E100-52

 

Gabriel's Message

Luke 1:1-80

My Commentary

You are encouraged to go through steps or process scripture in these steps:

• Pray = in anticipation of what God wants you to discover.  Thank God today for giving you his written Word, the Bible and the Living Word, Jesus Christ.
• Read Luke 1:1-80 = with purpose look for what God is trying to communicate. You may want to read out of several translations and highlight key words.
• Reflect = on the context and put yourself in the shoes of people at that time.  How important do you think it is that Luke says his account of Jesus’ birth is based on eyewitness accounts? Does anything in this account surprise or trouble you?
• Apply = information without application is fruitless. Decide on some practical steps you can take for fulfill what God wants you to do. The angel’s appearance must have been a surprise. Today, ask God to surprise you in some way with some good news or event. Be alert and open to God’s surprise.
• Pray = yielding to God to empower you to do what the word convicted you to do.  Lord, I want to be willing to hear You and accept Your Word to me no matter how surprising it may seem.

For deeper Bible study and more resources go to my Life of Christ Blog notes.

For other parts of the Essential 100 Scripture Series, click on the link with the topic #E100.

#Impossible

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Live the Impossible! 

 

Luke 1:29‐30, 34, 35, 37 ‐‐ “‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son.’  ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’  The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you.  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.  For nothing is impossible with God.’"  

There is no more wonderful experience than living in the presence and purpose of God.  No matter how much you desire and believe this truth, you can still fall short of what God has for you.  Mary questioned God as she was being filled with a revelation from Him.  She even gets a double confirmation with the news about her cousin, Elizabeth, and her pregnancy.  Mary finds herself faced with the overwhelming challenge of believing that God is on the verge of doing what sounds impossible.   

You too will often be faced with stretches of your faith.  These stretches expose a gap between where God is calling you and where your physical world/reality is.  This gap becomes the divide between your ability to experience God or to live and be controlled by the world.  God does not want you to live to the edge of your world – He wants you to live the impossible by stepping out in faith to experience what He has for you.    

Abraham did this in Hebrews 11:19 ‐‐ “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.”   Living the impossible with Christ fills your life with His presence, power, and love.  Do not allow your life of faith to be restricted by the limitations of this world – allow it to be filled with the presence and work of Christ in you! 

Mark 9:23‐24 (NEB) ‐‐ “‘If it is possible,’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible to one who has faith.’ ‘I have faith,’ cried the boy’s father, ‘help me where my faith falls short.’”  Matthew 17:20 (NIV)  ‐‐ “He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’"  

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Let God Do the Impossible

While Zacharias was burning incense on the altar, he was also praying, perhaps for a son or for the coming of the Messiah. In either case, God answered his prayer. He would soon have a son, who would prepare the way for the Messiah. God answers prayer in his own way and in his own time. He worked in an "impossible" situation—Zacharias's wife was barren—to bring about the fulfillment of all the prophecies concerning the Messiah. If you want to have your prayers answered, you must be open to what God can do in impossible situations. And you must wait for God to work in his way, in his time.

 

Faithfulness

Zacharias and Elizabeth were faithful people, yet they were suffering. At that time some Jews did not believe in a bodily resurrection, so their hope of immortality rested on their children. In addition, children would care for their elderly parents, and they added to the family's financial security and social status. Children were considered a blessing, and childlessness was seen as a curse. Zacharias and Elizabeth had been childless for many years, and at this time they were too old to expect any change in their situation. They felt humiliated and hopeless. But God was waiting for the right time to encourage them and take away their disgrace. If you are facing difficult times, remain faithful to God. One day, in this world or in the world to come, God will take away your pain and replace it with his glory and peace!

 

Feeling Inadequate

Mary was young, poor, female—all characteristics that, to the people of her day, would make her seem unusable by God for any major task. But God chose Mary for one of the most important acts of obedience he has ever demanded of anyone. You may feel that your ability, experience, or education make you an unlikely candidate for God's service. Don't limit God's choices. He can use you if you trust him.

 

Willing Obedience

A young unmarried girl who became pregnant risked disaster. Unless the father of the child agreed to marry her, she would probably remain unmarried for life. If her own father rejected her, she could be forced into begging or prostitution in order to earn her living. Mary, with her story about being made pregnant by the Holy Spirit, also risked being considered crazy. Still Mary said, despite the possible risks, "May everything you said come true." When Mary made that statement, she didn't know about the tremendous opportunity she would have. She only knew that God was asking her to serve him, and she willingly obeyed. Don't wait to see the bottom line before offering your life to God. Offer yourself willingly, even when the outcome seems difficult.

 

God Delivers

When told he would have a son, Zacharias had doubted the angel's word. From his human perspective, his doubt had been understandable—but with God, anything is possible. Although Zacharias and Elizabeth seemed long past the age of childbearing, God gave them a child! It is easy to doubt or misunderstand what God wants to do in our life. Even God's people sometimes make the mistake of trusting their intellect or experience rather than God. When tempted to think that one of God's promises is impossible, remember his work throughout history. God's power is not confined by narrow perspective or bound by human limitations. Trust him completely.

 

God's Good Gifts

When Mary said, "Now generation after generation forever shall call me blest of God," was she being proud? No, she was recognizing and accepting the gift God had given her. If Mary had denied her incredible position, she would have been throwing God's blessing back at him. Pride is refusing to accept God's gifts or taking credit for what God has done; humility is accepting the gifts and using them to praise and serve God. Don't deny, belittle, or ignore your gifts. Thank God for them and use them to his glory.

 

God's Family

The circumcision ceremony was an important event in the family of a Jewish baby boy. God commanded circumcision when he was beginning to form his holy nation (Genesis 17:4-14), and he reaffirmed it through Moses (Leviticus 12:1-3). This ceremony was a time of joy when friends and family members celebrated the baby's becoming part of God's covenant nation. Today there is also great joy when a baby is born, and some churches have special ceremonies to commemorate the blessed event. You were born into a human family, but to become a part of God's family, you must accept Jesus as your Savior. Are you a part of God's family?

 

God's Power and Faithful People

Zacharias had just recalled hundreds of years of God's sovereign work in history, beginning with Abraham and going on into eternity. Then, in tender contrast, he personalized the story. His son had been chosen for a key role in the drama of the ages. Although God has unlimited power, he chooses to work through frail humans who begin as helpless babies. Don't minimize what God can do through those who are faithful to him. You may not feel as though you can do much for God, but all he requires is faith and a willing spirit. Let God do his work in and through you!