LUKE 1
16 Outlines
Luke 1:1-4 etc.
LUKE: THE MAN BEHIND THE
MESSAGE
I want you to meet a
man. A man so humble that he never mentions himself by name
in his writings. When he is present as an eyewitness at an event he
writes about "we" and "us" instead of "I" and
"me". This man we only know of as a companion to the Apostle Paul, as
an author, and as "the beloved physician."
This man wrote 2 books
of the New Testament, his gospel and the Book of Acts. In writing these, he
gave us about 28% of the content of the New Testament. This man God used by His
Holy Spirit to communicate love and devotion for Jesus Christ.
The man that I am
referring to is Luke who wrote the Gospel according to Luke. Who was this man?
We do not know a lot about him.
We do know that he was
Gentile, not a Jew.
We do know that he was a
doctor by profession.
We do know that he was a
traveling companion of the Apostle Paul.
As far as we know, he
never saw Jesus personally during Jesus' life on earth.
There are not many references
to Luke in the New Testament. In fact, in only three cases is Luke mentioned by
name. He was an eyewitness to many
events found in the Book of Acts. You can tell that he was present when he
refers to "we" and "us".
Although the content
about Luke is limited, we can find out some very important things about the
character of this man. These are important things worth duplicating in our own
lives.
HIS DEPENDABILITY - Luke
1:1-4
We can tell a lot about
a person from their writings. In the introduction to Luke's Gospel, we find out
something very important about Luke. He was dependable! You could count on Luke
to do the job, and to do it right! You could also call this faithfulness.
Vss. 1-2 - Luke was
saying "Others have written accounts of these things which we
believe." Perhaps Mark and Matthew
had already written their Gospels. Perhaps other accounts that were not
inspired were also written.
Vs. 3 - Luke decided to
write because he had "perfect understanding" of what had taken place.
Vs. 4 - Luke's purpose
was for Theophilus and all those who read his Gospel would know the certainty
of what they had been taught about Christ.
Luke was saying,
"You can depend on me to get my facts straight. You know that what you
have been taught about Christ is true because I have given you an accurate
account."
The fact that we read of
Luke being so much with Paul in the Book of Acts is another indication that
Luke was a dependable man. Every Christian is to be dependable. 1 Corinthians
4:2, 2 Timothy 4:2, Luke 16:10-11
HIS MINISTRY - Philemon
1:24
Just as Paul paid bills
by being a tent maker, Luke could have paid his bills by being a doctor.
But being a doctor was a
sideline for Luke.
In this passage Paul
calls Luke a "fellow laborer". Just as Paul was a servant of Jesus
Christ, so was Luke.
In Acts 16:9-13 it is
evident that Luke also felt the call of God to preach in
Paul never wrote a
Gospel to our knowledge or a book of history of the early church. Luke did.
Luke never wrote a
doctrinal epistle. Paul did that. They
were fellow laborers, each doing what God had called them to do. Being a fellow
laborer does not mean that we do exactly what the other person is doing. It
means that we do what God wants us to do, cooperating with others who are also
serving the Lord.
HIS TESTIMONY -
Colossians 4:14
Here is a one-word
testimony to the character of Luke. He was beloved!
He had a good reputation
among the saints. He was well thought of, well liked, deemed special by other
believers.
How did Luke accomplish
this? I feel it was a result of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Galatians
5:22-23.
HIS LOYALTY - 2 Timothy
4:11
Paul was at the end of
his life. He was in prison.
Nobody else was around
to meet his needs except Luke.
It was Luke who was with
Paul when he was shipwrecked.
It was Luke who stayed
around as a dear friend.
It was Luke who was
faithful to the end.
I realize the words
loyal and dependable are close in their meanings. When I think of dependability I think of
being trusted with things. When I think of loyalty I think of being trusted
with people.
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Luke 1:5-25
A SPECIAL PRIEST
Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist was:
A SEPARATED PRIEST Vss. 5-6
A SAD PRIEST Vs. 7
A SCARED PRIEST Vss. 8-11
A SKEPTICAL PRIEST Vss. 12-18
A SILENT PRIEST Vss. 19-22
A SATISFIED PRIEST Vss. 23-25
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Luke 1:5-25
ABOUT GOD'S WILL
GOD EXERCISES HIS WILL
IN THE LIVES OF THE GODLY
Vss. 5-7
GOD EXPLAINS HIS WILL
THROUGH HIS WORD Vss. 10-17
(Zacharias received the
spoken word, we have received the written word.)
GOD EXPECTS THE GODLY TO
BELIEVE HIM Vss. 18-25
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Luke 1:5-25
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
When children are born into the family, we like to
announce the arrival of the new family member.
Usually when a birth announcement is made, the child has already
arrived. In the case of John the
Baptist, his birth was announced to his father.
A RIGHTEOUS COUPLE - Vss. 5-6
Zacharias and Elizabeth were godly people.
A REAL PROBLEM - Vs. 7
Although they were godly,
A REVEALING VISIT - Vss.8-17
Gabriel tells Zacharias about the birth and ministry
of his son, John.
A RESTRICTING PRONOUNCEMENT - Vss. 18-20
Zacharias fails to believe what God has revealed to
him. Therefore a judgment of silence was pronounced!
A REMARKABLE OCCURANCE -
Vss. 21-25
I wonder how many times we disappoint our Lord, when
we fail to believe His promises in the Bible?
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Luke 1:5-25
BEFORE JESUS
BEFORE JESUS
THERE WAS A RIGHTEOUS PAIR Vss. 5-6
BEFORE JESUS
THERE WAS An EMBARRASSING PROBLEM Vs. 7
BEFORE JESUS
THERE WAS A MARVELOUS PROMISE Vss. 8-17
BEFORE JESUS
THERE WAS A JUSTIFIED PENALTY Vss. 18-22
BEFORE JESUS
THERE WAS A MIRACULOUS PERFORMANCE Vss. 23-25
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Luke 1:5-39
THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
Imagine taking a friend
to you favorite restaurant. The waiter brings out the appetizer, and your
friend says, "This fruit cup is great!" And you answer, "You
haven't seen nothing yet. The best is yet to come!"
Next, out comes the
soup, and your friend says, "Why this is the best soup I've ever
eaten!" You answer you friend,
"Just wait. The best is still yet to come."
The same thing happens
for the salad and the main course. In
each case you assure the friend that "The best is yet to come!" And sure enough, when the dessert comes, it
turns out to be better than all the good things the man had already tasted at
this terrific restaurant. The best was yet to come.
Now imagine a fan of
music that has never heard the Messiah. He hears the first few choruses and
raves to you how great the music is. You would assure him to "Just wait.
The best is yet to come." The best does come at the end with the
Hallelujah Chorus.
On a lighter note
there's an old story about a preacher who was stealing his messages from a book
by Charles Haddon Spurgeon (a great preacher of the past). Unknown to him one of the church deacons had
the same book. After listening to the
man preaching Spurgeon's sermons without giving him any credit, the deacon took
action. On one Sunday morning the deacon
shook hands with the pastor at the end of the service, and said "Great
message pastor!" And then the deacon leaned over and whispered, "Wait
until you see next week's sermon. It's even better!" The best was yet to
come. (I am unaware of the source of this story, but it is not original.)
In keeping with the
season, our message is found in Luke 1.
Here we find the announcements of the births of two men. The first
announcement was the announcement of the birth of a great man by the name of
John The Baptist. Although John was
great, the second birth announcement in this chapter was about the birth of a
greater man, The Lord Jesus Christ. Although John was great, THE BEST WAS YET
TO COME!
THE ANNOUNCEMENT
CONCERNING JOHN
Background Material -
Vss. 5-10
A Great Birth - Vss.
11-13
Although
A Great Life - Vs. 14
John would be great in
the sight of the Lord!
He was the equivalent of
an Old Testament Nazarite, who drank no alcohol.
(Numbers 6:1-8)
He was filled with the
Holy Spirit from the womb. (Luke 1:41)
A Great Ministry - Vss.
16-17
He would turn many to
the Lord. (Vs. 16)
He was the messenger
promised in Malachi 3:1. (Vs. 17)
THE ANNOUNCEMENT
CONCERNING JESUS
In verses 26-31, Gabriel
made a great announcement to Mary.
Mary was puzzled how
these things could be. Vs. 34
A Greater Birth - Vs. 35
The birth of the Lord
Jesus was the work of the Holy Spirit of god within the body of Mary.
This virgin birth was a
greater miracle than the birth of John.
A Greater Life - Vs. 32
Jesus would be called
"The Son of the Highest" He was God in the flesh. See John 1:14
A Greater Ministry -
Vss. 31-33
According to Vs. 31, the
child's name would be JESUS. This word means "Jehovah-salvation".
He accomplished His
greatest ministry on the cross when He died for your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21
He would reign as
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Luke 1:13 etc.
"FEAR NOT!"
One of the great
messages of the Bible is that those who fear and trust God completely have
nothing to fear. Many times God says to his followers, "Fear
Not". Consider that this message is
stated four different times in the Christmas Account. God says "Fear not" to:
1. A DESPERATE OLD MAN -
Luke 1:13 (Luke 1:5-25)
Zecharias so desperately wanted a son that he was probably praying
for one, when he was supposed to be praying for the people. When we are desperate, God says to us
"Fear not".
2. A DISTINCT YOUNG
WOMAN - Luke 1:30 (Luke 1:26-38)
Mary was distinct
because she was chosen to be the mother of the Messiah. We are distinct as Christians because we the
children of God, and have nothing to fear except God (Luke 12:4-5). Because we are distinct, God
says to us, "Fear not".
3. A DISAPPOINTED YOUNG
MAN - Matthew. 1:20 (Matthew. 1:18-25) - Joseph was disappointed because he
thought his bride to be was unfaithful.
God's message to "fear not", assured Joseph that all was
well. Often through our disappointments
we will hear God say,
"Fear not."
4. DEDICATED SERVANTS -
Luke 2:10 (Luke 2:8-14)
The shepherds were just
doing their jobs, watching their flocks by night. Something special happened to them on the
job. The angel appeared, and they were told to "fear not". As we faithfully serve the
Lord, and a surprise
occurs, we will hear the Lord saying "Fear not."
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Luke 1:26-38
SOMETHING SPECIAL
SPECIAL LADY Vss. 26-27
SPECIAL BLESSING Vss. 28-30
SPECIAL PROMISES Vss. 31-37
SPECIAL FAITH Vs. 38
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Luke 1:26-38
WHEN NOBODY BECAME
SOMEBODY
I want to take you
back in time to a little nowhere town to a nobody
girl. I want us to examine a time when
this nobody became somebody.
CONDITIONS - Vss.
26-27
Vs. 26 - What was the sixth month?
It was the sixth month of a miracle pregnancy. Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous people
who were on in years. At an age when
Zacharias, a
priest, had been burning incense when all of a sudden the Angel Gabriel
appeared before him. Zecharias
was told that he and Elizabeth would be parents of the prophet who was
scheduled to appear before the coming of
Because Zacharias
did not believe Gabriel, he was disciplined by being made deaf and dumb.
This was a
temporary ailment, but it was effective. Zacharias went home to the hill
country of Judah and before long, Elizabeth was expecting.
Vs. 26 - Gabriel is on the move again.
This time he is bringing a message to what I would call a "nowhere
town". He was going to Galilee, an
area of
Vs. 27 - Not only did Gabriel go to a nowhere town, but he went to see
a "nobody" person. Mary was one of thousands of Jewish peasant girls,
who at probably between the ages of 12-14 would get married raise a family in
relative poverty and eventually die!
Mary was a virgin who was engaged to be married to a descendant of King
David. Joseph was his name. He was the village carpenter.
The conditions were
simply this; Mary was a nobody who lived in a nowhere
town.
CONFRONTATION -
Vss. 28-33
Vs. 28 - The angel appeared to Mary. We don't know where and we don't
now how. We do know from her response
that Mary knew she was talking to a supernatural being.
Here is a very
interesting greeting. Mary is told that
she is "highly favored", "blessed among women" and that
"the Lord is with you."
In an instant,
Mary, who very well could have thought of herself as a "nobody" is
told that she is a "somebody"!
Mary was given a glorious piece of great news.
Vs. 29 - Mary, of course, was a special person. One of the special qualities of Mary was that
she was very contemplative. This is
shown in other instances of Luke's Gospel.
It was Mary who would think about things that she was told and things
that happened. Here, although she is
troubled, Mary tries to reason out or understand what is going on. Oh that more of us were like that!
Vs. 30 - Now, if you met a messenger from God, you might think you
were in some sort of trouble. You would
probably also be afraid. Gabriel calms
her, by telling her to fear not. She was one who was highly favored in God's
eyes.
Vs. 31 - Mary was going to have a baby! The baby's name would be
"Jesus", or "Salvation"!
Mary would be the mother of
Vs. 32 - Jesus would be great. And notice that Jesus would be called
"Son of the Highest". Jesus
would be the Son of God! He was to be both God and man.
Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given:
"A child is
born," means that Jesus was human.
"A son is
given," means that Jesus existed before he came to earth. He is God!
Vs. 33 - His kingdom will be permanent. We need to remind ourselves of
something here. All that Gabriel said is true.
When Jesus came the first time he came to give His life to save sinners
like us. When Jesus comes again he will
set up his permanent kingdom! At that
time His rule will be eternal.
THE CONCEPTION -
Vss. 34-37
Vs. 34 - Mary was not like Zacharias who just didn't believe
Gabriel. Mary was simply trying to
understand how she could have a baby without having a sexual relationship with
a man. Mary, the one known for her contemplation, was striving to grasp what
she had been told.
Vs. 35 - Mary is told here that the birth of Jesus would be a miracle!
It would be a virgin birth.
She would do
nothing except believe! The Holy Spirit
would do the work of impregnating Mary. And the baby that was born would be the
Son of God!
Vs. 36 - To show Mary that God was capable of such a thing she is now
told that her cousin, Elizabeth would have a baby. Elizabeth, who was known as
"barren",
Vs. 37 -
Mary, a virgin,
would conceive and have a baby, because nothing is impossible with God.
THE CONFIDENCE -
Vs. 38
Mary was given a
tremendous amount of information and responsibility. Not only would she be mother of our Lord Jesus,
but she would have to bear the brunt of people thinking that she had been
unfaithful to Joseph. She had to bear
the brunt of some thinking that she was an adulteress. And to think that she was going to have to
raise such a child!
Mary's response is
classic, "Be it unto me according to thy word."
In essence she is
saying, "I accept and believe what you have said."
Mary was in a
situation that made faith an absolute necessity. And I dare to say that if Mary
had not believed, had not had faith, Mary would not have been the mother of
Jesus.
Mary had no
credentials for being the mother of Jesus.
She was a nobody from nowhere.
Mary had little
training for being the mother of Jesus.
Mary would have
limited human support for being the mother of Jesus. Why an angel even had to appear to Joseph in
order for him to consent to marry Mary.
Mary had to be one
who would simply trust God no matter what!
So there you have
it. Mary the nobody became a somebody. Today we are to still respect Mary and call
her "blessed". She was human.
She was a sinner like us. But God gave her a very special position.
"All of this
is great Pastor, but how does this relate to us?"
Glad you asked!
Let's think about it.
THE CONDITIONS
Guess what? We're
nobodies! Psalm 51:5, Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10-12
Not one of us is
righteous in God's eyes. We are nobodies
who deserve to go to hell!
Ezekiel 18:4,
Romans 6:23
THE CONFRONTATION
Just as Mary was
confronted with good news from God, through an angel, in this day and age you and
I are confronted with good news from God from various sources.
· We
discover this good news either through an individual sharing with us "one
on one". Sometimes that individual is a parent or a Sunday School teacher.
· We also
discover this good news when we go to church and hear a pastor or a guest
speaker present it.
· And some
have discovered this good news by reading books or pamphlets that we call
tracts.
· Many have
also have been confronted with this good news as they have read God's Word the
Bible.
In verse 28
Mary was told that she was "highly favored".
There is a sense in
which each one of you is highly favored.
God loves each one
of you.
God showed his love
for you by sending His Son, the Lord Jesus to earth.
God showed His love
for you by sending His sinless Son to the cross to die for your sins.
1 John 4:10, Isaiah
53:3-6,
Right now through
me God is confronting you with His love.
It was His love that Jesus, a real somebody, the Son of God, to die on
the cross for you, a nobody. John 3:16
THE CONVERSION
In verse 35 Mary
was told that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and there was conception.
God, the Holy
Spirit will also come upon you and I. We can call it
conversion, but it is also called the new birth!
Jesus told
Nicodemus - "Ye must be born again." John 3:5-7
What is going on
here? God wants to forgive your sins,
give you new life, and make you his child. He does it through the work of His
Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:17,
So how does one
experience this new birth that brings conversion?
THE CONFIDENCE
The new birth
requires confidence or faith. At a
specific moment in time you, a nobody, become a child
of God through the working of the Spirit of God. A nobody
becomes somebody.
John 1:12-13
You place
confidence in the fact that you are a "nobody", a sinner who deserves
the punishment of hell.
You place
confidence in the love of God, believing that Jesus Christ His Son died for
your sins.
By faith you place
confidence in the Lord Jesus as your Savior, as your way to Heaven!
It is by faith that
you become somebody, a child of God and a citizen of Heaven!
If you have not
already, will you chose to become somebody this
morning?
And those of you
who have already made this decision need to remember that,
· Without Christ you'd be nobody. That's your condition.
· You are
still loved by the Savior who has made you "accepted in the beloved".
That's your confrontation from God's Word.
· You not only were born again by the Spirit of God, but the
Spirit of God continues to live inside you to help you, guide you, teach you,
and comfort you. That's a result of your conversion.
· The new
life you began by expressing faith in Christ as Savior is to continue to be a
life of faith. That's confidence.
Christian, you are
still a nobody who became a somebody!
CONCLUSION:
For Mary, the nobody who became somebody.
THE CONDITIONS -
Mary was a nobody who lived in a nowhere town.
THE CONFRONTATION -
Mary became a somebody, who would be the mother of
God's Son.
THE CONCEPTION -
Vss. 34-37 - The Holy Spirit would do the work of making Mary pregnant.
THE CONFIDENCE -
Vs. 38 - She believed what God had told her through the message of the angel.
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Luke 1:26-38
GOOD NEWS!
THE SPECIAL MAIDEN
IS VISITED - Vss. 26-30
THE COMING MESSIAH
IS ANNOUNCED - Vss. 31-33
THE WONDERFUL
METHOD (OF CONCEPTION) IS EXPLAINED - Vss 34-38
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Luke 1:26-38
A SURPRISE VISIT
Probably every lady in
MARY WAS SPECIAL IN
GOD'S EYES. Vss. 26-28
Although we do not hold
to the deity of Mary in any way (She was a sinner saved by grace. Luke
1:46-47), she was a very special lady.
MARY WAS SHOWN GOD'S
PLAN Vss. 29-37
Although Mary didn't
doubt Gabriel, she did need some
explanation. Vss. 34-35
MARY WAS SURE THAT GOD
TOLD THE TRUTH. Vss 38
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Luke 1:26-38
A MARY CHRISTMAS or MARY LEARNS ABOUT JESUS
MARY SAW AN ANGEL Vss. 26-29
MARY HEARD AN ANNOUNCEMENT Vss. 30-33
MARY HAD ASSISTANCE Vss.34-37
MARY HARBORED ASSURANCE Vs. 38
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Luke 1:26-38 etc.
MARY, MARY, MARY GOOD FOR
MOTHERS DAY
A very common name for women in the New Testament
appears to be Mary. Three of the women
named Mary have much to teach us about how to relate to our Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
AN EXAMPLE OF LEANING - MARY, MOTHER OF OUR LORD
Mary leaned on God in faith.
Luke 1:26-38 - When Mary was told she would be Mother
of the Messiah, she trusted God.
John 2:1-9 - When there was a need for wine at a
wedding, she trusted Jesus.
AN EXAMPLE OF LOVING - MARY OF
Luke 10:28-32 - She sat at Jesus' feet and heard His
word.
John 12:1-8 - She expressed her love for the Lord by
anointing the Lord's feet.
AN EXAMPLE OF LIVING - MARY MAGDELENE
Luke 8:1-3 - Here is a woman who was under the bondage
of sin.
The Lord Jesus changed her life.
She went on to live for Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 20:11-18)
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LUKE 1:46-55 etc.
YOUR SONG FOR CHRISTMAS
People have written many songs for
Christmas.
Silent Night
O Little Town of
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Joy To The World
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
The First Noel, and many more selections
are somebody's songs for Christmas.
What is your song for Christmas? I don't mean you have to compose a Christmas Song,
and I don't mean you have to chose a favorite, although you probably have. What I do mean is that deep in your heart,
you should have a Christmas Song of praise to God. You may express it through one of these
Christmas Carols, or through your general attitude.
A song for Christmas is not a modern
idea. It actually began with Mary,
Zacharias, and the Angels. These dear
people help you and I understand what our Christmas Song should be like.
Your song for Christmas should be:
A SONG OF GOD'S GRACE - Luke 1:46-50
The Virgin Mary had received a visit from
the Angel Gabriel.
He had given her the great news, that she
was going to be the Mother of
Mary's response to the announcement that
she would be the mother of Jesus is classic. She said,
Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.
And the angel departed from her. Luke (1:38)
Gabriel had told Mary about another miracle
that had taken place. He had told her that
her cousin Elizabeth, who was old and called barren, had conceived. Of course
1:39-40 - Mary decided to pay a
visit to
1:41-45 - Can you imagine Mary's
delight, when
Mary knew that she hadn't imagined anything.
Mary was assured that her faith was in the right place.
Mary's response is her Christmas song,
which is first of all, a song of grace.
Vs. 47 - Mary is filled with
the joy of Christmas! Mary exalts, or
magnifies the Lord for all that He had done and would do! Dear friends, that is exactly what we should
do in our hearts. Every Christmas Carol that brings glory to God should be sung
with an attitude of wanting to magnify God!
Notice something else here. Mary rejoices
in God her Savior!
Did Mary need a Savior? Yes! Was it God's intent to send a Savior who
would deliver
Mary knew that she needed a Savior! She knew that God was providing a Savior!
Vs. 48 - Mary understood God's
grace. She understood that she was just one of thousands of young woman in
Vs. 49-50 -
Mary realized that it was God who was showing mercy on her, and that he shows
mercy on all that fear Him.
Mary's Christmas song was a song of God's
grace.
My friend, in order to have a true
Christmas song warming your heart, it has to be a song of God's grace.
Like Mary, you need a Savior, someone to
deal with your sins.
Like Mary, you are one person among
billions of people who ever lived, not much in the greater scheme of things.
Jesus came to earth to die for Mary's sins.
Jesus came to earth to die for your sins.
Romans 5:6-8, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Jesus dying for our sins was an act of
grace.
God's unmerited favor is shown to us when He
sent His son to die for our sins.
How do we make this grace ours? John 3:16
Have your experienced God's grace in your
life by believing on Jesus for eternal life?
If you have not, do so today.
If you have trusted Christ as Savior, make
sure that your Christmas Song is one that sings praise to God from the heart
for the grace that he has shown you!
A SONG OF GOD'S GREATNESS - Luke 1:51-55
Mary's Song continues. She talks about the greatness of God
here. And any Christmas Song should
remind us of God's greatness!
Vs. 51 - Our God is strong! He
is omnipotent! The God who sends the
thunderstorm and created the great
I love the words of Jeremiah 32:17 -
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the
heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is
nothing too hard for thee:
Notice that God scatters those who are
proud in their hearts.
There have been those like Haman in the
days of Queen Esther and Adolph Hitler in the days of my parents who proudly
thought they would eliminate God's people. God destroyed them!
James 4:6 - But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he
saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto
the humble.
There will be a day when all proud people are
humbled! Philippians 2:9-11
Vs. 52 - Many a mighty ruler
down through the years has been cast off their throne. But many a humble person has been exalted.
Humility is a key ingredient to the
Christian life. Matthew 5:5
Vs. 53 - This verse is true in
the physical world, but I especially think of God's greatness here in the area
of Spiritual things. Matthew 5:6
I think of the Apostles, a small band of 12
men, who hungered and thirsted after righteousness and ended up turning the world
upside down for Jesus Christ.
I also think of a King named Agrippa, who
had an audience with the great Apostle Paul.
Paul preached the Gospel to him, and yet as close as he came to
Christianity was the statement, Almost
thou persuadest me to be a Christian. (Acts
26:28)
Agrippa was rich, but he was sent away
empty.
Vs. 54 -
A SONG OF YOUR GRATITUDE - Luke 1:67-75
Let us move on to the song of another Bible
character named Zacharias.
Zacharias and Elizabeth were a righteous
couple who loved the Lord. However they had no children and they were well
beyond the childbearing years.
Zecharias was
on duty by himself in the
The angel Gabriel appeared to Him and made
a startling announcement. Luke 1:13-17
Zecharias did
not believe the Angel and became deaf and dumb.
He went home, and it wasn't long before
Vss. 59-64 -
Zacharias, who had been silent for nine months was now able to speak. He was not bitter over God's discipline.
Instead he was grateful for what God had done.
His song is one of extreme gratitude!
Vs. 68 - Zacharias was grateful
for God's visit. God had visited with
the supernatural birth of the Messiah's prophet, John the Baptist.
God would visit with the arrival of the
Messiah himself, born of a Virgin.
Zacharias was grateful also for God's
redemption.
Redemption speaks of the purchase or a
slave in order to give him freedom.
Jesus was born to die for our sins so He could redeem
Has God visited you with salvation? Have
you been redeemed?
Then your Christmas song should be a song
of gratitude!
Just think, you would be looking forward to
eternal punishment in hell, if it weren't for the work of Christ! Your
condition without Christ was terrible!
Zacharias was grateful! How grateful are
you for what God has done?
A SONG OF GOD'S GRANDEUR - Luke 2:13-14
Now we move ahead in our story to the birth
of our Savior.
You know the story. When he was born in
Vs. 13-14 -
Here is the fitting conclusion for a Christmas song. It is short but it says so much! Glory to God
in the Highest!
The grandeur of this Christmas Song is that
God gets all the praise! It is God who allowed Zacharias and Elizabeth to have
a baby. It is God who caused Mary, a virgin, to give birth to the Lord Jesus.
It is God who sent a Savior.
It is God who gives redemption.
Our Christmas Song should echo this
sentiment of glory to God in the highest.
Before we conclude our message about your
song of praise, I want you to notice something.
If we are going to sing a Christmas song of praise to God that speaks of
his grandeur, we also need to wish others peace and good will!
The Christian can not truly praise God with
all his heart until he has forgiven those who have hurt him. This Christmas
time, make sure that you can truly wish peace and good will to all, because you
harbor no grudges and hold no ill feelings. Ephesians 4:30-32
So what about your song this Christmas?
Make sure that it is,
A SONG OF GOD'S GRACE - Luke 1:46-50
A SONG OF GOD'S GREATNESS - Luke 1:51-55
A SONG OF YOUR GRATITUDE - Luke 1:67-75
A SONG OF GOD'S GRANDEUR - Luke 2:13-14
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Luke 1:46-55
MARYS PSALM
MARY ASCRIBED GLORY TO THE LORD Vss. 46-47
MARY APPRECIATED GODS KINDNESS TOWARDS HER Vss.
48-49
MARY WAS ASSURED OF GODS:
Mercy Vs. 50
Strength Vss. 51-52
Provision Vs. 53
Faithfulness Vss. 54-55
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Luke 1:76-80
ABOUT JOHN THE BAPTIST
Under the control of the
Holy Spirit, Zecharias tells us about the ministry of
his son, John.
JOHN WAS A PROPHET Vs.
76a
JOHN HAD A PURPOSE Vss.
76b-79
1. To Prepare Jesus' Ways Vs. 76b
2. To Give Knowledge Vss. 77-78
3. To Give Light Vs. 79a
4. To Give Guidance Vs. 79b
JOHN MADE PROGRESS Vs.
80