Jesus is Coming…To Bring Blessing
December 11th, 2005
Have you ever come up with the perfect plan for something? A plan that was going to accomplish for you something that you really wanted and everyone else was going to benefit too. In fact, the world would be a happier place once the wheels of your plan were in motion. I don’t have many good plans, in fact, the majority of my grand plans and ideas end in disaster and result in the opposite of what I was looking to do. I did, however, have a goof plan once. See, there was this girl. Oh, she was not just any girl, she was beautiful. And for all my bluster and bravado, I was actually pretty shy and awkward around girls, I know, it’s hard to picture. So, I had my eye on this girl and I began to plan just how I could make this girl mine. I would lie awake at night and try to figure out ways to impress her and to get her to notice me. I began to make friends with her friends and get them to subtly deliver hints and ideas about me. I would arrange events and invite all of her friends and casually say, “you can invite this girl if you want to.” I planned every little detail of those times to ensure that I would have time with this girl and could convince her that I was a catch. The final part of this plan, what it was all working up to, was that I was going to ask her out. I wanted the time to be perfect. I waited and waited for just the right moment so that I would have the best chance of getting the answer I wanted. And on Christmas Eve that moment came. I had arranged to walk her and a friend home, but the plan was (this is brilliant) to pick the friend whose house was half a block before hers so I would get to walk her the rest of the way alone. And in that time I would ask her to be my girlfriend. Well, I wimped out. I dropped her off and ran the half mile home, jumped on the phone, and asked her the safe way on the phone. That was 1991 and I was 15. 14 years later, the plan was definitely worth it because that little girl is still with me and I can certainly say that its the best plan I ever had.
I knew what had to happen, I wanted a relationship and I was certain my idea was going to work and I couldn’t wait for the right time to finally put my plan in to motion.
Well, God wanted a relationship with us and He had a plan for the salvation of man. He had to wait for the perfect time, when that plan could be most successful, like we talked about last week. But, from the moment our relationship with God was broken in the Garden, God set into motion a series of events that would push the world towards the perfect time when His plan could be revealed and the salvation that man was waiting for would come. Everything we talk about this in this Christmas story is God’s plan finally being put into action. God’s plan was to send His son and to send Him as a human, born of a woman. This morning we’re going to continue our look at the theme “Jesus is Coming.” We’re looking at this plan and the people that were involved and how the story unfolds in the lives of those involved. We’re looking at how the birth of this baby boy to a non-important family, in an out of the way town affected those involved and how it has effected us, both now and for eternity.
The time has finally come for the plan to begin on Earth and the first two chapters of Luke is where we have the story of this. The next three sermons are going to be looking at the Christmas story that’s found in these two chapters. This morning we’re going to look at the fact that “Jesus is Coming, to Bring Blessing.” One of the primary reasons that God sent his son to Earth was to bless the world through him and we’ll look at the blessing that came from His birth a little later, but first I want to start at the beginning and look at Luke Chapter 1 and the beginning of the plan.
The Beginning of the Plan
The plan began with the selection of the people who would be involved. Each of these people would be instrumental in the birth of two children who would play key roles in the salvation ad redemption of mankind. One would be the Redeemer and provide the sacrifice and the other would come first and prepare the way. He would point people to the Christ that was to come after him.
I. The People
There were three primary people that we’re going to look at here this morning that God chose to use to bring His blessing to Earth. The first two were a husband and wife and were very old and had never had children. We’re told that the wife was barren.
Read Luke 1:5-7
1. Zechariah – Name means “God remembers”
Levitical Priest and was in the temple performing his duties as a priest when God chooses to reveal to him what his role in the plan is. We’re told that He is an upright man and that he observed all the Lord’s commands blamelessly. Imagine having that said about you! Zechariah has never been a father and all of that is about to change.
The second character we’re introduced to is:
2. Elizabeth – Name means my God has Promised
Like Zechariah, we’re told that Elizabeth is old and has had no children, also like Zechariah we are told that she is upright and the Lord views her as blameless.
The third person that God reveals his plan to is Mary, who is Elizabeth’s relative.
Read Luke 2:26-28
3. Mary – name means exalted one
What we know about Mary is that she is a young girl, probably just into her teen years. There’s quite a contrast here between Mary and the other two people that God is choosing to work through. It’s as if God is just showing that he can work through anyone and in all circumstances, whether a barren woman or a virgin girl, to accomplish his purposes. Makes us feel kind of silly when we feel he can’t use us!
Mary is engaged, which in those days was legally binding and we’re told, again, that she is a virgin, she has known no man.
Mary, Elizabeth, and Zechariah, an unlikely group of ordinary people through whom the extraordinary would come about. Elizabeth and Zechariah chosen for their faithfulness and exemplary service to God, and Mary chosen because of her servant’s heart that we’ll see evidence of a little later.
Getting Important News Out Illustration – A time when something important was missed because of poor communication.
The plan began with the people, and then God needed a way to communicate his plan with the people he had chosen. The way he chose to do that was the same way we see throughout Scripture when there is a crucial message, or a blessing, or a promise, God sent His best, an angel to send the news.
II. The Visit
God chose to send His angels to visit these people. He wanted to make sure that His plan was going to work and that those involved would know there roles. It’s like when I was pursuing my wife, I would send different people to talk to her and to others to make sure that everyone knew what I wanted and what I was planning to do next. The visits that his angel Gabriel made here had a few similar elements to each other. They were also very similar to the revelation of God’s will that accompanied the births of some in the old Testament who were central figures in God’s plans like Ishmael, Isaac, Sampson, and others.
The visit began with:
i. The appearance of an Angel.
This is a logical place to begin the visit because this would certainly get your attention. I don’t care what you’re doing, or how much you are concentrating or focusing on a task, when an angel appears, it’s going to get your attention! It’s not like when I’m watching football and my wife comes in the room and asks me something and I have the ability to just kind of pretend she’s not there. When an angel appears, you drop everything and pay attention. In both of these stories, the visit begins with the appearance of the angel Gabriel.
1:11,19 it says “an angel of the Lord appeared to Him.”
1:26 it says, “God sent an angel, Gabriel, to Nazareth, to a virgin named Mary.”
In both instances there was:
ii. There was fear and confusion
Now this aspect of the visit is also pretty logical. People naturally fear what we don’t fully understand and the supernatural ways of God and the heavenly realm certainly fall into that category for most people.
1:12 “startled and gripped with fear.”
1:29 when the angel greets her it says that Mary was: “greatly troubled by his (the angels) words.
The appearance of the angel was attention grabbing, but it was also scary for the one who was having the encounter. The angel knew this and was quick to offer assurance and calming words. This is another aspect of the visit that is consistent with how God has chosen to reveal his plan to men.
iii. There was consolation and announcement
Before the announcement was made and the purpose for the visit was revealed, the angels always comforted and calmed the person they were visiting. They wanted to assure them that everything was alright and get them calmed down so that they could receive the message that God had for them.
1:13 “Do not be afraid…your prayers have been heard.” This was followed by the announcement of God’s intention to bring them a child.
1:29 “Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God.” This was followed by the announcement of God’s plan to bring the Savior to Earth through Mary.
The angel would calm and then bring the news. The next aspect of this visit that blows me away is that there seems to always be an objection.
iv. An objection and the granting of a sign
It’s the natural human response, But How, that’s not possible? Now, maybe I’m naïve but if I’m standing having a conversation with a heavenly being who is bringing a word from God, I’m thinking anything is possible at that point. What? God says He’s going to do that. Great, I can’t wait to see it. This is a God that just sent an angel to you, do you really think that He can’t accomplish what He thought was so important to tell you that He opened up the heavens and sent a special messenger to bring you the news?
The angel must have done a marvelous job of the last aspect we talked about, he must have calmed them down well because now, they’re calm enough to question what they’re being told.
Listen to the response of Zechariah in Luke 1:18: How can I be sure of this, I am old and my wife is well along in her years.
Zechariah says, this can’t be true. We’re old, much too old to have a baby. But God is not bound by the natural, God is not bound by the laws of nature. And Zechariah would get a taste of that.
LK 1:19 The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time."
Zechariah questioned God and God gave him a sign that what had been spoken would come true, but in given him that sign, he also used it as a punishment for disbelief. I find it interesting that while he dealt with Zechariah’s questioning harshly, he handled Mary’s quite differently.
Mary wonders in verse 34: How can this be since I am a virgin?
Gabriel then explains to her exactly what will happen.
LK 1:35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God."
God shows more patience with Mary, perhaps as a result of her young age, Zechariah had seen enough in his years that he should never have questioned if God could accomplish something, Mary was young and had the natural curiosity of youth and I believe that God showed more patience with her because of this and because of the attitude with which the question was asked. Mary’s attitude is apparent in her response to the angel.
LK 1:38 "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
She was a kid. She was about to become pregnant in a society where unwed mothers were subject to death by stoning. At the very least there would she would have been aware of the social stigma that pregnancy out of wed-lock carried with it in those days and yet she bows the knee and says, “If that’s what God wants, that’s what I’ll do.” What an incredible example of submission and servanthood.
I think that there is a lesson here in their responses to the angels that we can use today in our lives. Both Zechariah and Mary questioned the news because in human terms it was impossible. A virgin does not have a baby and neither does an old barren woman. The human minds of these two people could not understand how these pregnancies could come about. I think that we are often guilty of this same way of thinking. God may call us to do something and we can’t imagine how it is humanly possible. Maybe he wants you to serve, maybe he wants you to share your faith with a friend and our response is like theirs was, I can’t do that, it’s not possible. That may be true in terms of humanity. Maybe you feel you’re not gifted but in terms of what God can do through your life, there are no limits. I think sometimes we forget that and miss out on some opportunities to do God’s work. Gabriel summed it up well in answer to Mary’s question:
For nothing is impossible with God." We would be wise to learn and remember that in our lives.
So, God has chosen the people, he has delivered the message through a visit from His angel, and now we see the outcome.
III. The Outcome
The outcome is two births. One is to be the sign, and one is to be the Savior.
A. John
Zechariah and Elizabeth have a baby boy and they name him John as the angel instructed them. He is to be a sign. A sign points to something else and John existed to point the people towards the coming Messiah, towards their Savior.
1) He came to Plead.
1:16 Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.
He was to plead with the people to repent and to turn their hearts back to God
2) He came to Prepare.
17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
He was to prepare the people for the ministry of Christ. He was to work to ensure that Christ’s ministry would be more successful. This was the one that Isaiah had prophecied would accompany the Messiah.
ISA 40:3 A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.
3) He came to Point.
He was to plead and to prepare, but when the Messiah came he was to step back and point others to Jesus. So the outcome of God’s plan through Zechariah and Elizabeth was John, the one whose birth was foretold, and the one who would proclaim the birth of God’s Son in boldness and in any means available.
The Second Child was the Savior.
B. Jesus
He was to be many things and we’ve looked some of those and we’ll continue in the coming weeks to look at why He came. But Mary knew that day that this baby would come to bring blessing to her and to His people.
LK 1:47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
LK 1:48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
Christ brought with him:
1) The Blessing of being Chosen.
Mary was blessed by God to have been chosen to bear this child. She didn’t understand why, but as we read in that verse a moment ago, she understood the blessing that accompanied God’s choice.
God brought the blessing of being chosen to Mary, he also brought it to His disciples. He sought them out and chose them to be His followers.
Jn 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last.
His disciples knew what it meant to be chosen, to be selected. There was great honor in that as well as great responsibility. And that is true for us as well. Christ came to bring us blessing and a way that He blesses our lives is that like Mary, and like His Disciples, Christ has chosen us.
Eph 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight
God chose us! God chose me! That makes me a somebody. We talked about this last Sunday evening, but do you remember being chosen in gym class? I remember standing there and just waiting and that moment when I were chosen, I was so excited because that team wanted me! They thought I was worth choosing. Well, we are worth being chosen by God, talk about a self-esteem boost. God chose us before the Creation of the world to be the recipient of His message and of His love and of His grace. And He sent Christ to be the vessel through which that would come and to teach us of who we are by bringing us the blessing of being chosen.
He also came to bless through:
2) The Blessing of Companionship
We were not made to walk through life alone. We need others who can understand, who can encourage, and who can support us. God knew that with Mary and he provided companionship with her in the form of her relative Elizabeth, someone that she could talk to, who could empathize with her and someone to go through this time with her. Companionship is a wonderful thing and on the other end, there is no feeling quite like the feeling of having no one, of being lonely. We need someone to walk through life with us.
One of the functions of this church is to provide companionship for one another. I feel it’s one of our strengths. We have wonderful people here who will come alongside of you and help you get through life and will grow with you and model what it means to be a follower of Christ. But we can’t always have someone there. God knew that as humans we could not relate to who He was and so He sent Jesus as an example of God to men. He sent Him so that we would never be alone.
JN 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
Jesus came to model God and to be the one who we can turn to and who can understand.
Heb 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.
He has lived life and knows what it is to be tempted and to hurt. He came so that He could provide companionship for us as the one who promises never to leave you or forsake you. That is a promise that no human can make. Jesus can and our lives are blessed by His presence, by companionship, each moment of our life.
Finally, Christ brought with Him:
3) The Blessing of Life
Certainly he brought this is a very literal and real way in the life of Mary. Mary knew the pain of childbirth, but she also experienced in the birth of that boy, the joy of life. Many of you have had children and women you know that the pain of birth is worth this joy of life.
Think of the first time you laid eyes on your child.
Bearing a child is an incredible blessing and Christ certainly brought that to Mary. But more than that, He came to bless us with life. With spiritual life, with eternal life. We were marked by sin and bound for destruction but what that baby would bring was life. Real life. Life with meaning and a purpose. Those of you in here who have found this life know the blessing of which I speak. It’s knowing your eternity is sealed, it’s knowing your life counts, it’s knowing that Christ is in you and through Him you can do anything. Many of you know this life. But there are those here who may not and I want to share with you again that Christ came to bring you life and there is no better time to accept that gift than now, as we celebrate His birth and the blessing that he came to bring. An usher or myself would love to talk to you after the service and walk you through what it means to live!
Jesus came to bless us with life.
God’s plan was set into motion and the Christ child could come to bring blessing because of the response of those whom God called to obey and to be a part of His plan. Mary’s attitude is what ours should be if God’s continuing plan for the salvation of man is going to be carried out. I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.
I want you to listen to the words of a song written from Mary’s perspective. Hear the faith, hear the wonder of what God is doing in her and through her. Do we understand that blessing today? Are we in awe that He’s asked us to carry His son to a world who needs Him?
