THEME: TIDINGS FOR COMFORT AND JOY (JESUS IS THE REASON FOR A SEASON)
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." One part of one verse that contains three titles for Jesus, Savior, Christ and Lord. These titles were spoken by the angel to the shepherds announcing the birth of Jesus. This combination of titles are unique. It appears nowhere else in Scripture. In describing Jesus this way, the angel help us understand who Jesus is.
KEY VERSE: Luke 1:30-31 "Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb & bring forth a son, and shall call His Name JESUS."
LESSON-1: MARY, IS HIGHLY FAVORED. God's plan includes Jesus. Her role will be relatively passive, but incredibly important. Being chosen for this function in God's plan is a great honor & blessing; Mary is "highly favored" indeed, Mary's womb became holy of holies for the Son of God.
I. INTRODUCTION: What do you call the fear of Santa Claus? Claustrophobia. I guess that is only if he locks you up in a small confined space. There's an actual fear called Santaphobia. But there's no special word to fear of Christmas. Because it meant to be a time of peace, boundless joy, renewed hope and goodwill to men. Apart from the obvious fear of loneliness (eremophobia), crows (enochlophobia) and there are some unname fears that are unique to Christmas time, "Bible Fear". Herewith on the ff topic.
II. TOPICS TO BE DISCUSS: The Biblical passages that are often associated with a Christmas narrative, we find a repeated refrain in the words, "Fear Not" In Luke 1:13, (barren), Luke 1:30 (Mary's favour God), Matthew 1:20, (Joseph privacy) and Luke 2:10, (shepherds, rescue sinners). In this lesson, our focus mainly on Mary's conception (Luke 1:31). It was told, there is no reason to fear as she obtained favour of God and His divine influence in her life. Gabriel's message that offered "tidings of comfort and joy" to Mary.
A. The Lord's Grace give us Comfort. When a person works an 8-hour day and receives a fair day's pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person competes with an opponent and receives a trophy for his performance, that is a prize. When a person receives appropriate recognition for his long service or high achievements, that is an award. But when a person is not capable of earning a wage, can win no prize, and deserves no award, yet receives such a gift anyway, that is a good picture of God's unmerited favor. This is what we mean when we talk about the grace of God.
1. The distance of God's grace. God's selection of Mary's for this awesome role was not something that she earned or competed for, but it was a manifestation of God's undeserved, unmerited favor. And Mary could say with Paul in 1Cor 15:10a "but by the Grace of God I am what I am..." In Luke 1:26, "And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth" Grace reached into..
a) The place of struggling-Galilee. In the time of our Lord, Palestine was divided into three provinces, Judea (south), Samaria (middle), and Galilee, which comprehended the whole northern section of the country, and was the largest of the three.
a-1) Galilee, the Land of Naphtali. - It would indicate the circle or region of wrestling, portraying this as a place of struggle.
a-2) Gentile world. In Isaiah 9:1, refers to Galilee of the nations, a region of the gentiles.
a-3) Mary lived in Nazareth, a city of Galilee. A city of no reputation for religion or learning. called Galilee of the Gentiles. Christ's having His relations resident over there intimates favour in reserve for the Gentile world. Jesus grow up in a bad environment.
b) The place of separation-Nazareth. Separated is the meaning of Nazareth or guarded one or the watchtower, suggesting the mountainous, remote situation of Nazareth.
b-1) Nazareth was the town of Mary and Joseph. They returned with the infant Jesus and after the events connected with His birth and earliest infancy. (Matt. 2:22)
b-2) Words of Nathanael, John 1:46a - "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" He responded to Philip's announcement with prejudice. Hearing that Jesus came from Nazareth, Nathanael thought he had no more reason to think that He might be the Messiah.
2. The Dimension of His Grace, Luke 1:28 - "And the angel come in unto her, and he said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Gabriel said 3 things to Mary. Each of these were certainly true of Mary, who had unique privilege among any person to ever live. She was highly favoured, that the Lord was with her, She was blessed. However, all these things are true to a believer in Jesus. We are highly favored as Mary (Eph. 1:6), the Lord is with us, (Matt. 28:20) and we are blessed, (Eph. 1:3) Grace brings...
a) God's presence in our lives - In v.28c, "The Lord is with thee.." How is so important to have God with us everywhere! "The best of all is God is with us."
a-1) Mary has the presence of God, "The Lord is with thee:" this word might put her in mind of the name given as Immanuel, meaning God with us, (Matt. 1:23)
a -2) The virgin birth, Isa. 7:14, "Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His Name, Immanuel.
b) Grace brings God's promotion to our lives, Luke 1:28b "And thou art highly favoured"
b-1) A surprise, Mary certainly never expected to see an angel and receive special favors from Heaven. There's nothing unique about her that such things should happen. Not at all, it's a surprise to her.
b-2) The greetings. Hail were normal, but Mary had virtually no social status. Neither the title "Favored" or "graced one" nor the promise. "The Lord is with you"
b-3) The promotion. Mary recognized this promotion of grace, she said in her testimony in Luke 1:48, "For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden, for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."
b-4) God's Favour. She recognized her own vile, lowly condition. But she said, God looked at her in favor. She saw ugliness, but God saw the beauty that she could have with Him at work in her life.
3. The Distribution of His Grace. In Luke 1:30, "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, thou hast found favour with God". The focus was not on Mary, but on a Son, to be named Jesus. This Son was unmistakably identified as the Messiah predicted by the Old Testament (Isa. 9:6)
a) The sufficiency in His Grace. In Luke 1:29, "She was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be " The fact that Mary was trouble at his saying shows her humility. She was surprised to hear such extravagant words said of her.
b) The divine source in His Grace. Luke 1:30, "Mary, for thou hast found favour with God". Favour, gift, gracious, joy, liberality, pleasure, the free, spontaneous, absolute loving kindness of God toward men.
B. The Lord's Greatness gives us Comfort. No one has influenced history more than Jesus Christ. Is it not proven that He's great? Conquerors are great & He's the greatest of them. Deliverers are great and He's the greatest of them. Liberators are great and He is the greatest of them. Saviours are great and He is the greatest of them. Jesus is great in perfection of His nature. He's great in the grandeur of His offices. He's great in the splendor of His achievement. He's great in the numbers of those He rescues. He is great in the estimation of His people. There's greatness in..
1. The conception. In Luke 1:31, "And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS." The angel has come to a virgin, a woman who have never been intimate with a man. (Luke 1:34), Then said, Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? To tell her that she will conceive. Mary's willingness to obey God as she trusts that the angel's words are true. God will accomplish this task.
a) the mention of conception, " thou shalt conceive in thy womb" God's super spiritual conception over shadow the womb of Mary. The organic material came completely from Mary's body, (Galatians 4:4-5). But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son.
b) The miracle of conception. In Luke 1:35, "And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee , therefore also that Holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."
2. The interruption. The Holy Ghost interrupted a natural course influencing the physiology of this woman so that conception took place.
a) The power of the Highest - The body of Jesus would be created by the direct power of God. It was not by ordinary generation but as the Messiah came to redeem sinners, therefore His human nature should be pure, and free from the corruption of the fall.
b) Jesus body. God prepared a body by direct creation that is pure and holy. The organic material from Mary's body has no contamination of sin due to the "overshadowing of the Holy Spirit"
c) Overshadowed. This is the presence of God in the Holy of Holies in the Jewish tabernacle. (Exo. 40:35) Mary's womb became holy of holies for the Son of God.
III. CONCLUSION:
What comforts you at Christmas? Perhaps the decorations. Perhaps the smells and sensations. Perhaps the food. Perhaps spending time with special people or enjoy recreational world. The thing that brought comfort to Mary was the message to Jesus, as He is the reason for all the seasons.