Prophesied Sons 2

Opening:

It is a beautiful thing to gather together on the Lord’s Day to worship the King. Especially during Advent.

Introduction to the Gospel of Luke:

As we lead up to Christmas, we are going to be taking a break from 1 Peter and will be studying the first two chapters of the gospel of Luke. We will be examining the Scriptural lead up to the birth of Christ. Specifically we will be looking at Luke’s account of the birth of Christ. This morning we will be looking at Luke 1:1-38 specifically. But, first let’s commit this time to God in prayer.

Opening Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Word. We thank you for this time in your Word. May you open our hearts and minds to hear and grow in You. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

Transition:

Since this morning’s text is so long, I think it would be helpful for us to cover it in three sections. We will open with Luke’s introduction and his reasoning for writing this gospel account in verses 1-4. In section two we will see the foretelling of the birth of John the Baptist in verses 5-25. And finally in section three we see the foretelling of the birth of Jesus, our Lord in verses 26-38. Perhaps I am taking a three point sermon a little too seriously. But let’s dive in. Would you stand with me for the reading of verses 1-4.

Reading of 1-4:

Luke 1:1-4 “1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”

Behold, the Word of God.

Explanation: (What is this saying?)

Luke opens by saying even though many have attempted to compile narratives of the life of Christ, he is setting out to compile an orderly, eye witness account for a man named Theophilus.

Luke is Setting out to Compile an Orderly, Eye Witness Account for Theophilus.

Others have written about Christ. Luke is likely talking about the other gospel writers. But he could even be referencing the many Jewish and Roman authors who make mention of Christ. Christ had a huge impact on the ancient world. So Luke is setting our to write an orderly account.

And where did Luke get his information? From Eye witnesses. Luke was not one of the disciples. Luke was a doctor and historian. Think of a first century Indiana Jones. Luke was likely a Gentile and possibly Theophilus’ slave. And Luke traveled to meet those who knew Jesus. He set out to get an eye witness account. So when we read Luke’s account, remember, he is writing exactly what the witnesses experienced. He talked to Mary, John, Peter, and the others. He closely followed all of this. And he followed this so closely in order to give his dear friend, Theophilus, certainty about the faith.

Theophilus was obviously a convert. And Luke dearly desired for his friend to have certainty about his faith. And as I said, Luke was quite possibly the slave of Theophilus. But obviously the two were close. And Luke is writing this letter to his friend and master, to aid him in his faith. He is being as accurate as humanly possible in this historical account in order to aid Theophilus. And this means this account is incredibly reliable.

Argumentation: (Why is this Important?)

And this is one of the beauties of studying this. We see here on full display the reliability of the account of the gospel.

The Reliability of The Account of the Gospel.

This is not a made up story. Think of what it means for Luke to say that he is writing the eyewitness account in an orderly manner. Luke is in essence opening the door for criticism. He is saying that anyone who doubts him can go talk to Mary, or to John, or to Peter and check his work. To me, this gives me great confidence. Likely the greatest historian of all time set out to write the truth. And let me say with confidence, no work of history has ever been put to more criticism than the historical account laid out here. And yet, here it stands, proven and strong two thousand years later. Not even a blemish on it’s record. Every word in this book is true. And that is a beautiful fact.

Application: (What does this mean for us today?)

And that means that we can have confidence in the account of the gospel.

We Can Have Confidence in the Account of the Gospel.

We can be sure and know from this record that what we confess has been the constant confession of the church from the beginning. We believe what Luke is here laying down. And we know that this has always been the confession of the church. This gives us great joy and confidence.

Transition:

So let’s dive into the meat of this account. Let’s look at the content that Luke labored so hard to lay out under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Would you stand with me for the reading of verses 5-25.

Reading of 5-25

Luke 1:5-25 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Behold the Word of God.

Explanation:

The first thing we see is that Zechariah and Elizabeth are righteous people.

Zechariah and Elizabeth Are Righteous People.

This all takes place in the reign of Herod. We don’t have time to get into who Herod was, but notice that Luke is tying this to historical record. Anyone in that day would know when Herod reigned and any historian could easily check when that was. So during the reign of Herod, we are introduced to a priest named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. They are righteous people. This does not mean that they never sinned, but it means they were true believers and were truly faithful to God. They were righteous before God. But even so, they were barren. They had no children. And worse yet, they were old. They were past the days when it was even possible to have kids. This instantly brings to mind the story of Abraham and Sarah. Righteous people, old and barren.

But Luke carries on and says that Zechariah is chosen to offer incense before the Lord.

Zechariah is Chosen to Offer Incense Before the Lord.

This was an incredible honor. There was an incredibly large number of priests who served in the temple. And they would cast lots to determine who would be allowed to go in an serve. Often, it was literally a once in a lifetime opportunity. These men honestly saw it as the honor of a lifetime to be chosen to go in and offer THE sacrifice to God. In other words, they were actually excited to be given the chance to serve in church. Oh for such days to be revived.

But Zechariah is chosen, and he goes in according to the Law. He was to offer incense at the altar of incense. This was normally a short process. You go in, make the offering that is to symbolize the prayers of the people, and then get out. You did not linger. And the people knew this. So Zechariah goes in and then, he is delayed. The angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah.

Gabriel Appears to Zechariah.

Again, the details jump off the page at me. Where was Gabriel standing? He appeared to Zechariah standing on the right side of the altar of incense. This is one of those details that only makes sense in an eye witness account. Luke could only have known this after speaking directly to Zechariah. You can almost hear it. “So tell me about Gabriel” says Luke. Zechariah responds to him, “I went in to make the offering and he just appeared to me.” “Appeared to you?” “Yeah, one minute I was alone, the next he was there standing on the right side of the altar.” “The right side?” “Yes, he was just right there on the right side of the altar.”

And picture the importance of this. God had been totally silent for four hundred years. Malachi was the last prophet. He prophesies that God will send a messenger right before the messiah who would rescue the people. Malachi dies, and then nothing. No angels, no prophets, no word. God is silent. One generation fades into another. The Israelites are conquered and enslaved again. Still no word. But the faithful still trust the promise. One hundred years turns to two turns to three and finally to four. People are getting anxious. I suppose after four hundred years of silence and waiting, it is understandable to be a little anxious. But still nothing. Then one day, Zechariah, a faithful priest walks into the temple to make the one offering he will offer his entire life, and at long last an angel appears! Gabriel, one of only two named angels in Scripture greats him there. And Zechariah is afraid! Of course he is afraid. So what is the message? Its been four hundred years. So whatever is said must be of utmost importance. Well, Gabriel foretells the birth of John the Baptist.

Gabriel Foretells the Birth of John the Baptist.

Now if we are great fools, we may think this a poor message after four hundred years of silence. But I do not think we are great fools. And the message of Gabriel combined with the predicament of Zechariah and Elizabeth probably trips a flag in our mind. We remember what God says in Genesis 18:14. God is speaking to Abraham and Sarah and says this, Genesis 18:14 “14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.””

Likewise the Angel from God’s presence says Elizabeth shall bear a son. Their prayers have been heard. What comforting words. And Elizabeth will bear a son. But this is no ordinary son. John the Baptist is the prophesied forerunner to the Messiah.

John the Baptist is the Prophesied Forerunner to the Messiah.

Listen again to what Gabriel says. Luke 1:13-17 “13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.””

This is reminiscent to what is said about many of the prophets. So clearly John, the son of Zechariah will be a prophet. This is wonderful news! After four hundred years, at long last a prophet will come! But there is more here. And Zechariah would have known this. Listen to the very last prophesy from the Lord before the four hundred years of silence.

Malachi 4:5-6 “5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.””

John is this coming Elijah. But more importantly is that phrase “The day of the Lord.” This is the coming of the Messiah. John is the one who will come and herald the promised messiah.

Here are just three verses to hopefully give you perspective on this.

Malachi 4:5 “5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”

Elijah is coming. But wait, John isn’t Elijah, is he? Well, Jesus said he was the fulfillment of this.

Matthew 11:14 “14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.”

Finally, who is it that is coming? Malachi answers this earlier in his prophesy.

Malachi 3:1 “1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.”

The Lord is coming. So who is the one John will herald? It is the Messiah, and the messiah is the Lord. Jesus even here is said to be God. God Himself is coming to His people. Amen and Amen! Praise God! Christ is God! He came to His people, and John heralded Him!

But Zechariah doubts, and Gabriel strikes him dumb.

Zechariah Doubts and Gabriel Strikes Him Dumb.

We may think this hash, but it is important. God views lack of faith in a harsh light. Zechariah doubts God’s word through Gabriel and Gabriel says that he will not speak until all happens. God is just and this is a just judgement.

And this is where the people come into play. Zechariah is taking a long time. The people are worried. This is a fast process. You go in and light the incense, it burns and you leave. It’s not a lengthy process. But Zechariah is taking a long time. They are worried. Then he stumbles out and is completely unable to talk. He is attempting to sign to them. The one thing they get is that he has seen a vision. God has spoken to him! And picture the disappointment of the people. God has at last spoke! God said something to us after four hundred years! Zechariah, tell us what God said! (Silence.) So Zechariah goes home, unable to tell anyone what God has promised. And this passage closes by confirming that all happens as prophesied.

All Happens As Prophesied.

To prove the truth of this prophesy, it is confirmed. Elizabeth conceives a child in her old age to the glory of God.

Argumentation:

And I pray you see the glory of this passage. There is so much here, and I’ve tried to highlight the wonder and beauty of it, but let me emphasize something.

Long Delayed Prayers May Yet Be Answered.

Weather in regard to children or some other heart felt plea, I give you this word. Do not be discouraged. Many times, we come to God in brokenness and make a plea to Him, and it seems that He is silent. Often, our broken heartedness seems to be met with silence. But look to Zechariah and Elizabeth. How many years did they pray? How many years had it been since they stopped praying for children? Yet, there is peace spoken to us from Gabriel. He says to them that God has heard their prayer. J.C. Ryle says of this, “Let us rather “continue in prayer,” “watch unto prayer,” “pray always, and not faint.” “Delay of effect,” says an old divine, “must not discourage our faith. It may be, God hath long granted, ere we shall know of His grant.”

I cannot promise what answer your prayers will bring. I cannot tell you if you will ever hear an answer. But I can say with complete confidence, God hears you. God hears your prayers. No matter what the answer is, pray. No matter where your heart is, pray. God hears you beloved. God hears you.

Transition:

But let us now read verses 26-38. Please stand once again with me for the reading of God’s Word.

Reading of 26-38:

Luke 1:26-38 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Behold the Word of God.

Explanation:

So what happens in this passage? Gabriel appears to the virgin Mary.

Gabriel Appears to the Virgin Mary.

Gabriel is sent to Nazareth to Mary, a virgin, who was betrothed to Joseph. Betrothal was a highly serious version of engagement. In order to break off a betrothal you had to get a divorce. So, they are soon to be married, and Gabriel comes to Mary, this sweet woman of God. And we hear something interesting. Mary is favored of the Lord and He is with her.

Mary is Favored of the Lord and He is With Her.

What a way to be greeted. Gabriel shows up and just says, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” And we notice something extremely interesting. The next verse says, “29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.”

Mary is troubled by the greeting, not the angel.

Mary is Troubled by the Greeting, Not the Angel.

Every single time an angel appears to someone in Scripture, they are terrified. Contrary to pop culture, angels are terrifying beings. And it is entirely likely that Mary was frightened by the angel, but Luke is very meticulous in his phrasing. And remember, he interviewed eye witnesses. So it must be noted that Mary recounts, likely in person to Luke, that what frightened her most was the greeting. What could it mean that God favored Mary? This to me speaks of the beautiful character of this amazing woman of God.

And the angel repeats this. He says again, “do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” And then he foretells of the conception and birth of Jesus.

The Conception and Birth of Jesus Foretold.

Listen to what Gabriel says to Mary. Luke 1:30-33 “30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.””

This is directly tied to many Old Testament prophesies, but specifically, in this moment we see the fulfilment of Isaiah 7: 14 “14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Mary will conceive and bear a Son. And this Son will be the Messiah, Immanuel, God with us. And Gabriel gives a list of what Jesus will be and do.

Jesus Will...

Be Great.

This seems obvious but must be noted. Jesus will be great. All mothers want to hear their sons will be great men. Mary heard even before the conception that her son will be great.

Be Called Son of the Most High.

Jesus is the Son of God. He is of the same substance as the Father.

Be Given the Throne of His Father David By God.

But Jesus is also truly man. He is of the line of David, and more than this. Jesus will be the fulfilment of God’s promise to David.

2 Samuel 7:16 “16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ””

Reign of Israel Forever.

Jesus’s rule in His father David’s throne will never end. He is forever the King of Israel. But more than this. Gabriel next uses more expansive language, and we see that Jesus will reign over all in an endless Kingdom.

Reign Over All in an Endless Kingdom.

Jesus is King over all. As Abraham Kuiper said, “There is not one square inch in all of creation over which Jesus does not declare ‘Mine.’” And this is the fulfilment of Isaiah 9:6-7 “6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

And...

Daniel 7:13-14 “13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

But Mary obviously has some questions.

Mary Questions How this Will Happen.

Mary asks how can this be since she is a virgin. This is a pretty obvious question. We must note, she is not doubting, but merely clarifying. God is harsh on doubt, but is gentle with questions. We must be free to bring our questions to God! So Mary asks how she can give birth when she is still a virgin. And we get one of the most important statements in Scripture.

The Holy Spirit will come upon her and she will conceive a Child.

This is vital. Jesus is not born by man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Our ancient fathers knew how important this was. Sin is passed through man’s nature. But Christ was conceived supernaturally. He was without sin. The spotless Lamb of God. This is why the Nicene Creed says this, “We believe... in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.”

That phrase, “incarnate BY the Holy Spirit, OF the virgin Mary,” is pivotal.

The angel then speaks of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.

Mary Told of Elizabeth’s Pregnancy.

Gabriel then tells of Elizabeth’s pregnancy inverses 36-37, as a proof that God can do anything, even open the womb of the old.

But we must not miss this. This passage closes with Mary’s declaration of faith.

Mary’s Declaration of Faith.

Look again at verse 38. Luke 1:38 “38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” This declaration always puts me in awe. This girl was just informed of one of the most shocking things any human could ever hear. She just heard she would be mother of God the Son. The Savior of all mankind would come from her womb. And her response is “I am the servant of the Lord, Let it be as you said.”

The faith of this woman baffles me. Obviously she should not be worshipped or prayed to. To do so is sin. But we protestants often take the opposite extreme. We rarely speak of how amazing she was. I say this in genuine sincerity, I do not believe there is a more godly woman in Scripture than Mary the mother of Jesus.

Argumentation:

Mary is A Wonderful Woman of God. She is a Sinner Saved By Grace, Through Christ. And she is also a Pillar and Example of Godliness all women should emulate.

Transition:

But Gabriel here gives us a picture of who Jesus is. We ought to end here.

Jesus Is...

The Promised Messiah.

All through Scripture, God has promised a messiah who would come and save His people from their sins. And here at last, the Messiah is coming. Jesus is that Messiah. He is the Savior. No one else can forgive sins. Only Him.

The Eternal Son of God.

Jesus is clearly said to be the Son of God. We must recognize that in Jewish culture this speaks of complete equality. Jesus is here said by Gabriel to be equal with the Father. He is truly God.

The Son of David.

Jesus is truly man. Come from above, He is Son of God. In the flesh He is the son of David. He is truly man. Bearing a human nature like ours.

The King of Israel.

He is the eternal King on David’s throne. He rules over Israel. For us, as Paul clarifies, the church is the true Israel. This means, that Christ reigns forever over the church. He is our King.

The King Over All, Forever.

Jesus is not just King over the church. He is the high King over all. Jesus is the King over all forever. Every nation is to bow to Christ. Every ruler and authority is to submit to Him. The government, all governments rest on His shoulders. He is the King of all.

Application:

And the application is clear. Hear this, oh people of God!

Worship Christ as the Promised King Who Reigns Forever.

Christ is reigning right now. He is seated on the throne of the universe. So I call all of you, and all outside of here, by the little authority God has given me as a preacher of the word to declare the truth to all, bow to the King. Submit to the King. Worship Christ as God, and King over all. He has come. He coming again. Bow to Him as Lord.

Closing Visualization:

This passage exists to speak of the divine nature of the coming of our Lord. He was heralded by angels, preceded by Elijah, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. He is the Eternal Son of God, the prophesied son of David, forever reigning King over all, our Lord, our Savior, our God, and our King. Hail the Savior who came and is coming again.

Advent Application:

During this time of advent where we ponder the meaning of the coming of Christ as a babe and long for His coming as Lord, I implore you to ponder this. Hide it in your hearts this week that Jesus is the promised one who rules over all. He came, as He was prophesied. He is reigning now. Will you submit to Him? Let’s pray.

Prayer:

Offering Hymn:

Offering Prayer:

Closing Benediction:

Isaiah 9:6-7 “6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

Amen, Hail to the King of kings and Lord of lords.