MEETING The DEMANDS For GOD’s PLAN-I—Luke 1:26-38
Attention:
All the elements for success are present.
On South Carolina highway-34, as you enter Dillon from the west, you’ll cross over I-95 & pass the ‘Harbor Freight’ warehouse on your right. Soon afterward, continuing into Dillon, you may notice an actual ‘army tank’, stationed in front of the South Carolina Army National Guard ‘recruiting office.’ The ‘tank’ is brown, camouflaged, &/or patina-ed from disuse. Normally a military tank is a frightening weapon, especially for private citizens. When fully operational that tank is mobile, can effectively operate in rough terrain, & has tremendous firepower. That tank has a turret that can rotate 360º.
BUT that tank is ‘dead-in-the-water’, unless it’s ‘engine’ is fully operational! It’s a great design to wreak havoc on the enemy, but without an engine to put all the systems in operation, it is just an expensive & veritable death-trap.
In order to fulfill the military’s plan, key elements essential to it’s success(‘an engine’) must be put into operation!
And in order for ‘God’s plan’ to be fulfilled, key elements essential to it’s success must be put into operation!
Need:
All people are lost & homeless from heaven, if they are not saved from the penalty of sin.
God dearly loves His free creation, mankind.
And so, God has provided the means for accomplishing man’s salvation.
Luke informs his audience of the primary/indispensable/essential elements of God’s plan for man’s salvation.
God’s plan for man demands some specifically essential elements.
What elements does God’s plan for man, demand?
1—God’s plan for man demands...
A JEWISH CONTEXT(:26-27)
Explanation:(:26-27)revelatory
1:26—“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,”
1:27—“to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.”
“Now in the sixth month”...
•That is, “in the sixth month” of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.
Lk. 1:36—““Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; & this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.”
“The angel Gabriel was sent by God”...
•“Gabriel” is the same “angel” who spoke to Zacharias in the temple(:11, 19).
“Sent”... “To a city of Galilee named Nazareth,”
“Nazareth” was a small village located about 15mi. to the west of the Sea of Galilee, & about 20mi, east of the Mediterranean Sea.—ISBE(1986)
“Nazareth” would be considered a ‘town’ by American standards, probably consisting of a only few hundred people.
In the Scripture, “Nazareth” is always designated as a poliv(city), but never as a kwmh(town). However, a poliv(city) may describe any place that is continuously inhabited whether large or small.—ISBE/MNTC
“To a virgin”...
Gabriel was sent specifically “to” a young woman who was “a virgin.”
“Virgin”2X—paryenov—Noun Accusative Sing. Fem.—1) A virgin—1a) A marriageable maiden, 1b) A woman who has never had sexual intercourse with a man, 1c) One's marriageable daughter; 2) A man who has abstained from all uncleanness & whoredom attendant on idolatry, & so has kept his chastity—2a) One who has never had intercourse with women. Strong—of unknown origin; A maiden; by implication--An unmarried daughter. Used 14X.?English familiarity=‘Parthenon’
“Mary’s” status as a “virgin” is stated outright, & it identifies her as the key player in the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa. 7:14, 8:10; Mat. 1:23).
•Isa. 7:14—“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive & bear a Son, & shall call His name Immanuel.”
•And Matthew’s gospel specifically tells us that:
Mat. 1:23—““Behold, the virgin shall be with child, & bear a Son, & they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.””
“Betrothed”...
“Mary” was betrothed/espoused/promised to a man by the name of “Joseph.”
•“Betrothal usually lasted a year & unfaithfulness on the part of the bride was punished with death(Deut. 23:24ff.).”—RWP
•“In Jewish practice, girls were usually engaged[promised] at the age of twelve or thirteen & married at the end of a one-year betrothal period.”
•The betrothal was arranged by the parents. “Only death or divorce could sever the contract.”
•A betrothed couple could officially/legally/rightly be referred to as ‘husband & wife.’
• Upon the death of a betrothed husband, his betrothed would have been legally regarded as a widow.—MNTC
“Betrothal” involved a “formal witnessed agreement to marry”, which was coupled with the exchange of a “bride price.”—BECNT The bride price was given by the bridegroom’s family to the family of the bride.—Oxford Dictionary or English.
About a year later, there would be a days-long ‘wedding feast’, which would be ended by the marriage’s consummation thru sexual intercourse. Following the consummation the couple would begin their lives as husband & wife.—BECNT/MNTC
“Betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.”
“Joseph” was a descendant of king David. That is, “Joseph’s” family lineage could be traced directly to king David—to whom was promised an everlasting kingdom(cf. 32-33).
“Joseph”—Iwshf—Noun Proper Masc.—Joseph = “Let him add”—1) The patriarch, the eleventh son of Jacob; 5) The husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus; Strong—Joseph, the name of seven Israelites. Used 35X.?•Of Hebrew origin [Powy Yow-saph’] future of--Poy yaw-saf'—To add or augment(often adverbia--To continue to do a thing)--Let him add(or perhaps simply active participle--Adding); a primitive root.
“The virgin’s name was Mary.”
Ironically, the name “Mary”, indicates ‘rebellion!
Do not allow emotional attachments of your “name” to hinder your attentiveness to God. Instead, allow your “name” to draw you to God, so that God is glorified in you, regardless of what others think of your “name”, or what you yourself think of it.
“Mary”—Maria OR--Mariam—Mary or Miriam—Lit. = “Their rebellion”—Noun Proper Feminine—1) Mary the mother of Jesus; 2) Mary Magdalene, a women from Magdala; 3) Mary, the sister of Lazarus & Martha; 4) Mary of Cleophas the mother of James the less; 5) Mary the mother of John Mark, a sister of Barnabas; 6) Mary, a Roman Christian who is greeted by Paul in Rom. 16:6. Strong—Maria or Mariam (i.e. Mirjam), the name of six Christian females.?•Of Hebrew origin—Myrm Miryam—Rebellion or rebelliously. Myrm Miryam itself originates from—rm mer-eey'—Bitterness, i.e. Rebellion; Bitter, or rebellious.
Argumentation/Illustration:
Jn. 4:19-23—“The woman[at the well] said to Him[Jesus], “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, & you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, & now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit & truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”
Application:
?What do you say, about God’s Plan for man Demanding a JEWISH CONTEXT for it’s fulfillment?
?Are YOU accepting of God’s plan?
2—God’s plan for man demands...
A VESSEL Of GOD’s CHOOSING(:28-30)
Explanation:(:28-30)
:28—“And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!””
:29—“But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, & considered what manner of greeting this was.”
:30—“Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” ”
:28—“And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!””
Upon his “coming into” Mary’s room/house, “the angel” spoke to Mary.
“The angel”, Gabriel(:26), never introduces himself, by name, to Mary. Though she was shaken, she must have known “the angel” was there as a messenger of “the Lord.”
“The angel” greeted Mary with personal accolades.
Gabriel informed Mary that she was favored/chosen(by God) “among” all other women. Basically, “the angel” saluted Mary as God’s chosen vessel!
Mary was informed by “the angel” that “the Lord was with her.” That is, God had His eye upon her as a candidate who was integral to the plan He was implementing.
:29—“But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, & considered what manner of greeting this was.”
Mary’s being “troubled” describes a “trouble” more intense than Zacharias faced in verse :12, even though it is translated the same in English.
Not being of priestly descent, Mary was ‘probably’ concerned about the miraculous significance, of such a positive “greeting” from “the angel.”
•Mary was internally distressed/disturbed/“troubled” about what Gabriel had said. She ‘probably’ wondered:
1)WHY she should “rejoice.”
2)WHY she was “highly favored” by “the Lord.”
3)WHAT exactly was meant by “The Lord” being “with her.”
4)WHY she was considered by God to be “blessed” “among” all other “women”!
*These are questions that would come to any of us, if God were to approach us in the same way!
:30—“Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” ”
Gabriel told Mary that she should “not be afraid.”
But WHY should she NOT be fearful?...
...Because “the angel’s” purpose there, was to let Mary know that “God” had specifically “favored” HER. God was NOT against her!
That she had “found favor with God” meant that God had specifically chosen her for a specific God-honoring task(cf.-:31).
Argumentation/Illustration:
•It is especially frightening to be made aware of God’s call upon you, even as a Christian.
•God will ‘generally’ ask you to do something that is NOT within your physical ability to do!... That is, you are not able to minister in the needed manner, in the absence of God’s power!
...And THAT is so that GOD will gain the glory, through the ministry that He calls you to!
•Now, those of you who are the Church, God has chosen as His Vessels to bear the truth about Christ Jesus before others!
Application:
?What do you say, about God’s Plan for man Demanding A VESSEL Of GOD’s CHOOSING for it’s fulfillment?
?Are YOU accepting of God’s plan?
3—God’s plan for man demands...
A UNIQUELY PARTICULAR SON(:31)
Explanation:(:31)
:31—“ “And behold, you will conceive in your womb & bring forth a Son, & shall call His name JESUS.” ”
Gabriel then revealed Mary’s ROLE, in God’s plan for man’s salvation.
God intentioned that Mary was to “conceive in” her “womb.”
•The result would be that she would give birth to a son, whom she was to specifically name, “Jesus.”
•The name, “Jesus” was a common name in Israel. The Hellenized name “Jesus”, was & is derived from the Hebrew ‘Yeshua’ or ‘Yehoshua,’’ meaning--‘YHWH-saves.’[AKA—‘Savior’]
The meaning of this titled name “Jesus”, is made more specific in the dream granted to Joseph as recorded in the Gospel according to Matthew:
Mat. 1:20-23—“But while he[Joseph, Mary’s betrothed husband] thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, & you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, & bear a Son, & they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” ”
So amazingly & thankfully, this “Jesus” who will be born to Mary, will “save” those who belong to Him, “from their sins.” And He will not only be the Savior from sin, but He will be Divine—as He will be: “Immanuel” or “God with us”!
It is not directly stated here that Mary’s “conception” would be miraculous & that she would actually be a virgin upon “conception.”...
•However, Mary knows EXACTLY what Gabriel means. She knows that she will “conceive in her womb” while still a virgin!...
:34—“Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?””
Application:
?What do you say, about God’s Plan for man Demanding A UNIQUELY PARTICULAR SON for it’s fulfillment?
?Are YOU accepting of God’s plan?
4—God’s plan for man demands...
A FULFILLED/eternal REIGN(:32-33)
Explanation:(:32-33)
:32—“ “He will be great, & will be called the Son of the Highest; & the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.”
:33—“ “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, & of His kingdom there will be no end.” ”
Her son Jesus would “be great”(megav)—of notariety/renown.
Her son Jesus would be considered/“called the Son of the Highest”
“The Lord God” is the Equivalent of Hebrew YHWH(‘I Am’) Adonai(owner/master).
God is promising, thru the angel Gabriel, that God’s “Son”—“the Son of the Highest”—born to her by uniquely miraculous means, would be given “David’s” “throne.”
“David” is considered to be Jesus’ fore-father, regally/royally. That is, Jesus is the rightful heir of “the throne” of “David” by family descent(cf.-Mat. 1:1-17).
“David” reigned over...held sovereignty over all Israel. But “David’s” “throne” is spoken of thru various prophecies as existing well beyond his own time, & into eternity!
Argumentation/Illustration:
Isa. 9:6-7—“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government & peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David & over His kingdom, To order it & establish it with judgment & justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
Rev. 11:15—“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord & of His Christ, & He shall reign forever & ever!””
*God’s people are ‘stewards’ of the truth of God in Christ Jesus...And as a result, God’s people thru Christ, will be co-rulers with Him!
1Cor. 6:2-3—the Apostle Paul writes:—“Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?”
Rev. 2:26-27—To the Thyatiran church—“And he who overcomes, & keeps My[Jesus’] works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations-- ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’--as I also have received from My Father;”
Application:
?What do you say, about God’s Plan for man Demanding A FULFILLED/eternal REIGN for it’s fulfillment?
?Are YOU accepting of God’s plan?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Without the engine to put all the systems in operation, an army tank is just an expensive & veritable death-trap.
Likewise, salvation offered without the core God intends is just so much useless fluff, & becomes a veritable death-trap.
Action:
God’s plan for man demands...
1—A JEWISH CONTEXT(:26-27)
2—A VESSEL Of GOD’s CHOOSING(:28-30)
3—A UNIQUELY PARTICULAR SON(:31)
4—A FULFILLED/eternal REIGN(:32-33)
Pts#1-4 presented 12/03/2023am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Road
Bennettsville, SC 29512
