This Is Christmas: A Miraculous Birth Series

A miraculous birth

Luke 1:26-38

December 10, 2017

Three misconceptions about Mary:

1. Mary was sinless

2. The perpetual virginity of Mary

3. Mary as the co-redemptrix of humanity

Four angelic predictions about Jesus:

1. He will be great v.32a

2. He would be called the Son of the Most High v.32b

3. He will be given the throne of David v.32c

2 Samuel 7:16

4. His reign and kingdom would never end v.33

Three applications for us this morning:

1. All humanity needs a Savior

Isaiah 64:6

2. God has provided a Savior

Matthew 1:21 1 Peter 1:3-4 Ephesians 2:4-5

3. We receive Him and live in Him by faith vv.36-38

35 years ago this next week, my first born, Benjamin James Barksdale came into this world. His first 90 seconds were touch and go, but by God’s grace, he made it just fine. (Pic of Ben) It was a miraculous birth. You know, I think all births are miraculous. But there is one birth that stands apart and above every other birth in history.

Luke 1:26-38

v.26 6th month: this connects to the previous passage when Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, was told she would have a son, John, later known as John the Baptist. This passage we’ll study today begins at Elizabeth’s 6th month of pregnancy

Gabriel: the word angel means “messenger’ and Gabriel was an angelic being who bore the message of great news: a child would be born that would save people from their sins.

Galilee: remember last week we talked about how Jesus first came to this war torn, ravaged and humiliated part of Israel. He was a light shining in the darkness to bring them hope.

v.27 virgin: meaning she had no physical relationship, not even kissing, with her beloved.

engaged: actually it was something called a betrothal; betrothal was much more serious than what we call engagement. It lasted a year, while the groom would go and build a house and prepare for his bride; she was to keep herself pure and undefiled—if she didn’t, she would be stoned to death. Contemporary anti-type??

house of David: meaning Joseph was a descendent of David; this is critical because prophecy after prophecy insisted that the Messiah would be a physical descendent of this great King David

v.29 troubled: what the heck? What does this mean?

v.31a (only) Now listen: obviously Mary was in mild shock at seeing an angels so Gabriel has to say, “snap out of it girl—pay attention to what I’m saying”

Now let me stop right there. I want to take a moment and correct Three misconceptions about Mary: (build) Many of you come out of a faith tradition that teaches some non-biblical doctrine. My heart here is not to accuse or criticize as much as it is to contrast the official dogma of the Roman Catholic church and what the Bible teaches.

1. Mary was sinless. The Immaculate Conception is a doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the Immaculate Conception refers to the sinless state of Mary. Those who hold to the Immaculate Conception dogma point to the phrase that Mary was in v.28 “Rejoice, favored woman.” Some translations say she was “full of grace”. That word grace comes from the Greek word grace (charis): a gift; unmerited favor. What made her blessed, what made her favored, was not her sinless perfection, but the sovereign choice of God to choose her to be the vessel for the birth of the Savior. Jesus was and is the only human being to be morally perfect. He avoided being tainted by the seed of sin passed down to every generation from the time of Adam because that seed of sin passes down through the father, not the mother.

2. The perpetual virginity of Mary. Catholic doctrine states that Mary remained a virgin her entire life. This is in direct contradiction of Scripture that identifies several children, including James, as the children of Joseph and Mary.

3. Mary as the co-redemptrix of humanity. Catholic doctrine teaches that because of the elevated status that Popes assigned Mary, that she is "the gate of heaven," "Advocate," and "Mediatrix," ascribing to her a cooperative role in the work of salvation. This is found NO where in the Bible. I could stand here all day and identify Scripture that identifies Jesus as the the Door, the Gate, the Lamb, the Light, the Life, the Savior who takes away the sins of humanity.

So that leads us to finish the passage. Look at v.31b “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus.” The name Jesus, as He would have been called by His family and friends, Jesus (Yeshua): Yahweh saves Yahweh the personal name of the Triune God. Salvation comes from God, and God only.