Transcript

He Will Be Great

Luke 1:26-38
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Pastor Randy Smith

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Luke begins his Gospel in verse 5. "In the days of Herod, King of Judea." Herod was known as, "The Great." Then we get to verse 32 and four words stuck out to me this week. "He will be great." The "He" is clearly a reference to Jesus. Not Herod, but Jesus.

Today we have the advantage of looking back, considering the Resurrection and contemplating Jesus' transforming work in our lives. Indeed we are able to see His greatness, as if gazing down from a mountaintop.

But what about those that lived in real-time with Jesus? There was no aerial perspective. It was only trying to make sense of the events as they unfolded before their very eyes. What did they think of Jesus? Did He really appear great to them? Hard teachings. Hated by the religious leaders. Labeled a criminal by Rome. Sentenced to death as if He were accursed by God. And perhaps most confusing and scandalous was His birth to an unknown women who at the time was not even married.

This morning we'll try to see through the eyes and into the heart of this young lady named Mary. We'll look at her response when she receive the news that she will give birth to the Christ, and then we'll consider our response when God permits us to experience events that simply do not make sense. What do we do when God works in such a way when things happen in our lives that make us question His wisdom and love? Do we still have the faith to believe that He is great?

Mary's Introduction (verses 26-29)

As you can see, all four points are centered around this woman we are all familiar with named Mary. And though most people (at least in America) have heard of Mary, most people I would say have an incorrect understanding of who she really was which almost always leads to an incorrect concept as to how she should be treated. Let's see what the Bible says. Let's begin with "Mary's Introduction." This is the first time Mary is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke.

In verse 26 we learn that the angel Gabriel (the same angel that appeared to Zacharias six months ago - last week's sermon) now appears to Mary. The verse says the angel "was sent from God." Why can we have faith? Because God does not so much enter a story that is already under progress. He is the one that is always writing the story and moving the players according to His sovereign will.

Another amazing observation - the Child will be great. So we would naturally assume that He will be born in Jerusalem of Judea - the spiritual hub of the Jewish community. Rather the text says Gabriel appeared to Mary in Galilee in a city called Nazareth. My friends, this isNowheresville ! The place was not even mentioned by the famous Jewish historian, Josephus. It's not mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament or even any historical rabbinical writings for that matter. Nazareth, said one author, was a shoddy, corrupt, half-way stop between the port cities of Tyre and Sidon that was overrun with Gentiles and Roman soldiers." Remember Nathaniel's classic line from John 1:46? "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"

Do you struggle to trust God? It will help to remember this. God does not always work in a way we would expect! We often want Him to think and act like us. Yet God will be God! We cannot influence Him - and I am thankful for that! We'll see that God's goal was so much the Person of Christ and His greatness that He will intentionally blur the location if it might compete with our Savior's glory.

And to make us scratch our heard even more we learn that Mary in verse 27 is a virgin. She is not even married, but engaged (betrothed) to a man named Joseph.

Martin Luther said, "Among the downtrodden she was one of the lowliest, not a maid of high station in the capital city, but a daughter of a plain man in a small town… In all likelihood she was an orphan… Her age was probably between 13 and 15 years. And yet this was the one whom God chose. He might have gone to Jerusalem and picked out Caiaphas' daughter who was fair, rich…and attended by an entourage of maids in waiting. But God preferred a lowly maid from a mean town."

So God sends His greatest news and it comes to a Nobody from a Nowheresville . You see any symbolism here as it pertains to those whom God saves? Luke in chapter 5 will quote Jesus. "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Lk. 5:31-32). Do you remember 1 Corinthians 1? "For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 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, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God (1 Cor. 1:26-29). From the young teenaged peasant girl to poor and despised shepherds nine months later - God meets with the humble. Don't we see a model here for those who will really experience God?

Verse 28, "And coming in, he said to her, 'Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.'"

What this verse is not saying: That Mary should be venerated to the level of God Himself. Often it's this verse, which is mistranslated and adds the faulty Latin Vulgate's words, "full or grace" to teach that Mary is now a dispenser of grace herself. That's where we get, "Co-redemptrix, Co-redeemer with Jesus whereby grace comes from Jesus but also through Mary. So prayers must flow through Mary who will then bring them to her Son. We get Immaculate Conception, a 1854 Catholic doctrine that Mary was born free from the stain of original sin. Basically, she becomes a fourth person in the Holy Trinity. It is all man-made heresy, unbiblical, idolatrous and very dangerous.

What this verse is saying: Mary was indeed blessed. Of the billions of women that ever will exist, God chose Mary to carry, nurse and raise Jesus Christ. Alexander Whyte said, "Hers…was the face that unto Christ had most resemblance." Yet this is not so much that Mary is great and therefore God chose her as it is that God is great and she is therefore blessed to have been chosen by God. Overall we can say that the Bible teaches that Mary was a recipient of grace, not a dispenser of grace.

Hope that didn't confuse you, but if it did, you are not alone! According to verse 29, Mary was confused as well! "But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was."

Luke makes no comment regarding Mary's reaction to the angel's appearance. Yet he does highlight her concern regarding the words that she just heard. Mary "kept pondering," the verse says. There are so many recorded instances in Luke 1-2 of Mary meditating on God's words and actions. A great point for discussion, but we need to move on to the second point.

Mary's Visitor (verses 30-33)

Verse 30-33. "The angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.' And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."

So the angel throws out a lot for Mary to think about. What can we learn about our Savior from these four verses?

One, Mary will bear a Son. Prophesied back in Isaiah 7:14. "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." Without ever being with a man, Mary will become pregnant and give birth to a son.

Two, the child will be named Jesus. Again, God (like He did for John) will choose the name. Jesus was a common name back then. The name meant "Savior." The account in Matthew 1:21 sheds some good light on the choice of this name. "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

Three, verse 32, He will be great. In the Bible, God clearly classifies people. They go from foolish and worthless to mighty and great. Their status is determined exclusively based upon the God-loving quality of their heart. Last week we learned John would be great in the sight of God (verse 15). Here in verse 32 we see Jesus will be great as well, even greater than John, because He is God.

Four, He will be called (verse 32), "Son of the most High" and (in verse 35), "Son of God." This signifies equality with God.

Five, Jesus will be given the throne of His father, David. In 2 Samuel, God promised King David, "When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (2 Sam. 7:12-13). The early Kings of Israel were only foreshadowing the King that would reign forever. As predicted, the great King would come through David's line (both Joseph and Mary - verse 27) and sit eternally on His throne. Are the pieces beginning to come together in Mary's mind?

Six, verse 33, He will reign over the house of Jacob.

And seven, His kingdom will have no end.

Conclusion, God has come to His people in the long-awaited Messiah!

Mary's Question (verses 34-37)

A lot for Mary to take in, but as we move to the third point, Mary speaks in the form of a question. Look at verse 34, "Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I am a virgin?'

Though there are many more important theological verses in our passage, this is often the verse that people want to discuss, especially after reading what we covered last week. It goes sort of like this: "Zacharias questioned Gabriel and he receives a significant consequence. Why was Mary permitted to question the angel and apparently not even receive a slap on the wrist? This does not seem fair!"

Here is your answer and it all comes down to that word we are considering this morning: faith! Zacharias was filled with disbelief. Mary was filled with wonder. Zacharias demanded to see. Mary expressed her inability to see. Zacharias demanded a sign to know for certain. Mary accepted the pronouncement, but was curious how such a thing could happen. Zacharias had a biblical precedent - barren women conceiving. Mary had no biblical precedent - her virgin birth would be the first. John's conception was extraordinary. Jesus' conception was beyond extraordinary.

God graciously answered Mary's question in verse 35. "The angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.'"

Mary will become pregnant unlike any other woman that has ever lived. God will form in her womb a child. There are no sexual connotations of God mating with the mortals like you see in Greek mythology. It will be a divine conception. It will be God the Creator at work again. It will be a normal human baby in every sense of the word, while at the same time the child would be God in the flesh - fully man and fully God. It will be unlike anything the Jewish mind could conceive or even perceive regarding the Messiah. Yet this child would be perfectly delivered to be everything the world needs in a true Messiah. Being God He was fully able to remain sinless and bear the full weight of the sins of the world. Being man He was able to represent humanity. Our minds can scarcely get around the concept.

In verses 36 and 37 the angel continues, "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month [remember, Elizabeth was in seclusion - 1:24]. For nothing will be impossible with God."

Struggling with faith? Can't make sense of what God might be doing in your life? Having difficulty holding onto the promises of God? Be like Mary and do some pondering on verse 37. "Nothing will be impossible with God."

My friends, sometimes in a difficult trial this promise is all you have to hold on to! Faith in the God of the impossible who always works in ways that are wiser and better than our deepest understanding. If you are in Christ, God is with you, and nothing will be impossible for Him.

What do we see here? God proclaims His word and He always fulfills His word. God works in mysterious ways. God empowers the powerless. God does His best work when our human possibilities are limited or nonexistent. God works through faithful humans who trust Him and surrender to His control. God meets with the humble. Faith! "For nothing is impossible with God" (Lk . 1:37).

Mary's Faith (verse 38)

How is your faith? Let's wrap it up with a look at Mary's faith. In verse 38 she said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word."

So let's put ourselves in Mary's shoes.

1. No biblical history of God performing a virgin birth - faith!
   
2. We learned she was engaged to Joseph. He'll find out she is pregnant. How in the world will he believe her answer? "Well, you're going to think I'm crazy, but the other day this angel appeared to me…" - faith!
   
3. A single woman pregnant in Israel didn't go over too well with the community. It was perhaps the worst social stigma. She will be shunned by the town . And although it was rarely enforced at the time, the biblical punishment for fornication was death by stoning faith!

And her response in verse 38? "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." Talk about a model of full submission to God! Talk about a model of faith!

The section closes with "and the angel departed from her." God normally does not extend His heavenly visitations. The angel doesn't hang around to comfort her, answer her questions or even further explain how things will turn out. He makes God's proclamation and then he departs leaving God's Word alone as the bedrock to which she must trust.

There was one time that God did stay with us in visible form and that was in the Person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is Immanuel, "God with us." Born of a virgin. Sinless life. Sacrifice for our sins on a cross. Resurrection from the dead. Savior to all who receive Him by faith. May we have faith in Jesus and may we have faith in the Word of God, the Bible, through which He speaks to us today.