Luke 1:26-38 "Gabriel Visits Mary"

Let’s Pray!

Good Morning, Calvary Chapel Lake City!

This Saturday Oct 4th from 9-11am… we are hosting a Pro-Life Workshop.

I hope you can attend. Please scan the QR code and register if you haven’t done so already.

Our speaker will be Mike Spencer, who travels the country, teaching Pro-Life Apologetics Workshops.

He’s a good speaker and well versed on how to approach the abortion debate in a compelling, yet graceful manner.

I hope you can join us and learn from Mike.

Well… let’s open our Bibles to Luke 1. Luke 1:26-38 this morning.

We have recently entered into the Gospel of Luke.

And, in our previous two messages… we laid a foundation… to introduce all four Gospels… and then introduce Luke’s Gospel.

Then, last week we looked at the account of Gabriel visiting Zacharias.

Zacharias, a priest, and Elizabeth were an older couple who were noted for being right with God… who lived to obey His commands…

But, were not able to have a child, and now past the age of child bearing… they were blessed with a miraculous pregnancy…

… and would bear a son they would name John. John would become known as “John the Baptist” and he would be the forerunner to Jesus Christ.

Now, after introducing the backstory of John’s family… Luke writes the backstory of Jesus’ family…

And, how “Gabriel Visits Mary” (our message title today)… which captures the moments… of the young maiden Mary first hearing the prophecy that she was chosen by God… as a virgin… to bring forth Messiah.

A privilege that makes her “blessed among women.”

Let’s take a look at this account, and in reverence for God’s word, if you are able, please stand as I read our passage.

Luke 1:26-38 “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by 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. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then 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 bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give 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 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”

Praise God for His word! Please be seated.

We just finished reading about Elizabeth in the previous two verses (vv 24-25)… and “Now (V26) in the sixth month [that is...of Elizabeth’s pregnancy… who will be revealed as Mary’s relative] the angel Gabriel… [previously sent to Zacharias in Jerusalem… is now sent by God… 85 miles North to Nazareth in Galilee (a 33 hour walk… though… no doubt Gabriel didn’t walk, but was just translated there)]…

And he comes likely to the house of a virgin who was betrothed to Joseph… and Joseph was of the house of David.

And, these details… of Nazareth… a virgin… and Joseph being of the house of David…

… these are details Luke uses to add brushstrokes of color to the story of the Christ…

But, in Matthew 1, he connects these details to fulfilled prophecy.

Foretold long ago in OT were prophecies of the coming Messiah.

Which is you want to read about Messiah’s fulfilled prophecies… read the Gospel of Matthew.

That theme was very important for his Jewish audience…

The phrase “that is might be fulfilled” is only seen in Matthew and repeated 9x in Matthew.

The word “fulfilled” is featured 15x in Matthew, 4x in Mark, 7x in Luke, 9x in John.

So, we still see an emphasis of fulfilled prophecies in all the Gospels, but moreso in Matthew.

Messiah being from Nazareth was prophesied in concept more than a direct OT quote…

17x in the NT, Jesus is called “Jesus of Nazareth.”

We read of an obscure prophecy of Nazareth as the hometown for Messiah… in Matt 2:23 “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Which likely refers to a combination of Isaiah 11:1 (the "Branch" or netzer) and the broader theme of the Messiah’s humble origins… as reflected in Nathanael’s question “Can anything goo come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:45).

The virgin birth of Messiah was foretold 700 years prior in Isaiah… and now was being fulfilled.

Matthew 1:22–23 reads, “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: [Quoting Isa 7:14) 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.””

Mary… is revealed in Luke 1 as this virgin who would miraculously conceive.

Mary was a common name and it meant bitterness… perhaps foreshadowing the sorrows Mary would endure… especially witnessing Jesus’ crucifixion… which is often linked to the "sword piercing her soul" in Luke 2:35.

And she would bear a Son called “Immanuel” which in not His personal name, but His symbolic or descriptive title which lit. means “with us is God.”

Jesus is God (Heb 1:8; John 8:58) … who came to be with us… and anyone who place their faith in Him… will be eternally with God.

So, Immanuel is His title… and His name is Jesus. Jesus is the English pronunciation.

In Greek… Iēsŏus (ee-ay-sooce´), meaning “The Lord is Salvation.”

In Hebrew His name is pronounced “Yehoshua” or simply “Yeshua.”

It’s a combination of “Ya” for “Yahweh”, the name of God… and the verb “yasha”, meaning “rescue,” “deliver,” or “save.”

So, His name means “Yahweh is Salvation” or more simply “God saves”… and that is His mission.

And, being from the house of David was also prophetically significant…

1000 years prior it was promised to king David… in 2 Sam 7:12-13 “I will set up your seed after you, who will 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.”

This is known as the Davidic covenant… and Jews understood that Messiah must be of the lineage of David.

And when you examine the genealogies of Jesus both for Joseph in Matthew 1 and Mary in Luke 3… David appears in both of the genealogies…

Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus, but had legal rights… so legally Jesus traced to David.

And it’s emphasized in Matthew 1:1 that Jesus is the “Son of David”… who is the son of Jesse and described as “David the king” in Matt 1:6, just so there’s no confusion.

And, in Mary’s lineage we see the blood line connection to David, the son of Jesse as well.

So, here in vv 26-27 of Luke… while he is telling the account of Jesus… there’s some deep prophetic significance under the surface.

And, fulfilled prophecies are a key proof that our faith is real.

We believe by faith… but our faith is supported by fulfilled prophecies… and various other ways… like eyewitnesses to the resurrection… Scriptural reliability … archeological evidence… historical evidence… the power of transformed lives… and so forth.

In fact… Say, “Amen” loudly… if YOUR life has been transformed by Jesus.

Our faith is real. We don’t believe in a fiction.

So, here we have Mary… and she is betrothed to Joseph.

And, it would be satisfactory to our account here to understand they were in the process of getting married…

… but if we take a moment and dig a little, we can mine out a gem that gives us a beautiful picture of our relationship with Jesus Christ who is our betrothed… since we are the church… the bride of Christ.

If you didn’t know the church is the “bride of Christ” you can find support for that reality in verses like Eph 5:32 and 2 Cor 11:2.

Modern marriages typically begin with a semi-formal, but not legal… engagement, followed by a marriage ceremony and reception.

A Jewish Wedding was a multi-step process… with three main stages: Betrothal (which was legally binding)… the Marriage Ceremony… and the Marriage Feast.

Being most of us are not Jewish… and our wedding customs are different… we often don’t connect the dots of the prophetic significance behind the Jewish Wedding… to our Church Age and beyond.

But, we are presently betrothed to Jesus… and awaiting… rather longing for… the next two stages of our wedding.

When we cry our Maranatha… when we ponder His immediate return… and say, “Lord, come quickly!”

We are also in agreement with wanting to move past our betrothal to our Marriage Ceremony, but we often don’t consider this.

So, during the first stage of the wedding… the Betrothal Period… the groom gave the bride-to-be a pledge… a promise of his intentions for their union.

Just as when we were justified… God gave us a pledge… and sealed us with His Holy Spirit.

Eph 1:13-14 states, “…having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession…”

During this betrothal period…which is similar to our engagement period… but much more intentional and legally binding… the bride would stay in her father’s house, and make herself ready for the coming of the groom.

And in Rev 19:7 this preparation is pictured, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”

We do this by being washed in the word… so we may be presented as a glorious church, not have spot or wrinkle, but holy and without blemish.” (Eph 5:27)

Also, during this betrothal period... the groom would get their home prepared… typically a home or a room built onto his parent’s home.

Jesus said, Jn 14:2-3 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

The church age, this present time, can be likened to the betrothal period… this is our time of preparation.

Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, and He will come again for His bride.

The second phase of the Jewish wedding was when the bridegroom would claim his bride, and and take the bride to his own home for the Marriage Ceremony.

Often, the groom would surprise his bride by an unexpected or early return… and often at night. And, there would be a procession of friends leading the couple, carrying lighted lamps to the husband’s home for the wedding banquet.

This second phase of the wedding could be compared to the unexpected return of Christ at the Rapture 1 Thes 4:16-17 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”

And, following the rapture… while the world faces Tribulation… the church is part of “The Marriage of the Lamb” as pictured, again in Rev 19:7-8 “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”

A day will come when the Father tells Jesus, “Go get your bride.”

In a Jewish wedding, the Son waiting for the Father to give him the green light to get his bride…

And, Jesus is waiting for the Father… and this is why Jesus said, Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

Once Jesus gets His bride (the church)… at the rapture… the tribulation or “Time of Jacob’s trouble” will begin… and at the end of the 7 yr tribulation… is the second coming of the Son of Man.

The marriage ceremony was typically a more intimate event where a few invited guest attended… a ceremony occurred… the couple was made husband and wife… followed by seven days of celebration.

The third and final phase of the Jewish Wedding was the Marriage Feast… held at a different location and many were invited.

This separate event is pictured in Rev 19:9 and will occur after Jesus returns with His bride… during the Millennial Reign of Christ, “‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”

One scholar wrote, “The Marriage of the Lamb in heaven can be compared to the Jewish wedding ceremony itself. And the Marriage Feast at the beginning of the Millennium can be compared to the Jewish marriage supper.”

What’s so beautiful about all of this is HOW God views His people.

We are elevated to the precious position of the Bride of Christ.

Eph 5:25 says Christ… “loved the church and gave Himself for her.”

Jesus loved the world so deeply… He loves you so deeply… that He came out of eternity and into time… from heaven to earth… and became the perfect sinless sacrifice… dying on a cross for the sin of His creation.

That whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life.

Jesus demonstrated the deepest sacrificial love known to any language.

Making the way for us to be betrothed to Him… and we LONG for the Marriage Ceremony to begin.

Come for your bride Lord Jesus!

If you want to look deeper at the comparison of a Galilean Wedding Feast as compared to the rapture and end times prophecy… there is a documentary titled, “Before the Wrath”… that features Jack Hibbs, Amir Tsarfati, Jan Markel… and more.

Check it out.

So, in Luke… V27… we are introduced to Joseph and Mary… Jesus’ legal father… and biological mother… and they were in this first stage of their wedding called Betrothal…

They were in an exciting stage of life. Most Jewish girls were betrothed between the ages of 13-15 in the first century, so it’s thought Mary was a teenager… and Joseph was suspected of being older…

… and Joseph likely died before Jesus began His public ministry around age 30… being that we see Joseph only in the early life of Jesus… but not when Jesus begins His public ministry.

Continuing on… V28. “And having come in [Now appearing to Mary], the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

It would seem that Gabriel has come to her house and greets Mary at the door.

And, Gabriel says Mary, “Rejoice”… which was a kind salutation… other Bible translations read, “Greetings”… “Hail”… or “Shalom.”

Gabriel continues telling young Mary she is “highly favored.”

What a nice angel Gabriel is.

In Dan 9… Gabriel visited and told Daniel, “… you are greatly beloved...” (Dan 9:23).

Just don’t doubt his words… or you might end up mute for a season like Zacharias.

Mary was highly favored… the Lord was with her… and she was blessed among women… NAMELY… because she was chosen for the miraculous conception… to bear the Messiah.

Gabriel pronounces blessings upon Mary… but not to elevate her too high by her own right… though we’ll see… there were some really great things about her…

Her response of willingness to Gabriel for the immaculate conception… the prophetic Magnificat (Mary’s song at beginning in V46 of Luke 1)… her presence at key moments of Jesus’ life (of course His birth… His first miracle at Cana… the cross… at Pentecost (Acts 1:14))…

So… there’s much that can be said on the positive side about Mary.

Protestants… often in reaction to Catholics lauding Mary… tend to degrade Mary.

No need to do that. She’s a sister-in-Christ… she birthed the Messiah. She has an amazing testimony and was a woman of God.

And, in heaven… if you want to hear the details of Jesus as a kid… who better than to hear from Mary.

I wouldn’t ask Joseph. Guys are notoriously brief when telling stories. “Yeah… He was a good kid. A bit preachy at times, but a good kid.”

Mary, however, she’ll sit you down and… you know how it is… “Oh, you want to hear about when Jesus was a boy? Well, let me tell you… there was this one time…”

And, with joy in her heart she’ll share story after story.

So be nice to Mary.

But she was not perfect… in Mark 3:21 Mary and her family thought Jesus was “out of his mind” and tried to lay hold of Him (Mark 3:21)…

Afterwards, Jesus was speaking to a great crowd… and Mary and Jesus’ 1/2 brothers sent word to Him… desiring to speak to Him.

Kind of awkward… feels a bit tense… certainly a misunderstanding about His mission.

And let’s not forget that moment… when Jesus was age 12… when Mary and Joseph… lost Jesus… left Jesus in Jerusalem… and Mary said, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

I know they had a lot of kids, but maybe they should have done a head count first.

Mary was not perfect… so it’s a mistake to elevate her to a level of co-redemptress to Jesus (she’s not that)…

It’s a mistake to pray to her instead of directly to God (no need to do that).

Eph 2:18 states, “For through Him [Jesus] we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.”

The veil was torn… we have direct access to the Father through Jesus Christ. God’s not too busy that we need to pray to Mary.

V29 “But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.”

In response to Gabriel’s… over the top kind greeting blessing Mary… she is confused and disturbed… and tried to understand why she was greeted this way.

It’s not recorded that she vocalized her concern, so this must have been a detail she told Luke some time later.

If it were us… and a stranger came to our door saying, “Rejoice… you’re highly favored… the Lord is with you, blessed are you!”

We would think they were in a cult…

We’d tell them, “Whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying.”

But, Mary… we read “she considered”… “she pondered”… “she tried to discern” what kind of greeting this was.

And, I love how introspective Mary was… how spiritually sensitive she was…

Kind of the opposite of Peter who was “Mr. Ready, Fire, Aim”… you know what I mean? …

He spoke than thought.

Peter definitely knew how his size 10 sandals tasted.

But, Mary considered things.

When the Shepherds came to the manger and made it known that an angel told them that the Savior… Christ the Lord was born and was lying in a manger…

We read, “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Lk 2:19)

When Simeon prophesied over Jesus… Mary “marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.” (Lk 2:33)

Wise young lady.

Proverbs 10:19 reads, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”

How often does our tongue get us into trouble?

James calls the tongue “a fire, a world of iniquity”… “it defiles the whole body”… “no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” James 3.

There’s wisdom in restraining our lips… and considering things before we speak.

V30 “Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

Gabriel also told Zacharias, “Do not be afraid...”

God does not want His people to be afraid when He sends His messengers.

Gabriel reassure Mary again “you have found favor with God.”

This is the second time Gabriel has told Mary she was “favored”… the word “endowed with grace” in V28… and here in V30… the root word… favored in Gk is charis… which means “grace.”

Mary was not so good that she earned or was deserving of this gracious visitation… or to be the mother of the Messiah…

And, none of us are so good to earn our salvation. For us too… it is grace… it’s underserved favor by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

And in vv 31-33… now we read WHY Mary is … “blessed among women”… for she would bring forth the Messiah.

Which was an honor most Jewish mom’s prayed would be theirs. They lived in expectation of the coming Messiah foretold of in the OT… but Mary… of all the Jewish Mom’s… in all the ages… Now… SHE… has received this grace… this privilege.

Gabriel continues…

vv 31-33 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give 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.”

These are amazing words of Gabriel… and foreshadow both the first and second coming of Christ.

V31-32a picture Jesus’ first advent and 32b-33 His second advent.

There are several OT verses that bundle the two comings of Christ together (Like Isa 61:1-2)… and Jews misinterpreted this.

They looked forward the Messiah of the Second Coming… the conquering king… and wanted to be delivered from Roman oppression.

They didn’t realize the bigger oppressor was in their heart… our sin nature.

And, Jesus first had to come to pay the price for sin… so God would be just to punish sin.

But, then in love and grace… because Jesus took the penalty for our sin… that penalty being death… all who believe in Him would be declared righteous…

And will not taste death, but will receive eternal life.

That’s the Gospel by the way… if you didn’t know.

Believe in the Good news of Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

In your heart right now… Yes or No… Do you believe Jesus Christ paid the price for your sins… and do you trust Him as your Savior? Yes or No.

Did anyone say “Yes” for the first time? Raise your hand if you did.

Don’t be shy… we just want to clap for you.

At one point all believers came to a place of faith in Jesus Christ…

And we praise God for salvation. I’m so glad I’m saved.

Jesus said, “… there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:7

Parable of the Lost Sheep. Big Party in heaven.

Jesus’ first order of business in coming to earth… was conquering sin and death… to He could give freely the gift of righteousness and life to anyone who believes.

And, when anyone believes there is much joy in heaven.

Jesus indeed was and is great.

He will be called the Son of the Highest…

In Jewish thinking… a son was a carbon copy of the father… this points to Jesus’ equity with the Father…

He will be given the throne of David…

… fulfilling the Davidic covenant.

He will reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever…

… which is a good reproof against Replacement Theology.

And of His kingdom there will be no end. Praise God.

Jesus is presently on the throne… seated at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19; Rom 8:34; Heb 10:12; 1 Pet 3:22).

His kingdom is eternal… and we live in a time where we await His second coming… to usher in His Millennial kingdom and then eternity… the new heaven, the new earth, the new Jerusalem.

Come get your Bride… Lord Jesus!

Now in V34… Mary questions Gabriel, but not like Zacharias who did not believe Gabriel’s words (V20) and was mute 9 months.

Mary believes Gabriel… she does not doubt… V34 is an honest inquiry.

V34 “Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?””

It is ok to ask questions to God. Mary needed wisdom to understand here how a virgin could bear a child.

She believes this possible, but how?

Like when God told Abram to sacrifice Isaac, but promised all the nations of the earth would be blessed through his seed.

How could both be true? I love that Abram believed God and would have sacrificed Isaac because…

Well Hebrews 11:19 says, Abraham concluding “… that God was able to raise him [Isaac] up, even from the dead...”

Abraham determined that is was more likely for God to resurrect Isaac from the dead than for God to break His promise.

When we face various trials… the word of God promises these moment build our character into Christ-likeness.

And, we can believe that and without doubting still ask God how will He bring us through the trial?

When God calls to impossible tasks… like Mary… like Abraham… and you don’t know how it will be accomplished..

You lack wisdom in navigating the situation… you lack knowledge in how God will move.

Yet you trust God and turn it over to Him, saying, “I can’t do this, but You can… and I’m willing for You to do it through me.”

It’s ok… in times like these to be like Mary and ask, “How can this be?”

James tells us to “ask of God”… and He will give you what you need.

James 1:6 declares, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

Ask God to give you wisdom, but do not doubt. James says the person who asks with doubt is “double-minded”… unstable in all his ways.

God is willing to give wisdom generously… and will not rebuke us for asking… but ask for wisdom and ask how… in faith. Trust God.

In contrast to Mary… when Gabriel prophesied about John’s birth to Zacharias… John asked, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

And in V20… Gabriel rebuked Zacharias for not believing his words… and pronounced a season of silence upon Zacharias.

He would be mute until John was born and Zacharias wrote the words, “His name is John.”

If God can create the heavens and earth and rescue the souls of men… even in the midst of great things beyond us… or difficult lows that pull at us…

We are called to trust the God of the universe… and to not doubt.

I appreciate the words of Solomon in Ecc 5:2, “Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.”

When Zacharias stood in the temple… in the presence of Gabriel… he would have been better off to be silent… and to ponder the words of the heavenly messenger Gabriel.

But Mary… with faith in her heart… she asks, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

vv 35-37 “And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Gabriel answered Mary’s question how… and does not go into a long theological dissertation…

Mary didn’t need a bunch of information… she needed to know the miraculous would happen by the power of God.

Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you...”

Overshadow means “to cover with a cloud” or metaphorically “to shed influence upon.”

We need the power of God… and the blessed guidance and influence of the Holy Spirt… to navigate the seas of life.

Like Mary, we ask God, “How can this impossible thing come to be?”

Answer: “The Holy Spirit.”

What is an impossible situation to God when the Holy Spirit is present and the power of God overshadows us?

“But, how will you work this impossible situation out God?”

Same Answer: “The Holy Spirit.”

After Jesus died and rose again… in Acts 1, His disciples asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

‘Is this the promised time where you will rule and reign on earth?’

And, Jesus told them… You don’t need more information.

Jesus replied in Acts 1:7 “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”

They didn’t need more information… instead, what they needed was more power… Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

In Acts 1:5, Jesus said they would be “baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

The world needs Spirit-filled believers who are powerful witnesses to Jesus Christ…

… who boldly share the testimony of their changed life…

… who share truth in love… and that of the Gospel of Jesus Christ… unapologetically… and without compromise.

Even when truth stings because scripture says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”

We need to be as the prophets of old… who testified against evil… in order to bring people back to the LORD.

Even when they won’t listen… even though they killed the prophets… and still do.

We need the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon us… for us to be a powerful witness to all the world.

And, if you’ve never prayed to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit… when we close today… get up and pray… believe and do not doubt.

Gabriel answered Mary’s question enough for Mary to understand that God will move and make it happen…

His miraculous power will overshadow her.

She’s not given all the details… She’s given just enough… and she will still need to trust and walk in faith.

When there’s an impossible situation in your life… how can God fix it? -The Holy Spirit.

A medical situation… an addiction… a broken relationship… financial woes…

How can God fix it? -The Holy Spirit.

Gabriel even tells Mary… “Oh by the way…” Your cousin Elizabeth… who is known to be barren… God took care of that. She’s six month pregnant.”

What reassurance to hear that God miraculously opened the womb of Mary’s… well advanced in years cousin… Elizabeth.

How can this be? … “with God nothing will be impossible.”

When my alcoholism reached a peak in 2012… and I was not leading my family… and I was consumed by my career…

My wife was so done… but she and many others at church petitioned the Lord in prayer.

And the Holy Spirit came upon me in a day… in a moment… at a baptism… telling me, “You need to put to death the old man, and get baptized again.”

I was baptized with the Holy Spirit that day… delivered fully alcoholism (I haven’t drank since)… I was led to quit that well paying career and get equipped for calling into ministry.

And, I work to repair the damage that I caused. I’m still not a perfect man… but nor am I the old man.

And, many of you have your own stones of remembrance of God’s faithfulness…

Of how the Holy Spirit moved in your life. That’s your testimony of God’s faithful moving in your life.

I pray God would open a door for you to share your story with someone who needs to hear it this week.

Some of you may need the reminder to wait upon the Lord and to again hear the words of Gabriel to Mary… “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Maybe this is a reminder for you today.

Some of you feel like you are at your wits end… you are waiting for your moment of deliverance to come.

Pray to Him… even pray to Him again and again… like the widow in the parable of the unjust judge… “cry out day and night to Him.”

Pray again when we close out this service in a moment.

The miracle could be right around the corner… be reminded… “… with God nothing will be impossible.”

Ask Him How? Believe and do not doubt. He’s a mountain moving God.

Closing with Mary’s response to all of this in V38 “Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”

Amazing… here we behold Mary the teenager demonstrating greater faith than Zacharias the seasoned priest.

One scholar wrote, “Mary had learned to forget the world’s commonest prayer—’Thy will be changed’—and to pray the world’s greatest prayer—’Thy will be done.’“

When God presents you with an impossible situation in life and informs you that He wants to use you to accomplish it…

… your response should be as Mary’s to say “Yes”… and to submit to God as His servant.

And to accept His will for your life… “Let it be to me according to your word.”

Mary did not understand HOW God would use her as a virgin to bear the Messiah…

But now knowing the Holy Spirit would come upon her… that God’s miraculous power would over shadow her… she says, “Yes.”

Like Isaiah, when God asked “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then Isaiah said, “Here am I! Send me.” (Isa 6:8)

(worship team please come)

She says, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

And, now with her expression of faith… with her willing heart to submit to the Lord’s will and as His servant…

Gabriel the angel departs. What a powerful account of faith.

Amen? Let’s pray!

What a wonderful account today that addresses very real emotions that we commonly experience… fear and doubt… which are overcome by faith.

Please come up and pray as we close out with this final song… asking God again and again for the Holy Spirit to move in your life…

Cast your cares to Him…

Ask to be Baptized with the Holy Spirit…

More than information, we need more miraculous power to be His witnesses in our Jerusalem, Judea and beyond.

I pray you enter the week ahead filled afresh with His Holy Spirit… saying “Yes” to service to Him… and to do His will.

God bless you as you go!