The Greatest Plan, the Humblest Beginning

Welcome back to our Christmas series “Two Miraculous Births”. And if you weren’t here last week, the title of this series has probably grabbed you attention. I personally don’t ever remember hearing a Christmas series mentioning two births. But that isn’t what is important. What is is important is that the Bible talks about two miraculous births. Well, who was the other miraculous birth? It was John the Baptist. And what is fascinating is, the book of Luke compares these two births and puts them together side by side, and this morning I want to point out a few of the parallels between these two births.

We have the parents introduced (vv. 5-7, 26-27)

2. Births announced by Gabriel (vv. 8-23, 28-30)

3. A Sign was Given (vv. 18-20, 34-38)

4. Two Miraculous conceptions (vv. 24-25, 42)

John was born to a barren woman well past the age of being able to have a baby naturally

Jesus as we know was born of a virgin

Ok, now that we’ve talked about the similarities between these two miraculous births let’s finish our study of John the Baptist’s conception, and then we will get into our text for today. So, we met John the Baptists parents Zacharias and Elizabeth last week. And the Bible describes this couple as obedient servants of God. In fact, Luke says that they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments of God, but this couple had a problem.

What was a problem? They couldn’t have children because Elizabeth was barren. And we need to understand that not being able to have children in this culture was a source of shame. You see, even though the scripture says Elizabeth and Zacharias were living righteously, that culture saw bareness as a sign of God’s disproval. In other words, people would have thought Elizabeth was barren because of some sin she commited. Simply put, her bareness was a source of shame among the people. And she would have carried this shame throughout her entire life. Another detail we learned last week was this couple was old now. In fact, let’s take a look at verse 7 from last week.

Luke 1:7 NKJV

7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

“And they were both well advanced in years”. And what I want to emphasize here is that it this couple was past the age of natural child bearing. In other words, without a miracle this couple was not going to have a child. They were too old. In fact, when the angel appears to Zacharias in the temple to tell him that He was going to have a son, Zacharias doesn’t believe Him. Look at Zacharias response to Gabriel's announcement that he was going to have a child.

Luke 1:18 NKJV

18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

Now, let’s just take a minute and think this through. Zacharias is serving in the temple when the angel appears to him. But he is not performing just one of His regularly scheduled tasks. Zacharias had been chosen to offer incense on the golden altar in the holy place. This was a once in a lifetime privilege for a priest. And while he is performing this sacred duty an angel appears out of thin air to tell Him He was going to have a child. You would think this would be enough to convince Zacharias that He was going to have a son. You would think that an angel appearing out of thin air would be enough proof. But it wasn’t. Zacharias asks for a sign to prove it.

So, here is where I’m going with this. Zacharias responding this way let’s us know just how miraculous this birth was. Look what Zacharias says in verse 18. He says, I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years. In other words, Zacharias is looking at his situation and just how old they were and he can’t wrap his mind having a baby. He’s looking at his natural circumstances and he’s like, “have you seen me and my wife? Are you sure you’ve got the right couple? Mr. Angel I’m going need some extra proof, I’m going to need a sign, because this is just too hard to believe.” And listen to how the angel responds.

Luke 1:19–20 NKJV

19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

In verse 19 we learn the angel’s name: “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God” Wow! What a powerful statement. And we need to understand that only two angels are named in the Old Testament—Gabriel and Michael.

Gabriel consistently appears as God’s messenger, announcing His plan. Simply put, Gabriel’s role is to deliver divine revelation at critical moments in history. And Gabriel is busy in this first chapter of Luke. He makes two major birth announcements.

Michael, on the other hand, is portrayed as a warrior and protector of Israel. He stands against spiritual opposition and defends God’s people, reminding us that the Lord not only speaks to us but also fights for us.

Here is the point that I’m getting at. Having the angel Gabriel appear to you is a really big deal. And Gabriel let’s Zacharias know that He has messed up not believing His message. He says, I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. And now look what He says in verse 20.

But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place. So, Gabriel says you need a sign. Well I’ll give you one. You won’t be able to speak until what I said comes true. So, Zacharias receives his requested sign, but it is also a judgment because of HIs unbelief.

In any event, let’s keep moving in our story here. So, the people are waiting outside the temple for Zacharias to come out, and it’s taking him a really long time, apparently. Let’s pick up here a verse 21.

Luke 1:21–22 NKJV

21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

So Zacharias comes out of the temple and just like Gabriel says He can’t speak to anyone, and apparently He must have been making wild hand gestures trying to communicate what happened. Which is what verse 22 says, “and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.”

And so Luke records that Zacharias finishes up his priestly duties at the temple for the week and then he heads home. Then skipping to verse 24 we read,

Luke 1:24–25 NKJV

24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Now pay special attention to verse 25 because this let’s us know just how painful not having a child was in that culture. She says that “the Lord… looked on me, to take away my reproach among the people”. I looked up this word up in the original language and I found an interesting definition.

Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament ὄνειδος

reproach

Let me say this again: Scripture makes it clear that Elizabeth was a righteous woman, yet most people likely did not see her that way. Because she was barren, she would have endured shame and judgment, with others assuming she must have committed some grievous sin. But the miraculous birth of John changed everything. In a moment, she was lifted from dishonor to honor, forever remembered in the pages of Scripture as the mother of John the Baptist. Amen—God is good!

And before we move on to today’s text where we are going to see Gabriel visit Mary let me remind you of a statement Jesus makes about John the Baptist. Look what Jesus says about John a few chapters later in chapter 7.

Luke 7:28a NKJV

28 For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist;

This is a staggering statement about the importance of John the Baptist’s ministry. If I asked you who had the greatest ministry in the Old Testament, our minds would naturally go to names like Abraham, Moses, or David. Or if I asked who was the greatest prophet, we might think of Elijah, Isaiah, or Daniel. But according to the Lord, none of these held the highest place. John the Baptist had the greatest and most important ministry of the Old Testament. Why? Because he was chosen to announce and prepare the way for the King Himself. Amen! There was no greater privilege than announcing the coming of the King or kings.

Ok, now look back at the slide I shared at the beginning of the lesson.

We have the parents introduced (vv. 5-7, 26-27)

2. Births announced by Gabriel (vv. 8-23, 28-30)

3. A Sign was Given (vv. 18-20, 34-38)

4. Two Miraculous conceptions (vv. 24-25, 42)

So far we have seen John the Baptists’ parents introduced. We saw his birth announced by the angel Gabriel, and we saw the sign given, which was Zachariah losing His ability to speak. Now, Luke shifts His focus from the John’s conception to Jesus’ conception and follows this same pattern. Which brings us to our text for today, but before we study let’s go to the Lord in prayer. Let’s pray.

Luke 1:26–27 NKJV

26 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.

As Luke shifts his focus from John to Jesus he starts by giving us a time marker. He says, in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee. Well, we should stop and ask ourselves, in the sixth month of what? Gabriel goes to Mary in the sixth month of John’s pregnancy. So, as I mentioned previously God is on the move here. Gabriel making these birth announcements so close together is a major revealing of God’s divine plan. And then Luke gives us the location. He says, Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth.

Now I need to give you a little background on the city of Nazareth. Nazareth was what we would call a “Podunk” little town out in the middle of nowhere. Luke calls it a city of Galilee probably because their is no Greek word for town. And notice he says a city of Galilee. He says it’s a city of Galilee because unless you were Jewish and you lived in this area, you never would have heard of Nazareth.

Think about it this way. It’s kind of like when someone from out of state asks you where you’re from. I always just say, “the Atlanta area”. Why because if you not from GA nobody’s heard of Dallas. So, its just easier to say “the Atlanta area” and this is how Luke describes Nazareth. He basically says, “its in the Galilee area”.

Now I’m taking the time to give you these details because I want you to understand something. By the world’s standards,

Mary was a nobody in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.

And I love this about God’s style. The creator of the universe choses to come into a poor family and grow up in the Podunk town of Nazareth. And the Jews themselves looked down on Nazareth. Apparently there was a saying about Nazareth. Listen to what one of the disciples says about Nazareth when he first discovers that Jesus is from Nazareth.

John 1:45–46 NKJV

45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

When Philip runs to tell Nathaniel that they have found the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth listen to how Nathaniel responds. He says, “Nazareth. Nazareth. Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” So, you see the Jews themselves thought Nazareth was this insignificant, unimportant little town of no cultural or religious significance. Nobody ever thought the Messiah or the mother of the Messiah would be from Nazareth. But this is how God works. God works through the insignificant , the overlooked, the despised, and the least likely to succeed. And the town of Nazareth is certainly no exception.

This brings me to the major point of today’s lesson. God’s greatest plan came from the humblest of beginnings.

The Greatest Plan, the Humblest Beginning

I want us to realize this morning that God’s plans often begin in places and people that the world would never choose. So, often God’s plans start with such humble beginnings that the world looks at them and laughs. And here is the good news for us. God uses people just like us to accomplish His purposes. You see, too often just like Zacharias we look at ourselves, our abilities, our circumstances, and we say impossible. We think to ourselves there is no way that God could accomplish His plan through me. Look at me. I’m too old, or I’ve made too many mistakes in my past. Or I’m not well spoken enough, nor I can’t remember what I study, and we come up with this long list of reasons as too why we can’t serve God.

If that is you this morning. Let me share something with you, that took me years to finally figure out. Stop focusing on yourself and start focusing on God. There is not a person on this planet that is qualified enough to accomplish God’s plan. But when we look past ourselves and say God I can’t do this, but I know you can. That is when God through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit works through us to accomplish HIs purposes. This is what God does. He takes the least likely to succeed and says watch this. Watch what I’m about to do in Nazareth. Watch what I’m doing to for this old priestly couple who’s walked before we faithfully for years. Watch what I’m doing to through Mary. A young girl who was a nobody in a nothing town, in the middle of nowhere.

This gives me such great hope and excitement for our little church here in Dallas GA. You see, I believe that God can do great things through us. Not because of our land. Not because of our strengths. Not because of how much we are capable of. No I am excited because God works through humble obedient servants who look past themselves and look to Him. And this is what I want us to learn from Mary this morning. She was the last person of earth who thought she would be chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. But when God says you’re the one. She says Lord, Let it be to me according to your word. What God wants from us is humble obedience and faith in Him. Not a long list of self focused excuses as to why we can’t.

So, let’s read on in the story so we can see how Mary reacts to this incredible news. As we know the angle Gabriel is sent to Nazareth to tell Mary, and let’s pick up here.

Luke 1:26–27 NKJV

26 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.

So, Luke introduces us first to the parents. The same way he did with John. And then we get to Gabriel’s announcement.

Luke 1:28–29 NKJV

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.

Now here is an important detail. Remember Zacharias was scared at the sight of the angel, but it says here that Mary was troubled by his greeting. It says she was “troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was”.

I think this greeting gives us a glimpse at how humble Mary was. I think in her mind she was a nobody in a nothing town, so why on earth would an angel be speaking to her. And this scares her.

Luke 1:30–31 NKJV

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.

Wow.

Luke 1:32–33 NKJV

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.”

I could spent a month unpacking the details in these three verses. But for now just realize that the angel Gabriel is making it unmistakably clear that this child would be the Messiah. And these verses don’t just cover the first coming. They include Jesus’ second coming. Gabriel says, “the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.” This is a critical detail. You see, the throne of David didn’t exist in those days. The Jewish people were under Roman rule. There was no King and there was no throne of David. But when Jesus returns to earth the second time. Then He will be given the throne of David, and “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. “

Luke 1:34–35 NKJV

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.

This is arguably the most incredible news that has ever been given to a human being. And I don’t want us to lose sight of this, Mary was a young girl, some suggest even as young as 13 years old. This is a young girl from a nothing town in the middle of nowhere. And the angel Gabriel who stands in the presence of God has just told her that her womb is going to carry the Son of God. And I love the way Mary handles herself, and Mary gives us one of the greatest examples of humility in all of the Bible. You see, Mary doesn’t doubt what the angel tells her. She doesn’t ask for a sign. She doesn’t come up with all these different reasons why she couldn’t do it. Mary doesn’t even think about herself.

As we close this morning I want us understand just how humble Mary’s response is to this incredible announcement.

Luke 1:38 NKJV

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.

Here is what I want us to walk away with this morning. Mary demonstrates to us what true humility looks like. And this is important because we get confused as to what true humility is. So let me make a statement here and then I’m going to explain.

True Humility is not thinking less of ourselves. It is thinking of ourselves… less.

Now I know that seems a little bit like a riddle so let me explain. You see, we tend to think that humility is thinking less of ourselves. Let me give you an example. “I’m no good. I’m a bad person. I deserve everything that happens to me. I’m so dumb. I can’t do anything.”

And we think this kind of thinking is humility but its not. This is false humility. Actually, this kind of thinking is just a twisted form of pride. You see, pride always focuses on ourselves. Whether we are thinking about how great we are or we just walk around all day beating ourselves up this is prideful. Why? Because all we are thinking about is ourselves.

It would be like being in Mary shoes, but instead of her response imagine her saying. Oh, it could never be me Lord. I’m just a nobody. I’m from nowhere. I can’t do this Lord. I… I.… I… But that is not humility. Humility is not thinking less of ourselves. It is thinking of ourselves… less.

Luke 1:38 NKJV

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.

And this is what Mary does. She doesn’t even think about herself. The angel tells her. And she says, Behold the maidservant of the Lord! That word maidservant is the feminine version of a Greek word that means slave. Mary says, “Here is the slave of the Lord! Let it be according to your word. Legacy, that is true humility. That is thinking about ourselves less and putting all of our focus on God.

Here is one more final point of humility and them I’ll work to close. The truly humble servant rests their case with God rather than trusting their own strength and abilities. Here is a quote that I like.

Humility involves the stance of the creature before the Creator, utterly dependent and trusting.

Here is the final point. Be like Mary. Here we have a young girl, by our standards she was just a child. She was a nobody from a nothing town in the middle of nowhere, and she demonstrates more humility and faith than Zacharias, an seasoned priest that had served in the temple for decades. You see, Zacharias looked at his age and his wife’s age and he doesn’t believe it until he is given a sign. Zacharias’ focus was in the wrong place.

But Mary shows us what true humility looks like. She doesn’t turn the focus to herself and come up with all the reasons why she couldn’t. She takes the posistion of a humble servant who doesn’t think about herself. She focuses on God’s word. In other words, she takes the position of a creature before her creator and demonstrates utter dependence and faith in God.

Legacy, if we develop an attitude like Mary, God will do amazing things in the little church in the middle of this little town of Dallas. God doesn’t use the mighty. God doesn’t use the self-reliant. God doesn't use the strongest. God uses the humble servants who think about themselves less. Focus on God has promised to do, not on what you think you can’t do. Let us say with Mary, God let it be according to your word. Amen.

Let’s pray.