2 truths from this passage that help us embrace the role God has given us
I. God Fulfilled His Promises to Send Jesus the Messiah
A. John fulfilled the promises of the forerunner
Luke 1:14-17 - You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
1. He will be great in the sight of the Lord
2. He will not drink alcoholic beverages
3. He will be filled with the Spirit in the womb
4. He will turn many sons of Israel to the Lord
5. He will organize Messiah’s welcoming party
B. Jesus fulfilled the promises of the coming Messiah
1. He will be called the Son of the Most High
Luke 1:32a - He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High…
2. He will reign forever
Luke 1:32b-33 - …and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.
3. The Holy Spirit will come upon you and he will be called the Son of God
Luke 1:35 - The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”
II. God Used Surprisingly Different People to Accomplish His Purposes
A. Zacharias – the doubting priest turned evangelist
1. He was blameless but childless
Luke 1:6-7 - They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.
2. His prayer was answered in surprising ways
Luke 1:13 - But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.”
3. Zacharias struggled to believe
Luke 1:18-20 - Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”
4. Zacharias learns and shows why the Bible calls him blameless
Luke 1:59-65 - And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.” And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished. And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.
B. Mary – the trusting young girl ready to accept her role
1. Mary’s task – bear a son named Jesus
Luke 1:28-31 - And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.”
2. Mary’s question – how is this possible?
Luke 1:34 - Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
3. Mary’s faith and trust
Luke 1:35-38 - The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
C. Elizabeth – the excited older lady privileged to be a part
1. Elizabeth is relieved that her reputation has changed
Luke 1:24-25 - After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.”
2. Elizabeth shows no jealousy or rivalry only admiration
Luke 1:41-45 - When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”
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