Julotta 2019

Big idea: Christmas Gifts are mystery... they sit under the Christmas tree... we know that they are special... but their contents are hidden.. Do your remember the anticipation of Christmas Eve... it’s hard to get everyone to bed .. there is excitement anticipation.

Before the birth of Christ 400 silent years.. no prophetic writing between Mal...Matthew.. the last words of Mal are Malachi, closed his book with a promise—and a warning. “Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord. And He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse”

Israel had been anticipating the coming of the Messiah..

observations

This is not a wish (“may the Lord be with you”) but a statement and refers to God’s mighty power being present and upon Mary.

Gabriel is sent from God... a messenger to Mary the virgin betrothed to JOSEPH..

Mary is still at her fathers house - big point here is that the marriage has not been consummated yet...

Luke is careful to note that Joseph is from the house of David.... a royal line

his record of the genealogy..

why is this important?

Because Jesus is the promised savior mentioned in the book or Isaiah... that a virgin will conceive and give birth to the savior...

Luke want's to make sure that it is clear that this is Mary... God chose Mary to be the mother of the messiah... she is the honored chosen one... Gabriel comes with an unusual greeting... "oh favored one"

Mary has received favor -- grace...

Mary is the chosen one that will carry the messiah... Mary was troubled by the greeting... this was more than a congratulations on your engagement to Joseph... you have been chosen... this is the real miss universe...

think about out of all history... every young girl in all of history... you have been chosen to be the one who will give birth to the Messiah... talk about pressure...

when we had Ryan... remember the responsibly hitting me.. I have to actually grow up and raise this child... can you imagine the pressure upon Mary, both physical danger and social stigma that she would have to face...

God's hope is always preemptive..

you have to love this passage... before anything has happened... Gabriel says fear not... As complicated as it is to understand Gods foreknowledge... what a blessing — fear not... it’s going to be okay.

Gabriel assures Mary that she will have the lords presence... Lord is with you... One of the greatest graces we can have is the assurance of gods presence... we are favored when God walks with us...

it is not going to be easy for Mary...

Hope is before us: the principle is that not only is God helping us in the past in the now present... hope is moving us into our future... Mary is going to face some obstacles... she is going to go into hiding at Elizabeth’s for three months

how is she going to explain her pregnancy to JOSEPH and others?? God is with you... When Mary began to think about the implications she became greatly troubled..

Literally, it says Mary reckoned and weighed up the different possible reasons for what had just happened.

A word was used there, dialogizomai, which means to account, to reckon, to think. In other words, Mary began to think.

She said, “How do I account for what is going on? Is this a hallucination? Is this real? Is this a dream? What is going on

Gabriel says "Do not be afraid" - imperative...why should Mary not be afraid of the implications?

the reason is that she has favored by god.. grace (favor) brings freedom into our lives... what can be greater than god's blessings... what is the blessing?

that you will conceive in your womb and bear a son.. jesus. he will be great... John piper says that is an understatement of note...

Your Baby is going to be great!

he will be called the most high god. .. and will sit on the throne of DAVID forever.

Mary's question is how will this be... how is this going to happen? because I am a virgin... Gabriel responds that the Holy spirit will come upon you... the most high will overshadow you...

inference here is because jesus will be born of the HS he would be called holy "hagios" the holy one.. the son of God...

The Birth of Christ is going to bring future hope.. There are three Predictions..

1. He will be the Son of the most High..

HS would come upon Mary and the result is that Jesus would be both born the son of man and the Son of God...

2. He will be given the thone of his father David.

Since the time of Davids reign Israel didn't have a righteous King reigning

3. He will reign over the house of Jacob of Israel for ever..

God knows that Mary needs support/faith... God would do something impossible... Mary would witness a miracle...

Elizabeth who was barren would bear a child in her old age... she is would become the mother of John the baptist...

What gives us hope is that nothing will be impossible with God... the virgin birth is core doctrine... if jesus wasn't god incarnate he would be an ordinary man... Luke takes great measures to give a true report of the record of jesus.. Mary responded be it unto your word..

Mary’s submission is a very lovely thing. ‘Whatever God says, I accept.’ Mary had learned to forget the world’s commonest prayer—‘Your will be changed’—and to pray the world’s greatest prayer—‘Your will be done.’