Reading: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm 126, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
Message: Luke 1:26-37 (LSB)
Sermon Title: Humble Beginnings
John 1:45-46 (LSB)
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and [also] the Prophets wrote–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Luke 1:46-48a (LSB)
46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 “For He has looked upon the humble state of His slave,
1. The good news comes to the
and the
.
Luke 1:26-27 (LSB)
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called 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.
Luke 1:28-29 (LSB)
28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord [is] with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at [this] statement and was pondering what kind of greeting this was.
2. Mary meditated and
about God’s grace.
Luke 1:30-33 (LSB)
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in [your] womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of His kingdom.”
3. Mary heard and
to the Gospel
Luke 1:34-37 (LSB)
34 But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 “And behold, your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
The word “overshadow” gives us the proper understanding because it is used in the Greek Old Testament to describe God’s presence in the sanctuary and in the New Testament for his overshadowing presence at the Transfiguration where the cloud of glory overshadowed our Lord and his apostles. —R. Kent Hughes
Genesis 18:14 (LSB)
14 “Is anything too difficult for Yahweh? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
4. Mary asked faith building
.
Luke 1:38 (LSB)
38 And Mary said, “Behold, the slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
5. Mary is an example of what it means to fully
to God.
Three things from Mary that we can and should follow.
1. Pause and Contemplate.
2. Ask Faith Building Questions.