PREPARING FOR THE LAMB OF GOD

The Stress of Christmas  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  32:54
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Luke 1:26-38
BEHOLD THE LAMB PREPARED
Intro:
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. In six literal/24 hour days God created the heaven and the earth. On the sixth day God created man. Adam and Eve were the first living human beings to be put on the earth.
Eventually man violated a sacred trust and fell into sin. At that time, God promised man that there would come One Who would balance the scales, defeat evil and deliver humanity. For thousands of years men waited. And while men waited, God worked.
God worked by choosing a man named Abram from Ur of the Chaldees. Through this man God raised up a nation known as Israel. God worked through this nation to establish His Law and His worship in the earth. Yet, the people of Israel were constantly turning away from the Lord Who had called them and bought them. But, He was patient with them, and He continued to work. He worked in spite of their tendency to follow false gods. He worked in spite of them turning a deaf ear to His Word and to the preachers and prophets He sent to lead them. He worked in spite of the fact that they really did not seem to care about Him at all.
God worked because He was completing a plan that begun before the world was ever made. He worked because He was determined to send a Redeemer to this world to save the lost. He worked because He was motivated by a heart of love to see His people saved. So, He worked in spite of everything they did and in working, His love for them overcame every obstacle they placed in His path.
God kept on because He was had promised to send a Lamb into the world to die for sin. Today, I want to talk about that part of God’s work that brought His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into this world. Of all the obstacles God faced in completing His plan to save lost sinners, the most challenging, from a human perspective, was getting His Lamb into this world.
We have seen how God promised a Lamb; today, I want to see how that Lamb was prepared. I want to preach on this thought: Preparing for the Lamb of God
I want to take these verses and show you how God accomplished the impossible through the birth of His darling Son.

I. THE PERSON RESERVED FOR THIS PREPARATION-VS. 26-28

A. It Was A Pure Person

We are told that the angel came to “a virgin.” The word used refers to a female that is sexually pure.
In fact, the virginity of Mary is affirmed twice in verse 27. Contrary to what liberals and others may say, the word does not simply speak of a “young woman,” but it speaks of one who has never engaged in sexual intercourse.
The vessel God chose to use to bring His Son into this world was a perfectly pure vessel.
Some might wonder why this is important. It is important because God promised that the Savior of humanity would be “the seed of the woman,” Gen. 3:15
Genesis 3:15 KJV 1900
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
This simply means that God would send the Savior into the world through the body of a woman without the aid of a human male. Why? Because all humans are sinners and that sinfulness is passed on through the seed of the man, Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
When Adam sinned in the garden, he became a sinner. And, just as he passed on his human nature to his offspring, Adam also passed along his sinful nature to his children. They inherited his sin and they too passed it on down the line.
God’s plan to send a Savior into the world involved Him sending a pure Saviour, Who would not inherit the sinful nature of humanity, but One Who would inherit a physical body and a human nature. God accomplished this through the virgin birth of Jesus,
Galatians 4:4 KJV 1900
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
By sending Jesus into this world through the womb of a virgin, God was able to give His Son a human body and a human nature, without His inheriting a fallen nature as well.
This enabled Jesus to be born without sin; live without sin and die without sin.
He was able to give His live as a pure, perfect sacrifice for fallen man, 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
He was able to satisfy God forever through the offering of His Own body on the cross, 1 John 2:2; Heb. 9:11-14; Hebrews 10:10–14 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
I certainly do not understand all the mechanics of how God sent His Son into the world through the womb of a virgin, but I do know that the virgin birth of Jesus is a foundational doctrine of the Christian faith. Without a virgin birth, we do not have a Savior. Without a virgin birth, we have no hope. Without a virgin birth, we have no foundation upon which to build the house of our faith! To deny the virgin birth of Jesus is to deny Christ.

B. It Was A Prophesied Person

As I have already mentioned, God promised to send His Son into the world through a woman, Gen. 3:15. As the years past, that prophesy was expanded by the prophet Isaiah,
Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, And shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Both of these verses tell us that God would move in a miraculous manner to bring the promised Messiah into the world.
Therefore, the virgin birth of Jesus should not surprise anyone. When God makes a promise, He is well able to make it happen, Romans 4:21 “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”
When He makes a promise, He fully intends to bring to it pass.

C. It Was A Prepared Person

To watch Mary as these verses unfold is to see a young woman who has been prepared for this moment. History tells us that every faithful Jewish girl was looking for the Messiah. We are also told that every Jewish girl hoped that she would be the vessel chosen through which God would send His Messiah into the world.
When the angel appears to Mary, she is amazed and she is startled, but she is a woman prepared to respond to the will of the Lord in faith and faithfulness, Luke 1:38. It appears that God, in His grace, had begun a work in her young heart long before this moment, so that when this moment arrived, Mary was ready and willing to do all the Lord desired of her.
Imagine the faith required for Mary to respond to the Lord as she did. For a young unmarried woman to become pregnant in that day was to be the focus of shame, disgrace and a possible death sentence. But, Mary was willing to bear the shame and the burden of being the vessel through which God would send His Son into the world.
Thank God for people like Mary who are willing to do all the Lord requires, regardless of what it may require of them. May the Lord find a heart like that beating within every one of our chests! After all, nothing reveals our love for Jesus like our unquestioning obedience to all He requests of us,
John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
John 14:21 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”
The person reserved

II. THE PROMISE REVEALED IN THIS PREPARATION-VS. 29-33

A. The Promise Of A Special Child-vs. 31-32

Mary is told that she will become the mother of a son, but that this Son will be no ordinary child. He will be her son, therefore, He will be a human; but He will also be the “Son of the Highest.”
He will be a man, but He will also be God. This was the prophecy of Isaiah, Isa. 7:14. This was the message of the angel to Joseph, Matt. 1:23. This was most profound moment of all time and eternity!
This was the moment God became flesh and walked among men, John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Philippians 2:5–8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
This was the moment that the Creator became dependent upon the creature. When Jesus Christ was conceived in the womb of a virgin, the plan of the ages moved out of eternity and into time. God Himself robed Himself in human flesh and came into this world that He might die on a cross to save His people from their sins.

B. The Promise Of A Saving Child-vs. 31

– Mary is told that the child’s name is to be “Jesus.” This name was a common name in that day. In the Hebrew tongue, it was the name “Joshua”. Many Jewish parents named their male children Joshua, or as the Greeks rendered it, Jesus. Of course, while the name might be common, the child to Whom it was given was not.
The name “Jesus” means “Jehovah is Salvation.”
Although Mary did not understand all that she was being told, she hears for the first time that Name which is above every name! She does not understand it now, but the child she will name Jesus will grow up and one day He will die on a cross to save lost sinners from their sins. He will be the only hope lost sinners have, John 14:6.
His Name will be the only Name that will open the gates of Heaven; redeem the human soul from the bondage of sin; deliver lost men from the threat of Hell; and speak peace and hope to those who do not know God.
John 14:6 KJV 1900
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
For this child would be the fulfillment of a plan set into motion before the world was ever formed, Revelation 13:8 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” 1 Peter 1:20 “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”
He would die on a cross; rise from the dead and ascend back into Heaven to guarantee salvation for all who would trust Him by faith.
Thank God for the day God sent His Son into the world to be the Savior of God’s people, Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Luke 2:11 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

C. The Promise Of A Sovereign Child-vs. 32-33

Sovereign=Supreme in power, superior to all others.
Mary is also told that this special child, this saving child would also be a sovereign child. She is told that He would be a sovereign with a special pedigree. He would rule on the throne of David; thus fulfilling the prophecy given to David over 1,000 years before, 2 Sam. 7:11-13; Psa. 132:11. He would also rule over the house of Jacob, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Jacob made thousands of years earlier, Genesis 49:10 “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh come; And unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”
Jesus will rule over a kingdom that will have no end!
He would rule over His kingdom forever, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah,
Isaiah 9:6–7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, To order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice From henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
and others of the Old Testament prophets.
The person reserved
The promise revealed

III. THE POWER RELEASED IN THIS PREPARATION-VS. 34-38

A. The Power To Conquer Our Doubts-vs. 34-38

Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
Mary hears the words of the angel, but she confesses that she does not understand how this can happen. She, like all other Jews, expected the Messiah to enter the world by the old fashioned way. She wonders how she will be able to have a child, since she has never physically been with a man. To Mary’s mind this is a dilemma that cannot be surmounted. Thankfully, the angel has the answer! He tells her that she is about to be part of the greatest miracle the world has ever known. God is about to turn Mary into a miracle! The angel speaks the words that conquer Mary’s doubts.

B. The Power To Carry Out His Desires-vs. 35-38

The angel addresses Mary’s problem by giving her a promise, v. 35; offering her some proof, v. 36; and by declaring God’s power, v. 37.
Mary is told that God is well able to do all the things He has said He will do. Gabriel declares the awesome power of God and offers hope and comfort for the heart of Mary.
Well, Mary heard a message that was almost too fantastic to be believable. When she confessed the fact that she did not see how it could be real, the angel offered her the promise that God, in His power, was more than able to bring this thing to pass.

Conclusion:

If you have heard this message today and you are plagued by fears and doubts regarding the message if Jesus, here is what you need to know.
Luke 1:37 KJV 1900
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Everything God said is true! Jesus is His Son. Jesus did come into this world to die for you. He did die for you. He did rise from the dead. He did return back to Heaven. He is coming back to this earth some day. All those who trust Him by faith will be forever saved by His mighty power.
You say, “How can I know for sure?” In Mary’s case, the angel told her about what God had done for her cousin Elizabeth. Mary left immediately to go see Elizabeth, and when she arrived, she found that Elizabethwas pregnant, just like the angel had said, v. 39-56. Mary had proof positive that God had worked in the life of Elizabeth, and that gave her confidence to believe that He would work in her own life as well.
For us, the proof that Jesus has the power to take a lost sinner, save them by His grace and change their life can be found by looking around this very room! All around are those lives transformed by the hand of grace. Look at what Jesus has done in the lives of those around and know that what He has done for others, He will certainly do for you, John 6:37
John 6:37 KJV 1900
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
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