The Mother of Jesus May 08, 2022 by: John Herbert | Series: Misc Audio PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/The-mother-of-Jesus-5.08.22.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Lk 1:38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. 39 ¶ Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah…….. The 'passover to tabernacles' series will continue after out conference. This week's message is in acknowledgment of Mothers' Day. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday May 8th 2022 Mothers’ Day The Mother of Jesus 1). Lu 1:26 ¶ 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. 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. 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. 39 ¶ Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah…….. As we look at these verses detailing Gabriel’s visitation, there are many things that we can know about Mary. We know that she was of the seed of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, that she was a virgin, that she was betrothed to a man from the house of David, that she was highly favored by God, and that she was overshadowed by the power of the Highest. a). We know that the One to be formed in her womb will be given the throne of His father David and will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end. b). We know that Mary both received and believed that which Gabriel said to her. And that following Gabriel’s departure, Mary herself departed and went to the hill country in haste. c). And in these details that we know about Mary we can find parallels with our own experience. d). Mary was of the physical seed of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, and according to the Scripture we are of that same seed, through our positional standing ‘in Christ’ - Ga 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. As Christ comes from the physical seed of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, coming from the tribe of Judah, so our positional standing ‘in Christ’ gives us that same lineage, not by birth but through faith – Ga 3:7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. We saw that Mary was a virgin – And this is the same word that is used in Scripture to describe those who make up the one new man in Christ. We will remember the wise and the foolish virgins from – Mt 25:1 ¶ "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. And in conjunction with this, we saw that Mary was betrothed to a man from the house of David, and we are betrothed to a Man of that same house 2Co 11:2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Mary was highly favored by God, and there is no doubt that because of the enormity of that which God is offering us, that we can consider ourselves to be highly favored as well. We are the ones who are being offered, ‘so great salvation’ – the salvation of our souls. The ones who are being offered an inheritance in a heavenly land - Heb 3:1 ¶ Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling…… 1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. We have been called to be coheirs with Christ, to rule and reign with Him throughout the time of the Millennial Kingdom and then into the endless ages beyond - Ro 8:17 ¶ and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light….. Mary was overshadowed by the power of the Highest. And the parallel to this event we can see in our immersion in the Holy Spirit, that has made us a new creation, a part of the one new man in Christ. e). And following our immersion in the Spirit we continue to be filled with the Spirit through the Word of Christ, as that Word is brought forth from above - Jn 3:6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born [brought forth] of the Spirit is spirit. The One who was formed in Mary’s womb is the Christ, the One who will in that coming Day sit upon the throne of His father David, the One who will come forth from the heavens as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. f). Now, Christ is not literally formed in us as He was in Mary, but the Scriptures clearly speak about us being transformed into the image of Christ. Note these verses form - Eph 4:14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ— And to this we can add - Ro 8:29 ¶ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. And finally, this on-going process is summed up for us succinctly in – Ga 4:19 ¶ My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you…… And then we had seen that following the angel’s departure Mary departed and went to the hill country in haste. g). The hill country is always understood in an antithetical sense to the valley or the plain and is used synonymously with a mountain in Scripture. It was Lot we will remember, who provides the type for the unfaithful Christian, who went down into the cities of the plain, leaving Abraham in the hill country, on the mountain. h). And we will remember the warning that was given to Lot and his wife before the destruction of those cities - Ge 19:17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest you be destroyed." And for those Christians who do escape to the mountain, who leave in haste for the hill country, having received the Word of the Lord, Caleb is the one who provides the type – Jos 14:12 "Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day…….. And pictured through Caleb is the experience of all those who are obedient to the command given in - Mt 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…. And perhaps now, in the final minutes of these last days as we anticipate our appearance at the Lord’s Judgment Seat, our focus needs to be more than ever on the hill country - Col 3:1 ¶ If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Heb 12:2 looking [from this world] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. And just as Mary left in haste for the hill country, to go to a specific city of Judah, so our journey to the land of our calling will take us to a specific city, the New Jerusalem, where the OT saints pictured in Hebrews Chapter 11 had their focus – Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. And this is the same city that our father by faith, Abraham, was looking for in his day – Heb 11:10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Ga 4:26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. We have also seen Mary’s faith demonstrated in her response to the Word that God sent to her through Gabriel, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.’ i). And Mary’s words to Gabriel, her confession of faith, should parallel our own continual response to the living Word that He has sent us Heb 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds…….2:1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. We must choose faithful obedience, if we are to allow the Word of God to transform us, and conform us, into the image of His Son, just as we are admonished to do in – Jas 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. And in this we must have that single minded determination that we have seen in both Rebekah and Ruth – Ge 24:55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.” 56 And he said to them, “Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.” 57 So they said, “We will call the young woman and ask her personally.” 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” Ru 1:16 But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 2). Mary’s visitation by the angel Gabriel was not a random event, rather it shows the precision of God’s timing and the extraordinary nature of His planning. At this moment in history ‘the fulness of the time had come’ with respect to Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks – Da 9:25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; At this precise time then, specified by Daniel, there was in Jerusalem a woman of childbearing age, Mary, and a man to whom she was betrothed, Joseph. And both Mary and Joseph had a lineage that linked them directly with David the King. Through Joseph came the legal right to David’s throne, through David’s son Solomon, seen in the genealogy given at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel. And through Mary came the direct bloodline to David through David’s son Nathan, shown through Joseph’s father-in-law, Heli, given in Luke Chapter 3. Not only then did Jesus possess a legal right to David’s throne but through His mother, His father David’s blood ran through His veins. a). And it is this same Jesus who was born the King of the Jews, who went into a far country, the heavens, to receive for Himself a Kingdom and to return, who at another specific moment in time, when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, brought into existence the new creation, the one new man in Christ. An event which also saw the beginning of the Holy Spirit’s search for a bride for the Son. b). And the search for a bride for God’s Son is not random either. Again, following the type set in Genesis Chapter 24, this search can only take place among those who are in the family of God, those who have been eternally saved, who are part of the one new man in Christ, the new creation. b). Now, we know that every Christian automatically becomes part of the one new man in Christ through their immersion in the Spirit at the moment of their eternal salvation, and as such all are eligible to become the bride for the Son. But as we also know, not all Christians will become part of that bride. Again, we will remember the wise and foolish virgins – Mt 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ And with a view to this, there is an interesting event involving Mary, the mother of Jesus, recoded in - Mr 3:31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.” 33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” The Lord’s response to being told about His mother and brothers might at first appear to be harsh towards them. What we see here though, is not an abandonment of family but a clear statement that family relationship of itself is not enough to guarantee entrance into the Kingdom of the heavens that He had been offering. c). Within a Christian context this is easy to see. As we have previously seen, all Christians become part of the family of God solely as a result of their new birth. But becoming part of God’s family does not automatically make every Christian a part of the bride. There is a search made beyond this for those who would choose to be faithfully obedient. It is as the Lord said in Mark Chapter 3, For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” Those who are to be taken alongside the Lord as a close companion, who will occupy a position as co-heir with Him can only be those who will have done the will of God. Adoption as a firstborn son is contingent upon it. It is as the Scripture says – Heb 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 1 Pe 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 1 Pe 4:18 Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. 1 Jn 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. If we allow the process by which Christ is formed in us, then our choice will be that of our Lord – Lk 22:41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Our old man, the man of the flesh, was crucified with Christ, and there may well be times in the day to day living out of this reality that we would like ‘this cup’ taken from us but it is at these moments amidst the struggle that we should pray, ‘not my will, but Yours, be done.’ 3). As we began this morning, we saw that an angel, Gabriel, was sent by God to a city of Galilee, Nazareth, to Mary. An event that began the Lord’s first Advent and it will be an angelic voice sent for a specific group of people that will begin the Lord’s second advent – 1 Th 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. And as we are caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, so we will appear at His judgment Seat – 1 Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men….. For those who have responded to the Word of God by faith, as Mary did, whose Christian lives will have paralleled her experiences, there will be only joy and blessing – 1 Pe 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. Let’s pray that this will be each one of us. Next week will be the Conference, if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed. The Mother of Jesus May 08, 2022 Speaker: John Herbert Series: Misc Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/The-mother-of-Jesus-5.08.22.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Lk 1:38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. 39 ¶ Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah…….. The 'passover to tabernacles' series will continue after out conference. This week's message is in acknowledgment of Mothers' Day. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday May 8th 2022 Mothers’ Day The Mother of Jesus 1). Lu 1:26 ¶ 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. 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. 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. 39 ¶ Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah…….. As we look at these verses detailing Gabriel’s visitation, there are many things that we can know about Mary. We know that she was of the seed of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, that she was a virgin, that she was betrothed to a man from the house of David, that she was highly favored by God, and that she was overshadowed by the power of the Highest. a). We know that the One to be formed in her womb will be given the throne of His father David and will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end. b). We know that Mary both received and believed that which Gabriel said to her. And that following Gabriel’s departure, Mary herself departed and went to the hill country in haste. c). And in these details that we know about Mary we can find parallels with our own experience. d). Mary was of the physical seed of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, and according to the Scripture we are of that same seed, through our positional standing ‘in Christ’ - Ga 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. As Christ comes from the physical seed of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, coming from the tribe of Judah, so our positional standing ‘in Christ’ gives us that same lineage, not by birth but through faith – Ga 3:7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. We saw that Mary was a virgin – And this is the same word that is used in Scripture to describe those who make up the one new man in Christ. We will remember the wise and the foolish virgins from – Mt 25:1 ¶ "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. And in conjunction with this, we saw that Mary was betrothed to a man from the house of David, and we are betrothed to a Man of that same house 2Co 11:2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Mary was highly favored by God, and there is no doubt that because of the enormity of that which God is offering us, that we can consider ourselves to be highly favored as well. We are the ones who are being offered, ‘so great salvation’ – the salvation of our souls. The ones who are being offered an inheritance in a heavenly land - Heb 3:1 ¶ Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling…… 1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. We have been called to be coheirs with Christ, to rule and reign with Him throughout the time of the Millennial Kingdom and then into the endless ages beyond - Ro 8:17 ¶ and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light….. Mary was overshadowed by the power of the Highest. And the parallel to this event we can see in our immersion in the Holy Spirit, that has made us a new creation, a part of the one new man in Christ. e). And following our immersion in the Spirit we continue to be filled with the Spirit through the Word of Christ, as that Word is brought forth from above - Jn 3:6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born [brought forth] of the Spirit is spirit. The One who was formed in Mary’s womb is the Christ, the One who will in that coming Day sit upon the throne of His father David, the One who will come forth from the heavens as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. f). Now, Christ is not literally formed in us as He was in Mary, but the Scriptures clearly speak about us being transformed into the image of Christ. Note these verses form - Eph 4:14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ— And to this we can add - Ro 8:29 ¶ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. And finally, this on-going process is summed up for us succinctly in – Ga 4:19 ¶ My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you…… And then we had seen that following the angel’s departure Mary departed and went to the hill country in haste. g). The hill country is always understood in an antithetical sense to the valley or the plain and is used synonymously with a mountain in Scripture. It was Lot we will remember, who provides the type for the unfaithful Christian, who went down into the cities of the plain, leaving Abraham in the hill country, on the mountain. h). And we will remember the warning that was given to Lot and his wife before the destruction of those cities - Ge 19:17 So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest you be destroyed." And for those Christians who do escape to the mountain, who leave in haste for the hill country, having received the Word of the Lord, Caleb is the one who provides the type – Jos 14:12 "Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day…….. And pictured through Caleb is the experience of all those who are obedient to the command given in - Mt 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…. And perhaps now, in the final minutes of these last days as we anticipate our appearance at the Lord’s Judgment Seat, our focus needs to be more than ever on the hill country - Col 3:1 ¶ If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Heb 12:2 looking [from this world] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. And just as Mary left in haste for the hill country, to go to a specific city of Judah, so our journey to the land of our calling will take us to a specific city, the New Jerusalem, where the OT saints pictured in Hebrews Chapter 11 had their focus – Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. And this is the same city that our father by faith, Abraham, was looking for in his day – Heb 11:10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Ga 4:26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. We have also seen Mary’s faith demonstrated in her response to the Word that God sent to her through Gabriel, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.’ i). And Mary’s words to Gabriel, her confession of faith, should parallel our own continual response to the living Word that He has sent us Heb 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds…….2:1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. We must choose faithful obedience, if we are to allow the Word of God to transform us, and conform us, into the image of His Son, just as we are admonished to do in – Jas 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. And in this we must have that single minded determination that we have seen in both Rebekah and Ruth – Ge 24:55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.” 56 And he said to them, “Do not hinder me, since the LORD has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.” 57 So they said, “We will call the young woman and ask her personally.” 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” Ru 1:16 But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 2). Mary’s visitation by the angel Gabriel was not a random event, rather it shows the precision of God’s timing and the extraordinary nature of His planning. At this moment in history ‘the fulness of the time had come’ with respect to Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks – Da 9:25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; At this precise time then, specified by Daniel, there was in Jerusalem a woman of childbearing age, Mary, and a man to whom she was betrothed, Joseph. And both Mary and Joseph had a lineage that linked them directly with David the King. Through Joseph came the legal right to David’s throne, through David’s son Solomon, seen in the genealogy given at the beginning of Matthew’s gospel. And through Mary came the direct bloodline to David through David’s son Nathan, shown through Joseph’s father-in-law, Heli, given in Luke Chapter 3. Not only then did Jesus possess a legal right to David’s throne but through His mother, His father David’s blood ran through His veins. a). And it is this same Jesus who was born the King of the Jews, who went into a far country, the heavens, to receive for Himself a Kingdom and to return, who at another specific moment in time, when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, brought into existence the new creation, the one new man in Christ. An event which also saw the beginning of the Holy Spirit’s search for a bride for the Son. b). And the search for a bride for God’s Son is not random either. Again, following the type set in Genesis Chapter 24, this search can only take place among those who are in the family of God, those who have been eternally saved, who are part of the one new man in Christ, the new creation. b). Now, we know that every Christian automatically becomes part of the one new man in Christ through their immersion in the Spirit at the moment of their eternal salvation, and as such all are eligible to become the bride for the Son. But as we also know, not all Christians will become part of that bride. Again, we will remember the wise and foolish virgins – Mt 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ And with a view to this, there is an interesting event involving Mary, the mother of Jesus, recoded in - Mr 3:31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.” 33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” The Lord’s response to being told about His mother and brothers might at first appear to be harsh towards them. What we see here though, is not an abandonment of family but a clear statement that family relationship of itself is not enough to guarantee entrance into the Kingdom of the heavens that He had been offering. c). Within a Christian context this is easy to see. As we have previously seen, all Christians become part of the family of God solely as a result of their new birth. But becoming part of God’s family does not automatically make every Christian a part of the bride. There is a search made beyond this for those who would choose to be faithfully obedient. It is as the Lord said in Mark Chapter 3, For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” Those who are to be taken alongside the Lord as a close companion, who will occupy a position as co-heir with Him can only be those who will have done the will of God. Adoption as a firstborn son is contingent upon it. It is as the Scripture says – Heb 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 1 Pe 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 1 Pe 4:18 Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. 1 Jn 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. If we allow the process by which Christ is formed in us, then our choice will be that of our Lord – Lk 22:41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Our old man, the man of the flesh, was crucified with Christ, and there may well be times in the day to day living out of this reality that we would like ‘this cup’ taken from us but it is at these moments amidst the struggle that we should pray, ‘not my will, but Yours, be done.’ 3). As we began this morning, we saw that an angel, Gabriel, was sent by God to a city of Galilee, Nazareth, to Mary. An event that began the Lord’s first Advent and it will be an angelic voice sent for a specific group of people that will begin the Lord’s second advent – 1 Th 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. And as we are caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, so we will appear at His judgment Seat – 1 Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men….. For those who have responded to the Word of God by faith, as Mary did, whose Christian lives will have paralleled her experiences, there will be only joy and blessing – 1 Pe 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. Let’s pray that this will be each one of us. Next week will be the Conference, if we remain and the Lord is willing, and we have prayed.