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Luke 1:26-38
- In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy with John the Baptist, God sent the angel Gabriel to a young Jewish woman named Mary, who lived in the town of Nazareth, in the region of Galilee, in the country of Israel (Luke 1:26).
- It's important to understand that Mary was a virgin, and had never been with a man, but that she became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Elizabeth was a relative of Mary. She was married to a Jewish priest name Zacharias.
- Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist about six months before Jesus was born. John the Baptist was the prophet sent by God to prepare the way for the coming Messiah.
- Mary was pledged to be married to a Jewish man named Joseph, who was a descendant of David, the shepherd boy and great warrior who killed the Philistine giant Goliath, and whom God later anointed as the second king of the kingdom of Israel.
- It's important to understand that Joseph, and thereby Jesus is a descendant of David, because God made a covenant with David saying,
And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.” ’ ” - I Chronicles 17:11-14 NKJV
- God promised David that He would establish His throne and His eternal Kingdom through His own Son, who would be a descendant of David.
- Jesus is the descendant of David whom God was speaking of in His promise to David.
- Jesus is the Son whom God said, I will be His Father, and he shall be My son".
- Jesus is who God promised David, would establish His throne and His eternal Kingdom.
- Jesus was the one whom God promised would sit on the throne as King of His eternal kingdom.
- The angel that visited Mary told her to rejoice because she is blessed among women, that she is highly favored, that the Lord is with her, and that she had found favor with God.
- The angel told Mary that she will conceive a Son, who will be great, and who will be called the Son of the Most High.
- The angel said that God will give her Son the throne of David, and He will reign over the over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to His kingdom. She shall call His name Jesus.
- The angel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and that the power of the Highest would overshadow her. Mary would become pregnant and have a child by the Holy Spirit and the power of God.
- The angel told Mary that the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
- Mary's response was a response of humility and obedience: "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."
Matthew 1:18-25
- Mary was betrothed to Joseph, and before they came together sexually, she became pregnant with child of the Holy Spirit.
- Joseph wanted to divorce Mary, because he did not believe that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. However, Joseph was a just man, so he did not want everyone to know that Mary was pregnant because according to Jewish law, she would be stoned to death.
- As Joseph was thinking about these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, because the child is of the Holy Spirit.
- The angel said to Joseph that Mary will have a Son, and he shall call his name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.
- The name Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua which means, The Lord Saves, signifying that Jesus was sent by God to be the Savior of His people, just as the angel said to Joseph.
- Jesus's disciple Matthew who wrote the Gospel of Matthew, said in verses 22-23, that Jesus's birth was a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, where God said through him that "the virgin will be with child, and bear a Son, and they call His name Immanuel".
- Immanuel is a Hebrew word that is translated, "God with us", signifying that Jesus is God who came to earth to dwell among His creation.
- Joseph's response, like Mary's, was one of humility and obedience. He did what the angel of the Lord commanded to do, and he did not consummate the marriage until after Jesus was born.
- He named the child, Jesus.
- We call the kind of immediate obedience displayed by Mary and Joseph, IRCO - Immediate, Radical, Costly, Obedience.
- Mary and Joseph's immediate, radical obedience to God's commands was no doubt very costly to them. They likely faced many hardships and challenges from friends, family members, and community members, because of Mary's pregnancy outside of marriage.
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How can you obey?
Who can you share with?
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