Amen. Please remain standing and open the pages of the scripture in your hand to the Gospel of Luke, chapter one, beginning from verse 26 to 38. If you are using the church Bible, you will find it on page 1,088. Luke chapter one, beginning from verse 26 to 38. In the six months, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to the city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you. But she was greatly troubled at the scene, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in a womb and bear a son, and he shall call his name Jesus. 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. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, How will this be? since I am a virgin. 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 will be called Holy, the Son of God. 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. For nothing will be impossible with God. And Mary said, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her." The word of the Lord. Let's pray together. Our gracious and heavenly Father, Until we all get to heaven tonight, as we return to your Word once again, we ask you to bring heaven down to us through the preaching and the proclamation of your Word. Grant us the Holy Spirit to help us to treasure your word in our hearts so that we might not sin against you, our Heavenly Father. Use the preaching of your word tonight to conform us to the likeness of your Son, Jesus Christ. Renew our minds and our hearts toward you and toward your kingdom. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Every year, December comes, we think of Christmas. We think of the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior in Bethlehem of Judea. All those events that took place during Jesus' birth comes to our mind. the shepherds, the manger, the angel announcing the birth of Jesus Christ to the shepherds, the wise man visiting the child, the star. We also think of key Christmas verses, such as Isaiah 9, 6, Micah 5, from where our brother Ben read to us, John 1, 14, Matthew 1, 21, But what other verse, a verse that speaks of the emerging appearance of Jesus as one who was born of a woman, would come to your mind, would you remember tonight? I believe for such a verse we often go to those well-known verses, the verses that I just mentioned to all of us. The announcement of Christ birthed by the angel to Mary, to Joseph. The angel speaking to Joseph about Mary's conception. But what about what Paul speaks about in Galatians 4.4. How many of you remember that verse during this time in the year? When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of women, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. How many of you remember this verse in relation to incarnation? How many of you remind yourself, this was the time, this was the specific time? The fullness of time. The fullness of time arrived, and the angel Gabriel moved toward Nazareth to visit Mary, to tell her the fullness of time has come. This is the time that this child will be conceived in your womb. God sent forth His Son, born of women. What is that? What is Paul referring to? Paul was referring to the virgin birth. He was referring to the angels visit, the archangel visiting Mary. To announce to Mary that she has been chosen by God for this extraordinary task. She's going to take up a task that would be miraculous. A task that all peoples in the world would attracted to. Paul was referring to Isaiah 7 14. Behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a son. And she will call His name Immanuel, God with us. We consider that verse this morning and we say that was the prediction of the birth of Jesus Christ 700 years before His actual birth. It is the fulfillment. being transpired here in our text tonight when angel Gabriel paid a visit to Mary. Notice verse 26, Luke chapter 1 verse 26. In the six months, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth. The six months is the conception of John the Baptist. The angel even told Mary that even your relative, Elizabeth, is carrying a baby right now. And it has been six months. So he says six months is a reference to the conception of John the Baptist. God was at work. God was working. He was fulfilling his promise, his plan of redemption. The conception of Elizabeth. was with John the Baptist. The time upon which the impossible will happen. The impossible will take place. The fullness of time. The perfect moment in God's plan when he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to the earth. Signifying that the time was right for his arrival. After a long period of preparation and anticipation, at the ideal moment in history, God acted. Do you see God's faithfulness here? Do you see how our God keeps His promise? Long ago, in Daniel 7, Daniel saw this vision, the vision of the Son of Man to whom was given glory, dominion, throne to which and under which people will come and bow down and worship the Son of Man, this time has come. God acted to fulfill his promise, and that promise is found in Isaiah 7 14. That was predicted. What we are considering tonight is the fulfillment of that prediction. And I want us to consider the incarnation being fulfilled tonight under three simple points. First, I want us to consider the announcement of the angel, and then the name of the child, and then the manner in which the Savior will be born. So the announcement, the name, and the manner in which the Savior, the child, will be born from the virgin. So first, the announcement. In the six months, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth. You see, from now onward, what you see is God acting, and people who have been chosen to participate in the blessing of salvation, receiving his salvation, receiving his guidance, like Mary. He came to a virgin, betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. The virgin's name was Mary. She was not just a young woman. She was a virgin. She was not married. She didn't know a man. She was a virgin. And he came to her and said, greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you. But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. Some of you here are young girls. And imagine you have never seen any angel before. You're young. You're not married. And the angel of the Lord appears to you with such an announcement, telling you that you will conceive, you will become pregnant. You don't know a man. You're engaged, but you're not married. And the angel tells you that you will conceive and bear a child. Give birth to a son. How would you feel if you are married? Here Mary would be a young girl according to some Bible scholars. She was between 14 and 16 years old when the angel Gabriel appeared to her. At the time, Jewish custom allowed young women to be betrothed as early as age 12. But the marriage itself would not take place until much later. in their time. Not unusual in Mary's time. Mary was a young woman, now listen to this, a young woman with extraordinary piety. Maybe you haven't noticed that in the Gospel of Luke. How many of you have studied her song, The Magnificat? Here in Luke chapter 1, I will read the song for you, the song of Mary. In Latin, it means, my soul magnifies the Lord. That's what it means. That's what Mary's song mean. I think we need to learn this song and understand it in light of the scripture. My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior, for he has looked on the humble state of his servant. This is the poverty of spirit. being poor in spirit. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed." Does this remind you of our class this morning? All people will call me blessed because she was poor in the spirit. For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name, and his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble state. He has filled the hungry with good things and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his offspring forever." Full of scriptures! Full of the prophecies in the Old Testament. This woman was full of the knowledge of the Scriptures. Her mind, her heart was filled with the Old Testament. She knew the Scriptures. She knew about God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. She understood the plan of redemption. Of course, the Roman Catholic Church has elevated, raised Mary to a position that she even will not approve and agree. Rome calls it the Immaculate Conception concerning Mary. A birth without sin, without stain, without spot and blemish. You know, if you go to Exodus 12 verse 5, what do you find there? the unblemished lamb. The Roman Catholic Church views Mary like that unblemished lamb, like Christ, sinless, without sin. Rome argues for Jesus to be sinless, his mother had to be born sinless. Do you know what that That means her mother also had to be born sinless. Romans chapter 3 tells us no one is righteous. No one is righteous. Not even one. Well, Mary herself resolved this issue for us. Notice verse 46 and 47. And Mary said, Who needs a savior? A sinner. A sinner needs a savior. Mary was not sinless. Mary was a sinner like any one of us here, but she was favored by God. The angel said, greetings. Oh, favored one, the Lord is with you. Notice that word favor. What it means is grace. Mary, you are graced by the Lord. You are favored by the Lord. The Bible speaks of Noah in the same way, Genesis 6, 8. And Noah found favor, grace, in the eyes of the Lord. Paul, speaking about his own conversion and the visitation of God's grace in his life in 1 Corinthians 15, 10. He says, but by the grace of God, I am what I am. By the grace of God. Now notice the announcement, it comes from the angel Gabriel, God's messenger. The angel Gabriel appears three times in the Bible. In the book of Daniel, chapter 9, to give a prophecy about the coming of the Messiah. And then he appears to Elizabeth to tell her about her son, John the Baptist. And now to Mary. You see, every time The angel Gabriel appears, it is always to do with the coming of Jesus Christ. In verse 31 and 33, he told Mary, And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 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. The angel was telling Mary, Mary, through your conception, through the birth of this child, the virgin birth from you, the prophecy in the Old Testament, all the prophecies in the Old Testament will be fulfilled. Behold, you will conceive and bear a son. Verse 31. Now consider the fulfillment with me. Verse 31 is the language that reflects Isaiah 7, 14. You will conceive and bear a son. As a virgin, through a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will overshadow you. You will conceive and bear a son. Again, he will be great. Reflects what Isaiah said in Isaiah 9, 6. He will be a wonderful counselor. And then he said, mighty in Isaiah 9, 6, great. And then the angel said, he will be the son of the most high. That's Daniel 7, 13 and 14. A crown, a reign was given to the son of man for people to bow down before his throne and worship him. And then the angel told Mary, he will sit on David's throne. In 2 Samuel 7, 12 and 13, God promised his people, from among you I will raise a righteous king. I will raise a savior, a redeemer. And he will sit on the throne of David. then the uniqueness of that king, the uniqueness of that man who will sit on the throne of David was his kingdom will be everlasting. That was the greater David. That was Jesus. You see, in Luke chapter 1, Isaiah 7, 14 is being fulfilled. All those prophecies concerning the Messiah, the angel told Mary, they will take place now. You remember Jesus when he was on the road to Emmaus. The two disciples met him, and he opened the scriptures to them. And in verse 27, in the Gospel of Luke 24, the scripture tells us, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning to himself. And then the two disciples witnessed it in verse 32 saying, He opened to us the scriptures. That's exactly what Angel Gabriel was doing with Mary. He opened the scriptures to Mary. This is what's happening in your life. You are a young woman, you are a virgin, but you have been favored. You have been chosen by God for this task. Then we come to the name. Verse 31, the angel told Mary, and behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. Let's think about this name, the name Jesus. Jesus is the English for the Greek, Jesus. And the Hebrew is Joshua. The Lord saves. The Lord visits. The Lord saves. Joshua was called by God, as you all would remember, to take the people of Israel to rest. to the place where they will enjoy rest. Noah's parents, when Noah was born, they named Noah because they thought he was the one to take the people of Israel to their rest. They thought Genesis 3.15 was fulfilled in Noah. That's why they called him Noah. But what does Hebrews 4a tells us? For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. You see the connection here. The insight that the scripture gives us into the person and the work of Jesus Christ. Why did Jesus come to the world? bring us to rest, to bring us to the place of rest. In Isaiah 63, Isaiah 63. Listen to what Isaiah reveals to us here in Isaiah 63, 11 to 14. Then he remembered the days of old of Moses and his people, where he who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock. Where is He? Where is He who put in the midst of them His Holy Spirit? Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses? Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name? Who led them through the depths? Like a horse in the desert, they did not stumble. Like livestock that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. If you remember last Sunday, we considered from the book of Exodus, the dividing of the Red Sea, and the people of Israel walking through the dry land. And I reminded you, the angel of the Lord was Jesus, the pre-incarnate Son of God, who divided the Red Sea into two and led his people through the dry land. And now you see Isaiah saw that as Jesus leading his people to rest. giving his people that rest. Isn't that what Matthew 11, 28 to 30 tells us? Jesus, that great invitation, come, come. You with heavy laden, come to me. I will give you what? I'll give you rest. I will give you rest. You see, the angel was telling Mary, this is a savior. This is the shepherd, the good shepherd, who will take his people to rest. He will give his people assurance. He will give his people peace with God. That's why he told Mary, Mary, do not be afraid. Imagine she was a virgin and she was carrying a baby. There was conception in her womb. She didn't understand the message. It was saddened. Would you blame Mary? And she asked, how can this be? I'm a virgin. I'm a virgin. And the angel told her, the Holy Spirit will be upon you. And the child who will be born from you will be the son of the Most High." The angel gave her a word of comfort, peace, joy, and rest. Mary, this is different. Mary, this is unique. Mary, this is a miracle. God is doing this. This is not Joseph. This is not you. This is not man's doing. This is God's doing. This is God's work. And you have been favored for this. You have been graced by God for this. Then we come to the manner in which the Savior will be born. Verse 31, and behold, behold means put everything that you are doing aside and pay attention. Something miraculous, something glorious is happening. So watch. Look at it. You are a virgin, but you will conceive. You are a virgin, but you will give birth to a son. And you will call his name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sin. You will call his name Immanuel, God with us. Reconciliation between God and sinners will take place. The angels will sing from heaven. saying glory to God in the highest and peace among God, between God and the men here on earth. He will be fully man, fully God, sinless, the Son of the Most High. We asked this question in the morning and I want us to ask it again. Why? Why the virgin birth? Why the virgin birth? Why do you think God took human flesh? Why did he visit his own creation in this way? He could have, Jesus could have just come down from heaven. and pronounce our salvation. He created everything in this world by the power of his word. But when it comes to our salvation, he had to take human flesh. Why? Because humanity needed a savior, a perfect savior. Isn't that what the angel told Mary in Matthew 121? You will call his name Jesus because he will save his people from their sin. How? He will die for them on the cross. He will be the perfect sacrifice. You see, brothers and sisters in Christ, we needed a savior. We needed a redeemer. We needed a mediator who would come between God and us and reconcile us with God through his death on the cross. Now, I want you to observe this with me. Have you noticed that when the angel Gabriel came to Mary with that announcement, he never asked for her consent? Have you noticed that? Mary, God wants to accomplish this through you, and God and I, his angel, we're seeking permission. We don't see that. We don't see Mary saying, okay, I'm going to do that under one condition. You will go to Joseph, my fiance, you will convince him, you will make him understand what's going on. You will go to my father, you will go to my mother, you will go to my community, then I will be free from gossip among my community. You do that first, and then I will do this. Now, Mary said, I'm the Lord's servant. I'm the Lord's servant. Use me. You're the Lord. I'm your servant. Yesterday evening, something amazing happened. My wife and I visited Wala Ibn Tani. And when I left home, I was saying, how do I comfort Wala Ibn Tani? How would I comfort, especially Tani as a mother? So we arrived to the house. It was amazing. And as we were talking, and I was about to open God's Word and read Luke 1 and bring her to Mary's submission to the Lord. And you know what happened? Tania opens her mouth and she brings Mary's submission to the Lord in our conversation. And I said to Tania, do you read pastor's mind? So we had to talk about this yesterday. And now we're talking about it. Let me ask you this. Is there anything, right now, is there anything that God is telling you to do for his glory? Something that God is telling you, but you don't want to do it. You're wrestling. You don't want to do it. But God is telling you to do it. Beloved, do it. He is the Lord. He's the Lord. Look at this virgin, young virgin, facing all kinds of odds in her life. Her fiancé, her father, her mother, the community, carrying a baby in her womb, and nobody knows from who. And Mary says, I'm your servant. I'm your servant. Because she believed in this. She believed. In verse 37, for nothing will be impossible with God. And Mary said, you see, her submission comes right after the angel said, for nothing will be impossible with God. And her heart was saying, amen. And let me tell you, angel Gabriel, I am a servant of the Lord. I will do it. The Lordship of God. The Lordship of Christ, so crucial, so important for you and I. Do you live your life under his Lordship? Do you live your life under his will, according to his will? Is there anything that he's telling you tonight to do it for his glory? To do it as a testimony of his saving grace? Do it by God's grace. Mary did it against all odds. She did it. And she did it. Isn't it beautiful? She did it saying, I am the servant of the Lord. Even women are servants of the Lord. Not only men in full-time gospel ministry, not only elders, not only deacons, not only men in the Church, but even women are servants of God. We all are servants of God. We live our life for the glory of this Lord, and God, and our Maker, and our Redeemer. So do it. Amen. Let's pray. Our gracious and heavenly Father, Lord, we desire such submission to be part of our Christian life. We often don't submit to your will. We often avoid your will. And we just want to do what we want to do. But Jesus teaches us to do your will, to choose your will over our own will. Mary taught us tonight to consider ourselves as your servants and do your will in this life. Lord, thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the virgin birth. Help us not only to believe in it, but also to proclaim it to others. As many people are confused about the incarnation of the Son of God. As many people don't want to use this term incarnation. Even they call the birth of Christ just as a holiday. Use us to proclaim His incarnation so that many would come to the saving knowledge of your Son, Jesus Christ. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.