Christmas: A New Day Dawning!
Luke 1:26-38
Introduction: It was an unlikely start
to the greatest story ever told, as God began to carry out His plan for world
redemption. The fulness of time had come, and God was about to send forth His
Son. One of the great themes that surround the life of Jesus is perhaps the
most unlikely: the humble circumstance of his birth, life, and death. It
was not what anyone expected! Born in a stable to a working class family.
Raised the son of a carpenter. Never owning a home or business of his
own. Dying a young, a criminal’s death. We would do well to
remember, “Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown when thou camest
to earth for me…” We would do well to remember as we look at our
manger scenes and Christmas cards “Who He is in yonder stall, at whose feet
the Shepherds fall…” He came to offer us a gift, by grace through
faith, “The wages of sin is death, but the [free] gift of God is eternal
life…” That is the truth we have received, and the truth with which we
have been entrusted. Look around. If you were recruiting a team that was to
have a part in God’s plan for saving the world, would this be it? Would
you include yourself on that team? God did!
What's the Big
Idea? God
has graciously chosen to use ordinary people in the extraordinary program of
building His church. In view of what He has done for us, will we surrender
ourselves to Him?
I. The People God
uses: God
has revealed that it is His plan to use ordinary people to carry out His
program (1:26-28). Let’s read the opening verses, “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to
a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27
to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
And the virgin's name was Mary. 28
And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with
you!"
God
chose to use ordinary people to implement His extraordinary program. He
continues to use ordinary people as He carries it out. In this passage the two
key actors at the human level are Mary and her betrothed Joseph. Both exhibited
remarkable faith and faithfulness. The first surprise is the location of
the story in v.26. Nazareth of Galilee would not be the place one would
expect to find the human mother of the Messiah! It wasn’t the
political center of the world in the day like Rome, or a center of learning and
culture like Athens. It wasn’t Jerusalem, with all its history of significance,
the center of Judaism. It wasn’t even Bethlehem, where the Scriptures
had at least prophesied the Messiah would be born (Micah 5:2). In
fact, Nazareth was somewhat despised by more pious Jews, probably because they
had so much interaction with Gentiles (the area was known as Galilee of the
Gentiles). When told that they had found the Promised One, Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael
asked in apparent disdain, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
(Jn 1:46). That place? A little village, not even mentioned in the Old
Testament, maybe 400-500 people… Galileans… This was an unlikely
place for God to send an angel with a message that would change everything!
This already stands as a clue as to how God was working, contrary to human
expectation.
That is the first surprise, the next is
the people God involves in this story. At least Zechariah was a priest,
ministering in the Temple in Jerusalem, that makes sense! And Elizabeth was a
descendant of Aaron. Good. They may not have been wealthy, but they would have
been very respected people. There is no indication that either Joseph or Mary
were particularly exceptional people, the kind that would stand out in a crowd.
Joseph was a carpenter, a person who worked with his hands, not a Rabbi or a
priest or a leader. He is called a righteous man by Matthew, which
indicates He was a sincere follower of God. There is certainly no
indication to support any idea that Mary was sinless. In fact, in 1:47 she
refers to “God my Savior.” God chose to use ordinary people to
implement his extraordinary program. So, we see Jesus in the New Testament
calling fishermen and tax collectors, others considered “sinners” by the
religious Jews. In the OT some who God called, like Moses, David and Amos, were
shepherds. Ordinary people who trusted in an extraordinary God. A song says “It’s
not because of who I am, but because of what You’ve done, it’s not because of
what I’ve done, but because of who You are…” That’s grace! God’s unmerited
favor! He chose ordinary people to carry out His extraordinary program. And He
continues to use ordinary people: Read 1 Cor 1:26-31 where Paul addresses the
prideful Corinthians…
“For consider your
calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen
the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak
things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and
the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that
are not, that He might nullify the things that are, 29 that
no man should boast before God. 30 But by His doing
you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and
sanctification, and redemption, 31 that, just as it
is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’”
Now
Mary and Joseph certainly had a unique calling and a tremendous privilege. But
each of us who know God also have a unique part in His program. He saved us on
purpose, for a purpose. We are all called to proclaim the Gospel, the heart of
the true message of Christmas: Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners!
The Angel
proclaimed to Mary, “the Lord is with you…” Jesus has promised us, “Lo,
I am with you always, even unto the end of the age!” A pastor once read
that phrase to an elderly lady and said “Isn’t that a wonderful promise?”
She replied, “That’s not a promise, it’s a fact!” It’s fine to feel our
weakness and inadequacy, as long as we remember that He is with us, and His
strength is perfected in our weakness. Think of it, God knows
you, and He has graciously chosen to use ordinary people like us in the
extraordinary program of building His church. In view of what He has done for
us, will we surrender ourselves to Him?
II. The Plan God
has revealed: Believers need not fear God’s plan, we can trust that it is good,
because HE is good (1:29-34). “But she
was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting
this might be. 30 And the
angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with
God. 31 And behold, you will
conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be
called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne
of his father David, 33 and
he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be
no end." 34 And Mary
said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"
Because
we are ordinary people, we may rightly feel unworthy or unqualified to be used
by God: “Who am I?” Well, if you know Jesus, you are a child of the King! We see Mary’s initial reaction to this
amazing news, 1:29 says that Mary was “perplexed, confused.” Such was her
humility. To receive such a greeting from an angel of God was itself overwhelming.
She must have thought, “Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth would even know
my name, much less send an angel with such a message?” She felt unworthy of
divine favor. First, a calming word in v. 30, “Do not be afraid Mary, you
have found grace…” That’s the key word here, charis, “grace,”
the emphasis is on the free, gracious, choice of God. His unmerited
favor. That alone dispels any notion that Mary was sinless. Later she will
praise God as her “savior.” Sinners need a Savior!
But what followed was a stunning
message, given by Gabriel, and she must have struggled to process what the
angel was saying. “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son…”
Wait a minute, she was betrothed to Joseph, but their marriage had
not yet been consummated. What are we talking about? Her head had to be
spinning as she tried to make sense of his words. No one had ever heard of
a virgin birth after all! Well… there were hints of God’s plan in the Scriptures.
All the way back to the time of the fall, in Genesis 3:15, God said as He
cursed the serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall
bruise His heel." The “seed of the woman” was an unusual
expression that would demand our attention! Later, when King Ahaz refuses to
ask for a sign, God says through Isaiah, “Therefore the Lord himself will
give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall
call his name Immanuel.” Those Scriptures hadn’t been taken literally by
most Jews through the centuries, but now, they would literally be
fulfilled! Nothing is difficult for
God! Mary, a young Jewish woman, a
virgin, would miraculously conceive and give birth to the Messiah!
Notice the description of the Child, His
divine sonship, His eternal reign, His human lineage are all alluded to. Each
descriptor gives insight into who this child would be. First, she is told, “…you shall call
his name Jesus…” Even His name describes
His mission: Jesus, Yeshua, the Lord saves, pointed toward what He came
to do, save His people from their sins.
“…He will be
great and will be called the Son of the Most High…” (32). The Most High, echoing the OT name of God El Elyon,
“Most High God.” God’s Son! In God’s covenant with David the idea of a
King who is God’s Son became part of the Messianic hope (2 Sam 7; Ps 2). “He
will be great.” John the Baptist’s “greatness” in the announcement to Zechariah
was qualified, he would be “great before the Lord,” he would stand out among
God’s people. Jesus’ greatness is intrinsic, He will be the Son of God. Note
that Mary “found favor,” and she was called to have a key part in God’s
story. She wasn’t asked to be great, she was called to be available, obedient. As
for us, we too simply need to be available. As God calls, are you willing to
serve? We serve a great God!
“And the
Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the
house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” A descendant of
David, ruling forever, an eternal kingdom? No merely human king could fulfill
that! All these are essential aspects of
the predetermined plan of God. And God chose this ordinary Jewish girl to have
the blessing of being part of His plan! He has graciously chosen
to use ordinary people in the extraordinary program of building His church. In
view of what He has done for us, will we surrender ourselves to Him?
III. The Promise God
has made: He
will supernaturally work, as He has in the past, to carry out His program
(1:35-37). “And the angel answered her,
"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. 36 And behold, your
relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the
sixth month with her who was called barren.
37 For nothing will be impossible with God."
It
is not our ability, but God working in us and through us that brings results. The
battle is the Lord’s! Chuck Colson well said, “It’s not what we do that
matters, but what a sovereign God chooses to do through us.” The answer to
Mary’s question, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” starts in 1:35.
In response to Mary’s question “how?”, the angel answers: “The power of God,
that’s how!” [See also Gen 18:14]. This would not be a natural birth. A
human father would not have a role in this conception, but, "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.” The Davidic
kings had represented God’s rule, and surely Scriptures like Ps 2 and 2 Sam 7
were applied to them, but now, in the fullness of time, the full ontological
meaning of the title “Son of God” would be expressed in the Virgin birth as God
the Son, the second person of the Trinity, took on a human nature.
God
calls us to a reasonable faith, based on His revelation. In vv.36-37, as
evidence that nothing is impossible with God, the angel points to the fact that
Elizabeth has conceived in her old age. That miraculous birth could ensure
Mary that God was working, and that He would do this infinitely greater miracle
in Her. God has established a pattern of giving us a reasonable basis for our
faith. Remember the story of the end of the wilderness wanderings, as God
was about to bring the nation into the land under a new leader, after 40 years
in the desert. The new generation was given some preliminary victories east of
the Jordan before they were sent into the land; God assured them, as I brought
your fathers out of Egypt and gave you these victories east of the Jordan, I
will give you the land as I promised! In
New Testament theology Jesus’ resurrection assures us that we too have new life
in Him, and ultimately, we too will be raised! Our faith is reasonable,
based on history.
For
nothing will be impossible for God…” That declaration of God’s
omnipotence was phrased as a rhetorical question to Sarah in Genesis 18 when
she doubted the word from the Lord: “Is anything too difficult for God?” (Gen
18:14). Have you ever thought God might be leading you to do something, then
thought, no, I can’t do it? The truth is, we can’t do anything
that will matter for eternity in our own strength. But with God, all things are
possible. God doesn’t demand our success, he rightly expects our
obedience! Trust and obey! God has graciously chosen to use ordinary
people in the extraordinary program of building His church. In view of what He
has done for us, will we surrender ourselves to Him?
IV.
The Proper Response God Requires: Believers should
respond to their Creator and Savior by willingly yielding to His lordship
(1:38). After such an amazing word, Mary responds in faith, with the attitude
of a servant, submitting herself to God’s will.
38 And
Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me
according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Mary,
no doubt stunned by the news, entrusts herself to God: “Behold the servant of
the Lord!” This is
the feminine form of the word often translated “slave,” hence, “handmaiden”
in some translations. Her willingness to yield to God showed her faith. In the
Jewish culture of the 1st century for her to be found with child before the
marriage to Joseph was consummated could have resulted in the death sentence!
At the very least she risked rejection by Joseph, misunderstanding from those
closest to her, and scorn from the community. She had no idea how this
story would work itself out, even so, she said “Behold the handmaiden of the
Lord…” Your will be done. “Here am I…” Yes, it’s not what we do
that matters, but what our sovereign God chooses to do through us! “Not by
might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord!” (Zech 4:6). That was
the message of Jesus in Acts 1:8, “You shall receive power…” Not “give
it your all, you can do it!” Jesus said, “I will build my church.”
Are you willing to allow God to use you as He wills?
For a few, that might mean being willing to sacrifice your comfort and security,
and going to serve Him on a foreign field. You may know some missionaries
who have done that. There are many good reasons not to become a foreign
missionary, unwillingness is not one! For most of us, it means being willing to use
our gifts right here in the church. Teaching classes, working with kids or
adults, visiting, calling, bringing meals, encouraging one another, cleaning
between services... For all of us, it means being a witness where God has sovereignly
and strategically placed us: your neighbors, your family, your school or
workplace… you are God’s ambassador in your sphere of influence! Are you
willing?
What
is God saying to me in this passage? You see, God has
graciously chosen to use ordinary people, people like us, in the extraordinary
program of building His church. In view of what He has done for us, will we
surrender ourselves to Him?
What would God have me
to do in response to this passage? Zechariah and
Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, had unique roles in God mission. There is a sense
in which each of us has a unique calling: God has saved you and made you a part
of His church by His Grace and for His glory. He chose you on purpose, for a
purpose. Are you willing to consider the opportunities He puts before you? Are you
willing to allow Him to use you, however He decides He will use you? There are
people in your life who need to know that God is real, and that Jesus is the
Way, the Truth, and the Life. And God has uniquely gifted you to have a part in
making disciples, helping others to grow in their faith. In view of what He has
done for you, will you surrender to Him? Will you say, with Mary, “Your will
be done, I am the Lord’s servant”? Will you say with Isaiah, “Here am I,
send me!”? Mary Ann used to do
counted-cross stitch, and I have one that she did based on some teaching from
Howard Hendricks on Eph 3:20-21. It says, “If you knew you couldn’t fail, what
would you do for the glory of God?” The verse reads, “Now to Him who is able to
do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to
all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
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