Chapter one, looking at verses 26 to 38 in the previous section, we learned about what happened to Zachariah at church. While serving the Lord in the temple, he was given a heaven sent message. You and your barren wife will have a child and not just any kid, but one that will prepare the way for Jesus. In our text today, we have another birth announcement, except this one is far greater than the one that was provided to Zachariah. It's the announcement about the Messiah's coming. Starting in verse 26 and we'll go to verse 38. Please stand if you are able for the reading of God's word. In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a 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. 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. And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son. And you shall call his name Jesus and he will be great and he 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 would this be since I am a virgin? 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. 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. Pray with me. Oh, God in heaven, take your word and use it to enlighten our hearts, to open our minds, to move our wills, to do all that that is pleasing to you. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Please be seated. I'm sure that you are aware that it is popular today when a couple finds out they are pregnant to do some kind of announcement. They might give a Mother's Day card with a picture of a sonogram put inside. They might give coffee mugs to siblings that read the world's best aunt or uncle. Or they could have one of their children walk around with a T-shirt on that says, I'm going to be a big sister to see if anyone recognizes. I think somebody did that in the church recently, something similar to it. There are lots of ways to announce a pregnancy. But what we have in this text takes the cake because of who gives the announcement to whom it is given, the child that will come and how he will come. This is a passage that tells us that Mary will be having a baby. Not only will the circumstances of this birth be amazing, but so will the child, because this is a text about the foretelling of the birth of Jesus. And it is high theology that should blow our minds. And it is practical theology that instructs us in the day to day. Think about five things from it. First, the humility we are called to. And notice from the outset how our text is full of names and places. The angel Gabriel was once again dispatched from God. Six months prior, he had been sent to Zechariah. But verse 26, he was given a new mission. To where? The text tells us to the city of Galilee or to the region of Galilee. Galilee was in the northern part of Israel, which was a part which really was of no great reputation. It was in the area that was not strongly emphasized. It was in a territory that was surrounding Jerusalem. And we learn in the text that even worse, Gabriel was sent to the community of Nazareth, which was nowheresville. Nazareth was virtually unheard of. Not once mentioned in the Old Testament. Probably had somewhere around 500 people that lived in it. We'd liken it to a town with a stoplight, and that's it. No McDonald's, no Hardee's, no nothing. That's it. Just the stoplights. That's where God directed a mighty angel. But to whom was Gabriel sent? Was some great king vacationing in Nazareth? Was an ecclesiastical reformer retreating there? Was an up-and-coming political hero hiding out there? None of the above. God sent the angel, verse 27, to a virgin. She was probably between 13 and 16. An angel had never appeared to a female that young. And she was not married. Though, verse 27, she was betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. This girl was engaged to be married. A dowry had already been given to the groom or given by the groom to her parents. In order to prepare for the wedding, promises had been made. In a year, the marriage would be consummated. And yes, her soon to be husband was a part of the royal lineage of David. But David's line had long been absent from the throne. To most, Joseph was no one, a social zero. And in the eyes of society, his bride was no better. She was young, unmarried. and living in some backwoods sticks of a place. And the text tells us her name was Mary. This was the one to whom Gabriel was sent. Which is interesting because God could have easily chosen someone else. Someone from Judea. With connections to Jerusalem. Maybe a link to the Roman government or at least someone like Zachariah and Elizabeth with immediate ties to the priesthood. But that is not what we find in this passage. What did Gabriel initially say to her? Verse 28. Greetings, O favored one. The Lord is with you. You will not find another person in all of Scripture greeted like this. In part because of to whom the greeting was given. Again, Mary was no one and Gabriel was a mighty angel. And he showed great reverence towards her. He called her favored one. We will unpack that comment in just a minute. But consider how the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas marveled at this greeting, calling it the first time an angel showed reverence to a person. And it was to the teenage Mary. What about how the angel called her favorite one? Some Christian traditions. Translate that phrase to say, Hail Mary, full of grace. But that is not what the text says. Instead, it communicated how Mary was an object of God's undeserved grace. She was a recipient of grace, not a giver of grace. God stooped. And sent Gabriel. To someone who was as low as low could go. Why did God do this? Because God likes the low position. He likes humility. He likes it so much in Christ, he clothed himself in humility to save us. And it begins here. With an angel. Coming to a woman of low estate. The humility pictured with Gabriel's appearance before Mary is meant to be a pattern for us to follow. We are saved by humility. God's sweet condescension in Christ to nobodies like us is how we are redeemed. Doesn't God's humility make you want to be humble? Do not exalt yourself. Do not push for your rights. But to be low. I think we probably know that humility is extremely difficult. It's not easy to be humble. As one Puritan said, It is easier to give everything away to the poor than be poor in spirit. Because humility's opposite is pride. In another Puritan, pride is the shirt of the soul put on first and taken off last. And yet the picture of humility found here is what we are called to. Because it is a humility that will go all the way to the tree. God didn't just send the angel Gabriel to speak about a manger. He sent him to speak about a savior who will save through a cross. God sent Gabriel as an expression of humility to announce humility in the incarnation and crucifixion of Christ. Therefore, humility is the first response a sinner should have to Christ, and it is an ongoing response that we should have to Christ. Humility is What language shall I borrow to thank thee, dearest friend? For this, thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end. Oh, make me thine forever. And should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee. That's the humility we are called to. In Christ, God humbled himself. How can that not make you want to be humble? But the news. That was given to Mary by Gabriel had some specifics. What were they? Initially, he told her about the fulfillment. Of the greatest of God's promises. And it communicates something to us about seconds, the perspective we are to have. How did Mary react to the angels greeting? Look at verse 29. She was greatly troubled at the saying. That little phrase greatly troubled. It's stronger than what happened in chapter one, verse 12 with Zachariah. Remember, he was fearful. Mary was doubly so. But verse 29, what particularly got her were Gabriel's words, Oh, favored one, which communicates something to us about her humility. Mary did not have some entitled attitude. Her heart said, Who am I that you would declare me favored one? That's why verse 20, verse 29, she tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. Mary was scared and perplexed. And so verse 30, the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. He comforted her. He eased her anxious spirit by saying, God has smiled upon you. In what way? Look at verse 31. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. We'll look more deeply at that in a moment. But you might think to yourself, that news is supposed to comfort Mary? You're having a baby? Ladies, can you imagine that? An angel comes to you. And you're scared stiff. And then he says, you're having a kid and you're not married. You'd probably pass out. But what brought Mary comfort was the identity of the child she would bear. Gabriel told her of how God would bless her with a child. who would be called God saves. That's what Jesus's name means. Gabriel gave Mary a birth announcement. Of a child that she would have. Normally, parents give birth announcements after the facts. But here is the Lord who is doing it beforehand. He was letting Mary know, I am sending you a child unlike any other. Because notice four things that Gabriel said about this child. First, verse 32, he will be great. That's what Gabriel told Zechariah about his son, John. But this child's greatness will supersede the greatness of all others. Because, too, he will be called the son of the Most High. The words most high are used throughout the Old Testament as a reference to God Almighty. And this child will be the son of the Most High. He will be the son spoken of in Daniel chapter 7, who rides the clouds to the aid of his people. And three, the Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David. This child will be the fulfillment of 2 Samuel chapter 7. Great David's greater son, the key of David, come to open wide a heavenly home. The rod of Jesse, born to set a people free. And fourth, verse 33, he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. He will be the lion of the tribe of Judah. No foe will stand against him. Satan will be placed under his feet. The world will be his footstool. The flesh he will conquer. And of his kingdom, there will be no end. Who is it that Mary will give birth to? The darling of heaven. The incarnate God. The pledged one of days from of old. God was about to fulfill his oldest of promises. Genesis 315 and the seed of Eve born to reverse the curse. To get the impact of Gabriel's words to Mary, you need to remember there had been no Davidic king on the throne for some 600 years. And God hadn't spoken about his promises to save through this promise seed for over 400 years. That's a long time. How long has our nation been around? Not 400 years. Some thoughts, chances were those promises weren't going to be fulfilled. The statutes of limitation on those promises had lapsed. God had forgotten. Gabriel's words to Mary were, he has not forgotten. God never forgets his pledges. He always keeps his word. And if he can keep the oldest and greatest of promises to send the Christ child, he will not neglect any of his other promises. For example. His grace will be sufficient for you and your weakness. He will be an ever present help in times of trouble. He will give you strength to face life's struggles. What is the perspective we must have? God is faithful. You must hold on to that truth. When your circumstances tempt you to believe otherwise. Come back to Gabriel's words to Mary. Remember, God fulfilled his promise of a savior. And since he did that. What will he not do for you? Trust him. But especially because of the message we are given in this text. Verse 31, the angel told Mary, You will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus. Clearly, Mary was shocked by that news, probably for many reasons. But chief among them was verse 34. Mary said to the angel, how will this be since I am a virgin? Mary was not doing what Zechariah did in the previous section. She was not doubting God's. She was not doubting God's word through Gabriel. She was asking a simple question. I am not married. So how can I conceive a child? She knew this little one would not come from her and Joseph. So how was it going to come? Listen, this is high theology. Verse 35. The angel answered her, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Exodus 40. The glory cloud of God overshadowed the tabernacle. His special presence fell upon a place. But with Mary, his special presence would fall upon a person. And therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the son of God. It teaches us a few things about Jesus. One is about his divinity. The Nicene Creed says, He is very God of very God, begotten, not made. There has never been a time when the Son was not. As Charles Wesley put it, Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate deity, Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel. Jesus is God with us. Which tells us Gabriel's answer to Mary also speaks to Christ impeccability. Just as the spirit hovered in Genesis one and created the world holy and good. So also the spirit would hover over Mary. and create a true body and a reasoning soul in her womb, which the eternal God would unite to himself, making his body holy and good. Jesus is sinless. And sinners like us need that kind of Savior. Who can obey perfectly. Whereas we cannot. The other thing we learn from the angel's words. Is about the incomprehensibility of Christ's birth. Here's what I mean by that. The spirits coming upon Mary, the most high overshadowing her. is a bit of a mystery. We can explain some things, but there are other parts that should leave us scratching our heads. How can the infinite God put on the finite? How can the pure God enter into the belly of a sinful woman? How can the immense God Become a tiny zygote. How can the giver of life? Be dependent upon Mary's womb for life. Things are utterly perplexing. And profound. And we must understand that. God wanted it that way. He could have given more details to Mary or to us. But these verses are what we have. And we must be content with that. Dale Ralph Davis, Old Testament commentator, sometimes dabbles in the New Testament and tells a story of a friend. His friend, newly married, ordained minister, young wife, they early in their marriage came to an agreement. She promised to not be so critical of his often sleepy sermons. And he said that he would respect her privacy and never go into her drawers, just her drawers. After 50 years of marriage, They were putting away some gifts that they had received because it was their 50th wedding anniversary. And she left open one of her Chester drawers. And he could not resist. When he looked in, he saw three eggs and $10,000. He thought to himself, that's rather odd. So we asked her about it. She said, remember my past agreement about not complaining about your boring sermons? Well, every time you preach the snoozer, I put an egg in my drawer. He thought to himself, three eggs, three bad sermons over 50 years, not bad. So we asked, what about the $10,000? She said, ah, every time I got a dozen eggs, I sold them. You can do the math. That's a lot of bad sermons. Do you get the point? Sometimes it is better not to know things. For our texts, sometimes God doesn't want us to know things. It's one message we are given here. Ralph Davis said. With the living God, we often meet conundrums. The mystery of Jesus's conception. The mystery of the cross. The quandaries behind suffering. For me, why did my mother die when I was seven years old? God's mysteries are his mysteries. And we are to be content with that. How can we? We know God loves us. And that he is trustworthy. And all the evidence we require are the words spoken to Mary. You will conceive and bear a son. And you shall call his name Jesus. The savior of sinners is proof of Christ's trustworthiness. May the Lord help us to be content. But the Lord doesn't just leave us with that. We learn in this text something else about the encouragement we need. Let's be frank, we all need encouragement. Even when we don't realize it. That was Mary. Gabriel had given her an unbelievable announcement. You will give birth to the Christ child. And she asked how? And he told her by the power of God. And then Gabriel sought to encourage her. Because what he was telling her seemed to be impossible. To help her. He gave an example of how God does the impossible. Look at verse 36. 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. Gabriel told her your aged family member whose womb had been closed is now great with child. And then Gabriel said, verse 37, for nothing will be impossible with God. God does the impossible. That's what God did for Sarah in Genesis 18. And Rebecca, Genesis 25 and Rachel, Genesis 29. He did the impossible. He gave each of them children. And they were barren. Mary was being encouraged that God would do the same with her. He would do the impossible. God sent Gabriel to help her believe, as one commentator said, unusual births are God's forte. The angel tried to encourage her. Do you need that? Do you need encouragement? I do. Each one of us can quickly become overwhelmed with anxiety and fear. But God likes to give encouragement through his word. And he likes to give encouragement. Through one another. That's why Paul said 1 Thessalonians, chapter five, verse 11, encourage one another. Maybe you are like me. And get so consumed with the goings on of life that you don't think to encourage others. Let us be about building one another up. It's the encouragement we need. Lastly, though, as we close this text, we have the example we must follow. It's a brief point. But rather impactful. Because how did Mary respond to God's word through the angel? Did she doubt like Zachariah? Did she ask for a sign like Gideon? Did she complain like Moses? Not at all. Mary's reaction was a glad submission. Look at verse 38. Mary said, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word. Like her son would do later. In Gethsemane, Mary basically said, not my will, but your will be done. Mary asked no more questions. She didn't push back. With a glad heart, she acquiesced to God's will. And don't miss the cost her submission would require. Mary knew her caring this child was a privilege. But it also came with a price. How would her soon to be husband react to all of this? What about people in the community? Oh, just tell the truth, Mary. Who would believe her story? An angel came to me and told me of a supernatural conception in my womb. I can't completely explain it, but this is God's doing. Sure. That's what the response would be. Most would conclude Mary had been unfaithful, though seldom practiced, the penalty for which was death. Thirty plus years later. John chapter 8, verse 41. The religious leaders will claim Jesus was a son of immorality. Mary paid dearly for her submission. She knew she would be misunderstood, maligned and mistreated. And she was willing to risk everything to follow the Lord. She even called herself a servant of the Lord. More technically, she labeled herself a slave girl to God. And it didn't matter what people thought of her. Or what they would do to her. And don't forget. She was a teenager. Teenagers. Young people. There is a specific application here for you. Be submissive to God's purposes. No matter the cost. Even if it requires you to lose popularity. Friends. Something else. Everything for Christ. Yes. Imitate Mary. Have a glad submission to Christ. Teenagers, you have an example here to follow. Of a young lady who bowed the knee to God. Knowing that it would cost her to do so. But that's not just for the young folks, it's really for all of us. Submission to Christ, if it means suffering. Submission to Christ, if it makes me uncomfortable. Submission to Christ, if it means I don't have quite as much money to live off of. Submission to Christ, no matter what. A thousand times yes. Why? Why give myself to Christ? Because he gave himself for me. Came into this world and submitted to save us. Our submission is a happy response. As we are about to sing, All for Jesus. All for Jesus. All my being's ransom powers. All my thoughts and words and doings. All my days and all my hours. All for Christ. Won't you ongoingly resign yourself to Christ? Let's pray. Blessed Father, thank you for this passage and what it teaches us about the Lord Jesus. The Savior come to save. We pray that we would heed the instruction. In view of the humility we see in Christ, we would be a humble people. Knowing that you are a faithful God, that we would have the perspective that you will always be faithful. You were faithful in Christ, how will you not be faithful in everything else? Help us to trust you then with the incomprehensibilities of life. Let us be those that gladly receive encouragement and seek to be an encouragement to others. And Lord, may we imitate Mary. May we imitate our Savior. May we have a submissiveness about us to your good purposes. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.