The Holy Son of God

Good morning, everyone! Happy Advent season. At the beginning of Advent last Sunday, we learned from Jim’s message, Isaiah 11, that Jesus is the Messianic branch of the Lord. Isaiah 11:1, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” Jesse was the father of the greatest king in Israel’s history, David. God promised king David that through his line the Messiah would come and establish an eternal kingdom. The Messiah of course is Jesus. [Pic 1] I brought this picture back up because Bishop Barron in his lectionary yesterday also referred to this picture. We call this the Davidic covenant, which was announced centuries before Jesus’ birth. In this second week of Advent, I would like to continue that trend by talking about how Jesus’ birth fulfilled that prophecy of the coming of the eternal king. More than that, Jesus is the Holy One of God. Luke 1:26-38 is one of those familiar Christmastime passages we hear every year. [Pic 2] But it’s great because we can celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When we do, we will see that Luke intentionally wrote of this event to emphasize the core message of the angel, that Mary’s son, Jesus, is the promised Messiah.
The Holy Son of God
Luke 1:26-38
Key Verse: 35:
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[d] will be called holy—the Son of God.”
The passage immediately preceding ours tells of the conception of John the Baptist by Zechariah and Elizabeth. Their baby was a miracle baby because Zechariah and Elizabeth were already passed the age of child-bearing. Very much like the story of Abraham and Sarah in the OT. When our passage then begins in the sixth month, Luke attaches the storyline of Mary’s pregnancy to the timeline of Elizabeth’s. Look at verses 26-27. “26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed[a] to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.” Luke tells us Gabriel was sent by God to Nazareth. God’s intent on entering space and time was not by happenstance, but a highly orchestrated plan prepared by God a long time ago. Jesus came at a specific time, for a specific purpose, and those directly involved, firstly his parents, were specifically told. It was like a CIA operation. Do you know the spiritual meaning of CIA? Christ Is Appeared. God sent a specific angel Gabriel to a specific city, in a specific region, to a specific virgin named Mary, and at a specific time in history. She is engaged to a specific man whose name was Joseph from the House of David. Mary’s status as a virgin is obviously well-known. Mary was engaged to a man named Joseph, meaning the son born to her would have all the legal implications that came with this man. The notable fact about this man Joseph that Luke needs us to know is that Joseph comes from the house of David. Remember the prophecy from Isaiah 11:1 about the branch from the stump of Jesse.
The four critical elements from this introduction are God as a message sender, the angel Gabriel as the message-bearer, Mary as a virgin, and Joseph as son of David. Luke goes on in verse 28, recording the opening dialogue of these characters, which includes an assertion of grace. Look at verse 28. “28 And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’[b]” Gabriel exclaimed: Greetings! This is the same word for rejoice. Upon entering, Gabriel exclaimed: Rejoice! Why should she rejoice? Should she rejoice that she is engaged? She should rejoice because she has been blessed with the grace of God, which Gabriel defines as the presence of God. [Pic 3] Some say, that the restoration of the presence of God to his people is what the story of the Bible is all about. All of God’s people will get to enjoy the blessing and the grace of being in God’s presence.
This should be the source of rejoicing for all of God’s people. Of course, we are humans and there are things in the world that gives us temporary joy. For example, many people in Chicago are rejoicing that the Bears are in first place in the NFC. But what if they lose today, then our joy will dissipate. I rejoiced when the Chicago Bulls were 5-0 at the beginning of the season. But now they are in a losing streak and I don’t want to watch them anymore. We are not all sports fans but we can try to find joy in something else. My granddaughter is six-years old, and of course, she is waiting in anticipation for her many Christmas gifts. We can be like her and put our joy in the things that we get in the world. No one but Maria can guess why I rejoiced this morning. I have been shoveling the parking lot in wintertime the past two years. But this morning the company our main church hired came at 6:45am to shovel. I shouted with joy, finally! But from Gabriel’s message we learn that true and everlasting joy is the presence of God. King David was a rich and powerful king with a vast kingdom at the peak of his reign. But his joy was not in the things of the world, but in the presence of God. He wrote in Psalm 84:10, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” There is something about Mary’s experience that renders her specially blessed. Living in God’s presence is a blessing of grace for God’s people; but Mary’s unique experience with God’s presence made the blessing of grace for her unique as well.
Rejoice, you who have been blessed with grace, for the Lord is with you. This is Gabriel’s assertion of grace, which perplexed Mary. Verse 29 tells us Mary was confused. Look at verse 29. “29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.” Gabriel just announced to her God’s intention to grace her with his presence in a way that exceeds all other women, but she was perplexed at this word; mulling over what to make of this greeting. This is a beautifully human moment from Mary. Of course, she would be confused and greatly troubled. [Pic 4] There is an angel standing right in front of her! Moreover, he is telling her seemingly unbelievable things. In the Gospel of Matthew, the unnamed angel speaks to Joseph in a vision after Mary was already pregnant, which means Mary’s angelic encounter in our passage happened first. There was no mental preparation for this encounter. No one who lived in Nazareth would ever believe that an angel would visit their small and humble town. It’s like an angel visiting Ford Heights. Anyone heard of it? It’s the smallest suburb around Chicago. (population less than 2,000)
Look at verse 30. “30And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.’” Gabriel says, Mary, do not be afraid. We finally hear Mary’s name from the mouth of Gabriel. Gabriel attempts to quell her fear by speaking her name. Proverbs 9:10 reads, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Gabriel tells Mary not to be afraid. The fear of the Lord and being afraid are different realities. Being afraid is an emotion when we feel unsafe; the fear of the Lord is the awestruck wonder at God’s greatness. When we fear the Lord, we join the root of Jesse in delighting in the fear of the Lord. Again, from Isaiah 11:2-3a, “And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.” We delight in the almighty power of God, who created the heavens and the earth by his word. Those who do not believe in God the Creator of the heavens and earth have no fear of the God. The proper fear of the Lord is not what Gabriel instructs Mary to avoid; rather he tells her not to be afraid. She has no reason to feel unsafe is because she has found grace from God. The presence of God was intent on coming to her. Rather than deservedly being struck down due to her sin and the utter holiness of God, she was shown grace. When you receive grace from God, nothing should cause us to be afraid. Though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling, we have no need to be afraid, for God is our refuge and strength, a proven help in trouble. YHWH of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. If you receive God’s grace, we have no need to be afraid. Mary has no need to be afraid; she found God’s grace.
Look at verses 31-33. “31And 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.” God sent Gabriel to Mary to deliver the message in verses 31-33. Behold, you will conceive. Whereas the angel appears to Joseph in a vision after she has already conceived, Gabriel’s visit to Mary happens before she conceives. Behold, you will conceive and bring forth a son who you shall name Jesus. In Matthew’s account the angel explains to Joseph that he is to name the boy Jesus—a name that means YHWH saves—for he will save his people from their sins. This isn’t an accidental name. This boy Jesus will be great and called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. No explanation is yet given for how this child will be Son of God. In fact, nothing thus far indicates Mary will have a virgin birth. The conception was told to her as a future event. She was soon marrying Joseph. Joseph is a son of David, which would render her son also a son of David. This connection to David, as we saw earlier, is the central point to Gabriel’s message. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign forever over the house of Jacob; his kingdom will not end. God promised David in 2 Samuel 7:12-16, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.”
Gabriel makes a significant claim about Jesus’ identity: Jesus is the messianic descendant of David. While there were many kings, the Davidic dynasty had one specific man in view, who would come from the house of David and be called Son of God. The necessity of Joseph coming from the house of David is here made clear. Jesus is the long-awaited Davidic heir and long-expected messiah who will save God’s people from their sins by executing God’s righteous judgment against all opposed to his will. Like the song sings, “Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?” If Mary knew her Bible, then the answer is yes. Gabriel told Mary she will conceive and give birth to the Messiah. Mary’s not-yet-conceived son Jesus will do great miracles—the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap, the dumb will speak, and the dead to live again. Gabriel delivered a most-glorious message to Mary, declaring to her the Gospel; the first declaration of the Gospel explicitly in the name of Jesus. Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God and he has come! The child Mary would soon deliver would himself be the deliverer of all God’s people.
Look at verse 34. “34 And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’”[c] Mary listened to Gabriel’s message, and in verse 34, she inquiries about one significant detail. She does not seem to misunderstand the first part of Gabriel’s message. She is confused about the how. Gabriel told her she will give birth, but two barriers are in the way: 1) she is not yet married; and 2) she has not yet known a man, especially her fiancé Joseph. These are two huge barriers. Mary’s inquiry is clear: since I am living sexually-holy, how will I give birth to the Messiah? How did the angel Gabriel answer her?
Look at verses 35-37. “35And 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[d] 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.” Mary brings up a good point, so in verses 35-37, the sacred discourse clarifies the how. How will I give birth to the Messiah? Gabriel responds: the Holy Spirit will come upon you; the power of the Most High will overshadow you; thus, the Holy One born will be called the Son of God. While the status of Jesus as the human heir of the Davidic dynasty has been established by Joseph, how he would be Son of God has not been clearly established, until now. Jesus will be Son of God, because the not-yet-conceived child in Mary is from the Holy Spirit. Mary’s conception was supernatural and there remain elements of mystery as well. Even still, Gabriel told Mary a spectacular thing, and she knows this is not how the female body naturally works; this is why Jesus’ virgin birth, just like his miracles and resurrection, is supernatural. There is no natural explanation. Anticipating Mary’s next question, Gabriel tells her why she should believe the word of God that these naturally impossible things will happen. Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age; she who was called barren is in the sixth month. This would have been an extraordinary revelation to Mary, since Elizabeth was advanced in years and barren. Just like the supernatural pregnancy of her far-distant relative Elizabeth, this could have only taken place at the doing of God. This leads to Gabriel’s grand conclusion to Mary’s how question: nothing is impossible with God. [Pic 5] The Creator of the Universe is necessarily superior to the laws of nature and can bend them at his will. Just as the Author of Life can give life to a dead womb, so also can he bring forth life from a virgin womb if it accomplishes his will of extending the knowledge of his glory through all his creation. Nothing is impossible with God.
Look at verse 38. “38 And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant[e] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.” Mary responds by giving her wholehearted consent to the will of God not just for her life but for the life of the world accomplished by the Messiah she will bear. Mary yields her life to the will of God. Her only inquiry related to how God’s will would be done in her life; but she did not push back against the will of God. The will of God is immovable and will happen no matter what we do. Mary gives the only proper response when the will of God is revealed: Behold, I am a servant of the Lord; may this happen according to your word. Mary wasted no time and went to see Elizabeth. This angel promised something in the future and rooted the sureness of this promise in something God had already done, the pregnancy of Elizabeth. When Mary arrived, John the Baptist leaped for joy in Elizabeth’s womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! Why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? …Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord (42-45). This prompted Mary to sing a magnificent song of praise to the Mighty, Holy, and Merciful God of her salvation.
Sometime later Jesus was born and there were shepherds in a field. One of the angels revealed to them the longed-for Messiah from the house of David was born. Suddenly appearing, the shepherds heard the song of boast from the angelic hosts: “Glory to God in the highest; peace to all who find his grace.” In belief, the angels sought out Joseph, Mary, and Jesus their Lord and shared their encounter with the angels. Mary treasured up all these things in her heart (2:19). And the shepherds in their belief could not contain themselves from singing. In belief, when Simeon beheld the baby Messiah, his heart could not contain his song of blessing to the Lord. In belief, the prophetess Anna could not control her tongue from singing praises or thanks to God upon seeing the baby Messiah. Whether Mary, the angelic hosts, the shepherds, the righteous, or prophets—no matter who heard the good news that the long-promised and long-expected Messiah of God had arrived in the person Jesus, faith and songs of praise were the natural response.
To this, we must follow. We believe and sing praises to God that he did not leave us in our sins but made a way by promising to crush the head of the serpent and reverse the curse that we may be restored to life in his presence. We learned this way back in Genesis 3:15, called the pre-gospel verse. We believe and sing praises to God that in times of waiting he made promises to his people. We believe and sing praises to God that he cannot and will not recant on any of his promises. We believe and sing praises to God that he fulfills his promises without fail. We believe and sing praises to God that he sent his son Jesus to be born of a woman, born under the law that he may fulfill the law, living the life that we fail to live. Standing before Pontius Pilate, Jesus declared the purpose of his birth. John 18:37a, “Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world…’” Jesus spoke these words before he was sentenced by Pilate to be crucified on the cross. Jesus was born to die. Jesus was born to take your sins and mine and carry them all to the cross. There is a glorious reason to celebrate at Christmas the birth of our Messiah, but let us never detach his birth from his overall mission. Before he was even conceived, he was declared the Messiah, meaning he would be pierced for the transgressions of God’s people, crushed for our iniquities by the will of God. Being the messiah, though, also means that because of his total innocence and suffering, he would be vindicated. On the third day, God would revive this Messiah and all who are joined to him by faith. We believe and sing praises to God, therefore, that out of the abundance of love for his people, he sent his Son to die for our sins; to bridge the chasm that prevents us from living in God’s presence. We believe and sing praises to God for raising Jesus from the dead. And we believe and sing praises to God for his gracious invitation to all the world to follow Jesus into his kingdom that shall never end.

From this passage we thank God for this Advent Season, in which we think more deeply of the meaning of Christmas and Jesus’ birth. As we know, it has been so commercialized in our culture today. But may we never forget the grace that each of us has received from God, as Mary did, that God sent his Holy Son to forgive our sins and to take us back with him to his eternal kingdom. From God’s grace upon Mary, I am reminded of God’s grace upon this sinner. In 1964, I was born in the city of Tacloban, Philippines. Tacloban means “catches crabs” because it is by the sea where fishermen caught crabs. So, I was only a poor Filipino boy, from a crab catching town. But by God’s grace my family could immigrate to Chicago in 1970. As a freshman at UIC, I was invited to Bible study. Through Bible study I accepted my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. By God’s grace I could serve him and like Mary I prayed, “Let God’s will be done upon my life.” Since then and up to now, my life has been full of adventures, travels around the world with my family and Maria, some hardships, and difficulties, teaching the Bible to many students in America and Ukraine, delivered hundreds of messages in different countries, baby-sitting grandchildren, but always joyful because Jesus is my Lord and King of my life. May God’s grace be poured upon each of us during this Christmas Season of Advent as we look forward to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God. Amen.

Luke 1 26-38 presentation
Footnotes
a. Luke 1:27 That is, legally pledged to be married
b. Luke 1:28 Some manuscripts add Blessed are you among women!
c. Luke 1:34 Greek since I do not know a man
d. Luke 1:35 Some manuscripts add of you
e. Luke 1:38 Greek bondservant; also verse 48
f. Message based on “Preparing the Way for the Mother of Jesus” by Daniel Harrison

Bible Study Questions:

HIS KINGDOM WILL NEVER END

Luke 1:26-38

Key Verse: 1:33

^V

I . Read verses 26-27. To what does in the sixth month” refer? What do these verses tell us about Mary? Who was Gabriel?

2. Read verses 28-30. How did Gabriel greet Mary? How did Mary react? Why did finding favor with God trouble her? What can we learn here about the meaning of Godⁱs favor?
3. Read verses 31-33, What was the mission God had for Mary? What does “Jesus” mean? (Mt I :21) According to verses 32-33, who was the son Mary would bear? What would be his mission? Compare Isaiah How did the knowledge Of this prophecy help Mary?
4. What is the throne of his father David? What is the kingdom that will never end? What does “Son of the Most High” mean?
5. Read verses 34-36, What was Marys initial response? How would the miraculous conception of this baby take place? How did God’s work in Elizabeth’s life testify to the power of God? What did Mary have to believe? (37)
6. Read verse 38. What was Mary’s response? What might her act of obedience cost? What does her acceptance of this difficult mission from God show about her life and faith?