Hope When Plans Change -Luke 1:26

Posted on December 19, 2020 by dkoop

Do you remember being 14? What were you doing at 14?  Fourteen. It’s an awkward time. Your body is somewhere between childhood and adulthood, Hormones are doing all sorts of weird things to your body and to your voice. And there is this great race to grow up.

Still, at fourteen you are not old enough to drive a car, vote, stay out late, or live on your own. At fort\teen, there are a lot of things that you are not allowed to do. Remember yourself at fourteen years old; in Junior High or High School, interested in things fourteen year old’s are interested in. You are still a child living in your parent’s home.

Then, one night, there is a disturbance in another room of your house. You get up to investigate and there, In the middle of your living room stands this supernatural, and absolutely terrifying angelic presence that speaks these words to you…“You will bring the son of God into this world!” What would you do? What would be going through your mind? Would you also be wondering how fast you could get out the back door and down the street?  Would you say, “sure, no problem, I am ready for that!”

Keep this thought in mind as we examine the text today (Luke 1:26-38)

Scholars tell us that the betrothal age was between 13 and 15.   Mary was about this age.

Today we are talking about Mary the mother of Jesus, she is person who causes great polarization in religious circles, some worship and pray to her some completely ignore her.

Usually Eastern Orthodox and Catholics give her too much honor, and Protestants don’t give her enough.

“In A.D. 431, the first official doctrine was issued honoring the Virgin Mary as “Theotokos,” God’s Mother. In 1854, Pope Pius IX declared her born without original sin. In 1954, papal dogma declared her bodily assumption to heaven. Now, many Catholics are hoping that Pope John Paul II will elevate Mary to “Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix of All Graces and Advocate for the People of God.”

The Pope has receive 4 million-plus signatures by 1997, pushing for an “infallible” pronouncement that Mary shared in the redemption accomplished by Jesus, although the movement has invited “blistering criticism” from other Catholics and non-Catholics.” —Current Thoughts & Trends

We will look at what the bible says about her, not tradition or religion.  If for no other reason we should honor her for trusting God in faith, accepting a huge challenge at 15 years of age.

She was a person like any of us, but she chose to be obedient to submit to God’s plan for her life.  Throughout this series I hope you will see her humanity.

Luke 1:26  tells us an angel of the Lord appeared to Mary.  Mary was not a prophet or a priest; she was not in God’s temple performing acts of service. Instead, she was simply a young woman who was living at home and planning her wedding, for she was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. In ancient Jewish marriages, the word “engaged” (or “betrothed”) had a different meaning than today. First, the two families would agree to the union and negotiate the betrothal, including a price for the bride that would be paid to the bride’s father. Next, a public announcement would be made. At this point, the couple was “pledged.” This is similar to engagement today, except that it was much more binding. At this point, even though the couple was not officially married, their relationship could be broken only through death or divorce. Sexual relations were not yet permitted. This second step lasted for a year. During that time, the couple would live separately, with their parents.

This waiting period would demonstrate the bride’s purity. If she were found to be pregnant during that time, the marriage could be annulled. After this waiting time, the couple would be married and begin living together. What Mary was about to hear from the angel would have significant impact on her engagement.

A police officer pulled a guy over for speeding and had the following exchange: Officer: May I see your driver’s license? Driver: I don’t have one. I had it suspended when I got my 5th DUI. (Driving Under the Influence)
Officer: May I see the owner’s card for this vehicle? Driver: It’s not my car. I stole it.
Officer: The car is stolen? Driver: That’s right. But come to think of it, I think I saw the owner’s card in the glove box when I was putting my gun in there.
Officer: There’s a gun in the glove box? Driver: Yes sir. That’s where I put it after I shot and killed the woman who owns this car and stuffed her in the trunk.
Officer: There’s a BODY in the TRUNK?!?!? Driver: Yes, sir.
Hearing this, the officer immediately called his captain. The car was quickly surrounded by police, and the captain approached the driver to handle the tense situation:
Captain: Sir, can I see your license? Driver: Sure. Here it is. It was valid.
Captain: Who’s car is this? Driver: It’s mine, officer. Here’s the registration.
Captain: Could you slowly open your glove box so I can see if there’s a gun in it? Driver: Yes, sir, but there’s no gun in it. Sure enough, there was nothing in the glove box.
Captain: Would you mind opening your trunk? I was told you said there’s a body in it. Driver: No problem. The trunk was opened; no body.
Captain: I don’t understand it. The officer who stopped you said you told him you didn’t have a license, stole the car, had a gun in the glove box, and that there was a dead body in the trunk.
Driver: Yeah, I’ll bet he told you I was speeding, too.

What would you do if you were that officer? Go nuts? Tear your hair out? Scream? Mary must have felt that way too, in our Bible text this morning. It’s like a “get me to the nearest psychiatrist” reaction. Here’s Mary, perhaps thinking of marriage, preparing for the big day, already pledged to be married to a man named Joe, dreaming of driving the family SUV, with kids arguing about who gets to sit in front of the camel, and u being the perfect patient mom. Then an angel appeared.

 26 …God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph

 Mary and Joseph were an average young couple planning to get married.  During their engagement God showed up and announced they were to have a child together before they have even had sex.  Many times things don’t go the way we plan. “Stuff happens.”

The point is, plans don’t always go the way we plan them.  I’m not saying that everything that happens, God plans.  That’s not true.  God is not the author of evil.  If someone gets raped, God didn’t plan that.  When someone gets abused, when someone gets cancer… the Bible says God is not the author of evil.  That’s why we’re to pray for His will to be done.  God’s will is not always done.  I can chose to not do God’s will.

The fact is, a lot of my plans gets messed up because I mess them up.  My own stupidity messes up my own plans a lot of the times.  We’re all very well acquainted that other people can mess up your plans.  But sometimes God providentially, God sovereignty changes circumstances around because He’s got another idea in mind.  And that’s obviously what happened at Christmas time about 2000 years ago.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Mary showed how a believer reacts to the unexpected.   Life’s unexpected curves do not have to be catastrophic to the Christian.  I hope you will use Mary’s approach to coping when life takes an unexpected turn.  How do we approach life when it turns out different than what you expected?  How do we respond when God is clearly at work working in miraculous ways we cannot deny?

In our next post, let’s look at three truths that Mary used when her life took an unexpected turn.

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

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Hope in the Darkness- Luke 1: 5-17 – Part 2

Posted on December 17, 2020 by dkoop

In the last post we were introduced to Zechariah and Elizabeth, a godly couple that had prayed for over forty years for a child.

Does God hear our prayers? That’s a question we have all asked. Does God really hear me? After many years Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth probably questioned if God heard their prayers for a child. But God had great plans for their child who was still on the way -John the Baptist.

Zechariah served in the priestly division of Abijah. Priests were divided into 24 divisions, which we can read about in 1 Chronicles 24.   Each day 56 of the 300 Priests in their division were chosen by a lottery who would serve in the temple. It was an honor to be selected to have duty over the altar of incense (Exodus 30:7-8). This burning of the incense was the place representing the prayers of the people.   How long had the people been praying, “Send the Messiah, work in our nation?”  How much do we pray for our nation, for revival?

Today was Zechariah’s turn. I’m sure he was overjoyed telling his wife Elizabeth the good news. Many priests go their whole life without the honor. At the appointed time, Zechariah would enter into the Most Holy Place of the temple, just outside the Holy of Holies. The Golden Candlestick would be to his right. The Table of Showbread was to His left. Before him was the Altar of Incense with the veil to the Holy of Holies just beyond the Altar. This was a reverent time of worship.

Incidentally, it was here that Nadab and Abihu were struck down for offering “strange fire” before God (Lev 10:1-3). Spiritual leadership truly is life or death. Zechariah was up for the task while a multitude was outside praying.

And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. (Luke 1:11-12)

What happens next is unexpected and amazing. The man without a child met an angel with a gospel. Even without the appearance of the Angel, Zechariah’s ministry in the Temple would have been a once in a lifetime experience. Now to the right of the Altar stands the Angel Gabriel (Luke 1:19) It is worth noting that it was Gabriel who appeared to Daniel to reveal the 70 weeks of years prophesy (Dan 9:20-21). This prophecy provided Daniel with an exact date of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as Messiah. It will also be Gabriel who appears to Mary shortly.

Scripture explains that angels minister to us and help us and they are all around us. We hear stories of angels helping people in trouble. Sometimes they take human form as Hebrews 13:2 says:  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Hebrews 13:2)

We cannot overemphasize the importance of the setting this encounter takes place. This is a holy place Angels are messengers from God. They play a significant role in assuring God’s plan and will is carried out and they were pivotal in announcing the coming of Christ. They will play an active role in the final days of the end times. They have created beings, eternal in nature, and mighty. Angels are not cute cupids floating on clouds, but they are warriors and powerful. So Zechariah’s response to the appearance of Gabriel is to be expected. “Fear fell upon him.” (v.12)

When we encounter the Holy or Divine, we will naturally respond in fear. In every instance, the angels provide assurance of peace and calm. “Do not be afraid.” For we know there are also fallen angels. These are the angels who followed the arch-angel Lucifer in a revolt against God (Revelation 12:4).

We should also know that there is a constant spiritual battle happening all around us that we are entwined in daily. Our prayers are effective against the evil forces and engage us in the spiritual war.   Ephesians 6:12-13.”For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  Luke 1:13

Gabriel is bringing to Zechariah a grand message announcing the coming of the forerunner of the Messiah. There are some important pieces of Gabriel’s message that we want to look at:

First, after assuring Zechariah not to be afraid, Gabriel tells Zechariah that God has heard his prayer. Because, Gabriel is making the annunciation of John, some believe that Gabriel is talking about Zechariah’s prayer for a son. This could be, but given the context of where John is, it is unlikely John’s prayer was self-focused. Rather, it seems more likely that Zechariah may have been praying for the redemption of Israel. Prayer for the nation was the point of the evening offering

Nevertheless, God hears our prayers. There may be times when it seems like our prayers go nowhere but just waft into the air. This is not the case. God hears our prayers. His answers will sometimes come at surprising times, in a surprising place, in a surprising way. Watch for the answer!

Secondly, Gabriel tells John they are going to have a baby and the baby’s name will be John. Yohanan means “God has been gracious.” God knows us. He forms us and shapes us in our mother’s womb. He even gives us our name. God knows your name. Your life begins before you take your first breath. That’s why every life, including life in the womb, is sacred and holy.

Luke 1:14-17

There are some key characteristics Gabriel shares with Zechariah about John’s life:

First, His life will bring joy to Zechariah & Elizabeth, along with many others. The joy rooted in John’s ministry was pointing people to Jesus as the forerunner of the messiah.

Second, John was set apart for God. The reference to not drinking beer or wine would be clear to Zechariah that John was to be a Nazarite. Nazarites were set apart for special service for God (Numbers 6:1-21). A Nazarite was to avoid strong drink, not to cut his hair, and not to touch a dead body. The real contrast here is that John’s filling of the Holy Spirit. This is something common in Luke’s gospel as well as Acts

The most important thing is that from the very first John was to be filled with the Holy Spirit, without whose help God’s work cannot be done effectively. John is the only person who said in the New Testament to be filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb; this emphasizes the fact that God chose him and equipped him from the very beginning.

He will be a great prophet. Jesus said that John was the greatest of all prophets in Matthew 11:11

Months from now, when Elizabeth, is visited by Mary who is carrying Jesus in her womb, it will be John who leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb. (Luke 1:44). This reminds us that the Holy Spirit was with John from the day of his conception. Even in the womb, John is It also serves as a Scriptural basis for the sanctity of life in the womb. This was not a glob of flesh.

The last thing of John’s life Gabriel shares is the theocentric ministry of John. His ministry is not self-serving. He will turn people to the Lord with the “spirit and the power of Elijah.” Elijah spent most of his ministry opposing apostasy and turn people away from Baal.

Baal was the name of the supreme god worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. The practice of Baal worship infiltrated Jewish religious life during the time of the Judges (Judges 3:7), became widespread in Israel during the reign of Ahab (1 Kings 16:31-33), and also affected Judah (2 Chronicles 28:1-2).

Baal was a fertility god and was commonly associated with child sacrifice and sexual immorality. In this way, God’s incredible gift of sexuality was perverted to the most obscene public prostitution. No wonder God’s anger burned against his people and their leaders.

The worship of Baal (which means “lord”) worship is evidenced by the out war on anything biblical and Christian. The glorification of sexual deviance, violence, abortion (child sacrifice), pornography and prostitution is evidence of Baal worship in our culture. Incidentally, Jesus In Matthew 12:26, calls Satan “Beelzebub,” linking the devil to Baal-Zebub, (2 Kings 1:2). The Baal of the Old Testament were nothing more than demons masquerading as gods (1 Corinthians 10:20).

One last interesting aspect of this is Gabriel’s words “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just” (v.17). The idea of family and the spiritual leadership of fathers cannot be overlooked here. A major part of Israel’s reconciliation was the reconciliation of the family with the role of the father leading the family spiritually. All of this was vital to the first coming of Jesus. Will He find us any more ready when he comes again?

Will Christ find us upright, righteous, praying, leading our family, turning away from idolatry, and toward God’s grace and goodness? Are we a church committed to strengthening the family? Are we more interested in what is popular or what is holy?  There is hope in the darkness.

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Hope in the Darkness – Luke 1-5-8

Posted on December 12, 2020 by dkoop

Could you use some hope in 2020?  This year has been challenging and divisive.  We are living in a pandemic; there is social and political unrest, conflicts on the streets and economic uncertainty.  I don’t think we can minimize the significance of these issues. They’re real and they’re affecting all of us.

When life is uncertain and difficult, what do we do? How do you respond? Maybe you have found yourself needing hope when you weren’t hearing the Lord speak to your heart and mind. Have you ever felt like your prayers were not getting through, or that God was not very close or has forgotten you?

God is working, be faithful.

Lots of people breeze past the first 8 words of verse 5, but Luke includes these words for an important reason that we should stop and understand why. Nearly 400 years have passed since Malachi wrote his final words and the Old Testament was shut.

Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-7)

The words of Malachi are both ominous and promising. It’s a reminder that God is preparing the way for our salvation and redemption. We will see next week how important John’s ministry really is as he prepares for the arrival of the Christ

And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.” (Luke 1:17)

But God was also at work in the world to make way. God does not waste any time. The 400 years and the Kingship of Herod the Great were critical to the Gospel.

I don’t want to spend too much time on this, but there were some critical events that needed to take place:

  1. After the closing of the Old Testament, an influential leader conquered the land in 323 BC. His name was Alexander the Great, his kingdom ushered in a common language – Koine Greek (in which the New Testament is written)
  2. When Alexander died in 323 BC his kingdom was divided into 4 parts. Israel will fall into the hands of Ptolemy’s and be ruled from Alexandria, Egypt
  3. Eventually, the Jews fight for deliverance. During the Maccabean revolt, temple worship is restored in what would come to be known as the Feast of Dedication – Hanukkah
  4. The instability of the area will eventually lead to further conquest as General Pompey enters Israel and establishes Roman Rule in 63 BC.
  5. In 44 BC Julius Caesar is assassinated
  6. In 40 BC Herod the Great is named King of Judea by the Roman Senate.

The history within all of these events is rich and active. God was moving the events of the world toward fulfilling His plan of Salvation for you. So when Luke writes, “In the days of Herod…” He is bringing his readers back to a difficult time. Can you imagine opening a book, “In the Days of Adolf Hitler”? That’s what Luke wants his audience to know.

There are a couple of things we need to know about Herod.

  1. He was a brilliant, shrewd, and gifted leader. He had an amazing ability to take risk and land on his feet. His brilliance was also in the building. You can go to Israel today and see much of his work still standing. Aqueducts over 2000 years old still present, Caesarea, Masada, The Herodian and the Temple in Jerusalem where we still see the Wailing Wall.
  2. The other side of Herod is a cruel and brutal man. Herod sought to immortalize himself as a s god. Caesar Augustus reportedly said that it is better to be a pig than to be one of Herod’s sons. The slaughtering of children after the birth of Christ in Matthew 2:16-17 underscores this sentiment.

Does the condition of the world concern you? If so, you’re in good company. These days seem to be reminiscent of “the days of Herod.”

With everything going on, it can be difficult to have a clear perspective. Add the tensions of this day and the strains of life. It was to Zachariah and Elizabeth. In the winter of their life, childless, and looking around to the situation of their world, thinking they had a part in God’s plan was probably the last thing on their mind.

Hope with Righteous Living.  (Luke 1:5-8)

Luke introduces to us an older couple. A quiet, godly couple named Zachariah and Elizabeth. I can imagine that they were revered by their community. Zechariah was a priest and Luke describes them as righteous before God and blameless.

Names are in the Bible are important and this is certainly one of those times where the names of the people involved in the story foreshadow what God is about to do in their lives.

Zechariah means “God remembers.” We will see that God remembers Zechariah and He remembers His people.

Elizabeth means “God is my oath.” And God is indeed about to make an oath, a promise, that is going to bring great light that will dispel both the darkness that Zechariah and Elizabeth have lived under and the darkness that Israel has experienced as a people.

Zechariah and Elizabeth both come from priestly families. They were highly esteemed. They were righteous before God and kept His commands. Obviously that doesn’t mean they never sinned, But that description of their lives does indicate that they desired to live in a way that pleased God.

Zechariah and Elizabeth didn’t merely go through the motions in following God’s laws; they backed up their outward compliance with inward obedience. Unlike the religious leaders whom Jesus called hypocrites, Zechariah and Elizabeth did not stop with the letter of the law. Their obedience was from the heart, and that is why God viewed them as righteous. Does your life reflect careful obedience and high regard for God’s will? As your life shows your love for God, others will be drawn to him.

And yet, in spite of their life of service to God, there was a deep sadness in their lives because they had not been able to have children. This is just one of many places in the Bible where we discover that devotion to God does not guarantee that we won’t experience heartache and difficulties in life.

But God is about to intervene in their lives in a miraculous way that would overcome the darkness and hopelessness they had lived under for so long.

Let me ask you a question:  Are you carrying a burden? Like Zacharias and Elizabeth, has your burden eclipsed your blessings in your mind?

What is your burden today?

  • Is it a physical infirmity?
  • Do you have a broken heart?
  • Is there a broken relationship?
  • Are you experiencing loneliness?
  • Are you defeated?
  • Have you experienced a great financial setback or a disappointment?
  • Have you lost a loved one, or perhaps a precious little one in your womb?

If you have a burden today, then take heart, for Zacharias and Elizabeth, and many other good people in the Bible, have walked in your shoes. In Elizabeth’s day, it would be a common belief that her barrenness was because of some kind of punishment for her sin. This was not only bad manners but also bad theology. Our sins are not always the source of our suffering. Sometimes they are but not always.

Sometimes Christians suffer for the exact opposite of sin – for the sake of righteousness. Sometimes we suffer because of the sins of others and sometimes God allows us to go through difficult times to bring us to a place of worship and glorifying him. We may not always know the why, but we do know God does hear our prayers. (Philip Graham Ryken)

Hope by Waiting and Praying (Luke 1:10-13)

Part of the Christian perspective on suffering is that even in suffering, there is a way for us to glorify God.

There are several wonderful examples of this among barren women in the Bible. I think about Sarah in Genesis 18 or Rebekah (Gen 25:21) or Hannah (1 Sam 1-2). All of these women suffered tremendously.

Suffering can heighten our spiritual sensitivity to draw us closer in our relationship with God. We have the choice and ability to become bitter or say, “How can I glorify God in this?” How can God use this situation to help others know him?

Dr. Karl Menninger, a world-famous psychiatrist, was answering questions after giving a lecture on mental health when one person asked, “What would you advice someone to do if he felt a nervous breakdown coming on?” Most people expected the doctor to say, “Consult a psychiatrist.” Instead, he said, “Lock up your house, go across the railroad tracks, find someone in need, and do something to help that person.”

God has a plan. He answered their prayer at just the right time.  They needed to keep serving others and keep praying.   In the next post we will see how God answered their prayer and how he answers ours.

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

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Source:  Bruce B. Barton, Dave Veerman, Linda K. Taylor, Life Application Bible Commentary – Luke, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1997), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 6.

 

 

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Hope for the Holidays – Luke 1-2

Posted on December 4, 2020 by dkoop

Join us for our new series, Hope for the Holidays!

Series: Hope for the Holidays

Scripture: Luke 1-2

Description:  We are living in uncertain and turbulent times. The first Christmas was no different.  When it seemed like God was silent, He was at work bringing new life and new opportunities.  Join us as we learn from Elizabeth, Mary, the Shepherds and Simeon that God, His promises, power and presence are our hope.

Dates – Titles (Scriptures)                                                    

Dec. 6 – Hope in the Darkness (Luke 1:1-17)

Dec. 13 – Hope in the Impossible (Luke 1:26-38)

Dec. 20 – Hope in Uncertainty (Luke 1:39-56)

Dec. 24- Hope in Salvation (Luke 2: 1-20)  *Christmas Eve


Dec. 27 – Hope for the Future (Luke 2: 22-35)

 

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