Apostles Church

Luke 1:26-38.  Gabriel appears to her and tells her that though she is a virgin, she is going to miraculously conceive and give birth to a baby boy. This child will be unique, no other child like him before and never will be again. This child will be Savior and King who would rule over all nations and have no end to his reign.

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born* will be called holy-the Son of God.

The Spirit of God is going to come upon Mary. This is a phrase that the OT uses to describe God's special activity in a person's life to accomplish His purpose. So, God, by His Spirit, is going to miraculously do this creative work in Mary's womb. Gabriel goes on to further describe it by saying that the Holy Spirit will overshadow Mary. This is meant to take our minds back to the first book of the bible and the account of creation in Genesis 1.

Gen. 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."

Here we see the Holy Spirit of God hovering over the chaos of the creation extending God's presence into creation in such a way to bring order and life to it. That is what is happening here. This is a work of new creation. The world that God created is now in chaos, shattered by sin and corrupted with injustice and the Spirit is going to hover over Mary, doing His creative work in her womb and through this child extend God's presence into creation, in such a way to bring peace and restoration to it. So that when Jesus is born the angels say, "peace on earth." Jesus would bring peace to this world that is in chaos because of sin and injustice.

The result of the Spirit's work in Mary is that this child would be unique, unlike any other child. He will be great, of major importance, unparalleled significance. He will be holy, untainted by sin. He would be born of a woman and share in our human nature. But having been conceived by the Spirit, he will free from a sin nature. He will be holy. He will be the Son of the Most High, the Son of God. This speaks of his relationship to God the Father. In a unique way, Jesus is the one and only Son of God, being eternally related to the Father as God the Son, and now will be incarnate, conceived by God the Spirit and taking on human flesh. But this title Son of God also points us back to the OT where the term was used to describe the King that God would install who would reign forever. God made this promise to David

2 Samuel 7:11-16 ...the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son... 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.* Your throne shall be established forever.' "

So this was the promise to David, that he would have a Son to whom God would be a Father and the King would be a Son to God, and he would reign forever and ever. Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. In fact, Gabriel makes that clear in verse 32. Jesus is the one that would reign forever and of his kingdom there would be no end. So here is what Gabriel tells us about Jesus: He is the Holy Son of God who is King and through his reign will replace all earthly kings and kingdoms and establish peace upon the earth and restore all of creation that is in chaos due to the presence of sin and suffering and death.

During the time of this annunciation, a man by the name of Octavian was ruling the world. Octavian was the adopted son of Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar became of the sole ruler of the Roman world and basically master of the planet in 48BC. He was defied and called a god. His adopted son, Octavian was called the Son of God, being Julius Caesar's son. Julius Caesar was murdered and Octavian came to power after he defeated his father's enemies. He took the name Augustus Caesar. He became the ruler of the roman empire. He was also deified as a God, even given the title Savior and Lord because he saved Rome bringing an end the chaos and unifying the Roman world. He ushered in a time of unprecedented peace known as the Pax Romana (The peace of Rome). It is in this time that Gabriel shows up to a young poor peasant teenage girl living in a small village and says that she will carry in her womb a King greater than Augustus Caesar. One who is truly great, who is unparalleled in importance and power. One who is the True Savior and Lord who is the King to replace all earthly kings and who establishes a Kingdom that will overthrow all earthly kingdoms. One who will establish a peace that surpasses the Pax Romana.

Second Adam: We can bring these two aspects of creation and coronation together by saying that this child, Jesus, would be the Second Adam, the True and Better Adam. In Luke 3:38, Adam is called the Son of God, he had God as his father in a unique way, created directly by God apart from any human agency and being made innocent without sin. He was the image of God in creation, put on the earth to represent God and rule over the creation as his representative. But he gets tested in the garden and fails, and by his sin brought ruin to the creation, alienation from God, self, others and even creation itself. Adam plunged the world into separate from God, suffering and death. But, God has resolved to restore all that was lost in Adam. He extends his presence into creation in an even greater way. The eternal Son, dwelling among us, God in the flesh. He is tested in the Garden, but he does not fail that test, "not my will but yours be done." He is crucified, buried, and rises from the dead, exalted to the Right hand of the Father as King. Through his perfect obedience he set the healing of the creation in motion. So Paul says in Romans 5 that through the sin of one man, Adam, sin entered the creation bringing with it suffering and death. But, through the one man, Jesus, salvation has come healing the entire creation.

The Gospel writer Luke is asking us to respond to this work of God in history in the giving of his Son. And in Mary we see the response that God is looking for.

Mary's Response
Believes the Word. Me? Teenager in Nazareth, carrying in my womb the Savior and King of all nations? How is this possible? God can do all things. This is God's word; I receive it as such.
Submits to the Word. What will this cost Mary? Ruined all her aspirations and plans for her life. Bethrothed: she could be divorced, shamed, and though it was not common, legally she could be stoned to death. She would be an outcast, shamed, disowned. But, Mary responds: So be it. I'm a slave of the Lord, do to me whatever you see fit to do. Let your word be done in me.

This is the kind of response God is looking for. First Response: Believe this Gospel of God healing the creation in Jesus, personally receive it for your life and your story. Personally respond to Jesus with faith and receive his salvation. Fresh Response: God is inviting you to be a part of his saving work. To say, whatever you want from me God, I am your servant. This kind of surrender is easy until God requires something of you. Illustration: Andy and family, selling everything, buying an RV and traveling around the country to serve the poor and marginalized. But, notice God's promise to Mary, God is with you to give you grace. Trust him. Your decision to receive Christ as Lord was the last decision you made, everything else is just obedience.