a most inconvenient pregnancy

Daniel Patz, Lead Pastor

Grace Church, Sunday Worship

Luke 1:26-38

December 5th, 2010

INTRODUCTION

Advent series – GOD’S HIDDEN SMILE AT CHRISTMAS

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

    the Maker of heaven and earth,

    and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,

    born of the virgin Mary,

    suffered under Pontius Pilate,

    was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell. [See Calvin]

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,

    and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

    from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;

    the holy catholic church;

    the communion of saints;

    the forgiveness of sins;

    the resurrection of the body;

    and the life everlasting.

Amen.

SUMMARY OF THE TEXTS

Luke 1:26-38 ESV  In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from 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. And the virgin's name was Mary.  (28)  And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"  (29)  But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.  (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 call his name Jesus.  (32)  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,  (33)  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."  (34)  And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"  (35)  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.  (36)  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.  (37)  For nothing will be impossible with God."  (38)  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.

Matthew 1:18-25 ESV  Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  (19)  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.  (20)  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  (21)  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."  (22)  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:  (23)  "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).  (24)  When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,  (25)  but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

MAIN POINTS

INCONVENIENT TO:

1. Mary and Joseph

A Couples’ Temporary Crisis

The Angel appears to Mary and then Joseph and tells them that Mary will bear a son before they are sexually united.

This would bring misunderstanding and shame to Mary, Joseph and the families. I think of Noah…”try to explain this to everyone.”

Yet we read that Gabriel says to Mary – “God’s favor is upon you.”

“The clouds you so much dread,

are big with mercy and will break

with blessings on your head.”

God’s plan for redemption and victory:

We need a substitute – a man

We need an acceptable substitute - God

Luke 1:42 – Blessed are you among women

Comparison to Joseph in Egypt

2. The Old Serpent

The Beginning of the End for the Dragon

Genesis 3:15 ESV  I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

In many ways, Mary is like the second Eve…as a mother that is.

1 John 3:8 ESV  Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

Luke 10:18-20 ESV  And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  (19)  Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.  (20)  Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

3. The Rulers of this World

Psalm 2

John 3:18-19 ESV  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  (19)  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Luke 1:32-33 ESV  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,  (33)  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

BUT:

Salvation for the World

Galatians 4:4-6 ESV  But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,  (5)  to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.  (6)  And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

Matthew 1:20-21 ESV  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  (21)  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

Luke 1:31-33 ESV  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.  (32)  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,  (33)  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

CONCLUSION/APPLICATION