Life of Messiah 08-The Announcement to Mary Luke 1:26-38

[00:00:01] You are listening to Theology and Apologetics with Thomas Fretwell, Bringing Theology to

[00:00:11] Life.

[00:00:12] So we are continuing this adventure.

[00:00:14] I'll give you a very small recap of what we did last week because we're going to pick

[00:00:19] up the text in exactly the same place.

[00:00:21] So last time we were in Luke chapter one and we looked at the story 16-25 of John the

[00:00:28] Baptist, this character who was, had a special mission on his life to be a witness,

[00:00:34] to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.

[00:00:37] We looked a little at the historical context of Herod the Great.

[00:00:41] I went through some of the history of that man, that man who killed his wife, killed

[00:00:45] his sons, killed his brother-in-law, killed the high priest, killed the rabbis.

[00:00:50] He was a vicious man.

[00:00:52] He was the king in Israel at the time of Jesus.

[00:00:55] The Caesar, Caesar Augustus if you remember even said it was better to be Herod's

[00:00:59] dog than it was to be one of his children.

[00:01:02] That just shows you his reputation and it was him who was ruling and reigning at this

[00:01:07] time.

[00:01:08] But in contrast to that evil man we saw these faithful Old Testament saints, Zacharias

[00:01:14] and Elizabeth from priestly lines.

[00:01:17] And remember the story, Zacharias was called to serve in the temple for his time and as

[00:01:22] he was in the temple burning the altar of incense an angel of the Lord, Gabriel,

[00:01:27] visited him and made the announcement to him that your wife Elizabeth even though

[00:01:31] she's old and hasn't been able to have children, she is going to give birth to a son and you

[00:01:36] are to name him John.

[00:01:37] And that was the story of John the Baptist's birth and then it ended basically.

[00:01:41] Zacharias utters these words of disbelief and the angel Gabriel responded basically

[00:01:47] that you're gonna be mute now until the child is born until these things are fulfilled

[00:01:51] because you didn't believe me.

[00:01:53] And he comes out from the temple, he's unable to speak, people know that something

[00:01:57] has happened and then it just, the narrative just continues.

[00:02:01] He went home with Elizabeth and she did become pregnant and so we're gonna pick up

[00:02:06] the narrative in verse 26 of Luke there, verse 26.

[00:02:12] So it says, now in the six month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee

[00:02:18] called Nazareth to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph of the descendants

[00:02:24] of David and the virgin's name was Mary.

[00:02:28] So here we have this another birth announcement.

[00:02:31] The angel Gabriel is sent on another announcement and it says in the sixth month and the sixth

[00:02:37] month is referring to Elizabeth's pregnancy.

[00:02:40] So she's six months, she's in her second trimester at this point and now Gabriel is

[00:02:44] sent to another young woman in Israel this time to Mary to announce another miraculous

[00:02:49] birth.

[00:02:50] And this happened in the town of Nazareth.

[00:02:54] Now Nazareth today is actually quite a populated city.

[00:02:57] It's the heavy, they call it the Arab center of Israel.

[00:02:59] It's where most of the Arabs who are Israeli citizens live today and it's 70% Muslim,

[00:03:06] 30% Christian in Nazareth.

[00:03:09] You can see there it's up in the Galilee region.

[00:03:12] That's the kind of area that it was.

[00:03:14] There's a photo of it from the hills there around the Galilee.

[00:03:17] That is Nazareth.

[00:03:18] Now at the time of Jesus, the whole Galilee area was looked down upon by those in the city

[00:03:25] down in Jerusalem.

[00:03:26] They were the country folk up in the north.

[00:03:29] It was derisively called the Galilee of the Gentiles because there was a lot of Gentiles

[00:03:34] living around there.

[00:03:35] So the proud Jews in Jerusalem looked down at people from Galilee and even more so they

[00:03:40] looked down particularly at this little town called Nazareth because it was really just

[00:03:45] a rural peasant village at this time.

[00:03:47] I think they estimate only had 300 people living in it.

[00:03:51] It was very hard to access, terrible access, terrible water supply, no trade routes bypassed

[00:03:57] it so it was really just a nothing town and you even pick this up in the Bible.

[00:04:01] Remember in John where Nathaniel said to him can any good thing come out of Nazareth?

[00:04:06] That's his attitude like Nazareth.

[00:04:07] I think good comes out of Nazareth.

[00:04:09] That's the idea.

[00:04:10] But as the Lord would have it, he chose this small town with this poor young woman to actually

[00:04:18] change the world in this little village here of Nazareth.

[00:04:21] That's what he did.

[00:04:22] To a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph.

[00:04:26] So clearly here Mary is identified as a virgin and the link here is referencing an old

[00:04:32] prophecy from the book of Isaiah.

[00:04:34] Isaiah chapter 714 we studied this in our Isaiah study.

[00:04:37] It's not too long ago.

[00:04:38] It says therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign, behold a virgin shall be with a

[00:04:42] child and bear a son and she will call his name Emmanuel, God with us.

[00:04:47] Now we're seeing the fulfillment of this prophecy take place in history.

[00:04:51] It says he was engaged to a man named Joseph.

[00:04:54] Now Jewish wedding processes at this time were a little different.

[00:04:57] The engagement was the betrothal basically but that could happen quite a long time before

[00:05:02] the two were actually married with a ceremony but it was a legal process.

[00:05:08] And often it was arranged by parents and different families and quite often the couples were not

[00:05:12] old enough to marry at the time but they could still be actually arranged to one another

[00:05:17] at this process.

[00:05:19] But they were engaged which means they were legally already one another's but they hadn't

[00:05:25] had the marriage ceremony yet so she was still a virgin at this time.

[00:05:30] The engagement was legal but the ceremony hadn't taken place.

[00:05:34] Her name is given to us as Mary and we're told she is a descendant of David.

[00:05:38] I'm sure you will remember our lovely genealogical study where we highlighted the importance

[00:05:44] of being a descendant of David.

[00:05:47] Let's look at verse 28.

[00:05:50] And coming in he said to her, greetings favoured one, the Lord is with you but

[00:05:55] she was very perplexed at this statement and kept pondering what kind of salutation

[00:06:00] this was.

[00:06:01] Now the term there favoured one, it's a very interesting word.

[00:06:04] It's the same root where we get the term grace from.

[00:06:08] So you could say she was graced at this particular moment or it has the idea of something being

[00:06:13] freely bestowed on another.

[00:06:16] In Ephesians 1 6 we're all told that we're favoured in this sense.

[00:06:19] Ephesians the apostle Paul writes to the praise of the glory of his grace which he

[00:06:24] freely bestowed on us in the beloved.

[00:06:26] It's the same word actually there just translated like that.

[00:06:30] So that's the idea here she was freely bestowed, the Lord put grace on her.

[00:06:34] Grace sorry was being bestowed on her in the idea obviously she was being chosen to be

[00:06:39] the mother of the Messiah at this point.

[00:06:41] She was receiving God's grace.

[00:06:43] That seems very obvious.

[00:06:44] You just read the text that's the understanding that you get at it.

[00:06:47] It's not.

[00:06:48] I'll take a small diversion with you here just simply because of the confusion

[00:06:51] that this verse has given rise to in church history.

[00:06:55] If you come from a Catholic background you might be aware that this is a very

[00:07:00] important verse in Catholic theology.

[00:07:02] That little phrase it's translated greetings Mary that's the Ave Maria the Hail Mary

[00:07:07] as they call it that's the idea that's where they get that from and in the Roman

[00:07:12] Catholic Church they actually have a prayer called the Hail Mary and it's you see it

[00:07:16] in popular culture usually with a rosary beads where people will say just say your hail

[00:07:21] Mary's and you'll be able to be forgiven.

[00:07:24] That's the idea they have a whole prayer it goes like this.

[00:07:28] Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with me that you can see this is the text they're

[00:07:31] getting that from blessed art thou amongst women blessed it is the fruit of your

[00:07:34] womb Jesus Holy Mary mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our

[00:07:39] death amen.

[00:07:41] Now you might notice that suddenly takes a bit of a jump seems to be a bit of a

[00:07:46] leap from what the text is saying there.

[00:07:48] They actually go further than this in the Catholic Church and there was they

[00:07:53] have a doctrine belief for teaching that they call the immaculate conception.

[00:07:58] We've heard that phrase the immaculate conception and that's not referring to

[00:08:01] Jesus in the Catholic theology the immaculate conception is referring to

[00:08:05] Mary so this is where the belief that Mary was in fact sinless at her birth

[00:08:10] and I hope you can see the text just does not simply say that in fact no

[00:08:15] one actually believed that until 1854 so this in 1854 almost 2000 years after

[00:08:22] this text happened but the Pope passed the ninth he produced what they

[00:08:27] call a papal bull which is a pronouncement that the Pope gives that all Catholics

[00:08:32] have to believe that is he is speaking for God at that moment and he pronounced

[00:08:37] the doctrine as follows the most holy Virgin Mary was in the finest moment

[00:08:41] of her conception by a unique gift of grace and privilege of Almighty God

[00:08:46] in view of the merits of Jesus Christ the redeemer of mankind preserved

[00:08:49] free from all stain of original sin and because the Pope has now pronounced it

[00:08:55] in his position as the Pope Catholics have to believe it and this is one that

[00:08:59] you'll often meet a lot of people who have a true Catholic tradition in their

[00:09:02] background so they identify as Catholics they don't actually often

[00:09:06] realize that if you disagree with the papal bull that the Pope has spoken

[00:09:09] you're not a Catholic you're anathema to the Catholic Church so that's why

[00:09:14] you have to when the Pope speaks in this way that he does when he does

[00:09:17] the stuff you have to believe it and it's all very late only for the last few

[00:09:20] hundred years this sort of stuff was going on but that is the doctrine of the

[00:09:24] immaculate conception and that is where the Hail Mary prayers come from now

[00:09:28] I'll just say for my opinion I don't see how you can get that from the text

[00:09:34] in Luke chapter 1 it's thoroughly foreign to the Jewish context of the

[00:09:38] narrative that we've just read the whole idea of the text is that Mary

[00:09:42] knows she's a sinner she's gonna say as much in a few verses time so she

[00:09:47] would not agree that she was immaculately conceived without sin because a

[00:09:50] little while later she's caused the Lord her savior savior from see like she

[00:09:54] knows she understands this she was she got good Jewish theology from the Old

[00:09:58] Testament at this time and that doctrine is just something that the

[00:10:02] Catholic Church has added on and I just share it with you because you'll

[00:10:06] probably meet it in a culture that has a lot of background from the Catholic

[00:10:09] Church but I do not believe it comes from the text I do not believe

[00:10:12] it's biblical and therefore I would just advise to just respectfully not have

[00:10:16] anything to do with that theology let's just go back into 29 says she was very

[00:10:20] perplexed at this statement and kept pondering what kind of salutation that

[00:10:25] was now you would be kind of perplexed when you remember we saw with

[00:10:29] Zacharias see he had great fear come upon him is actually the same word

[00:10:32] it's the same sort of response and then the angel in verse 30 Gabriel has

[00:10:36] to give the same warning he says he said to her do not be afraid remember

[00:10:41] whenever he shows up you have to tell people do not be afraid Mary you have

[00:10:44] found favor you found grace with God and behold you will conceive in your womb

[00:10:49] and bear a son and you shall name him Jesus so again Gabriel do not be afraid

[00:10:55] you've been graced behold you shall have a baby it's very similar you see the

[00:11:00] parallels to what happened with Zacharias and with the birth of

[00:11:02] John John being the before runner Jesus being the reality these two

[00:11:06] things are linked that's why the narratives are so similar here but

[00:11:09] it says you shall call his name Jesus just like they said to Zacharias

[00:11:13] you're going to call him John these two names are very significant it's all

[00:11:20] orchestrated by the Lord here and names we've looked at this a few times

[00:11:24] names are in fact very significant in the Bible and in lots of parts of

[00:11:29] the world then not so much for us today but I do hate to break it to

[00:11:33] you but Jesus is not really the name of Jesus if I could say it like

[00:11:38] I'm going to just explain to you how we got to this I'm not making a point of

[00:11:41] it I think it's perfectly fine to refer to him as Jesus language I'll go

[00:11:45] through the process and you'll see why but in reality the name is more

[00:11:48] closely related to Joshua actually if you were to translate the Hebrew

[00:11:52] directly so that's just a different way of thinking of it but the word

[00:11:56] means in Hebrew you've heard me say this the name is yes sure that is

[00:11:59] Jesus yes sure in Hebrew and it means Yahweh saves or salvation so when

[00:12:05] you think about remember you had you had John and now you've got Jesus so it

[00:12:09] was Yahweh saves John was God's gracious gift and now we have Yahweh saves at

[00:12:14] this time so how did we get from Yeshua to Jesus it can be a little tricky

[00:12:20] if you know anything about languages and translation processes names are

[00:12:25] often the thing that cause people a lot of trouble even within the Bible

[00:12:28] you see people with different names referring to the same person related

[00:12:34] to whether they've been shortened or who's speaking which language it's

[00:12:37] coming from but when you start throwing in all different languages to a name

[00:12:41] it confuses things even more so let's try and just give you a little

[00:12:45] understanding I won't go through the whole process but names are usually

[00:12:49] what we call transliterated so they're not translated when you translate

[00:12:53] something you try and give the meaning of what the word is and what

[00:12:56] the story is when you translate something you're simply trying to find

[00:13:01] in the language that you're transliterating it to a letter or sound

[00:13:05] that sounds the same so that you can make the name sound the same okay and you're

[00:13:09] not giving the meaning you're just trying to give the name and that's what

[00:13:12] you see in the Bible with all of these names that we have going on

[00:13:16] it's not always possible that's the issue languages don't all have the

[00:13:20] same sounds in the same names you know that if you have a few

[00:13:23] different languages in the church here they don't all have the same

[00:13:26] letters consonants vowel sounds and all these sorts of things and Hebrew

[00:13:30] is a very different language to Greek so there's definitely not the same

[00:13:33] sounds in some of these but the name Yeshua was a very common name at that

[00:13:39] time fact it was like the fourth most common name in Israel at that time

[00:13:43] Josephus the historian he writes he has 20 different people in his writing

[00:13:46] called Yeshua at this time along with Shimon, Yoseph, Yehuda, Yehanon

[00:13:52] these are like the most common names if you looked at a list today so

[00:13:55] John, Simon, Peter or Joseph, Judah there was hundreds of people in

[00:14:00] Israel at the time with these names but when we translate them into how

[00:14:05] we read it in our English they sound very different now in Hebrew

[00:14:09] there's no shah so there is a shah so Yeshua you see that's a

[00:14:14] letter the shah sound in Greek they don't have that so they just

[00:14:18] have an s sound so Moshe becomes Moses okay that's the kind of the

[00:14:25] idea of how we get that going on here Solomon is actually Shlomo in

[00:14:32] Hebrew so they're quite different names a Samuel is Shmuel so you can

[00:14:36] see like the s and the shah that's how they have to translate it and

[00:14:40] you can see how that's basically affected the translation when the

[00:14:43] people were translating the Bible into Greek they had these Hebrew

[00:14:47] names and they had to try and best match up the best sounds that

[00:14:50] they could the sound of the most alike of these names so they did

[00:14:55] that into Greek I'll give you a little look here that we have to

[00:14:57] see the process in Hebrew Yeshua in Greek it was translated like

[00:15:03] that they didn't have the Y in that recents but they had an

[00:15:06] Iota that gave the same kind of sound so it was Yehuz is how

[00:15:11] it was pronounced in Greek and that's kind of roughly how it

[00:15:15] was but it gets a little more complicated that most names we

[00:15:20] read have just been translated once so we see that just the one

[00:15:24] transliteration that we're reading about Gabriel now

[00:15:27] govriel to Gabriel kind of pretty similar you can see how that

[00:15:31] happened but with Jesus's name it took a much longer journey

[00:15:35] from Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English and English obviously

[00:15:39] includes some Germanic influence some French influence and all

[00:15:43] these had their input on changing the letters eventually we ended

[00:15:48] up with Jesus but if you read an old King James Bible 1611 King

[00:15:53] James you'll notice Jesus is spelled with an I because that

[00:15:56] letter at that point had a different understanding so

[00:15:59] language changes names change and it's quite a process to

[00:16:03] actually get but as you can see Jesus is quite far removed

[00:16:07] from the original it's gone through like four different

[00:16:10] language transliterations there.

[00:16:12] There are some groups that make a massive point of it and say

[00:16:15] you're not allowed to say the name Jesus you have to I don't

[00:16:18] believe that's true at all the language process is what it is

[00:16:22] I think the Lord understands how languages work and it's

[00:16:25] totally fine to call him Jesus so that's the point here

[00:16:27] but I just thought for your own history is quite interesting

[00:16:30] that we see that so let's actually get back into what the

[00:16:33] point of the text is here though he is called you shall

[00:16:36] name him Jesus Yeshua and that is the name that was given

[00:16:39] to Gabriel to give to Mary for the son that would come into

[00:16:42] the world and because of that event because of everything that

[00:16:45] this son would come and do live die and be resurrected it is

[00:16:48] perhaps the most well known name in the world you can probably

[00:16:52] go to pretty much any country in the world and find someone

[00:16:56] people will know the name of Jesus they'll either love it

[00:16:59] or they'll hate it that's the idea with the name of Jesus

[00:17:01] it's adored by millions and it's probably feared by equal

[00:17:05] amounts of people around the world.

[00:17:06] The name of Jesus can bring a person to their knees in

[00:17:09] worship or it can cause a person to curse and revile the

[00:17:12] name and be angry.

[00:17:14] We've probably all seen that reaction to some degree or

[00:17:17] another and you don't have to travel far around the world

[00:17:20] to see that much more seriously in many cultures.

[00:17:24] That is an unusual phenomenon to say the least about a

[00:17:27] simple name and it shows you that the name that it is

[00:17:30] attached to the person of Jesus Christ is a very

[00:17:34] significant person.

[00:17:36] Look at what the apostle Paul said Philippians chapter two

[00:17:38] you remember this amazing text.

[00:17:40] He says for this reason also God highly exalted him bestowed on

[00:17:45] him the name which is above every name so that at the name

[00:17:49] of Jesus every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and

[00:17:53] on earth and under the earth and every tongue will confess

[00:17:55] that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father

[00:17:59] this name that was announced by Gabriel here to Mary would

[00:18:02] ultimately be the name that is going to be above all

[00:18:05] names it will be the name that one day will command that

[00:18:08] everyone bows to them and I love the way it says on those

[00:18:11] who are on earth in heaven or under the earth saved

[00:18:15] still deciding not saved everyone will acknowledge that

[00:18:20] Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father

[00:18:23] and they will bow the knee to that name they will

[00:18:26] acknowledge that name one day he will be the king of

[00:18:29] kings and the name of Jesus Christ is something we

[00:18:31] really need to think about and I'm not just talking

[00:18:33] in the actual language sense that we've just gone

[00:18:36] through but in the person the name which represents

[00:18:39] the person go through the Bible is a good study for you

[00:18:42] to go through the Bible and just study the text just do

[00:18:45] a word search in Jesus name or the name of Jesus Christ

[00:18:48] and read through some of these scriptures and you'll

[00:18:50] find that this is such an integral doctrine to how

[00:18:53] I understand how we understand the Lord it said

[00:18:56] that his name gives us life John 20 31 but these

[00:19:00] have been written to you so that you may believe

[00:19:02] that Jesus Christ is the son and that believing

[00:19:05] you may have life in his name that's how the text

[00:19:09] phrases it acts 248 in his name we have forgiveness

[00:19:14] Peter said to them repent and each of you be

[00:19:16] baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the

[00:19:18] forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the

[00:19:21] gift of the Holy Spirit in his name is healing

[00:19:24] acts 3 verse 6 Peter said I do not possess

[00:19:26] silver and gold but what I do have I give to

[00:19:28] you in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene

[00:19:31] walk we are told to preach his name acts 812

[00:19:36] but when they believed Philip preaching the good

[00:19:39] news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus

[00:19:42] Christ they were baptized men and women alike

[00:19:47] we're told to risk our lives for his name acts 15

[00:19:50] verse 25 it seemed good to us having become

[00:19:52] of one mind to select men to send to you with

[00:19:55] our beloved Barnabas and Paul men who have risked

[00:19:58] their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

[00:20:02] we're told to magnify his name acts 19 this became

[00:20:05] known to all by Jews and Greek who lived in

[00:20:07] Ephesus and fear fell upon them and all the

[00:20:10] name of the Lord Jesus was glorified all the

[00:20:15] name and the Lord Jesus was glorified we've been

[00:20:19] told in many ways to die for his name point

[00:20:21] being that is more important than our lives

[00:20:24] acts 21 verse 13 Paul answered what are you

[00:20:26] doing weeping and breaking my heart for I'm

[00:20:29] ready not only to be bound but even to die at

[00:20:32] Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ

[00:20:36] you see the understanding that they had of

[00:20:37] the name the person that it means of Jesus

[00:20:40] Christ we're sanctified and justified in the

[00:20:43] name for Lord Jesus Christ one Corinthians

[00:20:46] 6 11 such were some of you but you were

[00:20:48] washed you were sanctified but you were

[00:20:51] justified in the name of the Lord Jesus

[00:20:53] Christ and in the spirit of our God and we're

[00:20:56] told to give thanks in his name Ephesians 5

[00:20:59] always giving thanks for all things in the

[00:21:02] name of our Lord Jesus Christ even the

[00:21:04] father and finally our lives are said to be

[00:21:08] for the purpose of glorifying that name

[00:21:11] second Thessalonians 11 and 12 to this end

[00:21:14] also we pray for you always that our God

[00:21:17] will count you worthy of your calling and

[00:21:19] fulfill every desire for goodness and the

[00:21:21] work of faith with power so that the name

[00:21:23] of the Lord Jesus will be glorified in you

[00:21:26] and you in him so that the name of the Lord

[00:21:29] Jesus will be glorified glorified

[00:21:32] magnified justified sanctified all of

[00:21:35] these things come from the name of Jesus

[00:21:37] this is everything that you should have

[00:21:38] in your mind when we read that narrative

[00:21:40] of the angel appearing to Mary and

[00:21:42] saying you're going to give birth to

[00:21:44] a child and you shall call his name

[00:21:47] Jesus this is the name above all names

[00:21:50] that accomplishes this it makes me

[00:21:51] think of that old him at the name of

[00:21:53] Jesus every knee shall bow every tongue

[00:21:56] confess him king of glory now this the

[00:21:58] father's pleasure that we call him Lord

[00:22:00] who was from the beginning was the

[00:22:02] mighty word name him Christians name

[00:22:05] him with love strong as death but with

[00:22:07] all in wonder and with baited breath

[00:22:09] he is God the savior he is Christ the

[00:22:11] Lord ever to be worshiped trusted and

[00:22:13] adored this is the name countless

[00:22:15] millions of hymns have been penned

[00:22:17] in honor and adoration of his name

[00:22:20] it's no other name in history that that

[00:22:21] has happened to he is unique above all

[00:22:24] else he is the name above all names

[00:22:26] let's go back to 32 in Luke and just like

[00:22:29] he did with John he describes a number

[00:22:32] of features about this coming child

[00:22:34] verse 32 he will be great and he will

[00:22:38] be called the son of the most high

[00:22:40] and the Lord God will give him the

[00:22:41] throne of his father David and he will

[00:22:43] reign over the house of Jacob forever

[00:22:45] and his kingdom will have no end

[00:22:49] simply he shall be great now do you

[00:22:51] remember what the angel said about

[00:22:53] John it says he shall he shall be great

[00:22:56] in the sight of the Lord he added that

[00:22:58] little qualifier on there he shall be

[00:23:00] great in the sight of the Lord with

[00:23:01] Jesus there's no qualifier

[00:23:04] it's just he shall simply be great

[00:23:06] because God is great that's the idea

[00:23:08] here this is his essential nature will

[00:23:11] be great kings can be great but Jesus

[00:23:15] will be the greatest of them all

[00:23:17] teachers can be great he is the

[00:23:19] greatest of them all leaders can be

[00:23:20] great he is the greatest of them all

[00:23:22] conquerors can be great he is the

[00:23:23] greatest of them all

[00:23:24] liberators can be great he will be

[00:23:26] greatest of them all

[00:23:27] redeemers may be great he is the

[00:23:29] greatest of them all on and on you

[00:23:31] could go with that list everything

[00:23:33] really he will be greatest of them

[00:23:35] all he will be the son of the most

[00:23:37] high also which is really why he's

[00:23:39] the greatest of them all because he

[00:23:41] is the son of the most high that

[00:23:42] basically is a way another way of

[00:23:44] saying that he is a son of God

[00:23:46] unlike all other humans who will be

[00:23:48] born to women, he will not merely be a man, he will be the God-man. He will be God incarnate.

[00:23:53] We've studied that before. At conception, the second person of the Trinity added to his

[00:24:00] divine nature, a human nature and thus became, he was really a biological descendant of Adam

[00:24:05] at that point too but he was different in the sense that it was God incarnate in human

[00:24:09] flesh. And it says, And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and

[00:24:15] he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end. Now this is

[00:24:22] such a rich theological verse, we could spend a whole sermon on this, we won't but I just

[00:24:27] want you to understand how important this is in the concept of Jesus, his Jewishness

[00:24:33] and the promises of the Old Testament. You may remember what we call the Davidic covenant,

[00:24:39] the familiar term we did, this was the promise that was made to King David in Israel all

[00:24:43] those years ago, you'll read about it in 2 Samuel 1 Chronicles. In this covenant God

[00:24:49] promised King David four things, he promised that the king would have an eternal throne,

[00:24:57] he promised that he would have an eternal dynasty, that means a house, a family name,

[00:25:01] he promised that he would have an eternal kingdom and he would have an eternal descendant

[00:25:07] because without an eternal descendant you can't have an eternal kingdom, you can't

[00:25:10] have an eternal throne, you can't have an eternal, that's the whole point of everything here,

[00:25:14] you need an eternal one to make all these things eternal. It's an unusual promise but it was

[00:25:18] promised to David, King David all those years ago. Now we look back on that, it's been a long time

[00:25:24] since there was a throne of David in Jerusalem, the throne was destroyed many many years ago

[00:25:28] but it's eternal in the sense that when Jesus came into the world, this one who was just,

[00:25:33] we were reading about his announcement, he was that eternal descendant therefore there was always

[00:25:39] an heir who was ready to take the throne and at the right time he will take the throne back,

[00:25:42] we studied that in Revelation, that's what that book was about. So there is, he is the fulfillment

[00:25:47] of the Davidic covenant here. Gabriel's announcement about the Messiah portrays him here,

[00:25:53] connects him here to the Old Testament promises, it's very significant. This is why you see why

[00:25:58] it was so important to have those genealogies showing that he was in fact a descendant of

[00:26:03] David, that's the whole point. The genealogical line of Jesus Christ was very very significant

[00:26:09] because if he wasn't these promises couldn't apply to him and he couldn't fulfill them and

[00:26:12] then God made a mistake. So it's all following along very well to show us that this is the case

[00:26:17] and it says the Lord will give him the throne and this shows us that the Messiah fulfilled

[00:26:22] the qualifications of kingship in Israel. One was you had to be a descendant of David

[00:26:27] and the other was you had to be divinely appointed to the throne, to the king.

[00:26:31] We see both of that here. Now let's be clear, the throne of David, that's an earthly throne

[00:26:38] that was in Jerusalem. It is not the Father's throne in heaven. The two are spoken of in

[00:26:43] the same sentence in some verses differently, they are differentiated. So it is he is at his

[00:26:49] Father's throne now but that is not the throne of David. The throne of David was an earthly

[00:26:53] throne over a kingdom that he will one day take his place out in Jerusalem. He had to be

[00:26:58] that descendant of David for that too and it says he will rule over the house of Jacob forever.

[00:27:05] Now many of you may be aware there are a lot of churches that do believe in what we call

[00:27:10] supercessionism or replacement theology that the church is in fact the new Israel.

[00:27:16] This verse gives them serious problems for that. Nowhere in the Bible do you find the

[00:27:21] church called the house of Jacob, Jacob being the name of Israel. He was literally called Jacob,

[00:27:27] he was called Israel. This is referring to the Jewish nation. It's saying that the future

[00:27:32] Davidic king will rule over Israel in this time when he takes his throne. Now yes,

[00:27:38] he'll rule over the earth, he'll rule over the church, he'll rule over everything else too

[00:27:42] but it's not one or the other. That's the point. Some people like to make it one or the other.

[00:27:46] At this point you see it's clearly both. You cannot have a replacement theology from this

[00:27:50] verse. This is talking about the restored redeemed, regathered Israel that we studied at the end of

[00:27:57] the book of Revelation and now this is not a popular doctrine today but the future time we call it the

[00:28:03] millennium when David will rule from this throne is talked about much in the scriptures so it's

[00:28:09] an important part of theology. It's the glorious part, the end of the story in some ways or

[00:28:13] almost the end of the story in some ways but that we have it mentioned here in the New Testament.

[00:28:17] A lot of people say it's not in the New Testament. It's just in the Old Testament and we

[00:28:21] don't believe that anymore, right? You've probably heard that sort of argument. Just not true. You

[00:28:26] see it is in the New Testament and the New Testament connects to the Old and it all connects

[00:28:30] in the person here of this one you shall call his name Jesus. Jesus Christ, the name above all

[00:28:36] names. Let's look at verse 34. Mary said to the angel how can this be since I am a virgin?

[00:28:41] Pretty clear she identifies herself as a virgin. Now the translators have put

[00:28:45] as a virgin there. I think in the Greek it originally reads because I have no no man.

[00:28:50] That's the point there so it's a very strong way of saying this that she was a virgin

[00:28:54] so that's the idea. Now she is asking the question. She's not asking it in the kind of

[00:28:59] same doubting way that the Zacharias responded to Gabriel. I don't think it's the same here.

[00:29:04] It's more just a pregnant virgin seems like a logical contradiction in her mind. It's

[00:29:09] inconceivable to her. She doesn't even know how that could happen and that's why the angel

[00:29:14] answers her graciously. He says the angel answered and said to her verse 35 the Holy Spirit will come

[00:29:19] upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you and for that reason the Holy Child

[00:29:24] will be the Son of God. So Gabriel gives an answer and he basically describes that this

[00:29:29] conception will not be like all others it will simply be a supernatural act. We call this a divine

[00:29:35] this is a miracle that we have going on here. It's far above the comprehension of human

[00:29:40] intellect I would say. We call it the mystery of the incarnation. It should fill us with wonder

[00:29:46] and should fill us with amazement in many ways. It did the apostle Paul. Do you remember in one

[00:29:51] Timothy where he says by common confession great is the mystery of godliness. He who was revealed

[00:29:57] in the flesh is referring to the incarnation was vindicated in the spirit seen by angels

[00:30:02] proclaimed among the nations believed on in the world and taken up into glory. Great

[00:30:07] is the mystery of godliness. Another one there remember he said he shall be great

[00:30:13] great is the mystery of godliness and he says and behold back in verse 36 and behold even your

[00:30:20] relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age and she who was called barren is now

[00:30:26] in her six month for nothing will be impossible with God. He says that there has already been

[00:30:32] one birth miracle in your family now there is going to be another one but it's going to be

[00:30:36] even greater. You see with Zacharias and Elizabeth the miracle was that a woman who was formerly barren

[00:30:42] has now given birth whereas now with Mary it's going to be a woman who is still a virgin

[00:30:47] is given birth so there is absolutely no mistaking going on that this was a divine

[00:30:51] miracle and he says nothing for nothing will be impossible with God. Now you've probably seen

[00:30:57] that verse on many Instagram posts or pictures or postcards bookmarks people love to throw

[00:31:02] that's one of these verses that is classically thrown out of context to just imply that absolutely

[00:31:08] anything can be done by God and I'm not denying that to a degree but often you've got to have

[00:31:13] the text in context is what I'm saying here this is specifically given in the context of two birth

[00:31:19] miracles that is what the text is referring to he's saying basically to Mary with God with

[00:31:26] you rather these things are impossible a barren woman giving birth and a virgin

[00:31:30] giving birth those things are impossible with you Mary I understand that but what he's basically

[00:31:34] saying is with me they are not impossible okay I am the omnipotent I am the sovereign Lord I am

[00:31:41] not bound by the same human restrictions that you have and the idea of the text is that God

[00:31:47] will perform what he has promised that's that's the implication in the actual Greek of the text

[00:31:51] that his word will be fulfilled which is elsewhere we see it mentioned many times in the Bible

[00:31:58] he will fulfill all of his words he wouldn't have sent Gabriel to send this promise if it could not be

[00:32:03] fulfilled that's what the idea of this text is and then verse 38 we'll finish with this text

[00:32:09] and Mary said behold the bond slave of the Lord may it be done to me according to your word

[00:32:15] and the angel departed from her lovely way to end there and I think you really see the

[00:32:19] humility and faith of Mary at this point another faith just like Elizabeth she was an extremely

[00:32:25] faithful young woman that they estimate maybe 15 16 at this time here and you see her faith

[00:32:30] she's willing to just submit to the Lord even when she's heard something so outrageous or inconceivable

[00:32:37] or hard to accept as she just has she lays aside her own will her own thoughts her own questions

[00:32:43] at this time and she just declares herself to be a bond servant of the Lord someone who follows

[00:32:48] the Lord and whatever your will be done it's much like how we're taught to pray isn't it not my

[00:32:53] will but your will Lord and Mary just does that here she knows that the word of the Lord can be

[00:32:58] trusted she submits to it without hesitation and in this act there she actually lays down a wonderful

[00:33:03] model of what it is to be a Christian in this world we accept the word of God and we submit to the

[00:33:09] will of the Lord because we know it is best for us even if it doesn't always feel like it in the

[00:33:15] immediate we know the Lord has it planned out for us I want to just end to you now by reading

[00:33:22] the end of one of Spurgeon's famous sermons as he it was basically a sermon he did on the name

[00:33:27] of Jesus Christ and what it should mean to us and it as they often used to write in these days he

[00:33:32] had such a lovely ending to a sermon I want to just read it to you now so he says Jesus was to me

[00:33:39] at first my only trust I leaned on him very hard for I had such a load to carry I laid myself

[00:33:45] and my load down at his feet he was all in all to me I had not shared a hope outside of him

[00:33:50] nor any trust beyond himself crucified and risen for me sometimes I faint away into his arms I have

[00:33:57] died into his life I am lost in his fullness he is all my salvation and all my desire his cross

[00:34:03] before my failing eyes shall be my dying comfort as it is my living strength what was Jesus Christ

[00:34:10] to me at first he was the object of my warmest love was it not so with you also was he not

[00:34:16] chief among 10 000 and altogether lovely what charms what beauties were there in that dear face of his

[00:34:23] and what a freshness what a novelty what a delight which set all our passions on a flame

[00:34:28] what was Jesus Christ to me at first well he was my highest joy in my young days now my heart

[00:34:34] did dance at the sound of his name was it not so with you we may be huskier in voice heavier in

[00:34:39] body and slower in moving our limbs but his name has as much charm for us as ever it had

[00:34:45] there was a trumpet that nobody could blow but the one who was the true heir and there is nobody

[00:34:49] who can ever fetch the true music out of us but our Lord to whom we belong let us go forward then

[00:34:55] to the unchanging savior through the changing things of time and sense and we shall meet him

[00:35:00] soon in the glory and he will be unchanged even there as compassionate and loving to us when we

[00:35:05] shall get home to him and see him in his splendor as he was to his poor disciples when he

[00:35:11] himself had nowhere to lay his head and was a sufferer amongst them oh do you know him do you

[00:35:16] know him do you know him do you know him if not may he this night reveal himself to you for his

[00:35:24] sweet mercy's sake amen you've been listening to theology and apologetics this podcast is supported

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