The Coming King – Part 1
Luke 1:26-38
August 6, 2017
This morning we return to our study of Luke’s gospel,
Where Luke has set out to reveal to us “the exact truth” about Jesus.
He is giving us THE HISTORY OF REDEMPTION.
Certainly we have recognized that Luke’s first desire was to link us to the Old Testament.
Where Malachi ended, Luke began.
• Malachi promised a coming King who we would in no way be ready for.
• In order to prepare us for this king, Malachi also promised that one would come
first in the spirit of Elijah and would restore us.
Luke certainly picked up right there with his story.
• He started out by revealing to us Zacharias and Elizabeth, a righteous, but
barren couple.
• They were no doubt scorned by men, but we found that they were acceptable
to God and through them God would send this restorer.
So, after over 400 years of silence, God once again spoke.
He sent His angel Gabriel into the temple where he spoke to Zacharias
The promise that his wife would give birth to this restoring forerunner.
And then we saw Zacharias go home
And Elizabeth indeed did become pregnant.
We learned then a very important truth from Luke;
Namely that man in his natural state is not fit to stand before God.
If he were then we would see no need for John the Baptist.
Man must be prepared
Man must be restored
John didn’t come to save men,
But rather to lead them to a state of repentance and humility
So that when the King would come these would be acceptable to Him.
It is very important that you and I understand that.
God sent John to lead the people to repentance
That we might be prepared to meet the coming King.
Well THIS MORNING, Luke moves on in his story
And gives us the second great revelation from God.
God already sent Gabriel once to speak to Zacharias,
Now God is sending him again.
The first message was that the restorer is coming.
Here we find the second.
To look at this text, we are going to take a rather Unconventional Outline. That is, I’m not going to just work right down through the text like we normally would.
Instead, I want you just to read the story here and then
There are two main points that I think Luke wants you to see.
Instead of outlining the text, I’d rather give you those two points of emphasis.
#1 THE MESSAGE
Luke 1:30-35
Obviously the emphasis of the passage is on
The message which is delivered to Mary by the angel Gabriel.
I first want us to look at that message,
And we can sum it up quite quickly here at the outset: GOD IS COMING!
(30-33) “The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
The first time Gabriel was dispatched was to announce the coming of John the Baptist, this time Gabriel is coming to announce the coming of Jesus.
Here we find one of the best descriptions of Christ
Contained anywhere in Scripture.
Here we have what God ordered the angel Gabriel to announce
About this coming Messiah, and it bears examining here this morning.
When we look at this announcement or description,
It is easy to see 4 things about this One who will be born to Mary.
1) HE IS HUMAN (31a)
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son”
You will see in a moment that there will be a supernatural conception,
But everything else following that is totally natural.
After this baby is conceived,
• He will be carried in the womb for 9 months.
• This baby will develop and will ultimately be born.
• He will be an infant and then a toddler
• He will be a child and then a teenager
• He will grow into adulthood
This baby will go through life as every other human goes through life.
• He will learn to crawl and to walk
• He will learn to talk and to feed Himself
• His body will face limitations like every other human body
• He will go through puberty and will face every single earthly temptation that any other human might possibly face.
He is going to be human in every sense of the word.
He will get hungry, He will get tired, He will feel emotions, He will feel pain.
THIS CHILD WILL BE FULLY HUMAN
Hebrews 2:14 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,”
John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
He was not some sort of phantom spirit hovering over the earth
That didn’t leave footprints like the Gnostics would teach.
This child that is coming to Mary
Will be 100% human in every sense of the word,
And His physical life will be no different than that of any other human.
EXCEPT FOR 1 GLARING DIFFERENCE.
THIS CHILD WILL BE SINLESS.
(35) “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”
He is referred to as “the holy Child”
And I can confidently say that none of us have ever had children like that.
THIS CHILD WILL BE SINLESS
• He was content as an infant…
• He was obedient as a toddler…
• He was humble as a child…
• He was respectful as a teenager…
• He was flawless as an adult…
He was absolutely human, but He was a holy human,
Despite the fact that Scripture says
He faced every single temptation.
And the fact that as a human He overcame every single temptation
Is what QUALIFIES HIM to be a faithful and merciful HIGH PRIEST for us
Hebrews 2:17-18 “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”
Hebrews 4:14-16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 5:7-10 “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”
He was a perfect and sinless real life human being.
So He perfectly understands humans.
BUT THAT ISN’T THE ONLY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF HIM BEING HUMAN.
His humanity is also important because
It is His humanity which qualifies and enables Him
To be a sacrifice on behalf of humanity.
ONLY A MAN CAN DIE FOR MEN.
(We’ve already seen that goats and bulls aren’t acceptable)
Hebrews 10:4-10 “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.'” After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Bulls and goats couldn’t atone for the sin of humanity.
Only a human body could atone for human sin.
And so He became human
He was given a body.
And in that body He lived a perfect life
That His body might be acceptable when it was offered up to God.
As a man He was able to atone for men.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.”
He had to be human, He had to have a body,
That He might have the means of atoning for the sin of men.
1 Peter 2:24 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”
And so this coming King became human.
• He was conceived inside the womb of a woman
• He was carried inside her body for 9 months
• He was born a natural birth.
• He then subjected Himself to life as a baby and child and adolescent.
• He didn’t skip a thing, He was a human.
That He might atone for the sin of humans.
And that leads us to the second truth that Gabriel reveals about Him.
He is Human
2) HE IS SAVIOR (31b)
“and you shall name Him Jesus.”
YESHUA in the Hebrew and it means “Yahweh Saves”
Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Now granted, the reality of Him being the Savior is barely alluded to here,
But it will soon come much more to the forefront.
Listen to Zacharias after the birth of John
Luke 1:67-71 “And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant — As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old — Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US;”
Listen to the third angelic announcement, which comes to shepherds after this holy Child’s birth:
Luke 2:10-11 “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Listen to Simeon talk about this child when he sees Him in the temple:
Luke 2:29-30 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation,”
This child will not only be human, He will be the Savior of humans.
This human will be a human with a PURPOSE!
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
“Son of Man” is a title that means human.
And Jesus said that this human came to save.
And so we find this man going about and saving sinners.
He offers forgiveness.
To the paralytic:
Luke 5:20 “Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”
To the woman at His feet:
Luke 7:47-48 “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”
And ultimately He will die on a cross
To bear the punishment for the sin of His people.
And even after His death, the commission will go out
That His disciples should go out into the world and proclaim that forgiveness can be found for anyone in His name.
Luke 24:46-47 “and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
This human is coming as the Savior.
He is the sinless man who will bear the sin of other men
And thus provide atonement and forgiveness.
2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
But that in itself produces another question.
How can one man bear the sin of many men?
We’re obviously talking about an eternal weight of sin; almost an infinite amount of sin;
HOW CAN ONE MAN BEAR ALL THAT?
And the answer is, one man can’t;
Unless He is more than just a man.
And that is why we find this third attribute so important.
He is Human, He is Savior
3) HE IS DIVINE (32, 35)
(32) “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High”
(35) “for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”
“Most High” translates EL ELYON (God Most High)
And is a title used many times to speak of God.
Psalms 83:18 “That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth.”
Psalms 97:9 “For You are the LORD Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.”
• That is to say that He is preeminent.
• There is none like Him.
• He has no equal, He has no rival, He stands alone
And this child “will be called the Son of the Most High”
Just as I bear the nature of my father,
So this child will bear the nature of His Father.
Hebrews 1:1-4 “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.”
The writer of Hebrews spelled it out plainly.
“He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature”
He is fully God.
Philippians 2:5-6 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,”
Paul was absolutely clear that this child is in very nature God. He is God.
And when He came He did not relinquish that nature.
If you read Philippians 2 and assume that Christ somehow gave up His deity to become a human, you are misreading the text.
He kept His divine nature.
He remained deity His entire life.
And that was continually put on display.
• See His miracles?
• See His healing?
• See His authority?
Luke 5:20-26 “Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? “But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” — He said to the paralytic — “I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
Luke 7:48-50 “Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
He did not give up His deity when He came.
All He relinquished was the glory that goes along with it.
He was God, He just gave up the right to be treated as God.
This child was fully divine.
Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”
And that means He is capable of bearing an eternal amount of sin.
Isaiah 53:4-6 “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”
His sinless humanity makes Him qualified to be a Savior.
His absolute deity makes Him able to do it.
This child which Mary will carry will be fully human AND fully divine.
He will be both Son of Man and Son of God.
He will be conceived in a woman’s womb yet eternal before time began.
He will be revealed in the form of an infant yet in nature be God Most High.
As human He will be the sacrifice for men.
As God He will be able to bear the weight of that sin.
He is fully God and fully man.
Human, Savior, Divine
4) HE IS KING (32-33)
“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Make no mistake that this child is the LONG AWAITED RULER
Which has been promised throughout the Old Testament.
Psalms 2:7-9 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'”
Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
This is that King.
• He will come to save His people.
• He will come to crush His enemies.
This is the One Malachi was talking about.
Malachi 3:1-4 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. “He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness. “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.”
• This is the King who is coming to make His people righteous.
• This is the King who is coming to refine His people and purify them.
• This is the King who is coming to make His people pleasing to the Lord.
But beyond that, we also must recognize that
He is the King who is coming to reign.
“and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
He is not coming to save and then just leave.
He is not coming to deliver and then let you do whatever you want.
He is coming to save and then to lead.
We call it SAVIOR & LORD
IT’S NOT AS THOUGH
He sees humanity in trouble and says, “Let Me go bail them out”
And then once they are fine He says, “You good? You got it from here?”
No.
He saves and then He rules.
This is the One who Gabriel said is coming.
This King will be conceived in Mary’s womb
And 9 months later will arrive on the planet.
This God in human form.
This King who comes to save.
The question is: DO YOU KNOW HIM AS SUCH?
DO YOU KNOW HIM AS SAVIOR?
Have you humbled yourself before Him and asked for His forgiveness?
DO YOU KNOW HIM AS GOD?
Have you bowed before Him in gratitude and worship?
DO YOU KNOW HIM AS KING?
Have you submitted yourself to Him in obedience and allegiance?
It is my observation today that there are many
Who claim to have Him as Savior,
But who want no part of Him as Lord.
That is to say they want to be forgiven,
But they aren’t interested in submitting their lives to Him.
Actually, there are many today who don’t even want Him as Savior.
• Oh sure they’ll take Him as healer or provider or miracle worker, but they don’t
really want to be rescued from their sins.
• They wouldn’t mind Him removing the penalty of their sin, just so long as He
doesn’t ask them to actually leave the sin.
Do you really suppose that is the type of person Gabriel is announcing here?
• Do you really think Gabriel has just announced One who won’t mind if you just let Him forgive you but doesn’t expect you to obey Him?
• Do you really think this One who Malachi said was coming will be fine if just want to stay in your sin?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!
This One who is announced here…
• Is One who put on humanity that He might save…
• Is One who relinquished the glory of deity that He might save…
• Is One who is promised to rule and to reign forever…
There is no way, He is going to just be ok
With people choosing to stay in their sin.
And it is highly important that you know Him as He is.
Luke is introducing this God/Man
As the most important person to ever walk on this world.
Look back to verse 32 for a moment.
We skipped one word a second ago.
(32) “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High”
“He will be great”
Now, perhaps you remember that we saw that word before.
We saw it about John the Baptist.
Luke 1:15 “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb.”
John’s greatness was qualified.
We read that he would be “great in the sight of the Lord”
But there is no such qualifier when talking about Jesus.
John was “huge” in the sight of God.
John was “a big deal” to God’s plan.
But Jesus is just “huge”!
Jesus is “a big deal” to the whole world!
You don’t want to miss Him.
You don’t want to miss who He is.
You don’t want to miss what He wants.
He is coming to rule forever
And that demands that you and I submit to Him.
Next time we’ll look at How He is going to get here.
