Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I direct your prayerful attention to the gospel according to Luke
and chapter one. Luke chapter one, and we read
for our text verses 31 through to 33. Luke chapter one from
verse 31. And behold, thou shalt conceive
in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name
Jesus. He shall be great, and shall
be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David and he shall reign over
the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there shall be
no end. Luke chapter 1 from verse 31
to 33 which you will observe are the words that the angel
spoke to Mary. We've read two portions this
evening. Both of those portions reveal
vital things about the Lord Jesus Christ. Each of the portions applies to either Mary or Joseph. The first is telling of Mary
of the coming birth of her son and the conception that she was
to have in a supernatural and miraculous way. That is where
our text is. But then the angel appears to
Joseph when Joseph already knew that his espoused wife was with
child and was casting his mind about it, whether or not he should
put her away or not. And the angel then appeared to
him and told him, of the child that was to be born. So both
passages, very important passages, really the first New Testament
news concerning our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And there are vital things that
are said before us in this where our text is and also that which
is told to Joseph. Now in the beginning of the Word
of God, Genesis, Genesis the first three chapters, we have
in those chapters the beginning of many truths that are developed
and set forth right through the Word of God. They are not by
any means the only chapters that contain the truths that are first
broached and first introduced to us in the Holy Word of God. They are opened up right through
the Scriptures. Some would think to undermine
the first chapters in Genesis, unknowingly undermining all of
the scriptures. But what is so vital is that
those truths that are set forth at the beginning, they are never
revoked, they are always developed out, and they are vital truths. We think of the creation, That
is set forth there. We think of the one day in seven,
the Sabbath day. Marriage is set forth there.
The headship of the man over the woman is set forth there.
The Trinity is set forth in those chapters. We have the fall of man. and we have the first promise
of the Saviour, the seed of the woman that should bruise the
serpent's head. And so, similarly, in the New
Testament, we're not surprised to find the Holy Spirit, the
inspirer and author of the Holy Word of God, using a similar
method that in the opening chapters of the New Testament, and especially
in a first revealing of Jesus Christ, that there is set forth
the essential truths concerning him that later on are to be unfolded
and developed more throughout the Word of God. And so it is
with those thoughts that I want to look at the Word this evening. We come the day before the 25th,
when traditionally we hold as the birth of our Lord. The date,
of course, is not set before us in Scripture, nor is it commanded
to be kept as a special day, but traditionally it is. and
may we profit in thinking and meditating upon the Lord at this
season. And the portions that we've read,
it left Mary and Joseph with an anticipating of the birth
of a son, of which great things had been told concerning him. So I want to look with the Lord's
help at three points. Firstly, how Mary and Joseph
were addressed. How did the angel address them
when coming to them? Secondly, what was revealed to
them? Specific truths first opened
up and revealed in the New Testament revealed to them in those portions
we've read and the words that were spoken to them. And then
lastly, just look at what those things mean to us, the significance
of them for us. But firstly, how Mary and Joseph
were addressed by the angel. In Luke chapter 1 verse 28 we have the angel coming unto
Mary and this is what was said, Hail thou that art highly favoured,
the Lord is with thee, Blessed art thou, blessed art thou among
women. That she was highly favoured
and the Lord was with her was a great thing in itself. But joined with that, the words,
blessed art thou among women, highlighted that here is the beginning of
the fulfilment of the promise of the seed of the woman. It is highlighted right here
that this highly favoured and blessed one is a woman and you
know that women of Israel would have known full well of what
the expectation was and that the promise was to the seed of
the woman. Luke is very particular in this. When he comes to the third chapter,
then in the latter end of that chapter, we have from verse 23, a line from the Lord Jesus Christ
right down to Adam and to the Son of God, tracing that line
which is Mary's line, his mother's line, tracing it right back to
the seed of the woman, right back to the creation. This is
Luke's message and this is how the angel addressed Mary, how
she was highly favoured and lured with her. Specifically, here
she is, the chosen one, the seed of the woman should be her seed. So then how is it with the angel
when the angel appears to Joseph, What does he say to Joseph? In Matthew chapter 1 and verse
20, we read that while he thought on these things, that is, whether
he should put her away privately, the angel of the Lord appeared
unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, thou
son of David. There is the tracing of David's
line. And the same way as what Luke
did in chapter three, going back, tracing the line of the seed
of the woman, Matthew has already done this. In the beginning of
the first chapter here, the book of the generation of Jesus Christ,
the son of David, the son of Abraham, and he takes it from
Abraham. who saw Christ's day, who rejoiced
at it, who was given the promise unto thee and thy seed, which
Paul says is not unto seeds, but one seed, which is Christ. And this then is emphasised here. This is the kingship line. This is the line of David. Now, of course, Mary also was
of the line of David. Both Joseph and Mary, their lines
meet in David. Joseph, he meets in Solomon,
and with Mary, she meets in Nathan. But what is emphasised here,
right at the very introduction of the birth of our Lord, the
line is correct. The line is right. This babe,
the parentage is right. It is both to be of the, as the
son of David, it is to be of that line that is a symbolical
line, we come to that later, of the kings, but it is the line
as the seed of the woman. And so, We think of with the
Levites how careful they had to be to make sure that they
were of the house of Aaron and the tribe of Levi. And here it
is in the very salutation cleared up that this is the correct line. This is how the scriptures have
set forth and how there is to be anticipated. the coming Messiah. It is as if the angel, in part,
of reassuring what must have been a very fearful, supernatural
appearance, an appearance in the dream for Joseph, both of
them, they needed the fear nots. But it must have been a wonderful
reassurance. to have immediately in the salutation
attention drawn as if it was said, you, you are in the position
for the blessing of the coming Messiah to be given to you. As if that is the first thing
that was cleared up and that is settled here. I want to look then secondly
at what was revealed to them. What were those things that were
shown? Well, we begin with our text
and with Mary. Firstly, there was shown his
conception. And behold, thou shalt conceive
in thy womb. there was to be a babe formed
and conceived in her womb, spoken of in the same way that any babe
was to begin life in the womb by conception. But Mary did not
know a man. And later on, this is to come
out. We look at this in a moment.
But the first thing is that this babe should be born in a way
that is, again, answerable to the scriptures, born of a woman,
made under the law. The Old Testament saints, and
we're thinking of Job, they puzzled at this. How can a clean thing
come out of an unclean? They were expecting, truly, that
the promised seed would be born in a, we say, a normal, unnatural
way. We read later, Mary big with
child. The child grew in her womb, the
same as any child would that is conceived in the womb. And so that is evidenced here
first. Secondly, was told that this
child should be a man-child, a son. This was made known to
her and also to Joseph. We can easily overlook this,
but any parent that has had a child and expecting a child, nowadays,
yes, you can You can have a scan and you can find out whether
it's a son or a daughter. In those days, of course, you
could not. In the case of Jacob and Rebecca,
they, sorry, Isaac and Rebecca, they could not tell whether they
had got twins in the womb, Jacob and Esau. as they were to be,
wrestled in her womb. She said, if it be so, why am
I thus? And it was not until they were
born that she found out it was twins in her womb, as to why
there was the commotion and tossing to and fro there. And we can
easily pass over. I've often felt that the faith
of dear Hannah, the first book of Samuel, She had prayed for
a man-child. It wasn't just a child, it was
a man-child that she asked the Lord for. And when Eli realised
what her petition was, he said, the Lord give thee the petition
that thou hast asked of him. And Hannah went away and was
no more sad. It doesn't say that she went
away anxiously wondering Was it going to be a boy or a girl? Was it going to be a half fulfilled
promise? Or was it going to be fully? And so again here, it is revealed
that this time, a nine month pregnancy, that there is a son
in thy womb. We overlook We have in the Scriptures
many prophecies told beforehand of what shall be. Well, here
we have a prophecy concerning this pregnancy. It shall be a
son, a seal, and it was with John the Baptist. Because again,
it was that his name was to be John. It was told to Zacharias
that that was to be a son as well. So you might say two births,
John the Baptist and our Lord, before their birth, when they
were conceived, he was told it was going to be a son. And that
came to pass. A prophecy and a fulfilling of
that prophecy, you might say, within nine months. So this was revealed again. And
then his name was revealed as well. Right at the very start, not
named by his parents, but named by the angel, the same as John
Baptist again was not named by his parents. They all expected
that his name should be named after the name of his father. And his father, who had been
dumb from the time that his baby should be born, whose tongue
was loosed at that time to say his name, shall be called John. So with here, the name was given
to not just one of the parents, but to Mary and to Joseph. Our text says, And behold, thou
shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt
call his name Jesus. And the same message is also
given to Joseph. Verse 21. Matthew 1, and she
shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. And with Joseph is given the
reason for the name, for he shall save his people from their sins. In the margin, that is Saviour. So right at the very beginning
we have a real conception and growing in the womb, a man-child
and miraculously foretold it should be so, his name set forth
and the meaning of his name. And then we have his true sonship
that is set forth as well. And we have the account of in verse 32, he shall be great
and shall be called the son of the highest. And then we have in verse 35
as well. And the angel answered, This
is where Mary asked, How shall this be, seeing I know not a
man? The angel answered and said unto
her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the
highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. This was emphasised, opened up
when our Lord was 12 years of age and his parents had gone
up to Jerusalem. They went back and after a day's
journey they found that he was not in their company. They went
back seeking him and after three days they found him in the temple.
and speaking to the lawyers, asking them questions, speaking
to them. And Mary, his mother, said, wherefore
hast thou dealt with us thus? Thy father and I have sought
thee sorrowing. And he said, whist thee? Why
hast thou sought me? Whist thee not that I must be
about my father's business? Well, his father he was referring
to was not Joseph. And we are told here that he
shall be called the Son of God and our Lord in his ministry.
When they asked him, show us the Father and it shall suffice
us, he says, if you have seen me, you have seen my Father also. You might say, well, in a natural
sense, you can look at a son very often and you can see the
Father in them. But our Lord says, I and my Father
are one He testified that his Father is in heaven. I ascend unto my Father and your
Father, my God and your God. And you see those truths that
are first intimated and first set forth here, right at the
beginning, through the scriptures and through our Lord's ministry,
reinforced again and again. You think in a natural way, Our
Lord and the Jews, the scribes, they would testify of that. He
just looked like an ordinary man. They charged him and said
that thou being a man, make us thyself God. The truth is it
was God manifest in the flesh. God who made himself man. But they only saw the man. They
couldn't see by faith the Godhead, that this truth of the God-man,
his true divinity, is set forth right at the beginning as a foundation
and then opened up through the New Testament. Of course, these things were
also set forth in the Old Testament in times and in the shadows as
well. But here it is coming in the
clear light of the New Testament. Then we have another truth that
is set forth really to Joseph, and that is that he had a people. In verse 21, not only was his
name called Jesus, but it said that he shall save His people,
or does that mean His people, the Jews, or is it some other
people, a heavenly seed? Many thought that it was just
referred to the Jews. They struggled to embrace the
idea of the Gentiles. Then they struggled when so many
Jews rejected Him. The Apostle Paul, he says, they
are not all Israel, which are of Israel, but those that were
chosen and those that were called and those that were given faith,
they are the people of God. The Lord speaks of them in John
10. Thine they were and thou gavest
them me. My sheep, they hear my voice
and they follow me. The Lord has and had even while
he was yet a babe, while he was yet not even manifest in the
flesh, Emmanuel, God with us, he had a people from the foundation
of the world, chosen in Christ from the foundation of the world. So this truth, again, is set
forth right early on, right at the beginning, the Lord Jesus
Christ has. a people. That's why he came
to this earth, to redeem them, that people. I lay down my life
for the sheep, other sheep I have which are not of this world,
not of the fold of the Jews with the Gentiles. He says to the
Scribes and the Pharisees, ye are not of my sheep, therefore
ye hear not my word. And he draws a distinction between
Jew and Jew. those that hear his voice, those
that do not, those that are his sheep, those that are not his
sheep, those that are his people, those who are not his people. Then we have another precious
truth that is revealed to Joseph, and that is that he shall save
them, that is, these people, from their sins. Implies this,
they are sinners, they have sins, They cannot save themselves from
their sins. The Lord not only is Saviour,
but He is to save His people from their sins. Save them from
the condemnation due to them. Save them from the sentence of
death already upon them as they are born into this world. Save
them from the power and dominion of sin while they were in this
world. completely save them from their
sins. How is he to do that? The very
beginning of it is found right here in the beginning, that he
should be made like unto his brethren, he should be made under
the law and made of a woman to redeem them that are under the
law. Being found in fashion as a man,
He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which
is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow. You see how through the scriptures
this name given here is exalted more and more and those words
I've just quoted from the Apostle Paul in Philippians. Beautifully exalting and setting
forth the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 2, it takes from
our Lord in his humiliation and he is coming and being made flesh
and humbling himself and then he's being exalted. then we have told to Mary his
throne and his kingdom. He shall be great, verse 32 in
our text, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the
Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David,
and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his
kingdom. There shall be no end. No end. Our Lord, when he came to the
cross, this was the thing, this was what was the accusation. And he was put over the cross,
Jesus, the King of the Jews. Our Lord said, my kingdom is
not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world,
then would my servant Servants fight, but my kingdom is not
from hence. He speaks of the kingdom of God
in a sinner's heart, the kingdom of God, covered not with observation,
it is within you. But that kingdom which is above
the dying thief knew of, and he said, Lord, remember me when
thou comest into thy kingdom. The Lord said to him, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee this day, The Lord has a kingdom, then he has
a people. We've already said about the
people. Those people are the people of the kingdom. And he
shall reign over them as king, as priest. He shall reign over
them as their God, their saviour, their redeemer. These things are set forth in
the very beginning, in opening up here. And we're to watch throughout
these scriptures, throughout the remainder of the New Testament,
not new truths introduced or set forth, but these foundation
ones established, developed, opened up on their impulse shown
to us. Sometimes we might look at the
scriptures and we think well what a large volume of truth
is here. Where do I begin? What are the
important things? What are those things that are
vital? Well really you could take the
three first chapters in Genesis and put down all of the truths
that are begun there. And then you can take that which
the angels spake to Mary and to Joseph and to put down all
those truths there, those which I mentioned and you may imply
others as well. And you say these are the foundation,
important, vital truths. In those things told to Mary
and Joseph, it goes right back from Genesis with the promise
of the seed of the woman. And it speaks of Christ as the
saviour of sinners. And yes, it doesn't speak of
his sufferings, of his death, but the whole scriptures, they
point in all of the types and the shadows that without the
shedding of blood, there is no remission and the need for him
to be made flesh and blood and dwell among us was that he might
suffer and bleed and die. And so if we want a summary of
the vital important truths, we don't have to range far in the
word of God. We can take for our index these
foundation truths in the two portions that we've read and
in the first three chapters in Genesis. But what do these things mean
then for us? And this is what I want to look
then at the third point. It's one thing to look at doctrine
and teaching, but how does it apply to us. Well, when we have it revealed
that this Jesus, that he has a people, surely that must then
come into our hearts. Are we that people? Are we amongst
those that are described as his people? Have we been brought in our own
eyes, feeling and estimation to be a sinner? Because he came to save his people
from their sins. But there are many on this world
and certainly his people themselves, before they are quickened into
life, before they are given eternal life, They don't feel themselves
as sinners. They don't need or don't feel
the need of a saviour at all. So we may ask ourselves, do we
feel the need of a saviour? Can we manage our sins ourselves? Do we see them as great as what
needs such a great saviour? and such a great plan of salvation
that should be first spoken of in the beginning of the Word
of God and then 4,000 years later, our Lord comes to this world
and those scriptures are fulfilled. If we truly are sinners and feel
to be so, then what will be precious to us is here is one that is
a sinless one by reason of his Godhead, and yet because he is
a man as well as God, he is able to redeem us. He is like Boaz, was to Ruth
a near kinsman. Bone of our bone, flesh of our
flesh, Emmanuel, God with us, made flesh and dwelt among us. How do we view the Lord Jesus
Christ? Our Lord's Father is revealed
here. Later on, it is set forth to
his disciples, I ascend unto my Father and your Father. Have we the blessing of knowing
we have a Father which is in heaven? Have we that blessing of the
spirit of adoption, adopted into the living family of God by faith,
by the Lord himself giving us that adoption? bringing us into
his family and blessing us with those privileges of being a son
or daughter of the Lord Almighty. It was revealed about his kingdom. Are we in his kingdom? Is Christ formed in our hearts? Does he reign there? has the authority there? What place does his word have
in our hearts? Those things that are set forth
here are for men and women, sinners on this earth. And there shall
be in heaven a multitude who prays to eternity, this dear
Saviour, this Redeemer, this blessed Jesus, shall we among
them stand? When we sing as we rightly should,
and sing His praises and glories here below, is it with the heart
and with the understanding also? When we look at these truths,
are we touched at the humility and humbling of the eternal Son
of God to come to this world and to be made a babe, to be
so humbled, and to grow up as he did in his parents' household. Again, when he was 12 years of
age, that he went with them and was subject unto them. Nothing
in all his life he did was ever sinful or wrong. The most perfect
child that there could ever be, and those that looked upon him,
God who looked upon him could say, this is my beloved son. in whom I am well pleased. He was that spotless lamb that
was necessary to be slain to put away sin. How vital that
we view those things that are revealed here as for us. If we were, in a natural sense,
interested in a deal that was being made, arrangement and agreement
that was being made, wouldn't we be wanting to make sure that
the things that were being agreed were actually for our benefit,
and those things that were being done were actually done rightly
and correctly? and that they were suitable for
us so that when we came to need the benefit of them and the blessing
of them, then we truly had them, we found that it was a right
provision. Thousands, millions of sinners
have proved that this provision in the Lord Jesus Christ was
suitable and right in every aspect of it. A perfect saviour, a perfect
redemption, that which was done, perfectly fulfilling the counsel
of God. And there is nothing left undone,
nothing that was not done well. We read, He hath done all things
well. And here then is the words spoken
by the angels to Mary and Joseph for us to meditate and ponder
on, not as studiers of theology, but as sinners who need a saviour
and who need an interest in these things, that we ourselves are
saved. that these truths are developed
out not only in the scriptures but in our hearts and in our
lives, that we know personally what a terrible thing it is to
be a sinner and what a blessed thing it is to be a sinner saved
by the Lord Jesus Christ. What do these things mean to
us? Peter says, unto you which believe,
he is precious. And may it be that, especially
at this season, we know something of the preciousness of our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ. May the Lord add his blessing.