God Came Into The World

INTRODUCTION

The most significant event that ever happened in this world is the event when God came into the world. God the Son entered the world to provide salvation for all who believe. This is the high point of God’s redemptive plan. Paul stated in Galatians 4:4-5 4But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

Luke 1:26-33 26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He 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, 33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.

How did God come into this world? What were the circumstances when God came? What were the means God used when God came to mankind?

Luke, the historian unfolds for us that great moment when God came.

Luke 1:26-38 26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Luke 1:29-33 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He 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, 33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

In this narrative, Luke records to us the circumstances surrounding God’s visitation to the earth. First of all, we find that when God came, God used a divine messenger for the announcement.

1. The Divine Messenger: Gabriel

Luke 1:26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee

Nobody had seen an angel in over 400 years. Eventually, an angel called Gabriel appeared to a man named Zachariah. Zachariah was a humble priest from the hill country of Judea doing his duty down in the temple, a couple of weeks a year. Gabriel announced to Zechariah that he would go home and have a son with his wife.

This is a shocking announcement because both of them were either in their 70s or 80s, they were old. His wife, Elizabeth was barren. About six months into Elizabeth’s pregnancy Gabriel came back again. The divine messenger came to an obscure town called Nazareth in Galilee.

Thus, we understand from this divine messenger that God communicates to man. If God has to communicate something to man, he will surely find a way to communicate it. In the scripture God spoke directly to the Patriarchs. God spoke to Joseph and Pharaoh through a dream. Moses heard the voice of God in a burning bush. God spoke to Balaam through a donkey. The prophets spoke God’s oracles. God spoke through his angel Gabriel to Daniel, Zechariah, and Elizabeth. Jesus spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road.

By the way, how does God communicate to his people today? Through His Word, the scriptures.

Today, God speaks through his word. Coming back, the divine messenger in this text is angel Gabriel.

2. The Divine Choice: Mary

Luke 1:27b. The virgin’s name was Mary.

Specifically, see the stress on the virginity of Mary twice here. Hold on, I will soon come back to Mary’s virginity.

Gabriel came from the presence of Almighty God, down all the way to the land of Israel, the little town of Nazareth, down to a little house where he came in and pronounced the divine blessing to a virgin named Mary. Now, God chose this girl called Mary, probably 13-14 years old, engaged to a young man named Joseph.

Engagement was a legal binding then. Joseph had paid a dowry, a price to her father but the actual wedding was in the future. The engagement period lasted a year and during that period the girl would prove her faithfulness by staying in her father’s house and the boy would prepare a home for them, usually, an addition to his father’s house.