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November 29, 2020
Steven Lee (North Campus) | Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
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. 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. For nothing will be impossible with God.” 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 1:26–38
Outline
Introduction: A Year of Impossibilities
Three Stunning Statements from God’s Messenger Gabriel
Application & Conclusion
Introduction: A Year of Impossibilities
One more month and you will have survived 2020. When you look back on this year, what will you remember? What stood out? How did you feel? For me, it was a year where things I never thought I would see in my lifetime actually happened.
Things we once thought impossible happened in 2020. Unfortunately, nearly all of these surprising events of 2020 have been overwhelmingly difficult. Wouldn’t it be nice to have some good news?
The Greatest News
This is where Advent comes in. What is Advent? If you didn’t grow up in church or in a church that didn’t observe an Advent season, it seems a little odd. Advent is the season before Christmas; the word means coming or arrival. It is a season where we rehearse the story of the Incarnation: Jesus has come into our world.
Advent is where the greatest and most glorious news in all the world breaks in, and it is news that has shaped and transformed human history. It’s where the best news breaks into the worst situation to bring about the greatest joy. Wouldn’t it be nice to have joy in the midst of difficult days?
These next four weeks we’ll rehearse the best story in all the world once again from the book of Luke. Luke is a historian, and he gives us the most extensive and detailed account of the birth of Jesus. He opens his Gospel in Luke 1:1 like a good historian:
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.—Luke 1:1–4
Luke tells us that he has studied the events, heard the firsthand accounts, interviewed the participants, and now recorded the history for us. And the purpose of his writing is so that we would have certainty regarding Jesus. Wouldn’t it be nice to have certainty in all the uncertainty?
To understand Advent—waiting, longing, and celebration—we have to first understand the context surrounding the Advent story. It was where God’s people were in an extensive and prolonged season of waiting, longing, and anticipation. About 400 years passed between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Jesus. Radio silence for 400 years. The Bible records no prophets, no judges, no kings, no messengers, and no deliverers. Generations passed, telling the stories and prophecies of the coming Messiah, but dying before ever seeing it come to pass. God’s people were under Roman rule, resigned to life under Caesar, and God seemed silent and distant.
We don’t do well with waiting. If my Amazon order takes more than two days I’m slightly annoyed. Yet Advent is about the waiting, the longing, and the anticipation. The longing and anticipation is part of the joy and suspense. Looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner is part of the joy of eating it. Looking forward to the presents under the tree is part of the joy of opening them. Perhaps the closest parallel we have today is the global anticipation for a COVID-19 vaccine. We have doctors, researchers, and 7.5 billion people eagerly awaiting a vaccine. This is the type of longing that has characterized God’s people, but not for ten months, but for hundreds of years.
Our passage in Luke 1:26–38 gives us good news of great joy that will be for all the people. The main point of our passage reveals that nothing is impossible for God, therefore we can trust him. For some listening or watching, your faith hangs in the balance because you have been confronted with a rotten season of life full of brokenness. And you may be asking the question, “Can I trust God and is God good?” The Advent story has answers for that question.
Three Stunning Statements From God’s Messenger Gabriel
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
The previous account and this account are linked when we read that Gabriel was sent by God in the sixth month. Sixth month of what? It was the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy (made clear in verse 36). There are a number of similarities and differences between the two accounts, but let me just note a few. In the account about John the Baptist, the angel Gabriel goes to the temple, appearing to Zachariah, an elderly priest serving in the temple. But in our passage, Gabriel goes to Nazareth (a small town of no significance) to a young peasant girl of no stature. People in those days would say, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).
Mary is an unlikely recipient of Gabriel’s greeting. She was of no significance, young, and—like most people in Israel—a poor, uneducated peasant living in a small town. One preacher calls Mary “a nobody in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.”[1]
Gabriel greets her with these words: “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28). The Greek word for favor comes from the Greek word for grace, meaning undeserved kindness. Martin Luther paraphrased Gabriel’s greeting, “O Mary, you are blessed. You have a gracious God. No woman has ever lived on earth to whom God has shown such grace.”[2] Gabriel pronounces God’s blessing upon her and speaks of his grace shown to her.
Unfortunately, Gabriel’s greeting has often been misunderstood. He wasn’t stating that Mary was “full of grace,” as though she was overflowing and could bestow grace to others, as Roman Catholics often say: “Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.” Rather, she is the “favored one,” meaning God had shown and given her grace. Mary is not the source of grace, but the recipient of grace. The Bible never says that Mary was without sin, that she remained a virgin, or that she could give grace to others. Rather, Mary has received grace from God. This account begins to show us the significance and impact that Jesus would have. This is a sign that God will show unmerited favor to lowly sinners through his Son, Jesus. We shouldn’t walk away from this story and think “Mary is great,” but instead, “God is gracious!”
The Advent Story is a story of God’s grace for the lowly. Jesus would be born into the misery of our lost and fallen world. Advent is remembering that God came to show unmerited grace to lowly sinners through the birth of Jesus. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” This was unprecedented grace that broke into a world dwelling in deep darkness. And this was truly unprecedented. This Christmas we remember that we do not live in deep darkness anymore, but that the Light of the world has broken through, and unmerited favor comes to all those who call upon the name of Jesus.
It says that Mary is greatly troubled (or perplexed and curious) about this greeting. This only seems natural. It’s not every day that an angel appears and gives one that sort of greeting. She’s wondering, “What does this mean and what is God going to do?” This leads us to our second stunning statement from Gabriel.
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Gabriel tells Mary not to be afraid. She will be the unwed, virgin mother of the Messiah. In Luke 1:30–33 we get the announcement of the greatest news in all the world: the birth of Jesus the Messiah. The angel Gabriel goes on to explain the significance of this child. He is not going to be like any other child. Gabriel gives seven predictions about him:
First, he will be born of a virgin. Mary, an unwed virgin, will conceive. It says “will conceive in your womb and bear a son” (1:31a). This is contrasted with the prophecy of John the Baptist in Luke 1:13, “your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” Here it does not say Mary will bear a son for Joseph.
Second, you will name him Jesus. “His name will be Jesus” (1:31b).
Third, he will be great. The word “great” is used to describe God himself. As Deuteronomy 10:17, “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.” This is contrasted with John who “will be great before the Lord” (Luke 1:15).
Fourth, he will be the Son of the Most High. “Most High” is a description of God (cf. Luke 1:76; 6:35; 8:28; Acts 7:48; 16:17), and it’s essentially saying he is the “Son of God.” Luke 6:35 describes people who can also be “sons of Most High” in the plural: “But love your enemies, and do good … and you will be sons of the Most High.” This suggests that this child will have a uniquely intimate relationship with God.
Fifth, he will receive the throne of David. This calls to mind God’s promise to David to establish his throne (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Psalm 2:7; 89:27–29; Isaiah 9:6; 55:3–5). In 2 Samuel 7:12–13, Nathan the prophet says to David: “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” This promise was partially fulfilled in Solomon, and it finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus. In the words of Isaiah 9:6–7, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom.”
Sixth, he will reign forever and seventh, his kingdom will never end. In verse 33 we read, “and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” These two final parallel promises predict that this child will reign as the king of Israel forever and it will never end.
What’s the point of these seven predictions? It’s to foretell that Jesus will be unlike any other child before him. He will not be like any former prophet or former king. Their kingdoms fell, their reigns ended, but God is now sending his Messiah. The angel’s announcement is that the long awaited Messiah is coming. For us this morning, on the other side of the birth of Jesus, Advent is about confessing that Christ has come, and Christ will come again. Advent is where the unprecedented and impossible broke into our world. Mary responds, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” This leads us to Gabriel’s third stunning statement.
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 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. 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. For nothing will be impossible with God.” 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.
Mary understands basic biology. She says more literally that “she has not known a man (sexually).” At this point she was betrothed, like an engagement, which typically lasted a year. The couple did not live together or sleep together. Mary is asking an honest question: “How will this be?” (v. 34). It seems that there is a difference between Mary’s honest question of how it’s possible (when it’s seemingly impossible), and Zechariah’s question that implied disbelief and was met with a rebuke.
Gabriel says, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v. 35). Mary’s pregnancy is the result of divine action. The word “to come upon” appears seven times in Luke-Acts and has no sexual connotation. While we often want explanation, what Gabriel gives is confirmation that this child is of God, born of woman and of Spirit, will be called holy, and will be the Son of God. As a further confirming sign, Elizabeth is pregnant nearing the end of her second trimester.
Then Gabriel gives a stunning statement that captures this entire account: “For nothing will be impossible with God” (v. 37). Nothing is impossible for God, therefore we can trust him. Advent is a reminder that God causes the impossible to come to pass, so that we can trust God in all of life. Gabriel states this in reference to Elizabeth being of advanced age and barren—nothing is impossible with God. If God could open a barren womb, and if God can make a virgin conceive, then God can handle whatever difficulties and challenges we’re facing right now. Gabriel’s word captures the spirit of Advent: absolutely nothing is impossible for God.
And how does Mary respond? “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). She responds with faith and trust—choosing to believe God despite any questions, reservations, or fears she might have had. She essentially says: “God has said it, therefore I believe it.”
Application & Conclusion
There are three things I want us to remember this morning.
a) Remember that God came to show his grace to sinners.
I remember sharing the gospel with a man who had destroyed all the good in his life through his bad choices—alcohol, domestic violence, squandering his money, burning all his relational bridges—and had ended up homeless. In fact, the day I met him was his first day in the homeless shelter. He felt that he was too far gone. He was out of the reach of redemption, forgiveness, or restoration. He had done too many bad things. He had destroyed too much of his life. He had hurt the people around him too much. What this man didn’t know is that Light has broken into the deep darkness of our world and of our lives. I took the next ten minutes sharing with him that Jesus came for people exactly like him. That day he received grace as a sinner and received the hope of Jesus.
Do you feel the lowliness of your sin this Christmas? I know that we have people who are battling alcoholism. People battling with lust and adultery. We have people who have lost loved ones this year. You’re dreading the holidays and repeatedly reminded of a new loss. We have people who are feeling the financial pinch, unemployed or underemployed in this season. We have people with broken marriages and broken families, strained relationships and burnt relational bridges. Perhaps it’s the fear and anxiety around getting sick.
Yet the brokenness and the deep darkness of our world is not too great for God. God came into a broken world to mend it. He came into a world of deep darkness to shine Light. Don’t stay where you’re at, but come to the cross of Christ where he displayed his all-sufficient, unmerited grace to sinners. Advent is where we confess: Christ has come; Christ will come again.
b) Remember that the Messiah has come.
Romans tells us that creation was subjected to futility and is in bondage to corruption, groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now (Romans 8:19–22). The year 2020 gave us a glimpse of this futility, corruption, and groaning, did it not? We got a glimpse of the pervasive brokenness of our world in the pandemic.
The current global pandemic has brought about or quickened the death of many. But there is something much more deadly at work in our world. Ever since Genesis 3 we have been battling an even greater global pandemic. Its death rate is 100%. The lasting effects reach into eternity. It destroys lives, relationships, families, and individuals. No one is asymptomatic; everyone is afflicted with this deadly disease. Our symptoms manifest in all of our relationships and in all of our interactions. This deadly global pandemic is sin. Yet the Good News is that God has come to bring the vaccine for our sin-sick world. His name is Jesus. “His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Advent is where we confess: Christ has come; Christ will come again.
c) Remember that nothing is impossible for God.
Luke 18:27 says, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” That is what Advent is all about: the impossible coming to pass so that there is good news of great joy for all people. What is that good news that was formerly impossible? Forgiveness of sins, salvation, sinners made righteous, and restoring a broken and sin-sick world. Utterly impossible—but God! With God, the impossible becomes possible in the incarnation of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Is there anything in your life that seems impossible? Impossible to be happy? Impossible to endure this suffering? Impossible for your sins to be forgiven? Impossible for your family to be restored? Impossible to have your financial needs met? Impossible to experience joy after the loss of that loved one? Impossible to experience physical wholeness once again? Yet Advent is a reminder that nothing will be impossible with God. He is the God who can make a virgin give birth. Nothing is too hard for him. Therefore, this Christmas and Advent season, trust him. Trust him. He is reliable, trustworthy, faithful, and true. Don’t look for joy anywhere else. Look to Christ. Why? Christ has come; Christ will come again.
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[1] R. Kent Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth, 2 vols., Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1998), 1:30
[2] Martin Luther, quoted in Bainton, Christmas Book, p. 21
Main Point: Nothing is impossible for God, therefore put your faith in him.
Outline
Three stunning statements from the Angel Gabriel:
Intro Question: When you consider the events and unfolding of 2020, what words seem to capture the year best? What did you feel most?
Discussion Questions
Application Questions
Prayer Focus
Express praise, thanksgiving, and worship to God for sending his Son Jesus to save sinners. Confess any areas of sin, unbelief, or grumbling toward God during this past year. Thank God for breaking into our sin-sick world through his Son Jesus. Ask God to help you to love him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, to trust his word, to reorient your heart and mind to his purposes, and to love our neighbors with the love of Christ.
Main Point: Nothing is impossible for God, therefore put your faith in him.
Outline
Three stunning statements from the Angel Gabriel:
Intro Question: When you consider the events and unfolding of 2020, what words seem to capture the year best? What did you feel most?
Discussion Questions
Application Questions
Prayer Focus
Express praise, thanksgiving, and worship to God for sending his Son Jesus to save sinners. Confess any areas of sin, unbelief, or grumbling toward God during this past year. Thank God for breaking into our sin-sick world through his Son Jesus. Ask God to help you to love him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, to trust his word, to reorient your heart and mind to his purposes, and to love our neighbors with the love of Christ.