Bible Study - CHRIST (2) - A Birth Like No Other - Luke 1:26-38 - March 8, 2015

Bible Study – CHRIST (2) – A Birth Like No Other – March 8, 2015

This is lesson two (2) in our series entitled “Like No Other: The Life of CHRIST.”

Our focus scripture is Luke 1:26-35.

JESUS is fully human and fully GOD. (Note last week’s lesson.)

We saw in last week’s lesson why the Messiah had to be both 100% human and 100% divine.

Let’s consider the scripture in Genesis 3:15: (GOD was speaking to the serpent after Eve and Adam had eaten the forbidden fruit which was the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.)

15 I (GOD) will put hostility between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your • seed (Anti-Christ or possibly off-spring) and her seed (CHRIST). He (CHRIST) will strike your head (Satan), and you (Satan) will strike his heel.

Scripture reveals HIS redemptive plan would be through woman. Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit. There are consequences for our actions. The eating of the forbidden fruit triggered the death sentence upon mankind as GOD had promised. GOD had given the responsibility of the Garden of Eden to Adam. He was present when Eve was being tempted and did not intervene. Plus, he ate the forbidden fruit, as well. Both are accountable to GOD and received the death sentence.

GOD was speaking to Satan who had manifested himself as a serpent. HE told Satan that HE would put hostility between him and the woman: his seed or the anti-Christ. Her seed is the promised Messiah, JESUS. The promised Messiah would strike Satan’s head, thus delivering a fatal blow which kills his attempt to destroy GOD’S redemptive plan for mankind and ultimately the final blow to Satan. But Satan would strike HIS heel, which would deliver a blow but it would not be fatal. The Messiah would be wounded for the sins of mankind but HE would not receive a fatal blow. Satan’s goal was to prevent GOD’S plan for the salvation of all who will place their faith in the promised Messiah/CHRIST. We know that GOD raised the Messiah from physical death thus conquering the consequence of sin, which is eternal death.

GOD’S plan was for the Messiah to be born of a young virgin peasant girl named Mary. Some historical writings indicate that the girls of that time period wondered if they would be the one GOD chosen to birth the Messiah. 

Mary lived in an unassuming small town named Nazareth. Mary was chosen by GOD, which took courage and trust in GOD by Mary. The Holy Spirit was the Father of JESUS but HIS adopted, earthly father, was Joseph for ancestral and trust purposes. Joseph had to be just as favored by GOD.

The Holy Spirit is the divine sperm or power Who transformed Mary’s seed or egg into JESUS, 100% human and 100% divine. And Who, in turn, transforms every person who places their faith in the risen CHRIST, through the miracle of Spiritual rebirth, into GOD’S eternal Sons or Daughters.

Mary’s Immaculate Conception is a mystery just as the Spiritual rebirth of a person that receives CHRIST as his or her Savior. We must keep in mind that GOD is GOD and these events were prophesied thousands of years before CHRIST came to earth.

What did the prophet Isaiah record regarding prophesy about the birth of the Messiah? Let’s read Isaiah 7:14: (700 B. C.)

14 Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.

Our lesson focuses upon the events leading up to Mary’s conception.

First, let’s consider who wrote the Gospel of Luke and why.

Luke was a Gentile physician. He was commissioned by a person named Theophilus to verify the accounts of this person called JESUS. Luke not only wrote Luke the Gospel but also the Book of Acts. Let’s read the introduction to the book of Luke as recorded in Luke 1:1-4:

The Dedication to Theophilus

1 Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. 3 It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.

Let’s read Luke 1:26-31:

Gabriel Predicts Jesus’ Birth:

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin • engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus.

First of all, “in the sixth month” [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy].” Luke records this in Luke 1:36-38:

36 And consider your relative Elizabeth —even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 “I am the Lord’s • slave,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

Gabriel is one of two angels named in the Bible. Michael is the other angel. Gabriel is GOD’S messenger and he was sent by GOD to Mary with a very important message. GOD knew all about her. He knew that she was a virgin, where she lived and that she was engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David.

Mary was engaged or espoused to Joseph. The engagement or espousal period lasted for one year. Espousal was a legal term and referred to a legal contract verbally agreed to in the presence of witnesses. It could also be a written agreement. It was a period where the couple was considered married but they lived apart and there was no sex. If they desired to terminate their betrothal, they had to get a divorce. After a year of engagement, the couple would marry and then consummate their marriage.

Mary’s ancestry had to trace back to the prophetic roots of the promised Messiah and just as important were the ancestral roots of Joseph. The religious leaders would trace Joseph’s ancestry back to the roots of the promised Messiah but so did Mary’s. Mary’s ancestry was the key because it is the seed of woman that would defeat Satan.

Some may say that CHRIST was not 100% human because HE did not have an earthly father. If HE had an earthly father, HE could not have been 100% divine. All things are possible with GOD.

Eve ate the forbidden fruit and she lost eternal life for her and all of her offspring. Adam joined her in eating of the forbidden fruit which resulted in him losing eternal life. Both Adam and Eve and their offspring incurred the loss of eternal life and incurred the death sentence, which is eternal separation from GOD. It is impossible for mankind to restore eternal life upon itself by doing good deeds and clean living and become once again GOD’S children. GOD had a plan to give mankind an opportunity to be restored to HIS original intent for mankind.

Religion is mankind’s attempt to reach up to GOD but salvation through faith in CHRIST, the promised Messiah, is GOD reaching down to mankind. Place your faith in what GOD has done to redeem you by asking CHRIST to forgive you for your sins and to come into your heart. Now is your opportunity to receive salvation from sin and its consequence eternal death.

HIS plan involved the death of HIS only SON, JESUS. JESUS gave HIS life to give eternal life to all who would place their faith in HIM. HE gave HIS life without any assurance any one would place their faith in HIM. The absolute beauty is that if you had been the only person in all of time to accept CHRIST as your Savior, HE would have given HIS life just for you. That is personal and shows how much HE loves you. Don’t reject that love but accept it. Faith in HIM restores all who place their faith and trust in HIM to Son-ship and Daughter-ship and eternal life.

But GOD showed HIS love toward us, as recorded by the Apostle Paul in Romans 5:8-11:

8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! 9 Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life! 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through the shed blood of CHRIST by placing our faith in HIM.

GOD’S redemptive plan is magnificent and designed to thwart any human effort or effort of Satan to prevent it. GOD designed the earth and all in it to reflect HIS handiwork for mankind to behold and to know that HE exists. HIS redemptive plan offers redemption to all who will receive CHRIST as their Savior through faith. Simple, yet so hard for many to accept.

The angel Gabriel greeted Mary “Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”  The term “favored” comes from a verb meaning “grace.” Grace cannot be earned but it is given by GOD. GOD chose Mary but not because of anything she had done. GOD called her for a specific assignment and gave her grace.

Mary was “deeply troubled” or “very perplexed” by Gabriel’s statement. Gabriel quickly told her “Do not be afraid.” GOD had extended grace to her for a special assignment. Okay. Then Gabriel revealed the assignment, “You will conceive and give birth to a son and you will call HIS name JESUS.” What! Mary must have thought.

Gabriel continued to tell her about her Son in our next scripture.

Let’s read Luke 1:32-33:

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.

Doctor Luke recorded the conversation Gabriel had with Mary. He told her that she would give birth to a Son. HE will be called the Son of the Most High or GOD. GOD will give HIM the throne of David, just as HE had promised King David hundreds of years earlier. JESUS will reign over the house of Jacob forever and HIS kingdom will have no end.

Let’s read 2 Samuel 7:11-13: (Prophesy given by GOD to King David.)

“‘The Lord declares to you: The Lord Himself will make a house for you. 12 When your time comes and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Mary had a very practical question to ask Gabriel as we read in our next scripture.

Let’s read Luke 1:34-35:

34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?”35 The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.

Mary asked a very practical question “How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man (which means any man)?” Mary knew what it took to produce a baby and she had never been exposed to that possibility.

Gabriel responded, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.

Keep in mind that Luke is a physician and he knew what produced a baby. He had his reputation to protect but he also had a responsibility to record and report truth. Dr. Luke reported truth.

Gabriel told her that “the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” 

“Overshadow” was a term used to describe GOD’S presence. GOD’S presence was manifested when HE delivered the Israelite's from Egyptian bondage via the cloud by day and the pillow of fire by night. GOD’S presence was manifested by a cloud over the tent of meeting.

Let’s read Luke 1:36-38:

36 And consider your relative Elizabeth —even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 “I am the Lord’s • slave,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

Mary’s willingness reflected her faith and trust in GOD. When GOD calls HE also provides. Her relative, Elizabeth, pregnancy would be a confirmation to Mary that what Gabriel had told her was a fact, she had not dreamed it.

There was another important person in Mary’s life who needed to be assured that Mary had been faithful and that was Joseph. GOD took care of any concerns that Joseph had by sending an angle to him as we read in Matthew 1:18-25:

18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been • engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. 20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not know her intimately until she gave birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus. Blessings!!!