God's Plan Revealed to Mary
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Last week we saw that God’s plan to send Jesus into this world to reconcile mankind to Himself, was not God’s plan “B.” Rather it was always His first plan—His plan “A.”
In our study last week we looked at a verse in Isaiah 9:6.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah also prophesied about a virgin—a young girl that had never had any relationship with a man—conceiving a child supernaturally. Look at Isaiah 7:14.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
—Yahweh will give the people a sign.
—The virgin will be with child.
—She will give birth to a son.
—The people will call him Immanuel—God with us.
Today we are going to look at how God revealed His plan to Mary. The story is found in Luke 1. So if you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, turn with me to Luke 1, and we’ll begin reading with verse 26.
An Unexpected Event
An Unexpected Event
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
—In the sixth month. Now the obvious question is the sixth month of what? This is a continuation of the story, so it is in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy from the previous verses. So when Elisabeth—in her old age—was six months pregnant Gabriel came a second time with a message. This time he came to Mary.
—He went to Nazareth and we’re told that it is a town in Galilee.
—Gabriel went to a young maiden—a virgin.
—This virgin’s name was Mary.
—Next we’re told she was pledged to be married to Joseph. The idea of betrothed, or pledged in that day was vastly different than being simply engaged. They were legally married and the only way to dissolve the union was through a divorce. This was a time set aside to make sure each member of the couple was indeed pure.
—Joseph is from the line of David.
—The final piece of information is that the girl’s name is Mary.
The Angel’s Greeting
The Angel’s Greeting
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
—The angel Gabriel says, “greetings”
—But the says “you who are highly favored!” This wording is only used one other time in the New Testament. In Ephesians 1:6, and there it is translated “freely given.” So Mary received this status because it was freely given by another. In this case her favored position was freely given by God! Emphasis is that it is not because of anything she did!
—The angel continues by telling her the Lord is with her.
Now stop for a minute. Very few of us have seen an angel. We’re not told what Gabriel looked like, but she recognized that he was not a normal man. Next, she is given this strange greeting that tells her she is has received favored status because the Lord is with her.
I don’t know about you, but that would freak me out a bit! In fact, verse 29 tells us that Mary was indeed troubled.
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
Now I want us to feel the emotions in this passage! Mary has just seen an angelic being, adding to her fear is the fact that she is probably in her early teens, maybe even as young as 12 years old (according to Jewish tradition). That could be why she was “greatly troubled. . .”
—The term “greatly troubled” can mean “thrown into confusion,” “perplexed,” “deeply troubled,” or “very much upset.”
This seems to be a rather “normal” response when someone has an experience with an angelic being.
This perceptive being now seeks to calm Mary down.
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
—First she is told, “Do not be afraid. . .” like that is happening. But don’t mis the reason that she doesn’t need to be afraid.
—“You have found favor with God. . .” Mary did not need to be afraid, because Gabriel’s message was a message of special blessing not judgment. There was no need to fear because Gabriel was there to bless her.
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
—Mary is going to become pregnant.
—She is going to give birth to a child—specifically to a son.
—She is to give this baby the name Jesus. This was a common name in that time, it was from the root of Joshua which means “Yahweh Saves,” or “Yahweh Is Salvation.” In Matthew 1:21 we read,
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
This verse identifies Yahweh’s salvation through this child.
—He will be great
—He will be called the Son of the Most High
—The Lord God will make is so this child will rule on the throne of David.
—His reign over the house of Jacob will last forever.
—And His kingdom will never end!
Mary’s Response to the Angel’s News
Mary’s Response to the Angel’s News
Okay, stop! Don’t read on. Take a minute and picture yourself as a scared 12 or 13 year old. Think for a minute if you met an angel and he gave you this kind of message. What would you do, or say?
Mary doesn’t understand. She knows her situation. She knows it is physically impossible for the angel’s declaration to come true. It doesn’t make sense!
So she asks the angel,
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The Angel’s Explanation
The Angel’s Explanation
I love the fact that the angel doesn’t get mad at Mary’s question. Look at what he does to calm Mary’s fears.
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on 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.
First the “technical stuff.”
—The Holy Spirit will come upon you. This could refer to indwelling Mary.
—The power of the Most High will overshadow you. This word has a lot of meanings, like: “throw a shade upon,” “to ward off. . .” “to conceal,” “to keep hidden,” or “to watch.” God was going to cast His shadow in the son that Mary was going to carry!”
—So this Holy One will be called the Son of God!
Now the angel gives further confirmation of his prophetic words, by pointing Mary to another miracle that going on right then:
Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.
—Even your relative Elizabeth is going to have a child.
—This is going to happen even though she is old and well past child bearing years.
—This woman who had been called “barren” for years is now six months pregnant.
And do you know why all of the miraculous things can and will happen? Well, that’s found in verse 37, which is our memory verse for this week.
For nothing is impossible with God.”
That’s right! NOTHING is impossible with God!
Mary’s Ultimate Response
Mary’s Ultimate Response
I love Mary’s response to all that the angel told her. Honestly, I’m not sure it would be my first response. Look at verse 38.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
—First she recognizes that the is the Lord’s servant—that means she believes God can do whatever He wants with her.
—Then she makes a statement that is more bold—“May your word to me be fulfilled.” Or, “May it be to me as you have said.” Or to put it in more modern language—“Do whatever you want with me.”
So What?
So What?
Most of us have not seen an angel—but if you had you would be “greatly troubled” too.
We can be rest assured that we do NOT need to be troubled when God approaches us.
Today God wants you to know you are “highly favored!”
God will carry out His plan in us and through us even when—or especially when—it doesn’t make sense to us.
The question before each of us is this: How will you respond?
Will you accept God’s plan for you? “May your word to me be fulfilled!”
Or—“NOT Me, Lord!”
