Luke 1:26-38
Please open your Bible to Luke chapter one, verse twenty-six. We will read verses 26 through 38 today.
Before we examine this text together, I need to call attention to the obvious. Christians accept the reality of the supernatural. We accept the witness of creation, the witness of conscience, and the witness of the written Word of God, and thus embrace the reality of the supernatural. In a word, we fear God and our confession of Christ as Savior, coupled with behavior that seeks to honor him, confirms the reverence with which we embrace the true and living God.
Our embrace of the supernatural begins with the foundational truth of Genesis 1:1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth and the fullness thereof, along with the entire cosmos sets forth his manifold wisdom and omnipotence. We believe in supernatural creation as detailed in Genesis chapters one and two.
We also believe in the supernatural flood of Noah’s day. Noah’s flood was not a local or regional flood. Noah’s flood was a global flood in which God moved in supernatural judgement. The same hand that shaped the original very good creation moved in supernatural judgement reshaping the entire globe. As Jesus says in Matthew 24 the people of that day “knew not until the flood came, and took them all away.” Indeed, all perished under the hand of God’s judgment except for Noah and his family whom God spared in the security of the ark.
We also believe in the supernatural intervention of God at the Tower of Babel. Soon the post flood population began to grow and in just a few hundred years the people of that day, true to fallen human nature, began to fall prey to unbelief and disobedience. However, the Lord intervened and altered the course of human history in a supernatural way. The Lord said, “Let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of the earth: and they left off to build the city.”
Do you understand the Lord supernaturally confused the language of mankind at the Tower of Babel? God’s intervention at Babel is the reason for the variety of languages in our world and it is the fountain head of all the various ethnic groups existing in the world today.
Not only do we accept the reality of the supernatural events I just touched upon, but we also accept the historically reality of the supernatural conception of Christ in the womb of Mary. As we shall see in a few moments, God intervened in history when he chose a young Jewish girl named Mary to give birth to his only begotten Son.
Furthermore, we accept the supernatural death of our Lord Jesus Christ. The eternal Word came from heaven to take upon himself human nature in the person of Jesus the Christ. As the unique God-man our savior went to the cross where a supernatural sacrifice was made. The natural element of the crucifixion is clearly seen by the historical details of his death at the hand of Rome, however, unseen to the natural eye God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.
A supernatural sacrifice was made at the cross where Jesus offered himself by the eternal Spirit as the all-sufficient, propitiatory, atoning sacrifice for the sins of Adam’s race. My friends, he died a supernatural death. Thankfully, history does not end there. He was buried, but in three days the supernatural hand of our great God raised Jesus from the dead! Yes, we accept the historical record of the supernatural, bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. (Somebody say Amen!)
Now let me hasten to say, we believe there is a coming great, supernatural event destined to shake the nations in a unique and startling way. This event is described in 1 Thessalonians 4 and in 1 Corinthians 15 where the Scripture sets forth the next supernatural event on God’s prophetic calendar. At this coming event our Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout and will proceed to redeem the bodies of all who constitute his bride, the church. The dead in Christ will rise first, which means in that supernatural event God clothes his church with perfect, glorified bodies.
Next, the living believer at his coming shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Our great Creator and Redeemer, who is the resurrection and the life, will in a powerful creative act transform our bodies that they should not see death. Rather, they shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body! My friends, hear me today! Soon the Lord will once again shake this world with his supernatural power! I ask you, are you ready for that day?
We believe in the supernatural because with our God nothing is impossible.
Look with me now at Luke chapter one, beginning at verse 26:
26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
With this announcement, the Lord God moved to fulfill his word found in Genesis 3:15 and in Isaiah 7:14. The long-awaited Seed of the woman who must come forth from a virgin’s womb is to be the son of Mary. Now please take careful note of what heaven says about this child: he is to be called Jesus; in the Hebrew Yehoshua, or simply Yeshua, which is the Hebrew word for “salvation.” Indeed, call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins.
Next, he shall be great and known as the son of the Most High and the Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Amen!
Of course, Mary asked a normal question when she said, “how shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Gabriel proceeds to tell her how this will happen, and he proceeds to give her assurance that it will happen. First, Mary would be found with child of the Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit. Thus, the conception in the womb of Mary was supernatural. The Holy Spirit wrought a miracle in the body of Mary. In that miracle God the Son was clothed upon with a human nature. He is thus called, the Son of God.
Gabriel gave Mary assurance concerning this matter by telling her that Elizabeth was with child. Certainly, that news served to immediately strengthen Mary’s heart. And then Gabriel emphatically declared, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” My friends, the supernatural is possible because with God nothing shall be impossible!
Now let me call your attention to Mary’s response in verse 38 . . . “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”
Do you believe in the supernatural? Do you know that God can do a supernatural work in your heart? . . .
Please open your Bible to Luke chapter one, verse twenty-six. We will read verses 26 through 38 today.
Before we examine this text together, I need to call attention to the obvious. Christians accept the reality of the supernatural. We accept the witness of creation, the witness of conscience, and the witness of the written Word of God, and thus embrace the reality of the supernatural. In a word, we fear God and our confession of Christ as Savior, coupled with behavior that seeks to honor him, confirms the reverence with which we embrace the true and living God.
Our embrace of the supernatural begins with the foundational truth of Genesis 1:1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth and the fullness thereof, along with the entire cosmos sets forth his manifold wisdom and omnipotence. We believe in supernatural creation as detailed in Genesis chapters one and two.
We also believe in the supernatural flood of Noah’s day. Noah’s flood was not a local or regional flood. Noah’s flood was a global flood in which God moved in supernatural judgement. The same hand that shaped the original very good creation moved in supernatural judgement reshaping the entire globe. As Jesus says in Matthew 24 the people of that day “knew not until the flood came, and took them all away.” Indeed, all perished under the hand of God’s judgment except for Noah and his family whom God spared in the security of the ark.
We also believe in the supernatural intervention of God at the Tower of Babel. Soon the post flood population began to grow and in just a few hundred years the people of that day, true to fallen human nature, began to fall prey to unbelief and disobedience. However, the Lord intervened and altered the course of human history in a supernatural way. The Lord said, “Let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of the earth: and they left off to build the city.”
Do you understand the Lord supernaturally confused the language of mankind at the Tower of Babel? God’s intervention at Babel is the reason for the variety of languages in our world and it is the fountain head of all the various ethnic groups existing in the world today.
Not only do we accept the reality of the supernatural events I just touched upon, but we also accept the historically reality of the supernatural conception of Christ in the womb of Mary. As we shall see in a few moments, God intervened in history when he chose a young Jewish girl named Mary to give birth to his only begotten Son.
Furthermore, we accept the supernatural death of our Lord Jesus Christ. The eternal Word came from heaven to take upon himself human nature in the person of Jesus the Christ. As the unique God-man our savior went to the cross where a supernatural sacrifice was made. The natural element of the crucifixion is clearly seen by the historical details of his death at the hand of Rome, however, unseen to the natural eye God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.
A supernatural sacrifice was made at the cross where Jesus offered himself by the eternal Spirit as the all-sufficient, propitiatory, atoning sacrifice for the sins of Adam’s race. My friends, he died a supernatural death. Thankfully, history does not end there. He was buried, but in three days the supernatural hand of our great God raised Jesus from the dead! Yes, we accept the historical record of the supernatural, bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. (Somebody say Amen!)
Now let me hasten to say, we believe there is a coming great, supernatural event destined to shake the nations in a unique and startling way. This event is described in 1 Thessalonians 4 and in 1 Corinthians 15 where the Scripture sets forth the next supernatural event on God’s prophetic calendar. At this coming event our Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout and will proceed to redeem the bodies of all who constitute his bride, the church. The dead in Christ will rise first, which means in that supernatural event God clothes his church with perfect, glorified bodies.
Next, the living believer at his coming shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Our great Creator and Redeemer, who is the resurrection and the life, will in a powerful creative act transform our bodies that they should not see death. Rather, they shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body! My friends, hear me today! Soon the Lord will once again shake this world with his supernatural power! I ask you, are you ready for that day?
We believe in the supernatural because with our God nothing is impossible.
Look with me now at Luke chapter one, beginning at verse 26:
26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
With this announcement, the Lord God moved to fulfill his word found in Genesis 3:15 and in Isaiah 7:14. The long-awaited Seed of the woman who must come forth from a virgin’s womb is to be the son of Mary. Now please take careful note of what heaven says about this child: he is to be called Jesus; in the Hebrew Yehoshua, or simply Yeshua, which is the Hebrew word for “salvation.” Indeed, call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins.
Next, he shall be great and known as the son of the Most High and the Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Amen!
Of course, Mary asked a normal question when she said, “how shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” Gabriel proceeds to tell her how this will happen, and he proceeds to give her assurance that it will happen. First, Mary would be found with child of the Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit. Thus, the conception in the womb of Mary was supernatural. The Holy Spirit wrought a miracle in the body of Mary. In that miracle God the Son was clothed upon with a human nature. He is thus called, the Son of God.
Gabriel gave Mary assurance concerning this matter by telling her that Elizabeth was with child. Certainly, that news served to immediately strengthen Mary’s heart. And then Gabriel emphatically declared, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” My friends, the supernatural is possible because with God nothing shall be impossible!
Now let me call your attention to Mary’s response in verse 38 . . . “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”
Do you believe in the supernatural? Do you know that God can do a supernatural work in your heart? . . .
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