The Christmas Story
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Transcript
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The Christmas Story
The Christmas Story
What did Mary know?
I don’t think she knew that He would walk on water or give sight to the blind, heal the sick, or raise the dead. But there were some things she did knew — not by intuition or by speculation, but she knew them by a heavenly visitor.
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
Luke
Gabriel — the big time angel
Galilee was a rural are and Nazareth was small and insignificant. For God to dispatch an angel there was surprising and to send Gabriel is just Amazing!
engaged to
,
27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
Mary — derivative of Miriam, was of the lineage of David, engaged to Joseph, also of the lineage of David. She is probably at least 12-13 years old, and a virgin.
Nobody had seen angels, apart from her cousin, Elizabeth.
28 And the angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”
In a moment her life changes. She knew that God had chosen her for something very special. Nobody saw angels, nobody. There hadn’t been even a prophet for 400 years. Nobody had seen angels, apart from her cousin, Elizabeth.
28 And the angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”
Favored woman — meant she was very devout and is quite a statement of God.
This was quite an experience to see an angel.
29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.
She couldn’t understand what he meant by what he said. So, she is troubled. And this caused fear in her because the angel responds to her:
30 Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
If you were visited by an angel, you might expect judgment from God, but the angel tells her, “Do not be afraid. You have found favor with God.” So, she knew that God had chosen her for something special in mind.
And the angel doesn’t waste any time.
31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus.
You’re going to have a son. She is shocked by this, to which she responds, “How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?” “I’m a virgin.”
And the angel responds.
35 The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
She knew who the Holy Spirit was. The Holy Spirit was the power of the Most High — El Elyon, God Most High. That was one of the great Titles of God. She would be familiar with this because the brother of her namesake, Miriam, had written about that in the first verses of the first chapter of his first book — Genesis.
When god began the creation there was a mass of material for the creation. It was tohu and bohu, formless and empty. And then it says that the Spirit of God moved over the surface of the waters and from that moving of God in 6 days came the rest of Creation.
She knew that when the Spirit of God showed up, miraculous creation took place.
The angel said to her, “You will call His name Jesus.”
That’s Yeshua in the Hebrew, Jehovah saves.
Joseph at another time and place received the same message.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:
Mary knew she had been chosen by God, favored by God. She would be pregnant by the power of the Spirit of God without a man, without a human father.
The angel went on to say He will be great.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
Not only will He be your son, but He will be the Son of El Elyon. That means that not only would He bear humanity, He will also bear the deity of God His Father. He will be the God-Man — truly God and truly man.
The angel added to that Son of God in verse 35. They understood to be called the son of someone was to bear the nature of that someone. You’re going to have a child who will be the Savior. He will be placed in your womb by the creative work of the Spirit of God. He will be the Son of the Most High.
Not only that the angel said this, “the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.” This is the promise God made to David in . He will be the Messiah. He will be the eternal King.
All this Mary knew. This is what Mary knew.
And look at her response to all this.
38 “I am the Lord’s slave,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:
“I submit to this.”
Think about this.
How would you explain being pregnant and not married yet? It’s no shame today, because anything goes. That’s because there is no fear of God. For the first 30 years of the life of Jesus, there was no reason for anyone to think He was the Son of God. He didn’t do any miracles. He didn’t teach anything. He lived with the family in Nazareth, working with his father Joseph. His own family didn’t believe Him. When she took Him to be dedicated, she was told a sword would go right through her heart. And it did. When the spear went through His side, the sword went through her heart. When she stood there at the cross and watched Him hang on four wounds. This was her son. she had raised this perfect child. Can you imagine that? No you can’t.
She knew He would be her Savior.
And this is her response to all of this.
Luke 1:46
46 And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,
She worships. And look at this. It’s intense, internal, exalting, rejoicing worship.
It’s humble. Look at this
48 because He has looked with favor on the humble condition of His slave. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed,
This is humble worship. And it’s habitual. This is present tense. My soul proclaims, and proclaims, and proclaims. My Spirit continually rejoices.
Why is she so excited?
The reason she rejoices is because God has sent my Savior! She rejoiced in God her Savior.
Mary knew she needed a Savior. This might be a surprise to many people over the world, but she knew she was a sinner and needed a Savior.
Her joy comes because God has sent her savior to save her from her sins. Not only her — but “All generations will” celebrate and see the blessing of this event.
Not only is Jesus, Yeshua, Mary’s Savior, but He is the only Savior the world has ever had or will ever have. He’s the only Savior in the world. Mary’s joy is connected to the fact that she knew she needed a Savior and the whole world needed a Savior.
And it happened just like the angel said.
8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.
Luke 2:8-
And with that the Savior was born and this is what Mary knew.
And this is where her Joy came.