Mission Impossible: Divine Interruption – Luke 1:26-38 ESV
Mission Impossible
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” – Luke 1:26–38 (ESV)
Do you think that God still uses interruptions to get our attention?
Do you believe that often our plans and ways aren’t God’s?
Do you suppose that God would interrupt our lives to fulfill what we think is impossible?
Gabriel means “God is great”
V26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
“virgin” is “Par thenos” which describes a “young women of marriage-able age who has never had sexual relationship.”
V27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
“betrothed”
“favored one”: God’s favor means to “gain acceptance, or unmerited blessing or grace”.
V28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
V29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
Congratulations! Your going to have a baby!!
“But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”” – Luke 1:29–33 (ESV)
V34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
“Estai” means “it will be accomplished or it is going to happen.”
The answer of the virgin birth.
V35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy-the Son of God.
Divine intervention (interruption) of God…
The Holy Spirit is the agent of the virgin birth.
Overshadowing is the means of the virgin birth.
The Son of God is the result of the virgin birth.
“overshadow”= Episkiase: refers to “God’s visible presence, a picture of God’s light dwelling with His people.
V36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
The greatest pre-Christmas verse:
V37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
V38 And Mary said “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary said “Yes” to God’s interruption and to a mission that looked impossible.
Why does God interrupt your life?
1. God loves you
2. If God removes, He has something better.
3. His Ways are unseen.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9
4. Provides opportunity to step out in faith.
++Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your way acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.