Luke 1:5-14 – The Coming of Jesus Satisfied – Bible study

Luke 1:5-14 The Coming of Jesus Satisfied This is the Sunday before Christmas, one of the most celebrated days on the calendar. While we grieve to see this Holy Day de-spiritualized by so many, I celebrate Christmas because Jesus came into the world and effected a rescue of me and some of my closest family members and friends. No matter how secular Christmas is to the world, I will continue to recognize it as one of the four greatest days in history of mankind. (The four great days – The day Jesus came, the day Jesus died, the day Jesus arose, and the day that Jesus saved me!) Jesus coming into this world had a profound impact both upon the world and upon the hearts of mankind. This morning, let us look at the some of the hearts that Jesus birth touched. Let us consider how Jesus arrival to this earth satisfied those needy hearts. I. \#Luke 1:5-14\ Jesus arrival satisfied the hungry heart. A. Here we have the story of two hungry hearts, Zacharias and Elizabeth. 1. The Bible tells us this couple had a desire. a. They desired to have children. b. This was the dream of every Jewish couple. (1) Most all couples, even today, want at least one child to carry their name and memory into the future. (2) Jews had a even greater desire for they each hoped to be the couple that would bring the Messiah into the world. (2) Isaiah had prophesied the Messiah would be born into the world as a Child. Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 2. Unfortunately, the desire of this couple eventually died. Luke 1:7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. a. Elizabeth was barren. (1) That means she could not conceive. (How they knew it was she who was barren and not Zacharias, I do not know.) (2) The Hebrew word literally means "stiff" or "unnatural." (3) What a great grief this must have been to this couple. (4) Especially since the Bible says they were both righteous and blameless. Luke 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. (5) Added to this was the fact that Zacharias was a priest (5,9), a man expected to have power with God. (6) And as a triple insult, they had prayed long and hard about this condition. Luke 1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard. (7) Any problem a Christian bears becomes a bit more heart- rending when it happens to godly people, faithfully doing what God has called them to do, and who are seeking the face of God through prayer. b. \#7, 18\ And now, they were both well into age! (1) If the years of barrenness had not killed the desire of this couple, old age had. (2) Here was a couple who had a hungry heart! 3. A hungry heart is a heart that craves something it hasnt gotten. B. Then, one day, as the day of Jesus coming drew near, God satisfied their hungry hearts. 1. \#11-12\ God sent the angel Gabriel to announce the conception of their child, John the Baptist. 2. Notice how God satisfied the hungry heart. a. God had not forgotten the prayers of Zacharias and Elizabeth. Luke 1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard. (1) Zacharias and Elizabeth had both forgotten, but not God. (2) God never forgets a prayer that is prayed! Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. Psalms 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? (a) Maybe you have prayed for some things, hungered for some things, but God has not given them to you. (b) I can not say you will get everything you pray for because some of the things we pray for may not be the will of God for our lives. (c) However, I will say, God never forgets your prayer. b. God gave to this hungry couple the desire of their hearts. (1) God gave a son and what a son He gave. Luke 1:13. ..and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. (a) John will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mothers womb. (b) John will be the fore-runner of Jesus Christ. (c) Jesus will say of John that he is the greatest man born of woman. (2) This child was worth the wait! c. God gave to this hungry couple great joy and gladness. Luke 1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. (1) This couple had had a hungry heart for decades. (2) But I believe the joy they experienced, made up for it! Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. C. If youre heart is hungry, craving something it hasnt gotten, Jesus can satisfy you. II. \#Luke 1:26-33\ Jesus coming satisfied the humble heart. A. We are not of those who would exalt Mary to deity, but this is one young lady to which every person on this world owes a great debt. B. Notice her status. 1. It is likely that Mary was no older than a middle-aged teenager, maybe 15 or 16. 2. \#Luke 1:27\ She was a virgin. 3. \#Luke 1:27\ She was engaged to marry. (In fact, Hebrew weddings have an extra stage to them. Mary was beyond our engagement. She was legally married to Joseph but they had not sealed their marriage either publically or physically.) C. Notice her caller. (The angel, Gabriel, with a message from God.) Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, D. Notice the message. Luke 1:30 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. 1. There is a lot to the message but the first part of it is that Mary is going to conceive. 2. Of course, there was no immorality on Marys part. This conception was a miraculous work of God. Luke 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 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. 3. However, Mary had no way of proving that! 4. In that moment, I feel certain that God made her understand what reproach she would bear. a. God is a God of choice and I believe He made Mary aware of some of the burden she would bear. b. In her life, Mary would be considered an adulteress. c. Maybe when her Son starts doing miracles and rises from the dead (30 years later) that would change, but for right now, she will bear that reproach. E. Notice her humble heart. Luke 1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. 1. This young lady was willing to bear the reproach of immorality the remainder of her earthly life! 2. Few would want that brand upon them today. No one would have wanted it then! 3. However, more than the desire for a pure name, this woman had the desire to be used of God. 4. She had a humble heart. F. However, the coming of Jesus would satisfy her humble heart! Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 1. She found joy, even though branded immoral, in serving her Lord. 2. God met her needs and far more. 3. Even the angel knew how good God was to Mary. Luke 1:28 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. G. If you have a humble heart, the entrance of Jesus into your life will satisfy you. Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 1. God will give you joy, peace, purpose, and power. 2. God will make you blessed of all men and woman. 3. Jesus coming satisfies the humble heart. III. \#Matt 1:18-25\ Jesus coming satisfies the heavy heart. A. Here we have a man, Joseph, who must have had the heaviest heart in the world. 1. I mentioned that Mary did not conceive her Child through immorality, but I also said, she had no way to prove it. 2. Joseph was legally married to Mary. 3. It certainly appeared that she had been immoral. 4. The Old Testament penalty for that crime was to death by stoning, and Joseph was to be one of the first to throw a stone. 5. This man was wrestling with the both the feelings of betrayal and the demands upon him to kill the woman he loved! 6. Could a mans heart get any heavier? B. But the coming of Jesus satisfies the heavy heart! 1. God sent an angel by means of a dream with a message. 2. No doubt, Mary had told Joseph of her experience. 3. As the time for Jesus entrance into this world draws near, God confirms Marys message to Joseph. 4. What a dream that must have been! 5. What a man Joseph must have been. 6. With a wife already 3 months pregnant (she would be showing), Joseph performs the public ceremony of marrying his wife, then he waits 6 months plus to physically seal his marriage to her. C. I do not find in Scripture a verse that tells us that Joseph experienced joy in all of this. 1. Elizabeth, Zacharias, and Mary (Lukes writing) all have recorded their praises and prophecies in these times as they were filled with the Holy Ghost. Joseph (Matthews writing) did not. 2. I must believe he did experience joy. Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (Isaiah 61:1) 3. I must believe that God took this mans heavy heart and lightened it! 4. I believe that God will take your heavy heart and lighten it too! I see in these Scriptures a message. The message is that Jesus coming satisfies the needs of your heart. This Christmas, would you let Jesus come in and satisfy your heart?