Grace Community Church
Winchester, VA
www.GraceCommunity.com
Rev. Bradford Reaves, Sr. Pastor
Watch This Message on our Youtube Channel
Introduction
How many of you as parents knew every detail of your child’s life before they were even born. Every single one of us remembers distinctly the moment we found out we were going to be parents. We remember the feeling of joy, confusion, or even fear of that realization and sharing that with others of the coming of our child. But how many of all the children born today can be specifically and accurately described before he or she was even born? Humanly speaking of the billions of people born, only a couple of people have had such a supernatural announcement. Last week John the Baptist was foretold by Gabriel to Zechariah.
This week I want to share with you the greatest child ever to be born. It is not enough for us to say that Jesus was a good man or that he did great things. It is not enough to comment on the miracles he performed or the marvelous teaching he provided. These are all great things, but they are things or accomplishments that individually can be accomplished by nearly any man. What makes Jesus unique is these things and more are all accomplished in his life and they are all foretold by Scripture and some of these are touched on by Gabriel in his annunciation to Mary.
26 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!” 29 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.” (Luke 1:26-38)
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 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.” 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.
I. The Greatness of the Child
The Angel Gabriel comes to Nazareth which is located in the region of Galilee. In this small village is a young girl, probably around 13, named Mary. Her engagement with Joseph was recently set and Gabriel announces to her something miraculous: she is going to have a child. In a couple of weeks you will hear why the virgin birth is necessary, today I want to draw your attention to who she is carrying.
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.”
From the time of his birth, throughout his entire life, and even in his death, resurrection, and his continuing ministry through the disciples and today. The greatness of Jesus unfolded as he lived his life. His teach was unlike any teaching.
John 7:46 ESV
The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
His greatness was not only in his teaching, but in his life and the miracles. Healing the sick, raising the dead, feeding crowds of people, walking on water, taking authority over demons, and of course, overcoming death and the grave himself. Do you realize that not only are Jesus’ miracles verifiable, but he made his own resurrection verifiable?
Matthew 17:22 ESV
As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men,
He is clear both here and throughout all of the gospels of his suffering, death, and bodily resurrection. If he was a charlatan, he would have said, I will spiritually rise again.
No one ever lived on earth nor will anyone ever live again as Jesus lived. His life was the greatest ever lived because He is God.
II. The Divine Nature of the Child
It is critical for us to understand what Gabriel said to Mary. What both the Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures say about the person and character of Jesus. Gabriel said, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (v. 32) Verse 35 Gabriel reiterates this with the phrase, “He shall be called the Son of God.” This is a wording that would be undeniably identifying Mary’s child as God. These are Jewish phrases used to identify YHWH. This is a title first used in of God in Genesis 14:18, “El Elyon.”
The Gospel according to Luke The Birth of Jesus (1:26–38)
Second, Jesus “will be called the Son of the Most High.” “Most High” is an early appellation of Melchizedek for God, Heb. El Elyon (Gen 14:18; Heb 7:1). In the OT and later Judaism, El Elyon and “Most High” (Gk. hypsistos) became an exclusive name for the one true God, emphasizing his majesty and supremacy over all. This divine epithet is also ascribed to Jesus. Third, “the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.” The “Son of the Most High” is not an episodic work of God, but the revelation of the one who will fulfill the messianic ideal of David (James Edwards, Pillar Commentary)
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance
(Deut 32:8)
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High
Psalm 9:2 ESV
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
Psalm 47:2 ESV
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.
2 Samuel 22:14 ESV
The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice.
This little baby described to Mary is not an ordinary child. He is God. Given his title even before his miraculous conception as sovereign majesty over all people and all creation. He is God Most High made in the flesh.
Luke 1:43 ESV
And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
John 8:19b ESV
They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
John 14:9 ESV
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
John 10:30 ESV
I and the Father are one.”
John 8:58 ESV
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
III. The Prophetic Fulfillment of the Child
The importance of his prophetic coming is deeper than understanding prophecy. The prophetic fulfillment codifies him as God in the flesh. The coming of Christ as a babe is more than a nostalgic Christmas image. Without God becoming flesh there is no complete and absolute forgiveness of sins. The message of Gabriel was always centered around Jesus, never about Mary.
Luke 1:31 ESV
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
There is something critical Christians must understand about the birth of Jesus. The conception was supernatural, the rest of her pregnancy followed the normal course. Some have tried to biologically explain this, but they’re fooling themselves. Just as God made the world and fish and animals and Adam from nothing, so it was with the conception of Jesus.
John 1:14 ESV
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Luke 2:7 ESV
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.
He had to be God he had to be a man in or that he might be a substitute for us for the propitiation for our sins.
Hebrews 2:17–18 ESV
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
He was hungry, thirsty, tired. He slept, he grew, he loved. He laughed, he cried, he became angry. He was sarcastic, told jokes, and read Scripture. He felt pain, he suffered, he died. He experienced life on every aspect as we do, but without sin. He felt the same temptation to every degree that we experience temptation, but in every way perfectly overcame the temptation. This makes him our sympathizer and great high priest.
Hebrews 4:16 ESV
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The prophetic writings of his first coming underscore his divine origin along with his human existence. He was not an apparition. He was not fully God and partially man or fully man and partially God. He was fully man and fully God.
So every aspect of his life is prophetically shared in Scripture. Literally hundreds of them. His names: Son of God (Ps 2:7) Son of Man (Dan 7:13) Immanuel. The fact that he would be born of a virgin (Psalm 40:68). The location of his birth (Mic 5:2). His linage of David (Ps 110:1, Isaiah 11:1) His flight to Egypt (Hos 11:1). The slaughtering of the innocents (Jer 35:15) His baptism (Isa 11:1-4) His miracles (Isa 32:3-4; 35:5-6; 42:7) The cleansing of the Temple (Ps 69:9) His triumphal entry (Zech 9:9)
His arrest (Zech 13:7); Scourging (Isa 53:5); Casting lots for his cloths (Ps 22:18); That his bones were not broken (Ps 34:20); His pierced side (Isa 53:5); His burial (Isa 53:9); His resurrection (Ps 16:8-11; 30:3; 41:10; Hos 6:2; Isa 57:1); his ascension (Ps 2:7; 16:10-11; 24:7-10; 68:18; 110:1) and hundreds of others all perfectly align with his life. Jesus truly was the greatest life ever lived. This probability is nearly zero.
Gabriel underscores just a few to Mary.
There are literally hundreds of prophetic writings in the Old Testament that point us to his birth and earthly ministry Hundreds of messianic prophesies pointed to his coming - his first arrival and his imminent second coming. If we see the concise fulfillment of Christ in His first coming, we have abject truth that he will be coming again as also prophesied in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. In fact, there are more prophetic writings about his second advent than his first
Conclusion
Which brings me to the conclusion.
Gabriel reminds us of something vitally important:
Luke 1:37 ESV
For nothing will be impossible with God.”
And Mary reminds us of how we should respond:
Luke 1:38 ESV
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.
Since Jesus’ first coming was so miraculously fulfilled, then we can know for sure he is coming again. The world around us is groaning with birthing pains pointing us to that day. The natural disasters, the geopolitical movements, the lawlessness, the devaluing of human life, the conflicts and wars. Never before have we stood so close and so in line historically and prophetically to Christ’s return as we do today.
We can respond like Mary with an eagerness and willingness. Let it be to me according to your will, God. Because God has a plan for your life and it is to fit in with His plans. He has great plans for you, even in the days of darkness and uncertainty, we can live in the hope and certainty of Jesus Christ.
