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The Mother of My Lord 

Luke 1.26–56 

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • May 12, In the year of our Lord Christ, 2019 

Prelude: 

  1. Shortly after Adam and Eve sinned, 
    1. the Lord revealed His plan to save humanity from its sin. 
    2. The woman began the sin, but 
      1. it was also through the woman 
      2. that the Lord would bring salvation from sin, 
        1. as Genesis 3.14–15 shows. 
        2. There the Lord spoke of the seed of the woman, 
          1. something that is not done anywhere else in Scripture, because 
          2. Scripture always refers to the seed of the man. 
            1. Thus in the beginning 
            2. God revealed that someone would enter the world 
              1. through a woman, and 
              2. as Scripture shows later, without the help of a man. 
  2. God kept revealing more about this special someone 
    1. throughout the Hebrew Bible, 
    2. until in the days of the Roman Empire, 
      1. He chose a woman through whom 
      2. this special someone would arrive. 

Persuasion: 

  1. Luke 1.26–27 | What God Thinks of Women

    26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
    1. Gabriel, one of only two named angels in the Bible, 
      1. had also appeared to Daniel the prophet, and then 
      2. the Lord sent Gabriel to a very special young lady in Nazareth, Israel. 
    2. What would you think or 
      1. what would you do, 
      2. if an angel appeared to you? 
  2. Luke 1.28–29 | What God Thinks of Godly Women

    28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
    1. Gabriel told her to rejoice for three reasons: 
      1. she was highly favored, 
      2. the Lord was with her, and 
      3. she was blessed among women. 
    2. She reacted just as any of us would have, 
      1. she was troubled at what he said, 
      2. shocked that an angel of God would be so speaking to her. 
    3. She began to consider what this greeting was about. 
      1. God wants women to think. 
      2. However, He also wants humble women. 
        1. Some people think but they are arrogant. 
        2. Some people are humble but they do not think. 
          1. Mary did both. 
          2. She was a humble thinker. 
  3. Luke 1.30–38 | God Entered the World by a Woman

    30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
    1. Knowing that she was afraid, 
      1. thinking that something was wrong, or 
      2. that she had done wrong, 
        1. the angel let her know 
        2. that she had found favor with God, not disfavor. 
    2. Gabriel revealed to her that she was going to become a Mother! 
      1. He also revealed that it would be a boy and 
      2. what she was to name Him. 
        1. She would name Him Jesus, 
        2. which means Savior, for 
          1. Mary did not realize that she was the woman of 
          2. Genesis 3 and of a prophecy of Isaiah:

            14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

            – Isaiah 7.14
    3. The angel did not stop there, but 
      1. revealed these five things about her son 
        1. that He would be great, 
        2. that He would be called the Son of the Highest, 
        3. that He would inherit the throne of David, 
        4. that He would reign over the house of Jacob forever, and 
        5. that His kingdom would have no end. 
      2. Of course, any Mother believes that her child is great. 
        1. However, you can see the exceptional nature of her child, for 
        2. He was the Son of God! 
      3. My point though 
        1. is that the Son of God could have entered the world anyway 
        2. that He chose to enter the world. 
          1. He wanted to be a man, to be a human, and 
          2. He wanted to enter the world as we do, 
            1. except without having a male involved in the process, and 
            2. of all the ways He could have chosen, 
              1. He decided to come through a woman. 
              2. What greater thing could He have done 
                1. to show what He thinks of women 
                2. than what He did? 
                  1. Through woman sin entered the world. 
                  2. Through woman salvation from sin entered the world. 
    4. Mary naturally did not understand how she could become a Mother 
      1. since she had not yet known a man carnally. 
      2. Gabriel revealed the process and 
        1. a man would not be involved, but 
        2. the Holy Spirit and the power of God 
          1. would create the baby boy in her. 
          2. She would give birth to the Son of God. 
            1. What a privilege to be a woman. 
            2. What a privilege to be a Mother. 
              1. The Lord would use her and her motherhood 
              2. to bless the entire human race! 
    5. Gabriel announced another wonderful thing. 
      1. She had a relative, well advanced in years (vv. 7, 18), 
      2. who had been barren, never having been a Mother. 
        1. That was about to change. 
        2. The Lord would cause her to conceive, but 
          1. with the help of a man, her husband, and 
          2. that boy born to them would be the greatest prophet, John. 
    6. The last words of the angel are powerful:

      37 “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

      – Luke 1.37
      1. God can cause a woman to conceive without the help of a man and 
      2. God can cause a barren old woman to conceive also. 
        1. These barriers are nothing to Him who created the universe. 
        2. He can and has done what we think is impossible. 
  4. Luke 1.39–45 | The Mother of My Lord

    39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
    1. After the angelic visit, Mary went to the home of Elizabeth quickly and 
      1. heard words and 
      2. saw things 
        1. that confirmed the words of the angel. 
    2. First, 
      1. Mary greeted Elizabeth and 
      2. Elizabeth’s baby reacted to Mary’s greeting. 
    3. Second, 
      1. Mary heard Elizabeth speak of her in ways 
      2. that Elizabeth could not have learned by herself, but 
        1. the Holy Spirit revealed to her 
        2. that she would give birth to the Lord. 
    4. Third, 
      1. Mary could see that Elizabeth was with child 
      2. for she was in her sixth month of pregnancy. 
    5. Elizabeth referred to Mary as the Mother of her Lord. 
      1. Mary was not a Mother to be. 
      2. The Lord was already in her womb. 
        1. Between the time that the angel had spoken to her and 
        2. her arrival at the home of Elizabeth, 
          1. the Holy Spirit and the power of the Highest 
          2. had overshadowed her and she had a child in her womb. 
            1. Ladies, you are a Mother 
            2. from the moment you conceive a child in your womb. 
              1. You are not merely a mother-to-be 
              2. previous to the birth of the child. 
    6. Think of what Elizabeth said to Mary 
      1. when she referred to her as, “the Mother of my Lord.” 
      2. The Creator became as the creature. 
        1. The Creator reduced Himself and 
        2. placed Himself in the womb of a woman. 
    7. As all these things touched the heart of Mary, 
      1. she did not magnify herself, but 
      2. she magnified the Lord. 
  5. Luke 1.46–55 | A Woman Who Magnified the Lord

    46 And Mary said:

    “My soul magnifies the Lord,
    47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
    48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
    For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
    49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
    And holy is His name.
    50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
    From generation to generation.
    51 He has shown strength with His arm;
    He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
    52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
    And exalted the lowly.
    53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
    And the rich He has sent away empty.
    54 He has helped His servant Israel,
    In remembrance of His mercy,
    55 As He spoke to our fathers,
    To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
    1. Mary showed her biblical intelligence. 
    2. Mary showed her speaking, and perhaps writing, intelligence. 
    3. Mary praised the Lord, not herself. 
      1. She could see that what was happening to her, 
      2. would affect more than just her immediate family, but 
        1. from generation to generation 
        2. what she would bring into the world would bless all. 
          1. She could see that she was introducing to the world 
          2. the promised blessing to Abraham and his seed:

            3 “I will bless those who bless you,
            And I will curse him who curses you;
            And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

            – Genesis 12.3
  6. Luke 1.56 | A Selfless Woman

    56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
    1. Wow, Mary remained with Elizabeth for three months, 
      1. which means Mary stayed for the rest of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. 
    2. You Mothers know what pregnancy is like. 
      1. What do you think it would be like when you are old? 
      2. Undoubtedly, Elizabeth could need the assistance of a younger woman. 
        1. Mary was a selfless woman who served others. 
        2. In my mind, that would qualify her as a wonderful Mother. 
          1. I am sure that helping Elizabeth 
          2. was not the first time that Mary had helped someone. 

Exhortation: 

  1. It was because of a woman, a Mother, 
    1. that we enjoy salvation from our sins. 
    2. What God had been planning for thousands of years, 
      1. all came down to this one woman, 
      2. a Mother who helped change the world forever. 
  2. Your Mother brought you into the world. 
    1. And that has affected many lives. 
    2. She also granted you countless opportunities, but 
      1. the grandest opportunity that Christian Mothers grant their children 
      2. is to introduce them to Mary’s firstborn child. 
  3. Her Son, Jesus, did not come into the world 
    1. merely to bless her, but to bless all people. 
    2. What does your life mean, 
      1. if you do not find salvation 
      2. through Mary’s son, Jesus, 
        1. who is the Son of God, 
        2. the One who saves us from our sins. 
          1. Our Mothers have blessed us more than we will ever know. 
          2. Our sin curses us more than we will ever know. 
            1. We cause harm to her Motherhood 
            2. if we never gain from Mary’s Motherhood.