Luke
1:26-38
The woman or more correctly young women chosen by
God to carry the Messiah, the King of Kings, and the Holy One was not one of
the elite in her society during those days but she was of the house or lineage
of David. Mary met all of the requirements that were prophesied many centuries
before our Lord’s birth that a virgin from Nazareth would give birth to the
King of Israel. Mary was in her house busy doing the things she did daily and
suddenly Gabriel appears to her by entering her home. Notice Mary like Zacharias
and every other person in the Bible when she saw this angel Gabriel she feared
greatly until he responded to her to fear not. Gabriel’s appearance must have
been majestic whether he came in the form of a man or some other form it was
not something she had ever seen before. Today we find many people claiming to
have been visited by an angel and in their account of the event they never
speak of being afraid at his presence. I tell you that only the enemy who
camaflouges as an angel of light would make a person react contrary to Mary
when she saw Gabriel.
Of all the women in Nazareth she is now told by
Gabriel that she has been favored by God to bring the Messiah into the world.
She was surely aware of what the Prophets spoke even at her young age but could
not understand it all initially. The two English words used by the angel
Gabriel “highly favored” is equal to the
Greek word charitoo, which means to
grace, that is, indue with special honor, make accepted. This Greek
word is used only once elsewhere in the whole of Scripture and its location is
a most glorious place and relays such a glorious message to us the redeemed as
well as those on the outside who desire to come into our Lord Jesus Christ to
have their sins taken away. It is used by God the Holy Spirit through the
Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:6 “To the
praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”
NKJV It is the English phrase “made
us accepted” which is the same Greek word charitoo and this is who we are in Christ and this is also how our
Lord looked upon Mary. What a great find this is tucked away in Scripture. Our
Lord has looked upon us His elect/whosoever wills with His favor (see the
article entitled “Favor with God”, http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=93427
).
She was a young woman who recognized her frailty and
could not understand why the Lord would come to her. She actually deliberated
or reflected in her own mind what in the world did this angel want. Much like
our Lord did when He went to Jessie’s house to anoint the future King of Israel
David, He had already thoroughly known this young woman’s heart and this is why
she was elected. Gabriel told her to rejoice because this was the greatest
honor a young woman could receive and she would be blessed forever in the sight
of all Israel and the world at large. Mary would indeed do just that as she
sings a song later on exalting God her Savior. Mary never (in the few words we
have from her lips) in Scripture elevates herself to some form of human
perfection equal in status to the Lord Jesus Christ whom she carries and gives
birth to. She never tells anyone to pray to her for anything. On the contrary
we learn that after our Lord is born and grows into Manhood at the wedding in
Cana of Galilee, when they ran out of wine she tells the servants, “Whatever He
says to you, do it.”
However, back to her encounter with Gabriel, when he
tells her she will give birth to a child and name Him Jesus, she does not
consider or understand the power of God and ask how because she was a virgin
and planned to remain one until her wedding night with Joseph her betrothed. The
two of them may have had another year or more before they would come together
in marriage. Many people look at this (even the Jewish people back then did,
including people today) as something vulgar as if God the Holy Spirit would be
literally having sex with Mary and so they dismiss it as untrue or
unbelievable. However, again it is man’s inability to understand the power that
is inherently a part of who God (YAHWEH) is by His very existence and nature.
Isaiah
7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall
conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. NKJV
Isaiah
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 and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and
over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From
that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform
this. NKJV
Jeremiah
23:5-6 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise
to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute
judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And
Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be
called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” NKJV
1
Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was
manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached
among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. NKJV
Hebrews
10:5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.” NKJV
In this same 1st Chapter of Luke we read
how Elizabeth was barren and of an old age, but the Lord opened her womb that
she would conceive John the Baptist. He opened the womb of Rachel (Jacob’s wife)
that she would begin to conceive and bare children. In 1 Samuel 1:5-6 the Bible says the Lord closed the womb of Hannah
and then after she prayed and made a vow to give her child to the Lord then He
remembered her and her womb was opened by the Lord and she bore a son named
Samuel. Sarah (the wife of Abraham) was barren her entire life and the Lord
opened her womb at the age of 90 years and she conceived Isaac. Let us remember
these words from Genesis 1:3 Then God
said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. NKJV The natural laws that
govern nature on the earth do not operate independent of God’s hand and
control, but rather at His sole control. So when He stopped the Sun it was at
His command just as our Lord also spoke to the wind and told it to cease. It is
the Lord that is the author of every life on this earth and He can open or
close any womb by His unique only to Him life giving breath. God is Spirit and
He does not have a human form except when He was in Jesus Christ reconciling
this sinful world back to Him. These examples explain the statement of the
angel Gabriel when he said, “For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Genesis
18:14 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I
surely bear a child, since I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD?
At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and
Sarah shall have a son.” NKJV
“What we henceforth hate is our life; what we wholly
love is the Lord. Such persons cannot but utter the cry of Mary: “My soul magnifies the Lord”
(Luke 1:46). No longer is there self-importance, either in public or in
private.” Watchman Nee
“Mary’s
virginity protected a great deal more than her own moral character, reputation,
and the legitimacy of Jesus’ birth. It protected the nature of the Divine Son
of God... Jesus had to have one human parent or He could not have been human,
and thereby a partaker of our flesh. But He also had to have Divine parentage
or He could not have made a sinless and perfect sacrifice on our behalf.” John
MacArthur
If
you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this
from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear
Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I
believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from
the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn
from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control
of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you
Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus
Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and
Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple
I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reader,
Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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