“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And 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 call his name Jesus. 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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’
“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. 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. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ 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.” [1]
Martin Luther was such a vigorous and original person, and what he has to say about a given text is always interesting, always helpful in giving understanding to what has been written. For instance, in the verses that relate how Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to Mary, Luther, quoting Saint Bernard, the godly French monk who lived in the twelfth century, writes that there are three miracles in this story:
1) “That God and Man Should Be Joined in This Child;”
2) “That a Mother Should Remain a Virgin;”
3) “That Mary Should Have Such Faith as to Believe that This Miracle Would be Accomplished in Her.”
Bernard then adds perceptively, that “the last is not least of the three.” [2]
Bernard revealed his devotion to Catholic dogma when he asserted “that a Mother Should Remain a Virgin.” We cannot agree to this declaration—he says this solely on the strength of legend; but we do hold that Scripture declares that the virgin conceived a child, thus fulfilling the prophecy delivered by the Court Prophet, Isaiah. When the Lord, through Isaiah, confronted Ahaz with a promise of deliverance, the king suddenly grew pious and pretended that he could not ask anything of God. At that, God spoke through His Prophet, saying, “The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” [ISAIAH 7:14].
I must take a moment to emphasise that Scripture is conclusive in noting that Mary did not remain a virgin after the birth of her firstborn Son, Jesus. This is a critical point that we must not neglect. Mary had other children following the birth of Jesus. These multiple children were born through the natural process with Joseph as her husband. None of the remaining children Mary brought into the world are claimed to have been conceived by the Holy Spirit, as was her firstborn Son. Only one child was ever born of a virgin, and that one child was Jesus of Nazareth. He is the Son of God.
Still, there are three miracles of Christmas on which we should focus attention during this hour:
1) “That God and Man Should Be Joined in This Child;”
2) “That a Virgin should bear a child;”
3) “That Mary Should Have Such Faith as to Believe that This Miracle Would be Accomplished in Her.”
And it will benefit us greatly if we examine these miracles in their turn.
GOD AND MAN WERE JOINED IN A CHILD — Though it may be not popular to assert, Jesus, the Son of God, is truly and fully man. He is unquestionably truly and fully God. Jesus, the Christ, is the unique God-man. If He were not truly man, He could not identify with us in our weakness. One unknown writer has encouraged us when he writes, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 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” [HEBREWS 4:14-16].
Earlier, in this same missive, that writer spoke of the humanity of the Master, writing, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 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” [HEBREWS 2:14-18].
In writing this, the writer is but anticipating of the bold statement delivered when John writes, “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” [JOHN 1:14].
No one should imagine that this revelation asserts that Jesus was not truly a man, somehow not actually human as we are. Those who deny the humanity of Jesus will find no comfort in what is written in the Word. Some would find it tiresome to refresh the memory of the evidence of Jesus as the God-man; but the redeemed of God rejoice at all such reminders. As Paul opens his missive to the Saints in Rome, he writes, “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh” [ROMANS 1:1-3].
Later, the Apostle testifies of Jesus, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh” [ROMANS 8:1-3].
Let’s take a walk through some of the biblical emphases of the unique nature of Jesus the Son of God. For instance, we read in GALATIANS 4:4-5, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” It is apparent that the Apostle held the conviction that Jesus, born of Mary, was God’s own Son.
Listen, again, as Paul speaks of Jesus the Son of God. “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” [PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11].
Another demonstration of the Apostle’s conviction concerning the Son of God is provided in the Letter he wrote to the congregation in Colossae. There, he has written, “You, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him” [COLOSSIANS 1:21-22].
I understand that I have extensively cited the Apostle to the Gentiles to this point; and though I have not exhausted his insight into the nature of our Saviour, I do not wish to exhaust your patience. Yet, I am compelled to cite yet one further example from the pen of the Apostle. In his first missive to Timothy, the Apostle cites what may have been a hymn that was commonly sung during worship among those ancient congregations. Paul writes, “By common confession, the secret of our godly worship is great:
In flesh was he revealed to sight,
kept righteous by the Spirit’s might,
adored by angels singing.
To nations was he manifest,
believing souls found peace and rest,
our Lord in heaven reigning!”
[1 TIMOTHY 3:16 ISV]
It is not only Paul who testified that God had come in human form, but we witness, for instance, the Apostle of Love who has written of Jesus our Lord, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already” [1 JOHN 4:1-3].
I will cite one further statement given by John who warns in his second missive, “Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist” [2 JOHN 7]. The Apostle of Love is blunt in insistence that failure to confess the coming of the Son of God as one born of a woman exposes the denier as being in the grip of the deceiver and as promoting doctrine which stands in opposition to Christ.
And what does this say of ministers in this day who cast doubt on Jesus as both God and man? Does it not tell us that the liberal minister who denies Jesus is very God in human flesh is, as John has written, “the deceiver and the antichrist?” We can dismiss the Jehovah’s Witness as a cultist who is not to be taken seriously—ever. Or we can shake our head when the Mormon elder empties the knowledge that Jesus is God of power by qualifying that doctrine by saying that we can become gods. We see all such silly statements as folly unworthy of serious contemplation. But the supposed follower of Christ who denies Jesus is God in human flesh is deceptive and dangerous in the extreme. Such a one must be exposed as the fraud they are.
No one wishing to honour the Lord should ever heed anything such deceivers may say. If they lie about the Person of Christ the Lord, they will lie about anything. The Apostle to the Jews exposed these false teachers long ago when he wrote, “False prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” [2 PETER 2:1-3].
And this raises a serious question for us: Why is it important that Jesus should take on human flesh? The question is vital to our understanding of what God is doing. All people are born in sin. David testifies,
“I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
[PSALM 51:3-5]
What a pitiful confession!
And it is tragically true for each of us, as confirmed when the Apostle testifies, “Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come” [ROMANS 5:12-14]. It is tragically true for each of us: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” [ROMANS 3:23].
However, we are not left to question how we may avoid the consequences of our broken condition. Paul continued by writing, “But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” [ROMANS 5:15-17].
The testimony that all sinned is verified when we allow ourselves to think about our situation. In yet another missive, Paul was impelled by the Spirit of God to testify, “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” [EPHESIANS 2:1-3]. It is still tragically true for each of us: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” [ROMANS 3:23].
In the Ephesian Encyclical, the Apostle penned this encouraging insight, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” [EPHESIANS 2:4-10].
Here is the truth that must not be ignored as stated by the Apostle in the Letter to Christians in Rome. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” [ROMANS 8:1-4].
If Jesus were not God—truly and fully God—He could not provide for atonement for mankind. If He were not flesh and blood, He could not be a sacrifice for sinful people. Jesus is God, and He is man. He is the unique God-man. In Jesus, God took on human form. He did this to provide a perfect covering for sin for any who would receive the offer God has made. As a man, Jesus is able to share our struggles because He has experienced the trials each of us faces because of our humanity.
An unknown writer spoke of the Person of Jesus, and what that writer wrote is essential to our understanding of who Jesus is. Here is what has been written: “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 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” [HEBREWS 4:14-5:2].
Jesus our Saviour has shared our condition, and was able to present Himself as a perfect sacrifice for sin—all sin. Atonement has been provided by Him Who is a perfect sacrifice for all that could have ever excluded you from the hallowed precincts of Heaven. Have you stumbled, perhaps even fallen into the dust of this broken world? Do you imagine that the year that is almost past is a write-off because you didn’t fulfil what you knew to be the will of God? Are your life soiled with the filth of the present world? God has presented a Saviour Who understands the struggles you have endured, except He is without sin. Therefore, He offers cleansing from the brokenness and the dirt that mars your walk today. He extends to you forgiveness of every failure. He has reserved a place for you in the Father’s Family. And His offer is assured since He is very God.
I hear the voice of the Master offering each one who will receive it, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” [MATTHEW 11:28-30].
Because He is God, His sacrifice is sufficient to cover the sins of the whole world, and that means He will free you as you come to Him. Do you say you trusted Him at some earlier time, but you have stumbled and shamed Him? Hear the Word of the Lord! “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” [1 JOHN 1:5-10]. Amen.
THE VIRGIN CONCEIVED A CHILD — We believe with a perfect faith what is revealed in Scripture, that the virgin was with child. Mary heard the angel as he spoke of God’s divine choice that she should be the vessel that brought the Son of God into the world. Gabriel promised, “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 call his name Jesus. 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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” [LUKE 1:30-33].
Mary questioned what was said, wondering, “How will this be, since I am a virgin” [LUKE 1:34]? And though she questioned, she did not refuse what God was doing.
More than seven centuries before Mary’s encounter with the angel, God, through the Court Prophet Isaiah, had prophesied while standing before a wicked king of Israel, “The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” [ISAIAH 7:14]. It was a prophecy given not merely to that wicked king, but it was a promise to all mankind.
Hard to believe? Oh, yeah. And if you imagine it is difficult for us to believe, imagine how hard it was for Joseph, the teenage boy to whom Mary was betrothed. Had it not been for the intervention of one of God’s divine messengers, Joseph likely would not have accepted Mary as His wife. Matthew is quite forthright in speaking of the difficulty Joseph faced.
In the first Gospel, we are told of how things went down with Joseph. We read, “The birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel’
(which means, God with us)” [MATTHEW 1:18-23].
Mary would bear a child, and she was to name the child Jesus. The angel had spoken of the child being the Son of the Most High and revealed that this One would reign on the throne of David. That was fitting in light of yet another prophecy that had been delivered by Isaiah.
You may remember that Isaiah had written,
“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”
[ISAIAH 9:6-7]
This was no ordinary child!
The child that Mary would carry for nine months would be no ordinary child—this child was to be the Son of God. He would be the long promised, the long-anticipated descendant of David, promised by the LORD Himself. Why should this matter to me? I’m not Jewish. Does it really matter whether David has a descendant seated on his throne? Here is why it matters to me, and why it matters to you.
When the angels announced to shepherds that a child had been born, they informed those shepherds, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” [LUKE 2:10-11]. Indeed, a child is born, but “to us a son is given.” This child is born to deliver mankind from the brokenness of our sinful condition.
That is what we witness when the Apostle John writes, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” [JOHN 3:16].
Does it matter that the virgin was with child? According to the Word, it matters greatly. Recall how Paul has written, “Those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise. Now I say that as long as the heir is a child, he differs in no way from a slave, though he is the owner of everything. Instead, he is under guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were in slavery under the elements of the world. When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir” [GALATIANS 3:27-4:7 CSB].
Christ was born of a virgin to fulfil Scripture and to demonstrate His unique position as born man and God. This was God working to ensure that forgiveness of our sin and adoption into His Family would be provided for all who will receive it.
It is important to note that Mary did not remain a virgin after the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. I’m not seeking a fight with my Catholic friends, but as even their own translations state, Mary did not remain a virgin; she had normal sex with Joseph and bore other children into the world as every other woman does. Among Bibles receiving approval since 1983 by the Apostolic See of the Roman Catholic Church, are the New American Bible, Revised Edition, the New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, and the Good News Translation, which is also known as Today’s English Version, 2nd Edition. Each of these Bibles that are approved for Catholic readers has faithfully translated JOHN 7:5 to inform readers that “Not even [Jesus’] brothers believed in him.” [3]
Again, these translations faithfully translate JOHN 2:12 when readers are informed, “[Jesus] and his mother, [his] brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there only a few days.” [4]
The people in Jesus’ hometown rejected Him when He taught them in their synagogue. Mark informs readers, “On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue. Many people were there; and when they heard him, they were all amazed. ‘Where did he get all this?’ they asked. ‘What wisdom is this that has been given him? How does he perform miracles? Isn’t he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters living here?’ And so they rejected him” [MARK 6:2-3 GNT].
When the disciples were gathered in the Upper Room following the Master’s ascension into the heavens, all these approved Catholic translations agree that gathered with the disciples were, among others, “Mary and his brothers” [see ACTS 1:14].
The Apostle to the Gentiles was defending his appointment as an Apostle of the Lord, when he wrote, as translated in one approved Catholic translation, “Haven’t I the right to follow the example of the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Peter, by taking a Christian wife with me on my travels” [1 CORINTHIANS 9:5 GNB]?
Writing of his early days in the Faith, Paul reminisces, writing how he consulted with Peter, and “James the brother of the Lord.” This is how the Apostle related that incident. “After three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles, only James the brother of the Lord” [GALATIANS 1:18-19 NABRE].
Here is what you must not forget—Christmas is about the coming of Christ. It is important to note that He was born of a virgin, but the event we celebrate is about the Son of God. In a sense, Mary is incidental. God chose her to bring His Son into the world, but the important thing to keep in mind is that God did send His Son into the world. How that was accomplished is secondary to the event itself.
MARY BELIEVED GOD — According to the divine text, when the angel had announced that God had chosen Mary to bear His Son into the world, she wondered how that could be accomplished. Her question was, “How will this be, since I am a virgin” [LUKE 1:34]?
The angel patiently explained, “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. 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. For nothing will be impossible with God” [LUKE 1:35-37].
Mary’s response revealed her confidence in God and in His power. The young girl said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” [LUKE 1:38].
The condensed version of this marvellous story is: God called and Mary said “Okay.” And that required her to believe God. Pause to think about this, and it will make your head swim! A teenage girl, perhaps no more than twelve or thirteen years of age, is confronted by an angel telling her that God had chosen her to bring His Son into the world! We can’t imagine any girl meekly accepting such a condition? And yet, Mary calmly responded, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said” [LUKE 1:38 CSB].
When I allow myself to think about this epoch event, I can only marvel at the faith—or the foolishness—this child exhibited. Events would prove the wisdom of Mary’s decision to believe the messenger God had dispatched. I don’t know any adults, not even those we would consider to be of mature faith, who would accept such a situation without a marked degree of hesitation. To verify that this is the case, all any follower of the Risen Saviour need do is reflect on how we responded when the Spirit of God first dealt with us before we had come to faith in the Son of God. We needed time, time to reflect on who we were and recall past sins that rose to haunt our memory from days when we were running from God. Though we at last did receive the forgiveness of our sin and adoption into the Family of God, we didn’t simply respond immediately to the call of God. Exercising faith takes time in most instances.
And here is the exciting ramifications of what we read concerning these events—the same God is working to this day in our world. He is actively working in our lives, and the impact of His work is as great as it ever was. For the God we serve and know is a great God. He made the world and all that is in the world. He gave us our being and provided for our welfare. He love us before we ever acknowledge Him, and He provided for our redemption. God is at work in your life now!
I know that hearing me this day are people to whom God has spoken. You heard His voice speaking through a child, through a sibling, through aa parent. Or perhaps you heard the voice of God speaking clearly through family stress, or it may have been stress in the workplace, or it could even have been a stressful situation brought on by a report of wickedness abounding in the nation. But you heard the voice of God speaking, and you had an opportunity to respond, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” It is not too late to respond to the Lord’s call.
For some who hear me in this hour, it is the knowledge of a loved one who is lost. A child, a parent, a brother, or a sister—you have little reason to believe they are redeemed, they have no desire for the things of God. Has not God called you to show compassion, speaking to that loved one. If you cannot do so out of love for the Saviour, should you not speak out of love for that precious family member?
Perhaps you brought that loved on to church with you, but they really never heard the message and no one spoke to that loved member of your family to invite them to life. A man brought his child to Jesus because of his love for the child. Jesus didn’t turn that man away. The man cried out, and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son… I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him” [MATTHEW 17:15a, 16]. I took him to church, but nothing happened. Take him to Jesus; the Master will always say, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me” [MATTHEW 17:17]. Jesus never fails.
Others may have heard the Lord speaking through a stressful situation in the home, or in the workplace, or even in the news of the day. Somehow God spoke, saying, “I have appointed you to redeem your marriage. Do what I tell you!” Or perhaps the Lord has appointed you to transform your workplace. Please, God, let there be one someone who is appointed to redeem the land. Whatever God has appointed you to do, answer Him, saying, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.”
Isaiah was moved by the death of the king to go to the House of the LORD. There, he heard the voice of the LORD, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And the prophet of God responded, “Here I am! Send me.” And when Isaiah spoke, God said, “Go” [ISAIAH 6:8-9]! And the same God will equip and empower you when He appoints you.
There is some someone, or perhaps there are several hearing the message this day who have heard the voice of God saying that He longs to send revival. If God has so spoken to you, answer Him even in this hour, boldly saying, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” Though the cost seems so great and the task appears so daunting to you, will you say, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.”
God has spoken, and the task He has given you is great, but our God is a great God. If He has appointed you, will He not provide all that is needed to accomplish what He calls you to do? He enabled Mary to endure the shame of unplanned pregnancy, to stand up to the ridicule of friends and perhaps even some within her own family, when He had called her. She needed only faith to say, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Martin Luther, The Martin Luther Christmas Book, trans. and arranged by Roland Bainton (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1948), pp. 22-23], cited in “Bible Studies Magazine,” December 1991, pg. 32
[3] NRSVCE
[4] NABRE
