Introductory Thoughts
* A little more than Six months have now passed since the vision in the temple. Elizabeth hid herself for five months, but now the blessed news is out. Zacharias is still silent, and everything else is as it was before.
* We now meet one of the most unique individuals in the Bible. She is a young lady who is going to have a completely unique ministry, one never before done, and never to be repeated.
· She is no prophetess, no theologian, no queen. She is a young girl, a simple girl, a girl from a rural backwater town and a poor family, and she is about to hear the most wonderful news that any human ear ever heard. This news will change her life for time and eternity, and it also has changed the lives of all other people who have ever lived.
· False Teachings about Mary—These teachings have no basis in the Bible whatsoever. In fact, they are an insult to God, to the Lord Jesus, to the plan of salvation, and to Mary herself.
** The Mediatrix—that Mary is a Mediator between God and man, and that she has special influence with God.
1 Tim 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"
** The co-Redemptrix—that Mary, along with the Father, Son, and Spirit, accomplished redemption.
** The Immaculate Conception—
*** That Mary herself was virgin born, and her mother, and her mother.
** That Mary Remained a Virgin and never had any other children.
** The Assumption—That Mary herself ascended bodily into heaven.
1. The Situation and Participants—Luke 1:26 "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.
a. The Situation—
(1) The sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy—the news is out, and people are amazed and rejoicing at Zacharias’ and Elizabeth’s blessing.
(2) In Galilee, not in the mainstream of Israel’s life, there is a betrothed couple in a little village called Nazareth. Nazareth is an obscure town, and this is a poor couple.
(3) As a betrothed couple, they are already legally bound as if they were married, but they have not married yet, nor have they consummated their relationship. However, they could not dissolve their betrothal without a formal divorce.
b. God—The Lord is the Actor and the Subject here. Gabriel is on a divine mission.
c. Gabriel—one of two holy angels named in scripture, the other being Michael.
(1) Michael is named five times, Gabriel four.
(2) Gabriel is always seen delivering important messages to God’s people—Daniel, Zacharias, and Mary.
d. Mary—A young girl. By the customs of the time, perhaps 13 or 14 years old.
e. Joseph—a carpenter, a descendent of David.
(1) Probably somewhat older than Mary, perhaps as little as 21, but maybe much older.
(2)He is a just man and a kind one—Mat 1:19-20 "Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."
(3) “The phrase ‘a just man,’ is a Hebraism suggesting that he was a true believer in God who had thereby been declared righteous, and who carefully obeyed the Law….” MacArthur Study Bible, p 1394
Gen 6:9 "…..Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God."
2. The Salutation—28 And having come in, the angel said to her,
a. The Command to Joy—"Hail (Rejoice, )
b. The Recipient of Grace—highly favored one…
(1) Highly favored—this does not mean that Mary was in some way more Holy than any one. The term is used to describe all believers in one place.
(2)The phrase means accepted in Christ, not by our own merits, but by His. Mary was accepted because of the future actions of the baby she was going to have. Eph 1:6 "to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved."
c. 30…Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
(1) Not that Mary is anything special in herself—she has found favor in God’s eyes, a thing of total grace.
(2)Gen 6:8 "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." Did noah have grace because of works, or did he have works because of Grace? What is the uniform teaching of Scripture? Grace is a gift from God, and it creates within the recipient a life that works. Eph 2:8-10 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
d. Providence—the Lord is with you;
Deu 31:8 "And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."
Judg 6:12 "And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour."
e. The Blessed – blessed are you among women!"
(1) It is not that Mary is of some special category of woman. She is blessed “among” women, and the blessing comes from God, not from anything in her. The blessing is not given by God because she was already blessed, or had already performed some work of merit. The Blessing is from God, and she is blessed because of what God has done in choosing her, not because of anything she has done.
(2) She is blessed among women, not separate from them.
(3) Mary is a sinner—a saved sinner, but a sinner still. She is NOT personally sinless and perpetually virgin. After Christ was born, she had other children by Joseph.
(4)Luke 1:47 "And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior."—by her own mouth, Mary admits her status as sinner, because a sinless person has no need of a Savior.
Rom 3:10-12 "As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.""
3. The Announcement of The Messiah
a. This is a fulfillment—31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son
(1) Of God’s Plan
1 Cor 2: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Gal 4:4-5 "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."
1 Pet 1: 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."
(2) A fulfillment of Prophecy
Gen 3:15-16 "And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." 16 To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.""
Isa 7:14 ""Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."
Isa 9:6 "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Micah 5:2 ""But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.""
b. and shall call His name JESUS
(1) Jesus = “Jehovah Saves!”
Mat 1:21 "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
(2) Emmanuel—what He is, what He is called.
(3) Jesus, His Name, What He does.
c. 32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; (the Greek term here is used in the LXX to translate “Most High God.”)
(1) Both Christ and John are to be called Great.
(2)But John is the prophet of the Highest, and Jesus is the Son of the Highest—Luke 1:76 ""And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,"
d. and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David
(1) Mary was from David’s line, therefore, Christ was as well.
(2) He is the prophesied Son of David
Isa 11:1 "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots."
Jer 23:5-6 ""Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
(3) Mat 22:45 ""If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"" Christ is here making a riddle, not challenging His own Person. As MacArthur says:
David would not have addressed a merely human descendant as “Lord” Here Jesus was not disputing whether “Son of David” was an appropriate title for the Messiah; after all, the title is based on what is revealed about the Messiah in the OT….and it is used as a Messianic title in Mat 1:1. But Jesus was pointing out that the title, “son of David” did not begin to sum up all that is true about the Messiah who is also “son of God” (Luke 22:70). (MacArthur Study Bible, page 1436)
(4) Please note that this prophecy cannot be fulfilled unless there is a literal Messianic Kingdom at some future date.
33 "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of His kingdom there will be no end."
Dan 2:44 "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever."
(5) God’s kingdom ruled by Messiah is the final rule , never to be replaced. It has a millennial phase and an eternal future, but it is the same king who rules both. (MacArthur Study Bible, page 1230).
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
4. The Angelic Explanation
a. The Virgin Conception—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;
(1) What the Virgin Birth was NOT
(a) Pagan cohabitation between divine and human.
(b)Mormon physicalism
(c) Existential non-reality
(2) This is a creative act of God.
Gen 1:2 "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
(3) How can a sinful woman mother a Holy Child?
(a) Guilt comes from the Father, because of Adam’s Federal Headship.
(b)Christ is NOT the seed of the man, He is the seed of the woman (Gen 3:15-16)
(c) The “Power of the highest” can do anything!
36 "Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 "For with God nothing will be impossible."
b. The Trinity—therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
(1) The “power of the Highest” overshadows.
(2) The Holy Spirit comes upon her
(3) The Holy One is to be born of her.
(4) Note: The Holy one TO BE BORN. From the moment of Conception, the child is the Holy One.
5. Mary— The Simple Faith of a Young Girl
a. 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
(1) There had been 400 years of silence. Remember the fear that Zacharias had known, and He was a man of God, mighty in the Word, and a believer with many years of following God. The appearance of the angel so staggered Zacharias that his faith wavered.
(2) Mary is troubled, but she does not react with foolish or needless words, she “considers.” Mary was a thinker. What amazing poise and calmness for a young girl! Simple faith excels—the priest trembles and stumbles, but the young believer shows faith.
Luke 2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 8 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."
Luke 2:49-51 "And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart."
b. Mary, the theologian of the virgin birth—34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
(1) Again, Mary amazes us.
(2) Liberal theologians, in attempting to deny the virgin birth, have tried to say that “virgin” doesn’t really mean virgin, and numerous other ruses, but Mary pins them to the wall here with her simple, yet profound question.
(3) She is just a young girl from a backwater rural village, she is not one with more degrees than a thermometer, but one thing among many that her mother had taught her was this: “the birds and the bees.”
(4) She says, “I have never been with a man. How does this work?”
(5) Unlike Zacharias, she is not questioning the angel or the truth of the message; she just wants to know the mechanical details.
c. Mary, The obedient servant—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."
“Mary was in an extremely embarrassing and difficult position. Betrothed to Joseph, she faced the stigma of unwed motherhood. Joseph would obviously have known that the child was not his. She knew she would be accused of adultery—an offense punishable by stoning…..Yet she willingly and graciously submitted to the will of God. “ (MacArthur Study Bible, page 1512)
(1) There is no hesitation here, no questioning of divine authority, no desire to consult with anyone.
(2) What is here is obedience.
(3) We non-Catholics are often accused of downgrading or short-changing Mary. It is true, that we don’t make her into an assistant “god,” nor do we give her special status or holiness because of her merits.
(4) However, we must say and we must realize that this young lady is one special young lady. She is spiritually mature beyond her years and has Great faith .
d. Mary—who fades out of sight after her Son’s ascension.
(1) Mary was not a leader in the early church.
(2) Mary was not the object of veneration in the early church.
(3) Mary was not even a factor in the Early Church. From the time of Christ’s ascension, Mary disappears from the Bible.
Acts 1:12-14 "Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."
Applications
1. First, Doctrinal—
a. Our Savior is perfect in every way. He was virgin born, conceived without a human father, and was therefore born sinless, perfect, and Holy.
e. Mary, while a wonderful human being and a remarkable woman, was and is, just a woman, a sinner saved by Grace. She is not a fit object of worship.
6. 2. Observe the faith of Mary—observe her obedience.
7. 3. See the love of God and all the trouble He went to, for us to have eternal redemption.
8. See in the Christ child the Man who lived a perfect life for you, the Man who hung on the Cross for your sins, the Man who rose from the dead, the Man who ascended to intercede, and the Man who is returning to reign and rule. He is the God-Man, He is Christ, He is Jesus. Believe in Him today.
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