A Baby on the Way: Blessedness All Around
Luke 1:39-45
INTRODUCTION... http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon2/are_you_blessed.htm
> If you own just one Bible, you are abundantly blessed. 1/3 of all the world does not have access to one.
> If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
> If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
> If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
> If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
> If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
> If you prayed yesterday and today, you are in the minority because you believe God does hear and answer prayers.
> If you believe in Jesus as the son of God and as your Savior, you are blessed as being part of a small minority in the world.
What does the word ’blessing’ mean? What does ’to be blessed’ mean? When you talk
about a baby being born, many times you might hear the phrase ’the little blessing’ or ’he or she is a blessing.’ When I think of the word blessing and try to define it, I come up with another word: goodness. If I were to give someone my blessing, I am giving them my good thoughts and prayers. If I am a blessing to someone, I have probably done something good for them. Blessings and goodness go hand in hand.
ILLUSTRATION... Easton’s B Dictionary, www.studylight.org/dic/ebd/view.cgi?number=T606
> God blesses his people when he bestows on them some gift temporal or spiritual (Genesis 1:22; 24:35; Job 42:12; Psalms 45:2; 104:24,35).
> We bless God when we thank him for his mercies (Psalms 103:1,2; 145:1,2).
> A man blesses himself when he invokes God’s blessing (Isaiah 65:16), or rejoices in God’s goodness to him (Deuteronomy 29:19; Psalms 49:18).
> One blesses another when he expresses good wishes or offers prayer to God for his welfare (Genesis 24:60; 31:55; 1 Samuel 2:20
READ LUKE 1:39-45
In the passage that we just read, the word ’blessed’ appears three times. It refers to the woman carrying the child, the child, and the one that believes God. Goodness is given to all these. Goodness comes from these. Goodness and blessing can be associated with all three of these people.I. BLESSED IS THE WOMAN CARRYING THE CHILD
The beginning of this passage tells us that Mary is on the move. She goes to visit her relative, Elizabeth. This to me is no big surprise. The angel Gabriel told Mary (1:36-37) that Elizabeth was pregnant and that she also would give birth. That is an amazing thing given that Elizabeth has never had any children and is far past that stage of her life. Think of it as a final confirmation. If Elizabeth is pregnant, then truly it was an angel and all that Gabriel told her must be true.
Verse 41 tells us that these two ladies are in the middle of something quite extraordinary. Elizabeth hears the voice of Mary and the baby inside, the soon-to-be John the Baptist, leaps inside of her. That is amazing! Verse 41 also tells us that the Holy Spirit fills Elizabeth. These are two women that God is using to accomplish HIs purposes.
Elizabeth tells Mary, “Blessed are you among women.” Why would she say that? What was so special about Mary? I think Elizabeth is telling Mary that God has bestowed upon her a wonderful gift. The Virgin Mary was carrying inside of her the Messiah of God, the Savior of the World, the Son of the Most High God, the Creator of All, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Need I go on? Mary has this child growing inside of her and she has goodness because of it... it was a gift from God that she was worthy of.
Do not forget Gabriel’s words to her in 1:28. She was favored by God and God was with her. These surely are blessings!
II. BLESSED IS THE CHILD
Elizabeth does not only say that Mary is blessed, but she says that the Child inside her is blessed as well. What did she mean by that? How could this little child be a blessing? What goodness will this baby do?
For the answers to these questions, we must look at the whole of this baby’s life. This baby is not an ordinary baby, but is the Son of God. His name would be and is Jesus. What goodness will this baby do? How will this baby be a blessing?
> He will heal those with leprosy, the lame, the blind, and the weak
> He will walk on water and do things no one has ever done
> He will drive out demons
> He will teach all about God and what God wishes for us in our lives
> He will correct the misconceptions we have about God’s Word
> He will live a perfect life and offer Himself as a sacrifice
> He will offer Salvation and Eternity to anyone who believes in Him
Jesus did all of those things and so much more. Jesus, by His life and His actions, became the ultimate blessing for us. For without Jesus, none of us would have salvation. None of us would have any hope for the future. It was this little baby that would do all of that. Elizabeth, being filled with the Holy Spirit, looks forward and knows that this child inside of Mary will be a blessing to the world. He will bring about goodness in the world. He Himself will be a blessing to anyone that believes in Him.
III. BLESSED IS SHE WHO BELIEVES WHAT THE LORD SAID
Verse 45 contains the third use of this word ’blessed.’ We have seen that Mary has received a gift from God as is ’blessed.’ We have seen that the baby being carried by Mary will be a ’blessing’ to all the World because of His life. Now, in verse 45,. We see the last ’blessed’ phrase. Elizabeth says, “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.”
I looked at this verse, and I think that Elizabeth is talking both about herself and Mary. Both of these women have received from God something that is impossible. Elizabeth is too old physically to have a child and yet God says she will become pregnant. She is. Mary is a virgin and so it is impossible that she will have a child and yet God says she will become pregnant. She is. Both of these women looked “impossible” in the face. We know of course that “nothing is impossible with God” (1:37) and Elizabeth and Mary believed this.
What ’blessing’ does their belief in God give them? What goodness does it give to their lives to trust in God? I think we see several blessings when it comes to believing in God and is the same blessings that we receive when we believe in God. Elizabeth and Mary had no fear about their situations because they knew God was in control. I can imagine that the people of their towns wondered why Elizabeth, the elderly woman, was pregnant. I can imagine the friends of Mary rasing their eyebrows and gossiping about Mary “the Virgin” and he obvious “bun in the oven.” These women had no fear because God was in control. Elizabeth and Mary had hope in the future because of what Godly things their children would accomplish. They would have looked around and saw the oppression of Rome and the result of rebellion and would have seen a world that needed a savior. They had hope because of what their children would do. Elizabeth and Mary knew that God would work everything out because He always keeps His promises. The questions about Joseph’s reaction, the provision for the children, and all the other worries that would have filled their minds would have given way to peace because God keeps His promises.
APPLICATION
I hope that you know that we can have the same blessings and goodness in our lives that Elizabeth and Mary had because of our faith in God. Our belief and faith in God gives us the very same blessings. We are ’blessed’:
* We should have no fear about this life because Our God is in control
* We should have hope in the future because of what Jesus has done and has prepared for us
* We should have peace in this life because we know God keeps His promises
CONCLUSION
