Sunday Service 5-17-20 - Luke 1:26-38 - A Question of Faith

Comparison of Zechariah and Mary Zechariah was an elder, a priest, a student of bible and religion, access to all resources in Jerusalem. Mary was a teenager, of a poor class, nothing but her walk with the Lord in that small town. So used to faking it. Fake it ‘till you make it. Because it’s your job to be spiritual, to have it together, to be perfect, to have the answers. There are sometimes things that are sinful for one and not for another, as Paul says in Romans 14. For him it is sin … So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin (Jas 4:17). “lord let me never outlive my love for thee” (O Sacred Head Now Wounded). Representative of two classes in Israel and in the World … and luke would show this throughout his book. (still Zechariah was disciplined because he was loved by God). Practical Lessons Derived from Luke 1:26–38 Verses 26, 27 “Gabriel … sent from God to Nazareth … to a virgin.” “Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7b). Verses 28–30 “You highly favored one … you have found favor with God.” From first to last our salvation is the work of God, the product of his grace or favor. Verse 31 “You shall give him the name Jesus.” “I know of a Name, a beautiful Name,” etc. Jean Perry Verses 32, 33 “He will be great … and his kingdom will never end.” Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wane, But the Church of Jesus constant will remain. Sabine Baring-Gould, third stanza of “Onward Christian Soldiers” Verse 35 “Holy offspring … Son of God.” For man’s salvation it was necessary that the Savior be: (a) man, (b) sinless, (c) God. This passage shows that Jesus was and is all three; hence, the perfect Savior. Verses 36, 37 “Elizabeth … has conceived in her old age.… For with God nothing is ever impossible.” A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing, etc. Martin Luther Verse 38 “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord,” etc. Though Mary did not fully comprehend, she believed! Faith means committing one’s way to the Lord, trusting him, knowing that he will do whatever is best (Ps. 37:5). For other descriptions of faith see N.T.C. on Mark, pp. 458, 459.1