Explores Mary's faith in accepting God's will, encouraging us to trust God's promises and be active participants in His redemptive narrative.
Good morning, beloved family of God. I have the distinct privilege of standing before you today, not by my own merit, but by the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We are gathered together in His name, bound by the love He has lavished upon us, and driven by the hope He has instilled within us.
Today, we turn our hearts and minds to the Gospel of Luke, specifically Luke 1:26-38. This passage, my dear brothers and sisters, is a profound testament to the power of faith and divine intervention. It's a story that has been told countless times, yet it never loses its awe-inspiring resonance.
Let's read the passage together:
"In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.' Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.' 'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.' 'I am the Lord’s servant,' Mary answered. 'May your word to me be fulfilled.' Then the angel left her."
The angel Gabriel, a messenger from God, announces to Mary, a humble virgin, that she will give birth to the Savior of the world. Can you imagine the faith it must have taken for Mary to accept this divine message? Can we, in our own lives, accept God's will with such unwavering trust?
Charles Spurgeon, a revered preacher and author, once said, "Faith goes up the stairs that love has built and looks out the windows which hope has opened." This quote, my friends, encapsulates the essence of our passage today. Mary's faith ascends the stairs built by her love for God, and through the windows of hope, she sees the promise of salvation.
Reassurance: The angel, sensing Mary's apprehension, reassured her with the words, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God." This divine reassurance is a reminder that God's plans, though they may seem daunting, are always for our good. When God calls us to a task, He equips us with the courage and the strength to accomplish it. Mary, despite her initial fear, found the courage to accept God's will because she trusted in His goodness.
The angel then revealed God's plan to Mary: She was to conceive and give birth to a son, whom she was to name Jesus. This child, the angel declared, would be great and would be called the Son of the Most High. He would be given the throne of his ancestor David, and he would reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom would never end. This grand announcement was not just a revelation of God's plan for Mary, but also a revelation of God's plan for humanity. Through Mary, God was going to bring forth the Savior of the world, the one who would redeem humanity from sin and death.
Mary, in her innocence, asked the angel: "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" This question, though simple, is a testament to Mary's faith. She did not doubt the angel's words. Instead, she sought to understand how God's plan would unfold. The angel answered her, saying, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." This divine explanation is a reminder that with God, nothing is impossible. He is the Creator of the universe, the one who spoke the world into existence. He can accomplish His plans in ways that defy human understanding.
Elizabeth: The angel further revealed to Mary that her relative Elizabeth, who was said to be barren, was in her sixth month of pregnancy. This was another testament to God's power. He is able to bring life where there is barrenness, hope where there is despair. This revelation must have strengthened Mary's faith and reassured her of God's faithfulness.
Mary responded to the angel's announcement with the words: "I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled." This response is a testament to Mary's submission to God's will. Despite the challenges that lay ahead, she was willing to obey God and fulfill the role He had chosen for her. Her submission is a model for us, as believers. We are called to submit to God's will, trusting in His wisdom and His love for us.
As we continue to immerse ourselves in the narrative of Luke 1:26-38, we find ourselves standing on the precipice of a promise so momentous, it would forever alter the course of human history ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
Sermon Central
