Introduction
- “What is Advent?”
-- The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival"
-- The focus of this season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ
-- His birth is his First Advent, his first coming, to a world in great need
-- It also reflects on the anticipation of the return of Christ (Second Advent)
- Advent, however, is more than marking a 2,000-year-old event
-- HUGE: Advent’s purpose: All of creation might be reconciled to God
- R.C. Sproul once said, “What we celebrate is not so much the birth of a baby, but the incarnation of God Himself.” (Critical concept to remember – not just a bday!)
-- Today, it is my prayer that we would be focused on this truth
-- And it is my desire that we’d see this story in a fresh light (need fresh look)
- Read Luke 1: 26-38 / Pray for revelation and peace in the truth of God
Point 1 – The revelation of the Messiah’s birth
- v26-28 are key to this passage … and we must grasp where it comes from
- Re: OT Prophecy: Isaiah 9:7, “His government (Whose gov’t? Messiah) and its peace will never end. He will rule (as a king) with fairness and justice from the throne (authority) of his ancestor David for (how long) all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! (promise)”
-- KEY: The only way to reign on a throne is to be of the same lineage! (Prince)
-- It is an inheritance that will be granted to this ruler – one of the same family
-- We know that Joseph descended from the lineage of King David (Matt 1:6-16)
- Marriage to Joseph would bring Mary into the lineage of heirs; her role is unique:
-- Mary births the Messiah, through the same lineage promised by God (Isaiah 9:7)
-- Isaiah 7:14, “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin (Mary is) will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”
- And we know the lineage’s importance: Psalm 132:11-12, “The Lord swore an oath to David with a promise he will never take back: “I will place one of your descendants on your throne (remember Isaiah 7). If your descendants (David’s) obey the terms of my covenant and the laws that I teach them, then your royal line will continue forever and ever.” (Don’t miss the IF / THEN statement …)
-- APP: God proclaims, then challenges us to follow through and obey
- KEY: Angel gives us the revelation of “who”, to fulfill God’s sacred prophecy
-- Why is this important? With it, God proves He is faithful (promise kept)
- Re: Zechariah’s response (in church – doing church things) = disbelief (v18))
-- Result: Struck mute to show the importance of responding to God’s messenger
- And now, we see Mary’s response to God … with the right heart (found favor)
-- Zechariah scoffed at Gabriel … Mary was confused and disturbed; but accepted
-- Said another way, she was troubled that this could possibly happen (v29)
-- OK to let her off the hook: It’s ok to be troubled with news like this …
- Take away: When God speaks, how you respond does matter
-- This is a critical lesson that both got – and today we’d be wise to ALSO see …
Point 2 – God’s promises come with instructions to respond
- FACT: God’s comfort ALWAYS accompanies promises (even in uncertainty)
-- Mary appeared troubled to the angel, perhaps it was on her face or in her heart
- The response from God’s angel is one of comfort: “Do not be afraid”
-- Love to see God’s tenderness towards her here … “Relax, it’s ok, He is good”
- Consider how God has promised comfort before:
- EX: Before a battle:
-- Joshua 1:6-7, “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.”
- EX: When we are in doubt:
-- Isaiah 41:10, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
- EX: When we aren’t sure of what’s next:
-- Psalm 56:11, “I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?” (If God is for you, who can be against you (taken from: Rom 8:31))
-- When God gives us a promise … we must see it as unwavering and certain
- Big question we all ask here: “How?”
-- This is where we practice our faith – by trusting what we don’t see
-- God calls us to follow Him, not to live-in doubt and uncertainty
-- FACT: No matter the situation, no matter the challenge, God is not a liar!
- Today we see that the greatest revelation to mankind
-- And the response to Mary, and to us, is the same … “DO NOT BE AFRAID”
- What is the revelation? THIS child will reign over the house of Jacob
-- Re: The Jews hail from the House of Jacob (also called the House of Israel)
-- The promise foretells that this child will reign over Israel
-- That He will be the one they’ve hoped for, the redeemer of the faith
-- He is the One they have prayed for … bible says put your trust in this promise!
- Now …. Consider the time to get there … been approx. 4,000 years of waiting!!
-- Remember Genesis 3:14-15 is the first promise: “Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
-- Promise is to defeat of sin that has entered creation … tells someone is coming!
-- Now, imagine the realization: Her child will be the Messiah!
- TRANS: Notice her only question (v34): “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
- DON’T MISS THIS:
-- IMP: Don’t get caught up in the details of head knowledge – our encour. is …
Point 3 – We must trust God’s word, completely!
- Mary just got told who her son will be, and she’s concerned with biology
-- NOTE: Big flashing lights that Mary is just an average person, totally human
- She was a righteous woman in God’s eyes; but still 100% human in her thinking
-- She is caught up in the process of pregnancy … AND she misses the revelation
-- And look, it’s ok, Zechariah had the same problem (We are old … expound)
- How about us? When God reveals something to us … do we miss it?
-- Are we too busy cutting God off & inserting our own ideas when He speaks?
-- Instead of trusting do we look for other answer? Set up a cmte? Phone a friend?
- When God speaks, we ought to want to follow … not tell Him our thoughts
-- Chew on this: “It is hard to hear from God when you’ve already decided what you want Him to say”
- Thankfully, God reveals exactly how this will happen (ask and receive)
-- Re-read Luke 1:35-37
- Consider, this is angel of the Lord … saw God create life from NOTHING
-- BIG FACT: Biological functions are not an obstacle to what God can do
-- So, when God speaks and says that something is going to be done, the only response we should ever have as followers of Christ is: “Yes, Lord.”
- The angel even gives her bonus information that cousin, Elizabeth, is pregnant
-- Reference the first two messages from this series … see the whole story?
-- Her confirmation of what God is doing becomes settled in her heart, forever.
-- Why? Because her faith in God outweighs her doubt of what’s possible!
- TRANS: So, how do we apply these incredible events to us today?
- Yes, it is the obvious story of the prophecy of Jesus … but don’t miss this
-- For you and me, today, there is more to see … a pivotal fact … APPLICATION
Big Idea: When God speaks, we must see the guarantee in His words
- God’s promises are eternal, and they are always confirmed by His Word
-- To add anything else or to take away from what God is saying is disobedience
-- EX: When God calls us to advance the Gospel (Matt 28), we must move (now)
- Consider: Who did the angel tell her will come upon her? (The Holy Spirit)
-- The Holy Spirit is a separate entity, part of the triune Godhead (Father, Son …)
-- Today, the Holy Spirit is pivotal to the worship and to the service of God
- However, this would be NEW to Mary … Holy Spirit is not given to us in OT
-- Always been at work (seen at creation), but not known in this personal manner
-- And how does Mary respond to this new information?
- v38 is the clincher: “Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
- CHALLENGE: Why don’t we respond to God in the same manner?
-- Are our lives so important to us that we tell God what we want instead?
- Get this: Mary almost missed the main thing by focusing on biology
- Prayerfully we won’t be focused on the “to do list” & miss why we celebrate
- The same Spirit that gave Mary this child is calling out to you for God’s glory
-- You are being called to live righteously, to love selflessly, and to testify of Jesus
-- Each of us has 24 hours a day to live in worship of what God has done
- Today, I ask you … what is your response to God’s calling?
-- Will you be so busy this week that you’ll miss seeing the glory of God revealed?
- It is my prayer; we have 5 days left … don’t miss seeing the wonder of the season
- Pray (Salvation, Repentance, and Freshness of the Season)
