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Once again to Luke chapter 1, as we come to the preaching of God's word. Luke chapter 1, we'll read verses 26 through 45.
! The Lord is with you.
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God.
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever.
His kingdom will never end. How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, so that the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible with God.
Amen. I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered. May it be to me as you have said. Then the angel left her. At that time, Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice, she exclaimed, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child who you will bear.
But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished.
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord has said to her. He's coming. He's coming. For hundreds of years, that was the message that the prophets proclaimed in Israel about the coming Messiah.
So much so that the whole orientation of the Old Testament believer was toward this future coming of Messiah. That anointed prophet.
The anointed priest. The anointed king. The savior and redeemer of God's people. So bedtime stories that children heard from their parents were often punctuated with those words.
Children, he's coming. It came as encouragement to the people of God in their difficult days. He's coming. As they gathered for worship, the prophets would be read.
Over and over they would be reminded, He's coming. And when He comes, He'll put all things right. He'll bring in an everlasting salvation. And He'll bring blessings without end.
Now Mary had grown up in Israel hearing those messianic promises. She was well acquainted with them.
And so one day it was that while she was minding her own business, going about her daily chores, sweeping house, doing laundry, preparing meals, whatever a young lady of her age would have been doing, that suddenly an angel of the Lord came to her and said, He's coming.
And you are going to be his mother and God is going to be his father. Now that would put a different spin on doing the laundry, wouldn't it?
Wow! What a message comes to Mary from this angel. And this meeting between Mary and the angel is so important that God had it recorded in one of His Gospels so that you and I, 2,000 years later, could read it and learn from it.
Now, it's a familiar story. And that's our danger to think we've heard it before. But I wonder if we have learned all that God put this story in the Bible to teach us.
Has our life been impacted by this truth as He intends? Well, if the Lord is pleased to come and to work in our hearts today, He will so stamp us with this truth that it will put a different spin on all of our living.
May He do so for His praise. The passage here in Luke's Gospel is laid out very simply. Three times we hear the angel speaking. And each time Mary has a response to that message from the angel.
And we'll make our way through the passage and then draw two main applications at the end. First, some important introductions that are made in verses 26 and 27 of Luke 1.
We have here an angel on a mission. And we're told the angel's name is Gabriel. Gabriel. Now, this is the same angel that has appeared earlier in the chapter in the temple to Zechariah the priest and has told him that his old and barren wife Elizabeth would bear a child.
And that child would be the forerunner of the Messiah, preparing the people for His coming. And so, this angel had said to Zechariah up in verse 19, I am Gabriel, I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
So, Gabriel is an angel that has this privilege of standing in the presence of God, being before the throne of God, and then running on his errands.
And we now find him on the earth again, the second time we find him. First to Zechariah in the temple, now in Mary's home. And notice the scriptures tell us in verse 26, he's sent by God.
You know the word angelos for angel means sent one, messenger. And that means that whatever we hear the angel say, God says. He is simply a messenger.
And he comes with a message that is backed with all the authority of God who sent him. Now, when is he sent? Well, he sent in the sixth month.
And kids, that's not June, as it is for us. No, he's not referring to the calendar in that way, but it's the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, which Luke has just talked about in the verses that proceed.
The month when things really begin to show, and that will figure in later to the angel's message. Where is the angel sent? Well, to Nazareth, an out-of-the-way little town in Galilee.
In fact, it was such a podent town that Nathaniel, when he was later told about the Messiah being Jesus of Nazareth, you remember, said, Nazareth?
Can any good thing come from there? Nazareth. Nazareth. Nazareth. Nazareth. Nazareth. Nazareth. Not the town where the movers and shakers of Israel are.
It's not Jerusalem, the capital city. It's to nowhere's bill, Nazareth, because God has chosen the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify and to confound and to put to shame the things that are.
So he sent, and not to the whole city of Nazareth, but to one girl in particular, a virgin girl named Mary.
Now, two things you must know about Mary by way of introduction, and we're told them here in verse 27. The first is most important. She was a virgin.
That means she had never had sexual relations with a man. And that's mentioned twice in one verse. That's Luke's way of putting it in yellow marker pen.
This is important. He repeats it twice in one verse. Mary's a virgin. She had kept herself sexually pure.
And without knowing this, you'll not understand the conversation that follows. But more importantly, you will never understand who Jesus is, who her baby is.
So you must know Mary's a virgin. The second thing you need to know is that she was pledged to be married to a descendant of David, a man named Joseph, the village carpenter.
She was betrothed, is the word. We would say engaged. But betrothal was far more binding than our engagement ever is.
It was a solemn ceremony that had been entered into in which vows had already been taken before witnesses. That was betrothal, not marriage.
That's what they did to become betrothed to one another. And so Mary had already promised her unfailing love and faithfulness to Joseph, and Joseph had already promised himself to Mary.
And any unfaithfulness during this betrothal period would be considered adultery. And according to Deuteronomy 23, it was punishable by death for a betrothed person during that period.
You see, in the eyes of the law, they were already viewed as husband and wife even though they were not yet living together. They were not yet married.
She was pledged, betrothed to be married. And yet to back out of the betrothal pledge would require divorce according to Scripture.
It's that serious and that binding of an agreement. So that's not really exactly like our engagement, is it? So Mary was betrothed, pledged to be married.
That means they were still living apart and looking forward to the wedding day, the wedding feast when the bridegroom would come for his bride and he would take her to himself and complete the marriage by living with her intimately as husband and wife from that point on.
So you must know that Mary is betrothed if you would ever understand the dilemma that the angel's message is going to put her in. She's pledged to be married and she's still a virgin.
Young people, hear that. There is grace in God to maintain your moral purity until you give yourself to your spouse on your wedding night.
So, she's a virgin and she's pledged to be married. She's in love. So, very possibly, what she's daydreaming about as she's doing the laundry is her man, Joseph, and just counting the days and planning the wedding and thinking about when they will be together for the rest of their lives.
It was a wholesome, exciting time in Mary's life. And then this messenger of heaven appears. And he says, greetings, you who are highly favored.
The Lord is with you. And Mary's first response is a silent one, but it's a response nonetheless. She was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this must be.
Mary was no more used to angelic visitants than you and I are. She is shocked. She's surprised. But she's troubled and puzzled, especially at what he says, the scripture tells us.
That he would speak such high words for one so lowly and undeserving as her. Highly favored? What could this all be about?
It can't be a small thing to have an angel come in and speak this to me. And so the angel speaks again the second time now. Do not be afraid, Mary.
You have found favor with God. There's that word the second time. Favor. It's the word charis. Grace. You found grace with God.
You found his undeserved kindness pointed to you. grace with God. And that's to be the end of all fear.
To know that God is graciously favoring me. That he's favorably disposed toward me.
That's enough. It is well with my soul. So don't be afraid. You found grace. You found favor with God. But there's more to the message and the longer the angel talks the more astonishing it gets.
Behold verse 31 you will be with child and will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus. Now that's very nearly the words of Isaiah chapter 7 and verse 14.
The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel. And here's the angel picking up on that verse and saying to this virgin Mary that she's the one who will be with child and will give birth to a son and she will call him Jesus which means the Lord saves.
Salvation is of the Lord. It was a name that many Hebrew women gave to their sons in the hopes that he would be the one to bring the promised blessings. But what they vainly hoped for Mary's son would accomplish salvation.
Remember Simeon's words when he saw the Christ child. Now let your servant depart in peace for my eyes have seen your salvation your Jesus. That's his name.
That's his mission. That's what he'll accomplish. foolish. So we see that what Isaiah 714 means is not just that a virgin would get married and have a son.
That happens all the time. But rather that a virgin as a virgin would get pregnant and have a son. That never happens. Now we don't know how much Mary understands the promise yet.
How much she understood of that yet. But there's more and with each line the messianic identity of her son becomes clear. Verse 32 she's told he will be great and will be called the son of the most high.
Now the most high is a title for God found in many places in the Old Testament. He'll be the son of the most high. That was a title for the Messiah.
of all who are high in rank and honor God is the most high. And your son Mary or your child Mary will be his son.
His son. So this is greatness. Yes he will be great. A greatness like none other. The son of the most high. Furthermore the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
Now children who sits on thrones? Well kings do. So Mary your son is going to be a king and not just any king. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
He will be the Davidic king. The king of David's line promised first to David in 2 Samuel chapter 7 and then promised in many places and times by many different prophets.
prophets. The Lord will give him the throne of his father David. That's a reference to his human ancestry. He's going to be born of David.
And indeed Mary and Joseph both were of that line of David. David. But it's getting a bit tricky now isn't it? Because Mary is told my son will be the son of the most high and yet he will be the son of David.
Now we looking back have that all figured out right? He will be both divine nature son of God and human nature son of David of the line of David.
Of course we see with 20 20 vision in a way that Mary couldn't have yet but that's what the angel is telling her. Your son will be the son of the most high and will be the son of David that promised king.
And if there was any doubt about just who this king was the angel what the angel says next removes! forever forever and his kingdom will never end.
A king reigning forever will be your son Mary. Now there's only one that reigns forever and that's Messiah the messianic king of David's line.
That's what God had promised David in 2 Samuel 7 your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me. Your throne will be established forever. And Isaiah chapter 9 6 and 7 for to us a child is given to us a son is born and the government will be on his shoulders and he will be called wonderful counselor mighty God everlasting father prince of peace of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end he will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom forever establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever forever Daniel says his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away the prophecies are too many to read about this king who would reign forever but the angel is drawing upon these many well known messianic prophecies which were precious to all the godly in
Israel and would have been known to Mary and Gabriel's point is too clear to miss Mary your baby is the long promised messiah king the one who would rule not just over a temporal kingdom for a little while like all other kings but who would rule over God's people forever and ever and I can tell you that this king has already been installed on David's throne God has said to him sit here on my throne until I make all your enemies a footstool for your feet and then all the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and forever Jesus will reign forever and ever so one minute
Mary is trying to get the stains out of her brother's jeans and the next minute an angel tells her all of this that she a virgin is going to get pregnant and have a son who will be the messianic king and he will be both son of David and son of the most high now if she was puzzled before about what kind of greeting this was going to be what is she now how fast can the human brain process this information as it's coming to her when she finally finds her voice all she wants to know is how how how will this be since I am a virgin now that's a fair question isn't it since no virgin womb had ever conceived she's wanting more she's wanting some some clarification about how this her a virgin could be with child now it's a different how than
Zechariah's how back in the temple when Gabriel announced that his old and barren wife Elizabeth was going to give birth to a son Zechariah asked how can I be sure of this I'm an old man and my wife is well along in years now that's unbelief speaking how can I be sure of this how can I be sure that what you're saying will really happen and because of that unbelief he's disciplined you remember verse 20 says now the angel says now you'll be silent and not able to speak till the day this happens because you did not believe my words which will come true at their proper time so his how is a how of unbelief there is no such discipline for Mary's how Mary believes the promise but she simply wants more information how can this be since I am a virgin she's asking for more information not doubting the truthfulness of the angelic message and so that's her second question how's all this going to happen since
I'm a virgin and the angel answered the Holy Spirit will come upon you verse 35 and the power of the Most High will overshadow you so the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God now there's mystery here but what the angel says is that God the Holy Spirit will overshadow you and with his divine power he will bring about this conception in your womb such that the Holy One to be born to you will be the Son of God speaks of God coming and overshadowing her as a cloud you remember the cloud in the wilderness that overshadowed the symbol of God's presence power protecting his people here God the Spirit and divine power will overshadow you like a cloud and will bring about this miraculous conception now
Mary's questions were not all answered by that response of the angel but there is there's not enough here perhaps to satisfy our curiosity either but there was enough here to satisfy Mary in her question of how she now knows for sure that is that it is her as a virgin that will be giving birth to this child there will be no man's involvement it will be God himself who does this that's enough for her don't don't really understand all about this shadow and cloud and all that business but enough to know okay God will do it God will do it and because he's the one doing it the one born would be the holy one he would not share in man's sin like you and I came into this world when we were born with sin no he will not be conceived in sin like all of us but will be conceived by the
Holy Spirit and what is conceived by the Holy Spirit will be the Holy One as he's called now it was necessary for him to be born of woman why that he might have the same nature as those that he's come to save and to act on our behalf to live for us and die for us as a man but he must be holy if that life and sacrifice is to do us any good and so he is born of woman but he's conceived by the Holy Spirit so that he might be the holy Savior without any sin and thereby lives and though Mary believes it's God's kindness to come alongside her and to buttress her faith to encourage her faith to reassure I mean this is something that had never ever happened we don't even know that
Israel was really looking forward to it happening yes Isaiah spoke of a virgin being with child but does that mean that the virgin will get married and have a child or does it mean that and now she knows and she needs her faith strengthened and so it's as if God said as Gabriel was leaving heaven and oh Gabriel don't forget to tell her about Elizabeth tell her about Elizabeth so Gabriel says even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month for nothing is impossible with God have noticed how often in scripture that God brought about his plan and deliverance through a barren womb a barren womb it's something of a pattern that whatever God was about to do something new in his plan of redemption that he often did it by opening up a barren womb so when he first called out a people for himself and chose
Abraham to be the father of this nation of Israel he's got a barren wife and she remains barren until they're both in their old age such that Abraham's body is said to be as good as dead that's old and that's impossible for that couple to have children and it was then that Sarah had a son and when Eli the priest is about to die as we've been reading in 1st Samuel and his sons to succeed him are wicked men and Israel needs a godly priest at the helm to anoint the first king in Israel god will raise him up through the barren womb of Hannah and god opens her womb god overcomes the impossible and when israel is in need of a judge and a deliverer from the philistines god will raise up a samson but he'll do it through his barren mother why does god do this over and over what's he up to well he's out to show that nothing is impossible with god that's exactly what the angel says he's out to show that the whole of man's salvation depends upon him doing the impossible salvation does not depend upon some condition in man salvation does not depend upon a fertile womb salvation does not depend upon some condition the circumstances being just right no circumstances can be as hopeless as a dead womb no help inside anywhere that's no problem to god salvation depends entirely upon what he does to save his people so nothing you must know that nothing is impossible with god barrenness and old age never kept a woman from having a child if god so willed it human limitations are nothing to him he shatters the ordinary limits of nature so when in the history of redemption it's time to bring the savior into the world!
it's time to eternal son of god to take our human flesh the holy spirit is sent not to a barren old woman but to something even more impossible than that help I was appalled that no one gave support so my own arm works salvation for me that's what god's doing and he's doing it in a way that everyone sees it's his arm that saves and that's the very lesson Mary needs to learn from her old barren relative
Elizabeth who is now pregnant is to help her believe what it's to help Mary's faith believe that nothing is impossible with god it's to help her not only believe that old barren wombs can give birth but that young virgin wombs can give birth that's a different thing altogether isn't it both are supernatural that is really something with god nothing is impossible with god you take all the things in the impossible column and you put them over here in the possible column that's the difference that god makes so that's the message of the angel and we come to Mary's third and final response to the whole announcement indeed to the whole of god's favor special favor being showered upon her to be chosen to be the mother of messiah what is her final response i am the lord's servant may it be to me as you have said now notice two things first she believed god's word and secondly she submitted to god's will and those two come home to us with pungent application for our lives first of all she believed god's word there are still many questions swirling in mary's mind not everything was answered a virgin conceiving by the overshadowing power of the holy spirit how does that work but faith is willing to believe what reason cannot understand she doesn't understand but she believes she doesn't need to understand in order to believe it's enough to know that god will do it and nothing is impossible with him so she trusts in the lord with all her heart and does not lean on her own understanding with
Abraham she believes God has power to do whatever he has promised so she would say to us though I may have trouble understanding it God has no trouble performing it isn't that a simple way to live just to take God at his word I don't understand God but you're no liar if you said it you have power to bring it about virgin giving birth don't understand you'll do it you will do it I believe that and we see that is her response especially down in verse 45 when she arrives at Elizabeth's home and Elizabeth under the power of the Holy Spirit exclaims in a loud voice blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished she believed that what the Lord said to her through the angel would be accomplished say do you believe that what the Lord has said to you will be accomplished that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes on him will not perish but have everlasting life do you believe that that what
God has said will happen and be accomplished do you believe that what he has said to you will be accomplished when he said that we know that in all things God is working for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose do you believe what God has said to you will be accomplished but I don't understand how this thing could work any good in my life well you don't need to you don't need to understand you can stand with Mary and say I don't understand but I believe it will be accomplished as he said and here's the supporting promise nothing is impossible with God so Mary believed this she she she believed nothing was impossible she reasoned in her mind from the supernatural event of Elizabeth the old and barren womb giving birth to something higher her young virgin womb giving birth
God if God can do this he can do that because God can do anything nothing is impossible with him she personally appropriated the reality that God can do anything and she applied it to her own life to her own virgin womb and dear believers this same promise awaits your personal application of it to your life do you know as long as that statement nothing is impossible with God just remains words on the page in your Bible it will do you no good as long as that statement remains a needle point plaque on your living room wall it will do you no good you must by faith appropriate that promise you must bring that promise off the wall out of the verse and into your impossibility so bring your impossibilities to the
God of the virgin birth that dead end trial with no way out that affliction with no light at the end of the tunnel come on bring it bring it to this God of the virgin birth that stubborn sin that refuses to yield bring it you resolve to live a more holy life that seems to wither on the vine bring it your fear of man that controls you and shut your mouth when you ought to open it and speak!
a word for your savior bring it the dark cloud of depression that refuses to lift bring it the broken relationship that nothing can mend the unconverted son or daughter or loved one that is dead in sin bring it things impossible to men are possible with God oh that sounds fine no you bring it into your impossibility and you put the whole of your weight on that promise stand with Mary there's more strength in him than there's weakness in you it's the same holy spirit that hovered over the womb of the virgin and brought forth the Messiah that lives in you child of God he lives in you bring your impossibilities to him the virgin womb conceiving come on we need to think about that we need to think hard and long about that the virgin womb conceiving what possibilities does that open up for you brother sister at our darkest hour in our greatest need he's near and he's near with power power to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine and by the way why is this virgin pregnant why is she bearing the son it's to save his people from their sins what is more impossible than saving sinners you remember the rich young ruler he wants to be saved he wants eternal life but
Jesus says well you must lay down what you love more than me and that for you is my your riches my friend and he went away a sad man and Jesus says you know what it is it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich man to be saved we're talking about one of those impossibilities a camel through the eye of a needle a rich man being saved and the disciple said then who can be saved Lord if not the rich and Jesus says with man this is impossible what is impossible salvation for any man because we all have our loves whether it's money or self or this sin or the other we were all slaves of sin in love with our own way it's impossible with man this is impossible but with God all things are possible and that's why Jesus is born to do the impossible call him Jesus he will save his people from their sins he's mighty to save he's able to save to the uttermost all who come to God through him and he doesn't need man's willingness to save doesn't need some condition in man in order to save he can make men willing in the day of his power follow
Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damascus breathing out slaughter as he's going and bang no willingness there no right conditions for conversion there and he is saved the God of the virgin womb the virgin birth plants new life in dead sinners only believe all things are possible so Mary believed God's word but secondly she submitted to God's will and those two are always found together where there is faith that takes God at his word there is also sweet submission to his will you know it's unbelief that makes us disobedient rebels that still cling to our own way Mary's response I am the Lord servant may it be to me as you have said now this submission was no small thing to
Mary she stood to lose a lot to be found pregnant before her marriage to Joseph pregnant during the betrothal period it could cost her and cost her dearly it cost her her marriage her marriage to Joseph the man of her dreams I could lose him when he finds out that I am pregnant he will divorce me he will break the betrothal how could I ever expect him to believe my story and indeed it would take another visitation from an angel to convince him of that truth she is not just dreaming up and seeing the bad side of things this is reality he is I going to lose!
I'm going to lose him how could she give him up the very thought was torture and then there's her reputation there's the punishment of death for unfaithfulness during the betrothal and even if that was not being carried out during the Roman rule yet she would never outlive a stain on her reputation shame on her the disgrace in Israel an immoral woman with her illegitimate child that wasn't what she was daydreaming!
I guarantee you that's not how she thought of it all going down would anyone want to marry her after that it was a different day in Israel than it is today these were realities that she was facing her whole life as she had planned it as she had daydreamed about it as she wanted it that happy little family in Nazareth shattered all now threatened to be dashed to pieces yes she must lose her life life as she wanted it to be and so what does she do well she takes her beloved!
Joseph and she takes her marriage plans and all of her life that she had planned out and she comes and she brings it and she places it on the altar and she submits it and surrenders it to God what total and sweet surrender we have here she not only bows her will to God but she eagerly desires its accomplishment may it be to me as you have said do what you said to me God she wants it to happen why because it's what God wants to happen do you want what God wants to happen to happen to you whatever it be whatever it means for your marriage state whatever it means for your family your finances your health your life are you ready with Mary to bring it and to say let it be to me as you have said she sees herself how
I'm the Lord's servant and servants don't choose their own way I exist to do his will not mine not what I wish to be not where I wish to go for who am I that I should choose my way the Lord shall choose for me tis better far I know so let him bid me go or stay the master has spoken the servant's response there's only one response thinkable may it be to me according to your word it's knowing who he is it's knowing who we are and you servants of God every time the will of God the word of God is made plain to you whether that is in your daily reading of scripture or the preaching of it or wherever it is when you see what the will of God is the!
or the answer is I'm your servant Lord may it be to me as you said maybe it's not read in the Bible maybe it's in providence that you're reading and some trial comes into your life and how does it get in your life it comes from the hand of a sovereign God who puts it in your life and there you stand and what's your response it's I'm your servant Lord may it be to me whether written in scripture in providence whether it's something to do or to suffer this is our response I'm your servant Lord let it happen to me as you want will you say that to God this morning whether for the first time in your life or the thousandth time will you say that thy way not mine oh Lord however dark it be lead me by thine own hand choose out the path for me smooth let it be or rough it will be still the best winding or straight it leads right onward to thy rest we'll sing that in a moment and with all your unanswered questions with all your impossibilities bring them to
Jesus trust him and submit to him and unbeliever do you see the issue before you this morning it's not all that different God has sent you a message even as he sent Mary a message and that message is to stop where you're going right now as you're turned away from God and going your own way doing what you want to do the message is stop and go my way turn from your sin and trust in the Savior submit to him as your Lord and master sinners and nothing in yourself do it right now and some of you are thinking oh but if I do that I've got to submit all my life to him I've got to turn the wheel over to him and let him say you direct me Lord you tell me what to do and that's scary you're wondering can I do that you see you're right where Mary was could cost you it cost you friends it could cost you your plans life as you wanted it whoever wants to save his life will lose it but whoever will lose his life for my sake and the gospel will find it you know what you'll find you'll find what
Mary found that the life you find in Christ the life you find from submitting to God's will is so much better than the life that you lose outside of Christ you lose your sin and its damnation you gain Christ and the ways of righteousness and eternal life next week we'll look at Joseph and we'll see how Mary was not disappointed for having trusted the Lord with her love life trusted the Lord with her fiance her marriage her whole entire future let's pray father we are thankful for a sure word from heaven we're thankful that one day we will see and stand at the end of human history and see that indeed you did do everything exactly as you said you would and thank you that in that day no one who has ever trusted in the
Lord and taken you at your word will be put to shame none will be disappointed oh give us faith then right now to personally apply the promises of God the word of God to us to bow our necks beneath your yoke to hold out our life as a cup and to say Lord you fill it you fill it you show us what you want for our lives you choose for us give us that sweet submission of faith that was found in your servant of old where she had none of that it was all of grace you favored her with grace you worked in her heart such a meek and quiet disposition to bow before your will do it for us lift our eyes to see the higher things that you've called us to and to not live for the things of this world and bring some sinner this morning to be willing to lose their life that they might gain eternal life we ask in
Jesus name amen