Advent Hope | Luke 1:26–38

INTRO

Good morning, if you have a Bible this morning we will be in Luke 1:26-38 as we start this season of Advent. If you don’t know what that means or wondering what that means advents simply mens “arrival” or “coming.” And in this case it is the start and preparation for the arrival of Jesus, the birth of him being fully God and being fully man. And each Sunday has a different theme that we are going to look at in how it correlates to the arrival of Jesus at the first coming and how it applies to us today.

ADVENT DEFINITION: the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event

As you heard when we lit the candle, today’s word and theme is Hope. I believe every human heart was wired to hope. Just like every human heart was made to worship. But we find other things to hope in and worship. We hope in a political party, a relationship, a Christmas gift we may want, or something else thinking that that thing or event, will bring about a feeling a of relief. At least that is the way that we use the word Hope, right? And those of you who have been around we have covered this but it is important to have a right definition of hope. What does it mean to have a Biblical hope? Hope can mean wishful thinking, a long off goal that may or may not happen. But hope defined in the Word, is this:

Hope in the Bible means: CONFIDENT EXPECTATION IN THE CHARACTER OF GOD

So it is this confidence not in our abilities, talents, or our own confidence but in who God is that we can hope. So with this in mind let’s pray and look at the scripture today that will help us to understand how to have this hope today.

PRAYER

BODY

English Standard Version Chapter 1

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.

In case you are unfamiliar with the story, and since we are starting in the 26th verse, there are some things to remind or learn about. Because we are coming into this story at the 6th month. The 6 month of what? Well the story that Luke just talked about is how a priest named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were just met by an angel. While Zechariah was doing his priestly duties he was told by an angel that his wife would have a child after years of having no child. He didn’t believe the angel and ended up being not able to speak until the child was born. This child would become John the baptist. So it is the 6 month of the pregnancy of John that we learn that this angel Gabriel is on the move again. And he is sent to a small town in Galilee called Nazareth where there is this young woman who is excited about getting married to a man named Joseph and her name is Mary. Now she has no idea about what is going to happen with the change of her life about to happen, not just meeting an angel, but actually something bigger than anyone could have really even expected. But I want to point out something here that is really important for our sake here. This is in your notes about hopeful TRUTH to be hopeful.

HOPEFUL REMINDERS TO BE HOPEFUL

GOD WAS WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO HELP MARY AND ELIZABETH.

So God had this all planned out. He knew when he would send Gabriel to Zechariah, he knew that they would conceive John 6 months before going to Mary and then Mary would go and visit Elizabeth to find comfort. He had this whole thing planned out and figured out. He knew what this was going to look like, the emotions, the confusion, the fear, the lack of understanding. But His ways are always so much better.

You and I have not been around from the beginning? You and I have not set the planets in motion. You and I have not held all things in place being the author and finisher of faith. Let hope rise in you this morning knowing that God has so many things working behind the scenes that you don’t even know how good he is. There is a tapestry of beauty that he is weaving together and we are only able to see a strand. Because as we are about to see, things are about to get wild for Mary, her whole world is going to be holy disrupted. But God was working.

Let’s keep reading

English Standard Version Chapter 1

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.

All I can picture is the angle with a big smile and saying these words and Mary is trying to discern what this could mean with an angel in front of her. Is this like the angel of the Lord that she heard about appearing to Jacob, to Abraham, and to David. Is this the angel that appeared to Daniel (yes it is actually) and is this a scene like Isaiah or Moses where God is going to call me into a really difficult assignment? Confusion. Fear. All real emotions that God was fully aware of when he sent Gabriel to Mary. However, look at how the Angle responds. You have found favor/charis/grace/a gift with God.

2. GOD GIVES GRACE IN EVERY SEASON OF LIFE

Mary hasn’t even heard what is about to happen, yet grace has already been given to her. This is a promise for each and everyone of us needing hope today. God is able to give you favor, grace, a gift to help you through the season that he knows is about to come. A grace and a gift to get you through to the other side. A grace and an favor that he is able to bestow on you. It should cause us to take a deep breath and realize not only is he setting up all the details of our lives, he is giving us the favor, grace and gift to walk in what he is calling us into. Let’s look at what Mary is called into.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

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 whole section could be another sermon but what I wanted to do instead is give you a highlight reel of what is happening. God is infusing His Jewish people, specifically Mary, but those who would read this later too, with hope with promises being fulfilled in Jesus. Let me explain:

GOD GIVING HOPE THROUGH FULLFILED PROMISES

1.CALL HIS NAME JESUS

The name Jesus is the greek translation of the jewish name Yeshua, which mean the Lord saves. Matthew in His Gospel says that they should call him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. This was Jesus’ destiny, to save his people from their sins. To save, so save, so save. This is who Jesus is and this is the promise that Jews believed, that God was their salvation. And that he would do that, as he promised in psalm 2 through his anointed son.

2.CALLED THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH

Throughout scripture God points to a son of man, a son, a messiah that will be his agent of bringing about reconciliation and restoration. Jesus here is fulfilling that promise of having the most high’s son found in this baby boy. This was something that the jews were hoping in, praying for, that this messiah, the son of God, the anointed one would come soon. And here he is Mary, in your belly.

3.GIVE TO HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID

God promised to king David a covenant that his son’s would always reign on the throne. Well, through the exile, the rise of other kingdoms, the jewish kingdom was basically non existant. But here is a promise that this child would be sitting on the throne. The problem was that everyone, including his disciples thought it was a throne that would take over Rome. Jesus would sit on a throne, the throne at the right hand of God so that he can rule and reign in our hearts and lives. And, yes one day he will return and crush any and every kingdom, but until then, he is still saving us from our sins to be in fellowship with God.

4.REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB (ISRAEL)

Not only will he save us, be the king, and the son of God, he will also unify His people. This idea of reigning over the house of Jacob was before the tribes of Israel separated and had a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom. This baby would come and unify His people in the purist form.

5.HIS KINGDOM WILL HAVE NO END.

And his kingdom will never end. It won’t come to an end because of exile, it won’t come to an end become he is prideful and presumptuous, but all because of his humility, his righteousness, and him being the king of kings, his kingdom will reign forever and ever. He shall reign forever and ever.

So why is this important for us to know? Well because this is the old testement being fulfilled, but it also shows us something to remain hopeful.

3. GOD ALWAYS FULFILLS HIS PROMISES

All of these were promises that were years and years of waiting. Wondering is God actually going to do what he promises? Will he really save us? Will he really send his messiah. Yes, because all of God’s promises are yes and amen in Christ Jesus.

It makes me want to push on any unbelief in my heart today and say, look at this God who is faithful! He fulfilles all of His promises. And just because he seems silent or that thing promised is not coming about in the way does not mean that he is not going to fulfill his promises.

Are you waiting to fulfill a promise in His scripture? Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, trust in the Lord with all your heart, A prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective…

Okay, I could keep preaching that for another hour but lets keep reading.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

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.

So Mary asks fair question, she went to health class and understood something needed to happen for her to become pregnant and she knew she was a virgin. So the Angel tells her it will be the Holy Spirit and the power of the most high that will bring about this miracle. Then she hears about how God has been working behind the scenes with her relative Elizabeth, which should instill some confidence and peace that God has this under control.

But here is the climax of it all, the verse we all like to quote and put on Christmas cards and coffee cups, For nothing will be impossible with God! And that is true. Because he is clearly able to do the impossible. If you have read any part of the Bible, there is story after story of impossible things happening because God is able.

However, if this promise of God being able to do the impossible is the plan is a plane, and this is not me limiting God, but there is also a landing area here in this text for the impossible to be worked out by God. And it is found in Mary’s response.

Behold I am a servant of the Lord. Surrender. A willingness and an open heart towards the Lord, His plan, His kingdom and His word. Which brings me to the the final point of Hopeful reminders to be hopeful

4. A surrendered heart to Jesus brings great hope!

Nothing will be impossible with God! But I still want control of my life here. Nothing is impossible with God. But I need to be god over this area of my life. We may not say it that way, but the first step into the kingdom is humility, surrender, repentance and the second step is the same. And the final step is surrender, and the middle step is surrender. I’m not talking about have you given your life to the Lord for salvation, I’m talking about where you feel hopeless have you surrendered it or are you trying to control it? Or do you believe the same Holy Spirit and the shadow of the almighty that Mary encountered here is able to work in your life? Is He is still able to do immesurable more than all you ask or imagine or is that just a nice verse to have for a sports team? And if you are wondering how do I do this Josh? How do I get to this place of surrender?

I want to share a verse with you that has been so impactful for myself that could be helpful to pray, believe and surrender to if you are feeling hopeless today.

English Standard Version Chapter 15

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

In 2010 I went to a counselor because I felt depressed. There was stuff going on that I won’t get into and I went to this counselor and he gave me a test and said, yup, you are depressed what kind of medication should we prescribe. Please don’t hear this as me saying don’t medication, I am not saying that, but at that time I just said no I don’t want that and walked out. I’m not saying that is what everyone should doing, I’m just sharing part of my story. So I walked out, depressed, hopeless, and also ashamed because I’m a christian, so why am I feeling this way God?

I went to church that week and went up for prayer because I knew something was off and didn’t know what to even say. But I met an older gentleman named Dave Hasse who prayed this scripture over me. He then encouraged me to continue to pray this prayer over me and then he told me to hold on and pulled something out of his pocket and wrote on in. (show card) I still have this card because I know the God of Hope met me that day in surrender and in letting go. And I believe he can do that same thing for any of you because that is who he says he is in His word- A God of hope! Are we willing to surrender to him? Are we able to keep trusting His promises? Are we trusting God to give grace in every season? And are we able to trust that God is working behind the scenes? Believing that the God of Hope is doing so much more than we see?

I don’t want to wait for the end, if we can do this and have troy and the band come up. Let’s just take a moment to abide with him right now. Everyone bow your head and close your eyes. If you are feeling hopeless today, not just tired and grumpy because you ate too much for thanksgiving but a cloud, a depression and a hopelessness over you would you raise your hand I want to pray for you.

Now I want to pray for salvation if you realize you are not a believer in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, raise your hand.

Amen