Foretelling the King of Christmas
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Christmas is a beautiful season full of wonder and mystery. A lot of people focus on the material things, but as Christians it is a season for us to focus on the King of Christmas. We often turn to very familiar passages.
Familiar passages can become trite if we are not careful. They can be passages that we have read many times throughout our lives and even if they hold a special place in our hearts, they can become nothing more than recitations.
We have to listen closely and pray that God would give us fresh eyes to see the wonder of Christmas again each year. This season, we are going to look at some familiar passages, but I want to encourage you to listen closely and see the King of Christmas. He doesn’t wear a red coat and black boots, but He’s wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. He is not raised up on a roof with a sleigh, but on a cross with criminals.
He doesn’t bring us presents, but gives us eternal life. Let’s take a look over the next few weeks at the King of Christmas. This morning we are going to look at Gabriel’s message to Mary foretelling the King of Christmas.
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.
Pray
1. A Heavenly Messenger (vv. 26-31)
1. A Heavenly Messenger (vv. 26-31)
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.
Gabriel is the messenger angel particularly associated with major events related to God’s plan for Israel
Gabriel comes and is on a circuit to bring the message of John the Baptist’s birth to Zechariah and to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus
These two accounts are related in that they use the timeline of Elizabeth’s pregnancy
Sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy - Gabriel appears to Mary
Fear is the natural response of humans to angels
Location: Mary is in Nazareth - contrast this town with where Zechariah is
Jerusalem vs a backwater town
A Priest vs a Peasant
We have a lot of details about who Mary is
She is betrothed to Joseph but chaste
She is named Mary
Joseph is of David’s house
Gabriel reassures Mary and comforts her with God’s blessings
Gabriel tells Mary what is going to happen
She will bear a son those she is a virgin
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.
She will bear the Messiah
She will bear a king
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.
2. A Hope Fulfilled (vv. 32-33)
2. A Hope Fulfilled (vv. 32-33)
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.”
The people had been waiting
Adam and Eve were promised an offspring - Gen. 3:16
16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”
Abraham had been promised a son who would bless the nations Gen 12:2
2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
David had been promised a son who would reign as King forever 2 Sam. 7:12-13
12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
These are just a few of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled. Gabriel is telling Mary that her son would be the one that God had promised
3. A Holy Miracle (vv.35-37)
3. A Holy Miracle (vv.35-37)
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.”
Mary had the same thoughts any woman would have had
She was betrothed - explain the process
She was chaste - she was not naive
She would be overshadowed by the power of God - this is a holy birth, not a sexual perversion like the pagan myths
Conclusion
It was necessary for this birth to be miraculous. We have all sinned and that sin nature is passed on to all of us. Jesus had to be like us to represent us but not exactly like us to be sinful. He never ceased being God, but He added our nature to His to save us.
As we think about the promises that are fulfilled in the King of Christmas, consider that these are personal promises that God made to save you.
Mary’s response was one of submission to God’s plan for her life. God’s plan for your life and mine is that we receive the gift that He has sent to us in His Son Jesus.
None of us can every really experience what Mary went through, but we can be humble and available like she was to be used by God however He desires to use us. He first wants us to know Him and then He wants us to serve Him.
How will you leave here this morning and go about foretelling the King of Christmas?