Praise God the Creator

                                                                 Sunday School Lesson



Introduction: The Creator is separate from his creation. He transcends nature. Creation is awesome. The Creator is more awesome. The disciples found this out when a storm arose on the Sea of Galilee. It was one thing to face the storm (Mark 4:35-38). It was quite another thing to face the one who could calm the storm (Mark 4:39-41).As we have learned this month, many of the psalms celebrate God as Creator over his creation. Psalm 104 can be added to that list. In fact, as Book IV (90–106) of Psalms ends, this theme of celebrating God as Creator (and Redeemer) is strong. Psalms 103 and 106 celebrate God’s forgiveness and love. Psalms 104 and 105 celebrate his creation and his faithfulness to it.

The Creator Works in His Creation 
 Psalm 104:1-4 KJV

1Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

The psalmist (who likely could have been King David, since he wrote the previous psalm) once again began with Praise (literally, “bless”). He summoned up his soul for this praise as he acknowledged the greatness of God. By using the metaphors of clothing, building, and nature, we see how intimate the Creator is with his creation.God is clothed with splendor and majesty and the Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment. God the Father is spirit (John 4:24) and therefore is not like a human being getting dressed. Yet through the figure of speech known as anthropomorphism, the Lord is pictured as getting dressed in light.The Creator is involved in creation as a builder. He stretches out the heavens like a tent. Think about someone going camping and setting out on the ground everything for the camping experience before assembling the tent. God does that with the heavens (Genesis 1:8; 2 Corinthians 12:2). Also he lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. It is as if God pounds huge concrete buttresses into the water so they can support the heavens.The Creator is also involved in his creation as one who controls the wind. In fact, he makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. Since the word Spirit (as in Holy Spirit) means breath, wind, or something pulsating, God can use clouds as a means of transportation and battle (2 Kings 2:11). He can appoint winds to become messengers and flames of fire to be his servants (see also Acts 2:1-4). God is not distant from his creation (as the deists believe). He transcends creation but works in it.

Creation Bears Witness to the Creator 

Psalm 104:24-30 KJV

24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.

26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.

27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.

28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.

29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

God calls to his creation, and his creation responds with obedience. Some of the verses not included in the printed text (Psalm 104:5-23) continue the theme of God’s involvement with his creation. Some of the verses deal with God actually calling creation into being (vv. 5, 8, 9, 19, 20), and some of the verses deal with God sustaining the universe by his providence (vv. 10-18).But beginning in this third section the psalmist calls creatures to the witness stand on behalf of their Creator. The word translated creatures in verse 24 comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to acquire something” (as in, God owns these creatures). The word translated creatures in verse 25 comes from a Hebrew word that means “something that creeps along the ground.” So whether the creature is in the sea or on the land, it bears witness to its Creator.The word for God’s creativity in making sea and land creatures is called works. It highlights something made, done, or accomplished. First the psalmist acknowledged the sea creatures. The ocean home God made for them is huge. This home is so vast and spacious that ships can sail on it and creatures like Leviathan can play in it. This is a fascinating creature. The word Leviathan appears six times in the Old Testament and refers to a sea monster or some kind of large aquatic animal. (Think Nessy in the famous Loch of Inverness, Scotland.)The psalmist also acknowledged land animals. God feeds these animals and they gather it up. God opens his hand (another example of anthropomorphism) and satisfies them with good things. When God, for whatever reason, hides his face, they are terrified. God can allow them to die and return to the dust. It all depends on God’s Spirit.When the Spirit moves, creation responds to its Creator. We would do well to follow that lead.

Praise God the Provider

                                                              Sunday School Lesson

Introduction: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.” Our Jewish friends call this the Traditional Ha-Motzi Blessing, which is recited before eating bread on the Sabbath. Psalm 65 may be something like a predecessor to that prayer. It praises God for his provision. The superscription of the Psalm says that it is a psalm of David, but it mentions the temple (v. 4), and the temple was not built in David’s time. Perhaps David wrote it as a psalm for harvest time, and it became more formalized for worship at the temple later.God is not only the Creator who is worshipped in a new song (the themes of our last two lessons), he also is praised for being the great provider. Very early in the Bible we are acquainted with this God who provides. In Eden God provided food for Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:16). In the flood God provided an ark to save Noah’s household (Hebrews 11:7). But a well-known story of provision is the testing of Abraham in Genesis 22. God provided the test, the seed of promise (Isaac), and the ram that was caught in the thicket (a substitute).

He Provides Forgiveness 

Psalm 65:1-4KJV

1Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.

2 O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.

3 Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.

4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

The psalmist pictures a person going up to the temple to worship God and references Zion. This word has many nuances mostly referring to a place. It can refer to God’s people, the city of Jerusalem, the temple, and even the original city of David—just to the south of Solomon’s temple. The psalmist begins with Praise. This is the first word in the psalm, and it is the Hebrew label for this book of the Bible. Besides praise given at the right place, there are several other things necessary for good worship. This would include fulfilling vows, acknowledging answered prayers, a blessing for the priests, and enjoying the good things of God that result when God’s people worship. But as much as we bring to worship there is one thing that we need in worship, and that is forgiveness. Verse 3 reads, When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. The word forgave is the word for “covering” (kippur). One aspect of forgiveness is the covering of an offense. God can uniquely provide that.

He Provides Power 

 Psalm 65:5-7KJV

5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:

6 Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:

7 Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people

Since God is God, one thing that he does not lack is power. Our power is quite puny. God’s power is unlimited. Knowing that helps us stand in awe of him. It also helps us bear witness to his awesome and righteous deeds. Some of these deeds were salvific. He delivered Israel and set the captives free. He is God our Savior. He has power to save to all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas (see also Hebrews 7:25). In addition to his power to rescue, he has power over his creation. He can make it, and when it gets unruly due to sin, he can wrestle it to the ground. He formed the mountains, he armed himself with strength, and he stilled the roaring of the seas. In the ancient world, and somewhat in the Old Testament, the tumultuous water was seen as something only God can tame (Genesis 1:2). He has power over the seas, the waves, and even the nations.

He Provides Harvest 

Psalm 65:8-13KJV

8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.

9 Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.

10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.

11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.

12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.

13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.

Even though the earth (land) was cursed due to sin (Genesis 3:17-19), and even though God had to judge the world with a flood because of ongoing sin (6:5-8), God still provided “seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night” (8:22). He does, in fact, bring forth bread from the earth.The earth is personified and shown to be filled with awe as morning and night continue. Even in its fallen state God calls to the earth with songs of joy and the earth springs to life. God provides water so that harvest can be expected.A bumper crop demands rain. The Middle East knows this all too well. God is so powerful he can make the desert produce (Isaiah 35:1, 2). An Israeli guide named Amnon called rain “sky juice.” God can drench the furrows or soften it with showers.His rain produces bounty and abundance. The grasslands, hills, meadows, and valleys are personified as being clothed and shouting for joy. “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4:4, English Standard Version). The one who is the bread of life (John 6:41) provides bread for his people. He is the provider, so he provides.

Praise God with a New Song

                                                                 Sunday School Lesson

Introduction: The Psalms improve your song. If your song is exuberant, a psalm will sound like seventy-six trombones in a marching band. If your song is a lament, the psalm will sound like the blues. For every season of the heart, there is a psalm. Much like the preaching of Jesus, there is something for everyone. One characteristic of church music today is putting new lyrics to old tunes. Another characteristic of church music today is putting old lyrics to new tunes. People have their preferences, but God’s people always have a song. The Christian faith is a singing faith—in contrast to so many world religions today. Psalm 96 is only 13 verses long, but it is filled with commands to sing and reasons for doing so.

Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves 
 Psalm 96:1-5 KJV

O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

4 For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.

Six verbs carry the imperatives related to singing. Sing is used three times; praise, proclaim, and declare each appear once. Singing does not seem optional. When the heart is caught up in the wonder of God, the only response of the lips is to sing. The song is new (fresh). The song is worldwide (all the earth and the nations and among all peoples). The song centers on the character of God (praise his name—name standing for his person and character). The song’s content is salvation. To accomplish this salvation, God’s glory showed up in marvelous deeds (miracles). The psalmist gives five reasons why we would sing the song of salvation: First, the Lord is great. There is no one like him. Second, the Lord is most worthy of praise. He is the only one who deserves the honor. Third, the Lord is feared above other so-called gods (1 Corinthians 8:4-6). Other gods are worshiped in the world, but there is only one true God. Fourth, the nations are idol worshipers—unlike God’s people—and in worshiping their idols they are really worshiping themselves. Fifth, the Lord made the heavens. He is the Creator. “We have heard the joyful sound, Jesus saves, Jesus saves; spread the tidings all around Jesus saves, Jesus saves.”

Holy, Holy, Holy 

 Psalm 96:6-9 KJV

6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Once again six verbs carry the imperatives related to this song. Ascribe is used three times; bring, worship, and tremble each appear once. The singer remembers who is worshiped—none other than God, our “blessed trinity.” He is holy—he is totally other and distinct from his creation. He dwells in splendor, majesty, strength, and glory. These qualities of God are personified as standing before God. Since God is holy, those who worship him must be holy in their worship. First, this involved bringing an offering that was without blemish. Second, ascribing to God his worth was to be done in the splendor of his holiness. Worship must be done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40), but it must also capture the holy heart of the one being worshiped. Third, all the families of nations and all the earth were to participate in this grand worship of God. No spot on the globe is exempt. “Only Thou art holy—there is none beside Thee; perfect in power, in love and purity.”

 Great Is the Lord, He Is Holy and Just 

 Psalm 96:10-13 KJV

10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

13 Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

he church often sings itself to health. God’s people sing the song of the redeemed, and in so doing, they sing health to their weary souls. The psalmist invites the nations, the earth, and the world to sing (or say) that God is in charge. He is great, holy, and just, and “by his power we trust in his love.” At the end of the day he will have the last word. He will judge (a verb that appears twice in this paragraph). His judgment is as sure as the world and is always done with equity. The psalmist personifies creation by calling it to witness God’s sovereignty. The heavens, the earth, the sea, the fields, the trees, and all of creation are called forth to testify to God’s pure and righteous judgment. In fact, God himself is the standard by which all judgment takes place. He will judge the world (pagans) and the peoples (Israel) in two ways—righteousness and faithfulness. God is the judge, but he is also the standard by which people will be judged. Put that to music.

Praise God for Creation

                                                                      Sunday School Lesson


Introduction: Mother Nature is not God’s wife, but creation is God’s gift. It is therefore obvious that God’s people praise him for that gift. And it is right to start that praise on the first day of a new year. Creation arose from the character and power of God and finds its foundation in his identity. When we study creation we are studying the Creator. Our five lessons in January (all from the book of Psalms) call God’s people to praise him for his creation, sovereignty, steadfast love, and provision. It is important that we learn the “tunes” (i.e. content) of these psalms. Today’s Psalm 33 is one of the many that praise God for his creation. The verses beyond our printed text (Psalm 33:10-22) celebrate God’s sovereignty and our response to it in eager waiting. But first comes the music.

The Musicians & the Music 
 Psalm 33:1-3, 8 KJV

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

2 Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.

3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

The musicians are identified in verses 1 and 8. First God’s people (the righteous and upright—notice the parallelism) are called to sing joyfully and to praise him. If God’s people do not sing, then who will teach the world the song of God? Later all the earth and all the people of the world will join God’s people in praise. Part of our primal reality as created beings (whether part of the covenant community or not) is to praise our Creator for his creation. The music is identified in verses 2 and 3. Instruments, content, excellence, and volume are all part of this music of creation. The harp and lyre are the instruments. The content is new. (This will be developed in next week’s lesson.) Excellence is part of playing skillfully. (A friend of mine used to say, “Holy shoddy is still shoddy.”) Finally the volume is loud. Heaven may well be a noisy place. Keep in mind how rather quiet the ancient world really was. There were no jets flying overhead and no 18-wheelers going down the highway. The musicians were everyone, and the music was loud.

The Maestro 

 Psalm 33:4, 5 KJV

4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.

5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

The conductor of the orchestra is the one who brings all the musicians and the music together. Our cosmic maestro can lead the choir of creation because of his impeccable character. Wonderful qualities of the God of creation are underlined in these two verses. He is right, righteous, and just. These are synonymous for the most part. God conforms to his own standard. He is true in himself and to himself. In addition to this, God is faithful. Simply put, he does what he says he will do. His yes really is yes, and his no really is no. But all of his rightness and faithfulness are wrapped up in his unfailing love. It is love that makes him do the right thing. It is love that demands that he keep his word. It is love that balances his truth. This maestro can lead the chorus of heaven’s music because he has placed his humble love within the created order.

The Music Hall 

 Psalm 33:6, 7, 9KJV

6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

The greatest concert hall in the world is the world. God made it, and his praise fills it. The word of the Lord and the breath of his mouth are parallel. God’s voice—his spoken word (see Psalm 29) and his Spirit (breath)—act like two hands in shaping creation into existence. The highest heavens (Paul talked about at least three heavens in 2 Corinthians 12:2) were the products of his word. The atmosphere (starry host—angelic armies or stars) were products of his Spirit. Psalm 33:9 affirms that this great music hall was spoken into existence and commanded to be from God himself. The music hall is large, but the one who made it is larger still. In fact, this Creator can put the waters of the sea into jars and he can put the deep waters into storehouses. The creation is impressive, but the Creator is even more impressive. And this is not just poetry. The New Testament affirms these truths in plain speech. Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15). Christ “upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3, English Standard Version). “The universe was formed at God’s command, so that what was seen was not made out of what was visible” (Hebrew 11:3). A lucid moon, a brilliant sunset, a snowcapped mountain, a fertile valley, an abundant field, and a roaring river all praise God for his creation. Let us join them.

The Savior Has Arrived

                                                                                  Sunday School Lesson

Introduction: The Savior has arrived.” That is quite a headline. Big news. Make no mistake—this is a big day for the church. Joni Eareckson Tada said, “If God can become man, then everything else is easy.” Paul Scherer, who taught homiletics at Princeton Theological Seminary, said, “God came walking down the stairs of heaven with a baby in his arms.” The story of the incarnation of the Son of God is something to sing about and something to talk about. Luke’s account of the story never gets old. The world was watching Rome because that was the significant place (Luke 2:1). But our story takes place in Bethlehem (v. 4). The world was looking to world-class people (vv. 1, 2). But our story focuses on a young couple from Galilee and some ragamuffin shepherds (vv. 4, 5, 8). The world was expecting a big event (a census and taxation—v. 1). But our story concerns the birth of a baby (v. 7). God had his own way to fill ordinary places, people, and events so that they became extraordinary.

Angels from on High

 Luke 2:8-14KJV

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Angels are ministering spirits (Hebrews 1:14). They do God’s bidding in the highest heaven. But at Christmas they stooped low and gave the Christmas message to lowly shepherds. The Bible has a love/hate relationship with shepherds. On the one hand, they were despised—at least by the Egyptians (Genesis 46:34). On the other hand God is likened to a shepherd (Genesis 48:15:15; Psalm 23:1). A mark of God’s grace is that he gave lowly shepherds the first glimpse into Christmas. A visit to Bethlehem today will involve a trip to the Shepherd’s Field. Our Catholic friends have beautified the area with an attractive church building and gorgeous gardens. But originally the Shepherd’s Field was a series of caves where the shepherds stayed. They weren’t allowed in the temple area because they always smelled like sheep. Yet the shepherds were necessary because they cared for the flocks—some of which were used for temple sacrifice. All of a sudden their peaceful evening was broken by the appearance of an angel of the Lord. Because the angel had come from the presence of the Lord, he shone with the glory (shining brilliance) of God. Obviously the appearance of this divine visitor terrified the shepherds (literally made them “fear a great fear”). This special heavenly messenger calmed their fears and proceeded to announce good news. The news would bring joy and would be for all the people. The time was announced: today. The place was announced: the town of David. The person was announced: a Savior . . . Messiah . . . Lord. So that there would be no mistakes in finding this newborn Savior, the angel gave the shepherds a sign (a miracle that points to a greater spiritual reality beyond itself). Most babies in those days were wrapped in strips of cloths. But this baby would be lying in a manger. Now that is odd. His earthly bed/home says something about his humility. The angel was then joined with an angelic army which proceeded to sing (technically “say”) Heaven’s music. Glory in heaven is the first verse, and peace on earth is the second verse.

Shepherds Working Here Below

 Luke 2:15-20KJV

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

The shepherds were not naïve, but they were curious. They debriefed the angelic visit and set off for Bethlehem. They wanted to see this thing (literally, this “word”) which the Lord had told them about. Upon arriving at Bethlehem (house of bread) they found the holy family—probably by asking around if there had been any children born within the last few hours. They saw Jesus and spread the word (made known the word that had been spoken to them) about what they had learned—from the angels but maybe also from Mary and Joseph. Three responses end this beautiful part of the Christmas story. Everyone who heard was amazed (marveled). Christmas is actually quite shocking. In contrast to the crowd we read about Mary, who quietly treasured (kept all things with respect to herself) and pondered (threw the word around in her heart). The melody that the angels sang hung on in the heads of the shepherds. They glorified and praised God. Shepherds were typically excluded from big events. They usually just watched sheep. But on this special night they were included in the wide embrace of God. If Christmas says anything, it says that the Savior has arrived for everyone.

God Promises a Savior

                                                             Sunday School Lesson



Introduction: One thing that we can take to the bank is that God always keeps his word. He does not make a promise and then fail to keep it, and God could not have made a greater promise to the world than the promise of sending a Savior. During this Christmas season we are studying Luke 1, 2. The chapters are filled with joy, celebration, song, intrigue, mystery, miracle, and promise.


The Promise Delivered
 Luke 1:26-28KJV

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

28 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.

Following the formal introduction of Luke’s Gospel (1:1-4) Zechariah and Elizabeth were informed of the birth of their son, John, who would be the forerunner of the Messiah (Luke 1:5-25). Gabriel (only one of two named angels in the Bible) delivered the promise to Zechariah and Elizabeth. Soon Elizabeth, who was old and barren, was pregnant. Six months later Gabriel was on the move again. God dispatched Gabriel to Nazareth (now a sprawling city, but then a small town on a Galilean hill, see John 1:46). Two sites are identified as the possible places where this took place. One is the Roman Catholic Church of the Annunciation, located in the heart of Nazareth; the other is the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, located in another part of Nazareth near a well. The promise was delivered to a young girl (a virgin) named Mary who was engaged to a man named Joseph. It is no accident that God chose this engaged couple to be the earthly parents of Jesus. In his life Joseph demonstrated the two great qualities of Jesus’ cross—justice and mercy (Matthew 2:19-21), and in her life Mary demonstrated the two great qualities of Jesus’ ministry—servanthood and humility (Luke 1:38). Gabriel greeted Mary, said she was highly favored by God, and reminded her that God was with her (a promise given to many others in the Bible, such as Joshua 1:5).

The Promise Questioned

 Luke 1:29-34KJV

29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

32 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:

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

After such a stunning announcement, Mary was greatly troubled (deeply confused) at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. Gabriel reassured Mary with common angelic words of comfort, Do not be afraid. Gabriel affirmed Mary: You have found favor with God. Then Gabriel packed several promises into the overall promise of a Savior: 1—Mary would conceive. 2—Mary would give birth. 3—Mary would name the baby Jesus. 4—Jesus would have God’s title (Son of the Most High). 5—Jesus would occupy King David’s throne. 6—Jesus would reign over Israel (Jacob’s descendants), filled with all kinds of people. 7—Jesus’ kingdom would never end. No doubt Mary was dumbfounded. She could have chosen any interrogative, but the one that made the best sense, “How?” Virgins don’t conceive and therefore all the other promises were at risk. There is a difference between Zechariah’s “how” (Luke 1:18) and Mary’s “how.” Zechariah’s how is one of unbelief. Mary’s how is one of details.

The Promise Embraced

 Luke 1:35-38KJV

35 And 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.

36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Feigned faith brings judgment (1:20). But honest faith brings explanation (Acts 9:1-19). Gabriel explained to Mary how the process of the virgin birth would work. The person of the Holy Spirit will come on you. This is the language of empowerment in the Bible. When the Spirit of God came on people, they were able to act supernaturally (Judges 14:19). Also the power of the Most High will overshadow you. This is the language of creation in the Bible (Genesis 1:2). We are not suggesting Jesus was created. But God is doing something new as he enacts his promise for a Savior. This process protects the Son’s holiness and deity. Mary was informed of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. This must have made Mary raise an eyebrow. But the angel Gabriel gave the sermonic word, For no word from God will ever fail. This is actually based in Genesis 18:14 when the angel of the Lord told Abraham that Sarah would bear Isaac. God’s power in bringing fruit from barren wombs has a great track record in the Bible. Mary’s embrace of this promise is applicable to us. She placed her whole life in God’s hands by saying, I am the Lord’s servant (slave) . . . May your (spoken) word to me be fulfilled. She may not have known all the details of this epoch event to come, but she trusted in the one who promised (Hebrews 11:11).