The Greatness of Our Savior

Q: What does the Bible say about the greatness of Jesus?

The Bible reveals Jesus as the Son of the Highest, who reigns eternally with an unending kingdom. In Luke 1:32-33, the angel declares the greatness of Jesus, stating, 'He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest.' This proclaims His divine essence and authority, demonstrating that He is not just an extraordinary man but God incarnate. Furthermore, His reign over the house of Jacob is established forever, signifying that His kingdom transcends all earthly powers and will endure beyond all temporal establishments. Thus, the greatness of Jesus is established through His divine offices, His eternal kingdom, and His sovereign rule over all creation.

Q: Why is the humiliation of Christ significant?

Christ's humiliation is significant as it demonstrates His deep condescension to save sinful humanity. The humiliation of Christ is pivotal as it reveals the extent of His love and grace towards humanity. In 2 Corinthians 8:9, we learn that 'though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor.' This profound humility illustrates that Christ willingly embraced a lowly human existence to bring salvation to sinners. Moreover, His birth in an obscure place like Nazareth signifies His identification with the despised and poor, showing that His condescension was not merely a one-time event but a continual representation of His character as servant and Savior. His example teaches us to embrace humility and service towards others, calling us to mirror His love and grace.

Q: How was Mary favored by God?

Mary was favored by God as the chosen vessel to bear Jesus, signifying God's sovereign grace towards sinners. In Luke 1:30, the angel Gabriel tells Mary, 'thou hast found favor with God,' indicating that her selection was an act of sovereign grace rather than merit. This emphasizes that Mary, like all believers, was a sinner in need of God's mercy. Her role was not to elevate her status but to highlight God's choice and grace. Mary's blessedness derived from her relationship with Christ, evidenced by her acknowledgment that God was her Savior (Luke 1:47). Therefore, her favor was not in her inherent virtue but in God's sovereign decision to use her for His redemptive purpose.

Q: Why is the idea of Mary as a co-mediator rejected in Reformed theology?

Reformed theology rejects Mary as a co-mediator because it upholds Christ as the sole mediator between God and humanity. In Reformed theology, the belief that Mary serves as a co-mediator is contrary to Scripture's teaching on the singular mediatorship of Christ. 1 Timothy 2:5 asserts that 'there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.' Elevating Mary to a co-mediator undermines the sufficiency of Christ's atonement and grace. Reformed understanding emphasizes that salvation is entirely based on God's grace through Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), and any deviation from this undermines the core tenets of the gospel.

Q: How does the Bible demonstrate Christ's identification with the poor?

The Bible demonstrates Christ's identification with the poor through His choice of a humble birth and life in poverty. In Luke 1, we see God orchestrating the birth of His Son in a despised location, which signifies His solidarity with the poor and marginalized. Christ's incarnation in such humble circumstances reflects how He properly identifies with those in low estate. Furthermore, many Biblical teachings highlight the importance of humility and service to others, drawing attention to His life of poverty and servitude. This identification not only reassures the poor of God's love but also calls believers to follow His example by showing compassion and care for those in need.

Let's turn together tonight to
Luke chapter 1, verses 26 through 33 will be
our text. Luke chapter 1, we'll begin reading
at verse 26. And in the sixth month, the angel
Gabriel was sent from God, that is, in the sixth month of Elizabeth's
pregnancy. sent from God unto a city of
Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin, espoused to a man, whose name
was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her
and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is
with thee, Blessed art thou among women." And when she saw him,
she was troubled, disturbed at his saying, and cast in her mind
what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said
unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God.
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." As we look at these verses of Scripture, I want to
call your attention to three things and three things that
are very, very important lessons for us from them. First, let's
look for a little bit at the humiliation of our Savior, and
then at our Master's earthly mother, and then at the greatness
of God our Savior as it is set before us in these verses. First
then, let's look a little bit at our Master's humiliation.
Everything connected with the incarnation of our Savior, the
Son of God, displays great, great humiliation and condescension
on his part as our mediator. Gabriel was sent not to just
any town, but to an obscure town in Galilee called Nazareth. Now all of Galilee was looked
upon by the Jews in our Lord's day with contempt, just contempt,
sort of like if you lived in a where I was raised in Winston-Salem. I lived on the south side of
town. I don't know why it is. South side's always the bad side.
Folks on the other side of town didn't want anything to do with
folks on the south side. Well, that's sort of like Galilee was.
The common saying, the common opinion of folks in the area
was, can anything good come out of Nazareth? That's what Nathaniel
said concerning this place in John chapter 1, verse 26. You
mean a prophet has come out of Nazareth? Not Nazareth. Any place
but Nazareth. So the angel was sent to Nazareth,
a contemptible place, the most contemptible place in a contemptible
area of the world called Galilee. The woman chosen to be the mother
of our Lord's humanity, and if I forget to say it often enough
that you miss it, be sure you don't miss it. I didn't say the
mother of our Lord, I said the mother of our Lord's humanity. Mary is not the mother of God. Just the statement. Just the statement ought to make
reasonable men shudder and cringe. Mary is not the mother of God,
she is the mother of our Lord's humanity. The mother of his human
body and human soul. The woman chosen to be the mother
of our Lord's humanity, of his body and nature, was a very poor
woman from a very poor area. Now there was nothing about this
woman that the world would look at and say there is an enviable
woman, I'd like to be like Mary. There was nothing about her that
someone would look and say now that woman, she is one that the
world would look at and call great, truly great. Not at all.
Mary was indeed a woman of Nazareth, of Galilee, of the house of David. Showing us just how far the house
of David had fallen And yet she was indeed of the house of David. Now these things came to pass
as they did, not by accident, but by the direct arrangement
of God's wise and good providence. The Lord God who orders all things
in heaven, earth, and hell, according to his absolute sovereign will,
arranged that his son come into this world through the virgin
womb of a woman, who was a poor, despised woman in the poor, despised
district of Nazareth in the poor, despised place called Galilee. Now I'm sure there are many,
many reasons that can be given for that fact, but two stand
out as obvious to me. Number one, the Lord God would
have us ever to admire the amazing humiliation and condescension
his dear son when he came here to save us from our sins turn
to 2nd Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 9 2nd Corinthians chapter
8 and verse 9 and when you found that turn to Philippians 2 I
want you to look at these two texts these two texts more than
any other states beautifully and wondrously the humiliation
of our Savior his great condescension What a stoop the God of glory
made when he stooped to save our souls. Oh, what a stoop. We're proud men and we don't
like to stoop. We don't like to stoop or bow
for anybody. But our Lord taught us something
by his example. Look here in 2 Corinthians 8
and verse 9. For you know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ. that though he was rich, rich,
rich, so rich he didn't need or want anything or anybody to
make him complete and happy. People sometimes present the
love of God as though our Lord, our God existed in a vacuum because
God is love, he needed somebody to love. The triune God was perfectly
content from eternity loving the triune God. Our Lord did
not need to save us to make Himself complete. He did not need to
save us to improve somehow His happiness or His glory. But He
was rich, rich in all the glory of His ineffable, glorious being. Yet for our sakes, He became
poor. Poor. Dirt poor. Dirt poor. Spiritually poor. Poor, made
to be sin. became poor. For what reason? That you through his poverty
might be made rich. Rich with all the riches of his
grace and glory in Christ Jesus the Lord. What a condescension,
what humiliation. He who is God the Son of to become
the son of man made to be said under the wrath and curse of
God that he might make us to be rich as the sons and daughters
of God Almighty. Look in Philippians 2 verse 5. Philippians chapter 2 verse 5.
Now let this mind be in you. Let this mind be in you. You
want to get along with each other? Do you? You want to love each
other? You want to You want to serve
each other? You want to honor Christ? Act
like Him. Act like Him. I promise you,
Bobby, you and Judy will never have a cross word as long as
we act like the Master. When we don't is when we start
getting in trouble. Isn't that right? You will never have an
ill feeling toward one of your brethren when you act like the
Master. Never. You'll never envy one
of them. It's when we start acting like ourselves that we get in
trouble. Look here. Let this mind be in you. What
kind of mind? Which was also in Christ Jesus.
Who being in the form of God. Now, this is what that means.
He is God. He got all by that. He thought
it not robbery to be equal with God. He didn't look at it as
something he had to seek after to be equal with God. He is God.
Look at this now. but made himself of no reputation. He emptied himself and took on
him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man
and being found in fashion as a man. He didn't just humble
himself to become a man. Being found as a man all the
days of his life, he continually humbled himself and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. What did he do? For James Jordan's eternal welfare,
for the good of your soul, he stooped and gave up everything
because he loved you. Now, you act just like him. Let
this mind be in you. For the welfare of God's elect,
for the eternal welfare of God's people, quit pressing your own
way and your own rights and your own desires Quit pushing for
your own proud, proud disposition, your own proud opinion, but rather
stoop down, humble yourself like the Master did. Let us in all
things be constrained to love Christ and live for Him because
of His great love for us. And let us in all things have
the mind of Christ and follow His example. Seeketh thou great
things for thyself? Seek them not." Our Master said,
I've given you an example that you should do as I've done to
you. Just get your water bucket and a towel and stoop down and
start washing each other's feet. I'm not going to do that. If
you walk in the Master's ways, Rex, you will and I will. We'll
serve each other, not ourselves. not our ambition, not our pride,
one another. Our Lord tells us by the Apostle
Paul, be of the same mind toward one another. Mind not high things. God save us from proud, carnal
ambitions. Don't seek after great things.
Don't seek high things. But condescend to men of low
estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. All right? First, our Lord describes
His humiliation here because He would have us to ever admire
His great humiliation and condensation, and He would also set these things
before us, His great humility, so that we might never despise
poverty. Oh, oh, oh, oh. It seems ridiculous
that it should have to be said to me. It seems ridiculous that
it should have to be said. But it has to be said. Because
I don't care how poor you are. We all, by nature, like to think
ourselves just a notch above somebody else. Well, you know
where they come from. Well, you know, come from bad
family. Well, what can you expect? Don't
despise poverty. Don't do it. Our Lord willingly
assumed physical poverty to save your soul. He identified himself
with the poor everywhere. Everywhere. He identified himself
with the despised of this world. Let's do the same. Don't despise
poverty. in anyone else and don't despise
it in yourself. It's in God's good providence.
That's what he has determined for you to have. Don't do it. I see folks groveling after wealth
and position. I want to be somebody. I want
to have this, have that. It kind of reminds me of a little
dog out here in the yard digging for bones. They just go to town
and give all they got, digging a mole hole, and when they catch
the stinking mole, they haven't even got a mouthful of anything,
what happens? There's nothing. And if you get everything this
world has to offer, you've got nothing except that which will
destroy your soul. Nothing. Don't seek it. Riches
do not make people honorable. They do not. Rank in society
will not give people respectability. It'll cause folks to look at
you in envy and want what you've got, but it will not make you
honorable. It will not give you respectability.
Poverty makes no one dishonorable. And a lack of rank in society
makes no one disrespectful, none whatsoever. All right, here's
the second thing. Let me talk to you for a little
bit about our master's earthly mother. And this needs to be
understood. God's choice of Mary stands in
Holy Scripture as a beautiful picture of His sovereign saving
grace to needy sinners. Our Master's mother is described
in verses 27 through 30 as a virgin, a spouse to a man. Her name was
Mary. She was one highly favored of
God. The Lord was with her. She was
blessed among women, and she found favor with God. Now, when
you read these verses, 27 through 30, there is a marvelous example
here of how men can use the Scriptures to their own destruction by simply
quoting Scripture, but putting it in the context of utter heresy.
I hear folks all the time, some of you have said to me, well,
you know, he said some good things. Don't ever tell me he said some
good things. Tell me he said that which was
good, and I'll rejoice with you. But because a preacher says some
good things, there's no reason to commend him. It's impossible
to read this book and not say some good things. When the Pathists
quote Hail Mary, Hail Mary, Blessed art thou among women, the Lord
is with thee, full of grace and full of truth. That's exactly
what this says right here. It's exactly what it says. But
the meaning given to those words by the Pathists is utter idolatry. All right, now let me show you
what the Scripture says. Romanism places Mary on the highest possible
pedestal to place a human being. They make her to be a mediatrix,
that is a co-mediator with Christ, ascribing to her immaculate nature,
divine power, and perfect holiness. When the present Pope, now I
don't have to say this except say it, and folks can do with
what they want to, I don't care if you call me a bigot, I don't
care if you call me You know, antiquarian, it just doesn't
matter. I'm here to warn you, your soul, of things concerning
your everlasting destiny. This present Pope in Rome, when
he was shot, ascribed his recovery from the assassin's bullet to
Mary's intercession. Not to God the Father, not to
God the Spirit, not to God the Son, but to his God, Mary. Mary, Mother Mary. Such a veneration of Mary is
utterly contemptible idolatry. It is not to be honored or accepted
as Christian. It is not Christian at all. It
is utter pagan religion wearing a Christian name, nothing else.
I realize the whole world is turning again to Rome. You know,
today Pope comes to town. If he were coming to Danville,
man, we'd build new roads, build platforms, just everything. And
thousands and thousands and thousands of folks flocked to hear it.
Isn't it amazing that the more corrupt society has gotten, the
more papacy has been venerated? Isn't it just amazing? That's
the way it always is. Rome promotes corruption by her
very corrupt doctrine, as does all false religions. In this
day, everybody is running back to Rome. Just a few years ago,
in my lifetime, and I'm not as old as some of you, but in my
lifetime, just a few years ago, it would be impossible for that
man to come with his idolatry and all his pageantry and all
his pomp and ceremony and find a welcome in any city in this
country. It'd be impossible. But today,
everybody runs back to Rome. What a spiritual leader, what
a great man, what humility, what idolatry. Now I'm saying this
because I want you to understand that Mariolatry is idolatry. Mary is never presented in Scripture
as immaculate, sinless, or perfect. but rather she is presented in
Scripture as a sinner saved by the grace of God just exactly
like you and me. Look at verses 46 and 47. This
is what Mary says about herself. Mary said, My soul doth magnify
the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. So that that babe she's carrying
in her womb, She understood to be God, her Savior, as well as
our Savior. It is true she is called a virgin,
but she is never referred to as the Virgin Mary. Her virginity is mentioned repeatedly
in Scripture, not to give honor to her virginity. Now, let me
hasten to say this, especially in this day when promiscuity
is just rancid. Virginity is an honorable thing. Chastity is something to be protected
and promoted. But virginity and chastity in
the flesh, will never give you honor in the sight of God Almighty. It will never make you more highly
favored before God. Mary's virginity is set before
us in Scripture to show that Jesus Christ, the one born of
her womb, is himself the seed of woman, born without natural
corruption and born without depravity. He is God come in human flesh. that thing prepared in her womb. Turn to Hebrews chapter 10 for
a moment. That body of our Savior that
was prepared in Mary's womb by the overshadowing power of the
Holy Spirit was prepared in a virgin womb specifically by God the
Holy Spirit to be a suitable sacrifice for our sins. Look here in Hebrews chapter
10. Our Lord tells us by the Apostle Paul that sacrifice and
offerings would never take away sin. Then in verse 10 he says,
Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, the Lord
Jesus saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body
hast thou prepared me. His body was specifically prepared
by God the Holy Spirit. to be that body in which righteousness
would be established, justice satisfied, sin punished for the
saving of his people. Mary's name indicates what she
was and what we all are by nature. The name Mary. Isn't it interesting
that most of the women mentioned in the New Testament wore this
name? Many in the Old Testament as
well. It is the same as the name Miriam which Moses and Aaron's
sister wore. It is the same as the name Marah,
which Naomi took to herself, saying, The Lord hath dealt bitterly
with me. The name Mary means bitter rebel. And that's what she was by nature.
And that's what you and I are by nature. The carnal mind is
enmity against God. You see, man's problem is that
he is a bitter rebel to God Almighty. Your problem, the reason you
will not, will not be saved by God's grace, the reason you will
not trust Christ, the reason you will not seek His righteousness
is that you are a bitter rebel to God Almighty and you will
not come to Him except God break your will. Now, religion today
likes to gentlemen. You'll recall Brother Bob Lips
when he was here in his horse farm. He was telling me that
these, these show horses they raised, trained. He said, now,
West, they throw a saddle on a horse and they break it. They
break it. He said, we don't want to do
that with these show horses. Oh, no. He said, we don't want to break
the spirit. So we gentle them. And you'll see them take time
and they'll just gentle them. Gentle them. Get them accustomed
to having a saddle. Get them accustomed to a bridle.
Get them accustomed to a rein. Get them accustomed to somebody
being on their back. But don't break the spirit. That's
the way religion deals with rebels. Keeps gentling them. Give them
a ball team. Give them a little entertainment.
Give them a little show. Get them accustomed to this, that
other. God Almighty will ride you till he breaks your spirit
or he'll cast you in hell, one of the two. Mary and you and
I are bitter rebels to God who must be broken until we call
on him and say all to Jesus. I surrender. all to him I freely
give. Have thine own way, Lord, I'm
the clay, you're the potter, you have your way." Yet Mary,
this bitter rebel, was the object of God's sovereign distinguishing
grace. The Lord God chose Mary for salvation
and chose Mary for the high honor of being the mother of our Savior's
humanity. Mary is that one described here
as being highly favored. The papers translate this, full
of grace. Well, that's an accurate translation, but not full of
grace so as to bestow grace. Full of grace, same way Ron Wood
and Pam Wood are full of grace. Full of grace, the same way you
and I who are saved by God's grace are full of grace. As a
matter of fact, the word simply means, and is best translated,
graciously accepted. This woman, bitter rebel she
is by nature, but graciously accepted because God chose her
in Christ. The Lord was with her, just as
he's with us, to protect her, provide for her, to save her,
and to bless her. And this woman was blessed of
God. Blessed art thou among women. The word blessed here is exactly
the same as the word used to describe the blessedness of all
God's elect in Christ in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 6. That is, the
distinguishing blessedness of God's grace was given to Meve,
like it is to you and me. All who are saved by God's free
grace in Christ are blessed of God from eternity. blessed according
to his electing love, blessed in Christ, blessed with all spiritual
blessings, blessed with forgiveness, pardon, justification, and life,
blessed forever in Jesus Christ. In a word, Mary found favor with
God. Thou hast found favor with God. Now, there you see Mary was such
a good, honorable, upright holy woman that she impressed God. Come on. Come on. No, no, no, no. God didn't find
favor in Mary's eyes. She found favor in God's eyes.
There's a big difference. God was not blessed by Mary. Mary was blessed by God. God
was not somehow given the great honor of having Mary for his
instrument. Mary was blessed of God to be
chosen as his instrument. Mary was a sinner chosen from
among women as the object of God's mercy, love, and grace,
and blessed of Him with all grace, just as our all-chosen redeemed
sinner. We must never exalt Mary to this
level of veneration. to a position of envy and idolatry. Believers, after all, all believers,
have a far nearer, more blessed relationship with Christ than
Mary had with Him as the mother of His humanity. All of them,
all of them. A preacher, what on earth do
you say? Her relationship, the relationship given to her by
God's providence, was a purely carnal, physical, temporary relationship. Ours is a permanent spiritual
relationship. Our Lord said in Mark chapter
3 and verse 35, whosoever will do the will of God, the same
as my brother, my sister, and my mother. Your mother's asking
about you. Our Lord said, uh, she's not
really my mother. You are. Her blessedness was
not in the fact that she bore Christ in her womb, but rather
in the fact that he bore her sin in his body. Her blessedness
was not in the fact that she was chosen to be the instrument
by which the Son of God would come into this world to save
his people from their sins. Her blessedness was in the fact
that she is that one who was made to be his bride and his
church. by the choice of His hand and
the power of His grace. Mary's great blessedness was
in her spiritual relationship to Christ, not a physical relationship.
In fact, our Master Himself tells us that it's more blessed to
believe on Him than to have borne Him. That's what the book says. Turn to Luke chapter 11. I'll
wrap this up. Luke chapter 11. Verse 27, And it came to pass, as he spoke
these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her
voice and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and
the paps which thou hast sucked. Now that's the, that's the natural
reason of pagan men. Oh boy, blessed is your mama. Blessed is your mama. But he
said, yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God
and keep it. This is what that means. Bobbi
Estes is more greatly blessed than the blessed virgin. What? Blessed for the same reason
she's blessed? Blessed to the same degree she's
blessed blessed for the same reason and for the same cause,
and that is because of Christ and his grace to you, because
of God's grace to us in Jesus Christ, causing us to believe
on him. The blessedness of Scripture,
all true blessing, is the blessedness of grace, the blessedness of
faith, the blessedness of union with Christ. Now then, The last
thing in our text is our Savior's greatness, and I'll just mention
it until you move on. I'll come back to this, Lord
willing, next week. Here are five things describing the greatness
of our Savior. He shall be great in all his
offices and all his work. He shall be called the Son of
the Highest. 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." All the kingdoms of this world are coming to nothing,
all of them. Like Egypt and Babylon, Rome
and Carthage, like the Soviet Union All the kingdoms of this
world are going to dissolve to nothing. I'm a patriot, but I
don't want to become overly concerned about this country so that I
forget my concern about a better country. The United States of
America, like all other kingdoms—are you listening?—is just scaffolding. just scaffolding by which God
builds his kingdom. And the scaffolding is meaningless. It's going to come down. Our
concern and our interest is with the kingdom of our God and the
glory of his name. His kingdom is a kingdom forever. If you be part of it, bow to
it, or you will be crushed by him. Amen. All right, Lindsey,
you come lead us in the hymn, and the men will come serve the
Lord's table for us.

The Greatness of Our Savior

What does the Bible say about the greatness of Jesus?

Why is the humiliation of Christ significant?

How was Mary favored by God?

Why is the idea of Mary as a co-mediator rejected in Reformed theology?

How does the Bible demonstrate Christ's identification with the poor?

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The Greatness of Our Savior

What does the Bible say about the greatness of Jesus?

Why is the humiliation of Christ significant?

How was Mary favored by God?

Why is the idea of Mary as a co-mediator rejected in Reformed theology?

How does the Bible demonstrate Christ's identification with the poor?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

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