Jesus is Great

Introduction

What is truly great in our world? What in our lives do we experience either by participation or, witnessing that is truly above and beyond most people, places, or things that are great?

Watching a child walk for the first time is great. Serving a hot meal on a cold night to those who need help is great. Taking time out of your schedule to invest in a person who needs your counseling is great.

The word great is defined as of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the normal or average. The word great has a secondary meaning of ability, quality, or eminence considerably above the normal or average.

The word for great in the greek is megas meaning remarkable, or out of the ordinary in degree and magnitude.

So not every experience can be great. Not every feeling or action can be great.

What is above the ordinary for sure is God taking on human flesh. What is great is Jesus. This is a greatness we don’t deserve.

This could in a very small way be compared to giving someone an inheritance of substantial worth after they have gone bankrupt due to their own mismanaging of money. This could in a small way be like giving a child the reward of a new toy after they had just argued and spit in your face.

God entering into human history is Great. He looked at the people who rebelled against him and said, I am going to go down there and intervene.

This morning we are dealing with the grace of God and the greatness of Jesus. Mary is the polar opposite of Zechariah from last week. Instead of doubting god she believes. Instead of consequences she receives grace.

And the one question I have for us as we enter into this passage is: How does the grace of God lead to more faith in Him?

Finding Favor With God

Luke 1:26-

Luke 1:26–30 ESV

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. 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.

Here the same angel is sent to share a message with God to Mary. What we notice about Mary is she is young, engaged, and a virgin. It was common to be engaged between the ages of 13-15. Betrothal is not the same as engaged, but to help us grasp what is meant I will use the words interchangeably. Let me explain briefly what betrothal is:

The New American Commentary: Luke Comments

Marriage consisted of two distinct stages: engagement followed by the marriage itself. Engagement involved a formal agreement initiated by a father seeking a wife for his son. The next most important person involved was the father of the bride. A son’s opinion would be sought more often in the process than a daughter’s. Upon payment of a purchase price to the bride’s father (for he lost a daughter and helper whereas the son’s family gained one) and a written agreement and/or oath by the son, the couple was engaged. Although during this stage the couple in some instances cohabited, this was the exception. An engagement was legally binding, and any sexual contact by the daughter with another person was considered adultery. The engagement could not be broken save through divorce (Matt 1:19), and the parties during this period were considered husband and wife (Matt 1:19–20, 24).

It is stated multiple times that she is a virgin but we will deal with that in a minute. the real focus of these first few verses is the fact that Mary is greeted with the words, “Greeting, O favored one!”

What makes these words the focus is tow fold, an angel taking to Mary. Social norms of the day made this a “chance” occurrence. Men didn’t speak to women.

As One commentator put it, “

It was normally taboo for a man to greet an unknown woman in Judaism. To approach and greet an engaged woman might even be understood to challenge the fiancé’s authority. Gabriel’s mission of informing an unmarried and ineligible young woman in an insignificant village that she will bear a child is fraught with social obstacles.”

So this makes the greeting stand out. Greeting o favored one.

What had Mary done to earn favor? Why was she chosen? Isn’t this the line of questions our mind runs to?

The word favored one here is the word for grace. and later in verse 30 where Mary has found favor with God, it is the word grace.

It means to be or become the recipient of God’s freely bestowed goodwill in verse 28 when used as a title in the greeting of the angel. In verse 30 the word grace being as the reason to not fear means nearly the same thing with one little addition. It means goodwill freely disseminated by God to the benefit of the recipient regardless of the benefit accrued to the disseminator…

God gives what is underserved not based on who Mary is, but based on who God is....Mary is receiving the blessing of God because God has decided to bless.

And we know this because of the reassurance of the words, “The Lord is with You”

Mary is greatly troubled that God would work through her and find favor with her. Gabriel continues to speak not calming her emotions but assuring her of the work of God.

God is breaking into human history. And at the same time he is bestowing onto Mary a favor she does not deserve and couldn’t earn. And her response is not joy or boldness but confusion, and perplexity. What was being said to her was not computing.

I want to take a minute and dive into what this section means for us.

Many of us in this room are like Mary. God has given us favor that we don’t deserve. Day in and Day out we rest in God’s blessing because of who He is. What do you have to offer to God that God has not first given you?

When you hear of God’s grace towards you is your response to be trouble because you know how underserving you are? Or is your expectation for God to accept you as you are?

We should not stray too far from what the text says to discover how this could be. Rather we take the bible at it’s word that Mary was able to conceive Jesus because of the presence of God, the Holy Spirit

Jesus Will Be Great

Luke 1:31-

Luke 1:31–33 ESV

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.”

Remember, She was a virgin meaning she had never had any sexual experience before. And this makes sense as she will ask the angel soon after in this passage how can I have a kid when I am a virgin.

God chose to be conceived in the womb of a virgin so that the fatherhood of this child would be absolutely unique — he is the Son of God, not the son of Joseph. He has a divine Father, not a biological human father. He is therefore divine as God’s Son, and human as Mary’s son. God chose to break into the universe by choosing to enter through a virgin.

We should not stray too far from what the text says to discover how this could be. Rather we take the bible at it’s word that Mary was able to conceive Jesus because of the presence of God, the Holy Spirit.

In this middle section we see how Jesus is great! Gabriel said that John would be great before the Lord. Jesus was declared to be Great!

Greatness without a qualifier is an attribute of God alone.

Psalm 86:10 ESV

10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.

Psalm 135:5 ESV

5 For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

Psalm 145:3 ESV

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

Jesus’ greatness is absolute…there are not limiters to Jesus’ greatness.

Who else in all of history accomplished what He accomplished?

Who else in all of history is God in human flesh?

His greatness means He is son of the most high God...

His greatness means He will be given the thrown of David...

His greatness means His Kingdom will not end...

His greatness means he will be holy...

Responding to Favor and Greatness in Faith

Luke 1:34–38 ESV

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.

Luke 1:34-

Notice that Mary too questions the angel but not in the same manner as Zachariah. Last week Zachariah was nearly laughing because of his age and his wife’s age…he had a lack of belief.

Mary on the other hand is coming humbly and inquisitively. How will this be? Give me the details.

And once she hears the details which we have already covered her response is unreal.

she matter of factly submits saying, “ I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”