The Wonder of the Son

Subject

According to Matthew, who does the angel Gabriel announce will be born of the virgin Mary and what will his role be?

Compliment

Jesus will be born of the virgin and will be great and be the Son of the Most High and he will reign forever.

Exegetical Idea

According to Matthew, The angel Gabriel announces that Jesus will be born of a virgin and will be great and be the Son of the Most High and will reign forever.

Homiletical Idea

The wonder of Christmas is the birth of Jesus

Introduction

I used to work for a team building company in Dallas and as an intro activity for the groups we would do this game called handshakes. We would teach these different handshakes from around the world. One of my favorites was called the fisherman handshake from the Pikes Place fish market in Seattle. When a fisherman greets another fisherman, they walk up and give a fish handshake like so…. These were all made up and made for a good laugh.

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 3908 Tibetan Greeting

Tibetan Greeting

In the high, mysterious mountain country of Tibet, the people have what to us appears to be a very strange custom for greeting one another. When two people greet one another they approach and bow low, extend their open hands toward the other—to show that they have no weapons and wish to be friendly—and stick out their tongues, which means that they hold no evil words for the other in their mouths.

[Transition]

There are many unique ways in which people are greeted around the world. This morning we are going to see a unique greeting from the angel Gabriel to Mary.

Lets look at our text this morning.

Read Luke 1:26-45.

The first point I want to make is this:

Rejoice! The Lord is with you! (vs. 26-37)

Vs. 26-27

As we look at this text this morning, we need to look back to what the text from last week said because there is a lot of parallel in what happens. We are introduced to Mary and Joseph who are engaged to be married.

In this passage, we have a young couple. Mary was likely between the ages of 13-15 while Joseph would have been older.

We looked at Zechariah and Elizabeth last week and Lk 1:7 says they “were well along in years.” We saw how God was faithful in answering their prayers for a child. It happened in God’s timing and their child would “turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God…and make ready for the Lord a prepared people.”

Now we have this young couple who will have a child even though Mary is a virgin.

A truth that we are going to see from this text is that God is going to use whoever He wants to fulfill his purpose.

Vs. 28

Notice how Mary is greeted by the angel Gabriel, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”

The NKJV more accurately translates the word “greetings” from the Greek as “Rejoice.”

Think about that, the angel is no longer just giving a normal greeting but is rather giving Mary a reason to celebrate! The Lord is with you!

This is not a wish “may the Lord be with you” but rather a statement that God’s power was present upon Mary.

This is different than how Gabriel greeted Zechariah.

The first words to Zechariah were, “Do not be afraid.”

Gabriel meets Zechariah with a statement to not be alarmed.

Gabriel meets Mary with words of excitement to rejoice.

Now it makes sense for Zechariah and Elizabeth for God to use them because the text says that “both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.” Lk 1:6

But God noticed Mary and chose her, this unknown and seemingly insignificant person.

Do you ever feel like your life is too small for God to notice?

That your life is too insignificant for God to be aware of you?

At times these thoughts can come through our minds and we begin to wonder if God even cares about us. We wonder how God could use someone as insignificant as me?

You life is significant. You matter, God has a plan and a purpose for you.

He can, and He will use you.

Vs. 29-33

Mary’s response is similar to most other responses when an angel appears. She was “deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what king of greeting this could be.” Then the angel responds, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

We have a fivefold description about who Jesus is in Lk 1:31-33.

He will be great

He will be called the Son of the Most High

This is in contrast to John who will be called a “prophet of the Most High” in Luke 1:76.

Jesus will be greater than John

The Lord will give him the throne of his father David

This echoes what was said back in 2 Sam 7 and Isa 9

He is the promised Messiah that Israel has been waiting for.

He will reign over the house of Jacob forever

His kingdom will never end

Here we see that the Wonder of Christmas is Jesus Christ

Vs. 34-37

Mary again responds by stating she has never known a man and asks, “How can this be?”

Mary is not denying or rejecting what Gabriel is telling her but is rather perplexed and curious how this could be.

The angel does not rebuke her questions but answers her question, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Lk 1:35

It is through the Holy Spirit that she will conceive.

The word “overshadow” basically refers to a cloud casting a shadow and many scholars see a resemblance of the Spirit hovering over the waters in Genesis.

We see that all things are possible through God.

[Transition]

As we looked at the greeting and conversation between Gabriel and Mary, we then move to our second point which is to have faith like Mary.

Have faith like Mary (vs. 38)

Vs. 38

Jim and Elisabeth Elliot and the Waodani Tribe in Ecuador.

Many of you have heard of Jim Elliot. He was among a group of US missionaries who felt the call to share Christ with the Waodani tribe in Ecuador in the 1950’s. This tribe was known for being violent to outsiders and regularly practice homicide to protect their territory. Elliot and his team initiated contact with the tribe by dropping gifts and learning their language outside their settlement. In January 1956, the five men were killed by members of the tribe as they approached them in person in hopes of sharing the gospel. This made headlines all over the world and Elliot’s wife, Elisabeth, along with the sister of another missionary would visit the tribe just two years after their murder, and were invited to live among the tribe. Many of them would come to faith.

Mary’s response to Gabriel’s news is very different than the response of Zechariah. The angel caused Zechariah to be “silent and unable to speak…because you did not believe my words” Lk 1:20. This was a righteous man who was faithful in his role at the temple. Yet doubted what Gabriel said.

Mary on the other hand was not a significant person but her response speaks volumes to her character, her response speaks volumes to her faith and why God chose her.

Mary said, “See, I am the Lord’s servant, May it happen to me as you have said.”

Zechariah stumbled in his faith yet Mary yields in her faith.

Doesn’t she sound a lot like Isaiah 6:8 saying, “Here I am. Send me.”

Doesn’t she sound a lot like Esther 4:16 saying, “If I perish, I perish.”

Doesn’t she sound a lot like Ruth 1:16 saying to Naomi, “Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.”

It brings to mind Job 13:15 “even if he kills me, I will hope in him.”

It reminds me of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:42 praying, “Father,…not my will, but yours, be done.”

This is how faithful people respond to God’s plan, even when they may not understand it.

Mary must have understood the public shame she would potentially face in becoming pregnant before marriage. She faced a broken engagement or divorce, never marrying and would likely deal with that the rest of her life. As pregnancy had lifted Elizabeth’s disgrace, it would soon bring the virgin Mary disgrace.

Through all of that, Mary spoke in faith.

Mary submitted to God’s will calling herself “the Lord’s servant” wholly submitted to her Master.

In humble submission, Mary was now ready to serve God.

With his mission complete, the angel left.

[Transition]

We have looked at the conversation between Gabriel and Mary, now we have Mary and Elizabeth which leads to our final point which is to have joy in the presence of Jesus.

Have joy in the presence of Jesus (vs. 39-45)

Who doesn’t love Superbowl commercials? Some of my favorite commercials to watch are the one’s from Doritos. In one of their commercials, their is a couple who is at the hospital in the middle of a sonogram. The wife comments on how she can’t believe that her husband is eating Doritos in the middle of their sonogram. The husband begins moving a single Doritos chip back and forth and can see his baby on the screen moving and trying to grab the chip. Its pretty incredible how the baby is aware of the Doritos and is actively trying to get the chip. The wife is fed up with the baby moving and grabs the chip from her husband and throws it across the room. If you have seen this commercial, you know what happens then with the baby.

Vs. 39-45

What do you get excited about?

Opening present on Christmas morning?

Seeing family you haven’t seen in a while?

Watching USA play in the World Cup?

I get excited with soccer. I was watching USA play yesterday morning and we scored a goal and I shouted. Ruthie was upstairs studying and quickly yelled down to me asking if everything was okay. I said yes because we just scored a goal!

An amazing thing happens in this final section of our text, Mary greets Elizabeth and while in the womb, John leaps with joy!

Why? Because they are in the presence of Jesus! That’s something to get excited about!

They are in the presence of the Son of the Most High

They are in the presence of the one who will sit on the throne of father David.

They are in the presence of the one who will reign over the house of Jacob.

They are in the presence of the one whose Kingdom will never end.

This is the King of Kings

This is the Lord of Lords.

They are in the presence of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior!

Oh how we should rejoice in the presence of Jesus!

Elizabeth first acknowledges the child of Mary as Lord. 1 Cor 12:3 says, “...no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”

Elizabeth filled with the Spirit makes the claim that Jesus is Lord.

Many people typically think the first confession of Jesus as Lord is made by Peter at Caesarea Philippi but it actually happens before Jesus is even born.

Conclusion

The wonder of Christmas is Jesus.

In the power of the Spirit, we too can proclaim Christ as Lord. From here in Hewitt and to the ends of the earth, let us follow Elizabeth’s example and proclaim Him as Lord.