Impossible Task, Extraordinary God

Introduction

Read Luke 1:26-45

Last week, I ended on the thought, “Elizabeth and Zechariah’s prayer for a child, and the Jewish people’s prayer for spiritual awakening Israel were answered in one child - John, eventually John the Baptist.”

But if we stop with John the Baptist, we miss the greatest part of the story - Jesus.

Jesus is BY FAR the best, greatest, and most perfect part of the story.

God is about to perform two miracles in this text.

We see that Elizabeth is with child. The first miracle is confirmed.

We see that Mary is going to have a child, conceived by the Holy Spirit even though she isn’t married.

BUT, when we read passages like the one we read today, our modern minds gravitate towards the question, “Could that really happen?”

Could God cause a woman past her childbearing years to have a son?

Could God cause a young virgin to conceive a son?

When we read the Bible and see God perform miracles, do we believe them?

I think our problem is simple…We use the word miracle far too often, and we believe in miracles far too little.

See, a miracle IS NOT a very improbable coincidence.

“It’ll be a miracle if my team wins the national championship.”

“If this cake comes out of the oven looking like it’s supposed to look, it’ll be a miracle.”

“If he shows up to this event, it’ll be a miracle.”

A miracle IS an event in which God suspends natural order to do something supernatural.

The literal word, “miracle,” means, “object of wonder.”

John MacArthur would say, “Miracles are events that people can’t explain.”

Even the most unlikely of outcomes are not necessarily miracles.

This doesn’t make us believe in miracles less, but it causes us to believe in miracles more!

God doesn’t need our help to prove a miracle. A miracle isn’t a “could go either way” event.

God overrides space, time, and natural order to accomplish His means when he chooses.

Nothing is impossible for God.

CIT: We have faith in a God who can do the impossible.

Explanation

We respond to God’s word with faith in His promises.

While the Lord excepts our broken faith, He does desire for our faith to grow.

So, we aspire to greater faith in God and His promises.

God’s acceptance of your week faith and his desire for you to have a deeper and more vibrant faith in Him are not mutually exclusive.

We all delight in our children’s T-Ball games. But if our sons played baseball in high school the same way they played T-ball, we might say, “Let’s try something different, ok?”

Mary exhibits an acceptable, healthy faith before the Lord. Her response to God is one that we should emulate.

Question: Why was Mary’s question acceptable and Zechariah’s not acceptable? They are seemingly the same question. I don’t know the answer, but I have a few possible answers.

Zechariah’s question was a faithless question. Mary’s question was a planning/clarification question.

The one to whom much is given, much is required. Zechariah was an educated, elderly priest. Mary was a young (13-16) year old woman.

Mary believed that God was who He said He was AND that He would do what He said He would do.

How can we emulate a faith like Mary’s? We resolve, “Whatever the Lord brings, I will face it with faith.”

V38 // “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.

Mary’s path would not be easy. She was betrothed to a man to whom she was not yet married. There would be questions as to the nature of Jesus’ birth.

People would ask questions or make side remarks about her pregnancy the rest of her life.

Joseph might have decided not to marry her. She didn’t know God was going to send an angel to Him.

The consequences didn’t matter! She knew that God’s plan was bigger than the plans she had made for her life.

We worship God for His faithfulness.

1. The Gospel

I want to show you one of my favorite works of art: *show Mary and Eve. “This piece of art is entitled, Mary and Eve.”

I want to point a few things out to you.

Firstly, Eve’s face is downcast, while Mary comforts her.

Although Eve’s sin brought heaven consequences into the world, Mary’s child would solve it.

Secondly, Eve is holding the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and Mary has a hand on the fruit of her womb, baby Jesus.

The fruit of Mary’s womb would undo the fruit in Eve’s hand.

God pronounced a judgement upon the serpent, upon Satan.

Thirdly, Eve’s leg is covered with a large snake, while Mary’s foot is on the head of the snake.

Mary’s child would END the schemes of Satan.

Theologians use a five dollar word to discuss Gen. 3:15 - Protoevangelium.

Proto (original), evangelium (gospel)

This is the first, or original, statement about the One who would come into the world to save sinners.

Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.””

While the rebellion that Satan introduced to the world would place Jesus upon the cross, Christ’s cross would be the death blow to Satan’s scheme.

Christ crushes sin and shame upon the cross.

The greatest miracle in all of the world is that sinners repent of their sins and trust in the Lord. You are a walking miracle.

I am not trivializing miracles. I am elevating what has happened to you.

The greatest work of God is the redemption of sinners.

2. Mary’s Worship // You might have a worship problem, because you have a faith problem. There have been times in my life, when life was hard, the the words on the screen felt like ash in my mouth.

V46-47 // Mary worships God. She (1) lifts Him up, and (2) rejoices in his salvation.

God is big and able.

God sees me.

V48-49 // Mary marvels in the fact that God has chosen her for this task.

I am low and lowly, and He is magnificent.

I cannot fathom why He would want to use me, but I am going to praise Him that He does.

V50-53 // God will use what is weak to humble the strong.

God doesn’t need strong people.

He just needs willing people.

His strength is on greatest display when He uses those who are weak instead of those who are strong.

V54-55 // He is a promise keeping God.

He has not forgotten us.

He will not forsake His word to us.

Invitation

Faith saves us. It is by faith that you have been saved that no man can boast. None of us are here by merit. We all realize our estate and trust the God who is able to save.

“For nothing will be impossible with God.” Do you believe this statement is true?

If nothing is impossible with God, then that hopeless situation that you are facing isn’t hopeless.

The lost are reachable. The prodigal can come hope. That disease can be healed.

Believe again that God is able.