Luke 1:26-38 - WHEN NOBODY BECAME SOMEBODY

LUKE 1:26-38

WHEN NOBODY BECAME SOMEBODY

A few years ago there was a baseball playoff game involving the New York Yankees. If I remember correctly, the Yankees were in jeopardy of losing the game. Attending that game were thousands of children. In a sense, they were nobodies, just fans who came to watch the game.

Then it happened. A long ball was headed to the outfield wall, but it looked like one of the opposing players would go to the wall and make the catch. But at the last moment this young boy, one of the children at that game, reached out his glove and caught the ball before the opposing player could. It was ruled a home run! And that boy went from being another nobody fan, to becoming somebody. He was an instant celebrity and received countless interviews and even tickets to another game. It was a time when a nobody became somebody.

Manfred Peins was a member of our church in North Plainfield, New Jersey. During World War II he faithfully served in the military, and like most soldiers, compared to the vast size of the army, he was just another nobody doing his job. Then one day about 50 years later Manfred was contacted by the United States Post Office. A letter he had sent to his girlfriend, now wife, Ruth, had been found, and they were brought to Washington to receive the letter. There was a lot of publicity and for a brief moment Manfred and Ruth went from being nobodies to being somebodies.

In 1918 there was a baby boy born to a dairy farmer who lived near Charlotte, North Carolina. Now I don't know how many boys there were in that day who simply grew up on farms, and became farmers themselves but I'm sure the number is in the thousands. So we can say this boy was a relative nobody.

As the boy grew up, his father was on a committee that helped bring evangelist Mordecai Ham to their area. During these meetings this "nobody" of a boy at 17 years of age placed his faith in Christ and was born again into the family of God.

You know of this man who grew up to go to college and become a well-known evangelist, radio and television speaker and advisor to presidents. His name is Billy Graham. A nobody became somebody.

Now I want to take you back in time to a little nowhere town to a nobody girl. I want us to examine a time when this nobody became somebody.

CONDITIONS - Vss. 26-27

Vs. 26 - What was the sixth month? It was the sixth month of a miracle pregnancy. Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous people who were on in years. At an age when Elizabeth should be a grandmother or great-grandmother, she was preparing to have her first child.

Zacharias, a priest, had been burning incense when all of a sudden the Angel Gabriel appeared before him. Zecharias was told that he and Elizabeth would be parents of the prophet who was scheduled to appear before the coming of Israel's Messiah. His name was to be called John.

Isaiah 40:3 - The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Because Zacharias did not believe Gabriel, he was disciplined by being made deaf and dumb.

This was a temporary ailment, but it was effective. Zacharias went home to the hill country of Judah and before long, Elizabeth was expecting.

Vs. 26 - Gabriel is on the move again. This time he is bringing a message to what I would call a "nowhere town". He was going to Galilee, an area of Judah that was despised by many Jews because of its mixed population. He was going to the city of Nazareth.

Listen to what Kent Hughes has to say about Nazareth in his commentary on the Gospel of Luke: "Nazareth was a 'non-place'. It was not even mentioned in the Old Testament or in Josephus' writings or in the rabbinical writings… Nazareth, a shoddy, corrupt, halfway stop between the port cities of Tyre and Sidon, was overrun with Gentiles, and Roman soldiers. When guileless, straight-talking Nathaniel mentioned Nazareth he said, 'Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?' (John 1:46), implying that it was miserably corrupt. By consensus, Nazareth was not much."

Vs. 27 - Not only did Gabriel go to a nowhere town, but he went to see a "nobody" person. Mary was one of thousands of Jewish peasant girls, who at the age of probably between 12-14 would get married raise a family in relative poverty and eventually die! Mary was a virgin who was engaged to be married to a descendant of King David. Joseph was his name. He was the village carpenter.

Engagement in those days was a more serious commitment than it is today. Although Joseph and Marry were not yet living together, they were viewed as "married", and engagements were ended by way of divorce.

The conditions were simply this; Mary was a nobody who lived in a nowhere town.

CONFRONTATION - Vss. 28-33

Vs. 28 - The angel appeared to Mary. We don't know where and we don't now how. We do know from her response that Mary knew she was talking to a supernatural being.

Here is a very interesting greeting. Mary is told that she is "highly favored", "blessed among women" and that "the Lord is with you."

In an instant, Mary, who very well could have thought of herself as a "nobody" is told that she is a "somebody"! Mary was given a glorious piece of great news.

Vs. 29 - Mary, of course, was a special person. One of the special qualities of Mary was that she was very contemplative. This is shown in other instances of Luke's Gospel. It was Mary who would think about things that she was told and things that happened. Here, although she is troubled, Mary tries to reason out or understand what is going on. Oh that more of us were like that!

Vs. 30 - Now, if you met a messenger from God, you might think you were in some sort of trouble. You would probably also be afraid. Gabriel calms her, by telling her to fear not. She was one who was highly favored in God's eyes.

Vs. 31 - Mary was going to have a baby! The baby's name would be "Jesus", or "Salvation"! Mary would be the mother of Israel's long awaited Savior. Mary would be the mother of the one who came to earth to die on the cross for our sins. She was the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Vs. 32 - Jesus would be great. And notice that Jesus would be called "Son of the Highest". Jesus would be the Son of God! He was to be both God and man.

Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:

"A child is born," means that Jesus was human.

"A son is given," means that Jesus existed before he came to earth. He is God!

Israel had been promised that a Messiah would come who would sit on David's throne. Gabriel tells Mary that Jesus will be this ruler.

Vs. 33 - His kingdom will be permanent. We need to remind ourselves of something here. All that Gabriel said is true. When Jesus came the first time he came to give His life to save sinners like us. When Jesus comes again he will set up his permanent kingdom! At that time His rule will be eternal.

THE CONDITIONS - Mary was a nobody who lived in a nowhere town.

THE CONFRONTATION - Mary became a somebody, who would be the mother of God's Son.

THE CONCEPTION - Vss. 34-37

Vs. 34 - Mary was not like Zacharias who just didn't believe Gabriel. Mary was simply trying to understand how she could have a baby without having a sexual relationship with a man. Mary, the one known for her contemplation, was striving to grasp what she had been told.

Vs. 35 - Mary is told here that the birth of Jesus would be a miracle! It would be a virgin birth.

She would do nothing except believe! The Holy Spirit would do the work of impregnating Mary. And the baby that was born would be the Son of God!

Vs. 36 - To show Mary that God was capable of such a thing she is now told that her cousin, Elizabeth would have a baby. Elizabeth, who was known as "barren", Elizabeth who was old had conceived! This too was a miracle.

Vs. 37 - Elizabeth conceived when she shouldn't have. The impossible happened because nothing is impossible with God.

Mary, a virgin, would conceive and have a baby, because nothing is impossible with God.

THE CONDITIONS - Mary was a nobody who lived in a nowhere town.

THE CONFRONTATION - Mary became a somebody, who would be the mother of God's Son.

THE CONCEPTION - Vss. 34-37 - The Holy Spirit would do the work of making Mary pregnant.

THE CONFIDENCE - Vs. 38

Mary was given a tremendous amount of information and responsibility. Not only would she be mother of our Lord Jesus, but she would have to bear the brunt of people thinking that she had been unfaithful to Joseph. She had to bear the brunt of some thinking that she was an adulteress. And to think that she was going to have to raise such a child!

Mary's response is classic, "Be it unto me according to thy word."

In essence she is saying, "I accept and believe what you have said."

Mary was in a situation that made faith an absolute necessity. And I dare to say that if Mary had not believed, had not had faith, Mary would not have been the mother of Jesus.

Mary had no credentials for being the mother of Jesus.

She was a nobody from nowhere.

Mary had little training for being the mother of Jesus.

Mary would have limited human support for being the mother of Jesus. Why an angel even had to appear to Joseph in order for him to consent to marry Mary.

Mary had to be one who would simply trust God no matter what!

So there you have it. Mary the nobody became a somebody. Today we are to still respect Mary and call her "blessed". She was human. She was a sinner like us. But God gave her a very special position.

"All of this is great Pastor, but how does this relate to us?"

Glad you asked! Let's think about it.

THE CONDITIONS

Guess what? We're nobodies!

Psalm 51:5 - Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Isaiah 64:6 - But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Romans 3:10-12 - As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Not one of us is righteous in God's eyes. We are nobodies who deserve to go to hell!

Ezekiel 18:4 - …the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death;

CONDITIONS

THE CONFRONTATION

Just as Mary was confronted with good news from God, through an angel, in this day and age you and I are confronted with good news from God from various sources.

· We discover this good news either through an individual sharing with us "one on one". Sometimes that individual is a parent or a Sunday School teacher.

· We also discover this good news when we go to church and hear a pastor or a guest speaker present it.

· And some have discovered this good news by reading books or pamphlets that we call tracts.

· Many have also have been confronted with this good news as they have read God's Word the Bible.

In verse 28 Mary was told that she was "highly favored".

There is a sense in which each one of you is highly favored.

God loves each one of you.

God showed his love for you by sending His Son, the Lord Jesus to earth.

God showed His love for you by sending His sinless Son to the cross to die for your sins.

1 John 4:10 - Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Isaiah 53:3-6 - He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Right now through me God is confronting you with His love. It was His love that Jesus, a real somebody, the Son of God, to die on the cross for you, a nobody.

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

THE CONDITIONS - We are nobodies, who have sinned against a righteous holy God.

THE CONFRONTATION - God loves us and sent His Son to die for our sins on the cross.

THE CONVERSION

In verse 35 Mary was told that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and there was conception.

God, the Holy Spirit will also come upon you and I. We can call it conversion, but it is also called the new birth!

Jesus told Nicodemus - "Ye must be born again."

John 3:5-7 - Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

What is going on here? God wants to forgive your sins, give you new life, and make you his child. He does it through the work of His Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

So how does one experience this new birth that brings conversion?

THE CONFIDENCE

The new birth requires confidence or faith. At a specific moment in time you, a nobody, become a child of God through the working of the Spirit of God. A nobody becomes somebody.

John 1:12-13 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

You place confidence in the fact that you are a "nobody", a sinner who deserves the punishment of hell.

You place confidence in the love of God, believing that Jesus Christ His Son died for your sins.

By faith you place confidence in the Lord Jesus as your Savior, as your way to Heaven!

It is by faith that you become somebody, a child of God and a citizen of Heaven!

If you have not already, will you chose to become somebody this morning?

And those of you who have already made this decision need to remember that,

· Without Christ you'd be nobody. That's your condition.

· You are still loved by the Savior who has made you "accepted in the beloved". That's your confrontation from God's Word.

· You not only were born again by the Spirit of God, but the Spirit of God continues to live inside you to help you, guide you, teach you, and comfort you. That's a result of your conversion.

· The new life you began by expressing faith in Christ as Savior is to continue to be a life of faith. That's confidence.

Christian, you are still a nobody who became a somebody!

CONCLUSION:

For Mary, the nobody who became somebody.

THE CONDITIONS - Mary was a nobody who lived in a nowhere town.

THE CONFRONTATION - Mary became a somebody, who would be the mother of God's Son.

THE CONCEPTION - Vss. 34-37 - The Holy Spirit would do the work of making Mary pregnant.

THE CONFIDENCE - Vs. 38 - She believed what God had told her through the message of the angel.

And for you to go from being a nobody to becoming somebody:

THE CONDITIONS - You are a nobody, a sinner who deserves to go to hell.

THE CONFRONTATION - God has confronted you with His love, sending Jesus to the cross to die for you sins.

THE CONVERSION - The Holy Spirit needs to do a work in your life, "Ye must be born again."

THE CONFIDENCE - You become "born again" by placing your faith in Christ. You become a child of God.

If you are still a nobody, become somebody this morning.

Trust Christ as your Savior!