December 18, 2011, Sheepfold Ministries

Pastor Phil Roland

 

Mary'S SEVEN PROMISES

Luke 1:26-27

“God comes into the dark, impossible situations of our lives and conceives goodness and righteousness in us.  God keeps all His Promises to us."                                                                                                                                     Pastor Phil

I. MARY IS PROMISED A CHILD BY GOD HIMSELF - v. 31a

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb. . ."

            A. Mary is Promised a Supernatural Conception - v. 35

"And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon

             you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you;"

1. Promised an Unprecedented Virgin Birth

                        2. Mary gave Him flesh / God's Breath His Spirit

            B. Mary's Conception by God Produces the God / Man

                        1. An Unprecedented, Unique Life Form

                        2. Duality of God and Man existing in Human Flesh

            C. Her Offspring had to be Unique to be a Perfect Offering

             "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The

              Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29 (NKJV)
                        1. Lamb of God

                        2. Takes away the Sin of the World

            D. Unbelieving Modernists

                        1. Thomas Jefferson was a Deist and a Leader in Unbelief

                        2. No Miracles in the Bible

                                    a. Believed in a SUBJECTIVE standard of proof

                                    b. We believe in an OBJECTIVE standard: The Bible!

 

II. MARY IS PROMISED A SON TO BE NAMED JESUS

". . .and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS."
            A. Hebrew Women of that era commonly called their sins, "Ya-shua"

                        1. Hebrew Prophets predicted One Like Elijah

                        2. Each birthing mother hoped her son would be Him

                        3. Deliverer of God's People from Rome's Oppressive Hand

            B. The Name is Significant - "Jesus" "Ya-shua"

                        1. "To Deliver," "To Save," "To Rescue"

                        2. Each Birth Looked Forward to the Great Deliverer

            C. His Name has Power - Philippians 2:8,9    
            "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and

             became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

            9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which

             is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

             of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

             11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the

             glory of God the Father."

MARY'S SEVEN PROMISES, cont., p2

1. His name has Life-Changing Power

                        2. His name has Great Spiritual Power - Romans 10:8-10

                                “But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in

                         your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):that if you

                         confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart

                         that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with

                         the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth

                         confession is made unto salvation.”

 

III. MARY IS PROMISED A GREAT SON - v. 32a

"He will be great. . ."

A. Men and Angels will bow the knee

                        1. Great among Mankind

                        2. Great among Spiritual Realms

            B. Uniqueness of Jesus

                        1. Claimed Himself to be the Son of God - John 8

                        2. Never in all the ages of humanity been anyone like Him

            C. Five Great World Religions' Founders: No one claimed to be God

 

IV. MARY IS PROMISED THE SON OF THE HIGHEST - v. 32b

". . .and will be called the Son of the Highest;"

A. No one can be called higher than the Son of the Highest

            B. Second Commandment: "Is God Jealous?" (Insecure?) Ex. 20:5

            "you shall not bow down to them (false idols)  nor serve them. For I, the                    LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on                          the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,"

1. No person/thing can be considered higher than G-d

                        2. Jesus is equal with Him - Philippians 2:5-8

                        "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being

                         in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,

                        7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a                                               bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found

                         in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient

                         to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

            C. Jesus is Jehovah - Colossians 2:9

"For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;"

1. He says it with His own lips: "I am He" - EGO EIMI - Jn. 8:28

"Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then

                         you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as

                         My Father taught Me, I speak these things."

                        2. Jesus says he is " Yoth-Hey-Vath-Hey" - "Adonoy"  - Jn 8:58

                        "Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham

                         was, I AM."     See Exodus 3:14

 

V. MARY'S SON IS PROMISED DAVID'S THRONE - v. 32c

"and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David."
            A. Jesus is Given a human Royal Title - Isaiah 9:7

MARY'S SEVEN PROMISES, cont., p3

            "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."

1. God's Promise to David and his descendants is forever

                        2. The Title to David's Throne is given to Jesus

B. Everything G-d promised David is Jesus' by Earthly Inheritance

                        1. God Loved and favored David

                        2. God Loves and Favors His Son

 

VI. MARY'S SON IS PROMISED AN ETERNAL REIGN - v. 33a

"And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever"

          A. Jesus' reign is not to be only over David's Eternal Throne

                        1. His reign is to be over all the Children of Jacob (Israel)

                        2. Pilate mockingly, but accurately called out His true Title

                                    a. Wise men sought the "King of the Jews" - Matt. 2:2a

                                    b. Pilate Nailed it to His Cross - Matt. 27:37

                                    b. King over the House of Jacob and his descendants

            B. May is troubled and asks, "How can these things be?" - Lk. 1:34

1. May is a Melancholy Temperament

                        2. Sensitive, Reflective, Ponderer

 

VII. MARY'S SON IS PROMISED AN ETERNAL KINGDOM - v. 33b

". . .and of His kingdom there will be no end."
          A. The things that are impossible with me are possible with God

Luke 18:27
            "But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with              God."

          B. God can do ANYTHING HE DECIDES TO DO! - Luke 1:37,38

"For with God nothing will be impossible." 38 Then Mary said, "Behold the

             maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the

             angel departed from her."

                        1. “NOTHING” - Greek = RAY-MA

                        2. “A specific Word to a specific person by God”

 

MARY'S SEVEN PROMISES

Luke 1:26-38 (NKJV)
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give 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."
34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing will be impossible."
38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

 

HOPE AT CHRISTMAS

Dr. James Dobson relates a story of an elderly woman named Stella Thornhope who was struggling with her first Christmas alone. Her husband had died just a few months prior through a slow developing cancer. Now, several days before Christmas, she was almost snowed in by a brutal weather system. She felt terribly alone so much so she decided she was not going to decorate for Christmas.

Late that afternoon the doorbell rang, and there was a delivery boy with a box. He said, "Mrs. Thornhope?" She nodded. He said, "Would you sign here?" She invited him to step inside and closed the door to get away from the cold. She signed the paper and said, "What's in the box?" The young man laughed and opened up the flap, and inside was a little puppy, a golden Labrador Retriever. The delivery boy picked up the squirming pup and explained, "This is for you, Ma'am. He's six weeks old, completely housebroken." The young puppy began to wiggle in happiness at being released from captivity.

"Who sent this?" Mrs. Thornhope asked.

The young man set the animal down and handed her an envelope and said, "It's all explained here in this envelope, Ma'am. The dog was bought last July while its mother was still pregnant. It was meant to be a Christmas gift to you." The young man then handed her a book, How to Care for Your Labrador Retriever.

In desperation she again asked, "Who sent me this puppy?"

As the young man turned to leave, he said, "Your husband, Ma'am. Merry Christmas."

She opened up the letter from her husband. He had written it three weeks before he died and left it with the kennel owners to be delivered with the puppy as his last Christmas gift to her. The letter was full of love and encouragement and admonishments to be strong. He vowed that he was waiting for the day when she would join him. He had sent her this young animal to keep her company until then.

She wiped away the tears, put the letter down, and then remembering the puppy at her feet, she picked up that golden furry ball and held it to her neck. Then she looked out the window at the lights that outlined the neighbor's house, and she heard from the radio in the kitchen the strains of "Joy to the World, the Lord has Come." Suddenly Stella felt the most amazing sensation of peace washing over her. Her heart felt a joy and a wonder greater than the grief and loneliness.

"Little fella," she said to the dog, "It's just you and me. But you know what? There's a box down in the basement I'll bet you'd like. It's got a little Christmas tree in it and some decorations and some lights that are going to impress you. And there's a manger scene down there. Let's go get it."

God has a way of sending a signal of light to remind us life is stronger than death. Light is more powerful than darkness. God is more powerful than Satan. Good will overcome evil.

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light," the prophet said. "On those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned" (Matthew 4:16).