
literally
I am
the Lord's
slave
slave.
That word
has been
variously
translated
as
servant
bond
servant
maid
servant
hand
maid
bond
slave
and the
reason is
because we
don't have
today in
our culture
slaves like
they had
back then.
The most
recent form
of slavery
that we're
all familiar
with is
that sort
of abusive
dehumanizing
cruelty
towards people
of a
particular
ethnicity
but that's
not the
kind of
slavery that
was the
norm back
then.
People
back then
sometimes
sold
themselves
into
slavery
to deal
with
debts
or to
survive
if they
were unable
to provide
for themselves
and it was
just the way
things were.
People were
considered as
part of a
household
if they
were a
slave and
sometimes
they were
happy
and lived
happy lives
even in
a lower
kind of
situation.
Sometimes
they were
treated very
well by
their masters
but what's
Mary expressing
here by
this?
I am
the
Lord's
slave.
Well the
idea of
ownership
was very
much still
a part
of slavery
even back
then.
It's as if
Mary is
saying
I belong
to the
Lord
my God
he is
my master
it is
my place
my role
to serve
him
to do
what he
asks
or what
he
chooses.
So this
is a
statement
of deep
reverence
and
submission.
We see
an attitude
of humility
here.
I am
not my
own
I belong
to you
Lord
and I'm
willing to
do whatever
you ask
of me
to serve
however you
desire me
to do
as you
have said
with me.
it's almost
like a
verbal
bowing
down to
the ground
as low
as she
can.
I love
this passage.
Luke is
the only
one who
details this
amazing
moment.
It would
be about
30 years
before Jesus
hits the
spotlight
of the
nation
but isn't
it wonderful
that Luke
went back
to the
source
and
carefully
investigated
everything
and quite
probably
tracked down
Mary herself
to hear
the story
of how
it all
began.
There she
was.
She and
Joseph
pledged
to be
married
with a
wedding
on the
horizon
when one
day out
of nowhere
God's
angel
appeared
to her
with this
truly
awesome
news.
You're
going to
have a
baby boy
and he
will be
the very
son
of God.
Joseph
will not
be
the
father
of
this
child
according
to the
natural
way
of
things.
God
will
be
the
father
of
this
child
and he
will be
the
Messiah
a
forever
reigning
king.
I could
preach on
this passage
all day
long.
This
passage
is so
precious.
I mean
it's here
that we
understand
something
of why
Jesus
is
constantly
referring
to
God
as his
father.
this
explains
something
of the
how
and the
why
that
was.
This
is the
very
start
of all
those
arguments
between
Jesus
and the
Pharisees
over
whether
he
was
blaspheming
by calling
God
his
father.
It
all
traces
back
to
this.
In
fact
that
would
play
a
significant
role
in
why
they
would
go
after
him
and
try
to
kill
him.
we
see
here
too
the
promise
of
God
about
how
Jesus
would
reign
forever.
I
just
think
that's
amazing.
Anticipating
the
resurrection
of
Jesus
30
years
before
it
happened
and
then
over
all
of
this
truth
that
the
angel
speaks
God
will
do
all
that
he
has
said
no
matter
how
impossible
that
may
seem
because
no
word
of
his
will
fail
to
come
true.
There's
so
much
that
we
could
linger
over
here
but
as
we
come
to
the
Lord's
table
this
morning
let's
linger
here.
Why
is it
that
Jesus
death
on
the
cross
could
atone
for
our
sins?
Think
about
this.
if
Jesus
had
just
been
another
man
born
of
two
sinful
parents
like
all
of
us
are
then
atonement
for
us
would
have
been
impossible.
Only
a man
without
guilt
of his
own
can
atone
for
the
guilty
can
stand
in
as a
substitute
for
others.
The
Old
Testament
law
which
God
gave
through
Moses
foreshadowed
this.
Only
a
spotless
lamb
without
blemish
could
atone
for
sin.
Every
one
of us
inherits
that
sinful
nature
and that
guilt
from our
father
Adam
but
Jesus
is
different.
He
was
born
of a
woman
and so
truly
human
truly
one
of
us
but
he
is
the
son
of
God
begotten
fathered
by
God
and so
truly
he
is
holy
sinless
perfect
righteous
blameless
guiltless
and
incorruptible
just as
his father
because
of this
he is
able to
make
atonement
for our
sins
he's
able to
put his
own
flesh
and blood
in the
gap
he's
able to
take our
place
and to
take on
himself
the punishment
that we
deserve
so that
we can
be spared
and so
as we
look again
to the
cross
this
morning
by way
of the
Lord's
table
we partake
again of
the bread
and of
the cup
may this
word of
the angel
to Mary
remind us
of just
whose body
was broken
and just
whose blood
was poured
out
for our
forgiveness
it was the
body and
blood of
the very
son
of God
the body
and blood
of the
Messiah
God's
king
it was the
body and
blood of
Jesus
the savior
whom the
Lord has
given
in just a
moment we'll
have the
bread and the
cup served
passed around
and if you
believe
in Jesus
the Christ
the son
of God
then I
invite you
to partake
with us
if not
please let
the elements
pass you
by
we're going
to take a
few moments
now just
to pray
and to
reflect
quietly
and as the
elements come
to you just
ask that you'd
hang on to
them until
everybody has
been served
we'll pray
we'll give
thanks together
and then we'll
eat and drink
together in
remembrance of
Christ