I’ve entitled our message this morning, “Nothing Is Impossible,” as we briefly touch on the account of how baby Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary. I would like to begin with some inspirational quotes and illustrations; and I’ll start by sharing one entitled “Impossible Takes Longer.”
Charles F. Kettering, the noted scientist and inventor, believed that the easiest way to overcome defeat was to ignore completely the possibility of failure. In an address delivered at Denison University, Granville, Ohio, he told how he had once given a tough assignment to a young research worker at the General Motors laboratory. Just to see how he would react to a difficult problem, Mr. Kettering forbade him to examine notes on the subject that were filed in the library. These notes were written by an expert research team and contained statistics to prove that the assignment was impossible. The young research worker did not know this, of course, so he went to work with confidence that he would succeed. He did succeed, too. He didn’t know it couldn’t be done, and so he did it.(1)
Many men and women have gone on to prove that what some would say is impossible, is not impossible at all; like Igor Sikorsky. When he was just a boy of twelve, his parents told him that competent authorities had already proven that human flight was impossible. Yet Sikorsky built the first helicopter, and in his American plant he posted a sign that read as follows: “According to recognized aero-technical tests, the bumblebee cannot fly because of the shape and weight of his body in relation to the total wing area. The bumblebee doesn’t know this, so he goes ahead and flies anyway.”(2) You see, the word “impossible” doesn’t affect us much when it hasn’t been spoken over our life; and to some who have heard this formidable word, to these go-getters it still means absolutely nothing!
A few years ago, there was an advertisement for the Adidas company that was very inspirational. It said, “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they have been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It is an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It is a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”(3) The New York American Marketing Association commented on this ad campaign, saying that “Adidas believes every athlete can reach their own ‘impossible.’ It dares athletes to be dissatisfied with the status quo. It challenges athletes to dream about what they would like to achieve; to believe in their souls that their dreams, no matter how ‘impossible’ can be achieved.”(4)
Now, these encouraging quotes and illustrations simply portray the power of determination; but determination relies on human strength, intelligence and ingenuity to overcome problems. It is unrealistic to believe that determination can overcome anything and everything, because people do encounter difficulties that just can’t be solved on their own; like certain diseases, for example. However, when Adidas said that impossible means nothing, it actually hit on a concept found in the Bible. You see, the word “impossible” really does mean nothing to God; and through faith, the word “impossible” should mean nothing to the believer. This morning we’re going to come to learn that with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27)! So, let’s get started by looking at Luke 1:26-38.
With God All Things Are Possible (Luke 1:26-38)
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by 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. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then 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 bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give 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 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
In verse 29, we see that Mary was troubled at the angel’s saying. Being that Gabriel had just called Mary “favored” and “blessed,” why was she troubled? We’ll, there were two very good reasons: 1.) She was a virgin! Mary was “betrothed” to her fiancé Joseph. During the betrothal period, abstinence was to be maintained. The betrothal lasted about a year; and during that period, if a woman became pregnant with child it was viewed as adultery. Under the strictest interpretation of Old Testament law, it was punishable by death. 2.) She was a virgin! In verse 24, she asked, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” Under ordinary circumstance, to become pregnant apart from the physical act – what the Bible calls “knowing” – is impossible. But this was no ordinary situation! Gabriel explained how she would conceive by the Holy Spirit (v. 35); and then, after telling her about the miracle of Elizabeth having a child in her old age, despite being barren her entire life, he then told her, “For with God nothing will be impossible” (v. 37).
As I said earlier, the word “impossible” means nothing to the Lord! The birth of a baby born to a virgin was a miracle; something that only God could do! And there are just some things in life that cannot be fixed with determination and human ingenuity; things that take a miracle! And this is the truth that we’re going to continue to explore in God’s Word. I want to share a few more verses that portray this spiritual concept, and then we’ll move on to some other major passages.
In Mark chapter 14:35-36, we read where Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father in the Garden of Gethsemane; and the Scripture tells us that He “fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him” (v. 35). We continue to read of how Christ said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will” (v. 36). Did you hear what Jesus declared in verse 36? He said, “All things are possible for You,” meaning that all things are indeed possible with God! But, I think the key is, “Not what I will, but what you will” (v. 36). We read in 1 John 5:14, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” But if the Lord has confirmed in our heart that something is His will, then we must exhibit the same inward posture of surrender demonstrated by Jesus, if we want to see it come to pass. We need to be as Mary and say, “Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
In Zechariah 8:6-8, we read how the Lord encouraged the captives of Babylon who thought they would never see Jerusalem again. He said, “All this may seem impossible to you now, a small and discouraged remnant of God’s people. But do you think this is impossible for Me, the Lord Almighty? This is what the Lord Almighty says: You can be sure that I will rescue My people from the east and from the west. I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem” (NLT). In the Christian life we can be confident when we declare that “nothing is impossible,” because the word “impossible” truly doesn’t mean a thing to the Lord! Nothing is impossible with our God! In fact, according to Mark 10:27 (which we’ll see again in a moment), “With God all things are possible!” Let’s now turn to Matthew 17:14-20, and look at the power of faith in seeing God do the impossible.
By Faith All Things Are Possible (Matthew 17:14-20)
14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
So, what is it that makes all things possible for us with God? Here, we read how a man approached Jesus asking Him to heal his epileptic child, because the disciples were unable to do so (vv. 14-16). Jesus rebuked the demon, and the child was healed (vv. 17-18). Later, Jesus told the disciples that they weren’t able to cast out the demon because of their “unbelief” (v. 19); or rather, their “lack of faith.” He then declared, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (v. 20). In Mark 9:17-25, we read a parallel account to this one; and in that passage, when Jesus spoke of what was necessary to cast out the demon, He stated, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (v. 23).
Notice how Jesus said, “If you have faith,” and, “If you can believe,” that all things are possible. So, what are we to have faith in, and to believe in? We are to have faith in “our God” who is able to do all things! It has nothing to do with having faith in ourselves or believing in ourselves. It has nothing to do with the power of positive thinking; but it has everything to do with God. Remember, we just read how, “With God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27). Right? Our faith must be in God, and our faith is to ultimately rest in Jesus, because Jesus is God. 2 Corinthians 5:19 tells us that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” It is because Jesus is Lord, and because He is all-knowing and all-powerful, that we can take to heart Philippians 4:13, which says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
If we place our faith in God, and in Jesus Christ, we are able to declare that “nothing is impossible,” because we know the One with whom all things are possible. It is not up to us to overcome what seems impossible. It is up to God, who is much bigger than we are! 1 John 5:4 tells us, “And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.” Our faith in God will make it possible to overcome anything and everything that life throws our way. We will overcome through our faith in Jesus Christ!
So, what mountains are you facing right now? Have you recently lost your job, or the job you do have doesn’t pay enough to cover your bills, and you’re struggling financially? Does one of your loved ones, or someone you know, have an illness they’re struggling with; maybe Covid-19, or cancer, or something else? Are you concerned about our country right now? Are you frustrated with the lockdowns and restrictions; especially those being imposed on the church? Are you wondering if God is going to turn things around, and bring about unity, peace and prosperity to our nation? What has God spoken in your heart? Or, better yet; what has He said in His holy Word?
In 3 John 1:2, we read how God wants us to “prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord said, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV). He said that these blessings would come to all who pray to Him and search for Him with all their heart (Jeremiah 29:12-13). So, have you been seeking the Lord? If we seek the Lord, He will speak to us; and when God has spoken His will, stand firm in faith, even if your situation looks dark.
Think about how dark things looked when Jesus was born into the world. Judea wasn’t free. The country was under Roman control. When Herod came into power he executed forty-five of the seventy-one members of the Sanhedrin because they opposed him. The Jewish temple came under state control, and the high priest was appointed and dismissed by either the Emperor or the Roman governor.(5) The Bible records that when Herod couldn’t find Jesus after His birth, that he massacred the firstborn of all children from two years old and under (Matthew 2:16-18). After Herod’s death, when the Jews opposed his elaborate funeral, his son Archelaus sent troops to control the crowds. The Jews threw stones at the soldiers; and so, Archelaus called out the rest of his army and 3,000 people were massacred.(6)
When Jesus was born it was a time of political unrest, and a time of great darkness. But it was into the darkness that the light of the world was born; the prophesied and long-awaited Messiah and Savior! It has been said, “Never doubt in the dark, what God spoke while you were in the light.” Let’s now turn to Mark 10:25-27, and look at how God can overcome the most difficult obstacle we will ever face.
Through Jesus Salvation Is Possible (Mark 10:25-27)
25 “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” 27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”
Our faith will make it possible to overcome the greatest obstacle in life, which is death. I am not speaking of a physical death, but a spiritual one. We will all suffer death of our physical body, for Hebrews 9:27 states, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Spiritual death, however, is that which is caused by sin. Romans 6:23 declares, “The wages of sin is death,” and in Revelation 20:14-15, we read, “The lake of fire . . . is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” We all must endure a physical death, which is the first death. However, those who have not had their sins forgiven through Jesus Christ, will experience the second death. The second death is described as spending eternity in the lake of fire; or rather, the flames of hell. This is spiritual death.
Faith will make it possible to escape the flames of hell, and thus escape death. In Mark 10:17, a rich man asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life.” In verse 21-22, Jesus told him to sell all that he had, take up his cross, and follow Him; but he went away sorrowful, because he had great possessions. Jesus then looked at His disciples and said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (v. 25). They then asked Him, “Who then can be saved?” (v. 26); and Jesus responded, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible” (v. 27). Remember, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,” according to 2 Corinthians 5:19; therefore, it is through Christ, God’s one and only Son, that salvation is possible.
Listen, as I share some verses from the New Living Translation. In 2 Thessalonians 1:12, we read, “This is all made possible because of the undeserved favor of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ” (NLT); and in 1 Corinthians 1:30, we read, “God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus . . . He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and He gave Himself to purchase our freedom” (NLT). In Isaiah 53:11, we read about Jesus that, “When [God] sees all that is accomplished by His anguish, He will be satisfied. And because of what He has experienced, My righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for He will bear all their sins” (NLT). Each of these verses speak about how God “made it possible” for us to be saved through Christ. You see, if we place our faith in Jesus, we will be able to look death right in the face and shout “nothing is impossible!” We will be able to declare, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55, KJV).
Time of Reflection
What we have learned this morning is how we can believe and boldly declare that “nothing is impossible,” because the Bible tells us, “With God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27); “If you have faith . . . nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20); and that Jesus “will make it possible for many to be counted righteous” (Isaiah 53:11); or rather, be saved from their sins, and be saved from spiritual death. Allow me to run this by you again: With God All Things Are Possible; By Faith All Things Are Possible; and Through Jesus Salvation is Possible. And to make it easy to for us to remember, it is this: WITH GOD, BY FAITH, THROUGH JESUS!
Remember, Jesus performed “the impossible” when He rose from the grave. In Romans chapter 6, we read, “Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all” (vv. 9-10). Jesus died for our sins on the cross; and just as He had victory over sin and death, each of us can too! We continue to read in Romans 6:4, “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” We acquire this victory over the impossible by confessing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, WITH GOD, BY FAITH, THROUGH JESUS, we can be forgiven of our sins and receive eternal life. That’s the greatest Christmas gift of all!
NOTES
(1) Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustration (Garland, Texas: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996), taken from Logos 2.1E on CD-ROM.
(2) Ibid.
(3) Adidas Add, “Slam Magazine,” 2005.
(4) EFFIE Awards, New York American Marketing Association, taken from the Internet in October 2005 at http://www.effie.org/award_winners/images/925_2005.pdf.
(5) John R. Fink, “Life among the People of Israel When Jesus Was Born,” Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land: https://ffhl.org/life-among-people-israel-jesus-born/ (Accessed December 4, 2020).
(6) Ibid.
