Topic: Jesus Christ
Have you ask God, “How will this be since…” Everyday we face the problems in our lives. But sometime, we might receive bonus from our jobs with or without surprising announcement. Even when we struggle in our lives, God knows we need some extra hands to resolve our circumstances. His answer to our prayers might or not be surprising to us. God answers our prayer in three ways:
1) God answers our prayers on what we exactly need from circumstances, but we need to surrender our wills and turn to His.
2) He answers our prayer might be much greater than what we expected. Hebrews 11:40 declares that He had planned something better for us (NIV). We need to wait for God to answer our request.
3) He answers as no. This is the most difficult for us to accept, because we usually have something to desire. Yes, God gave us to desire something in our lives. Psalm 20:4 says, “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” But He has much greater idea for our lives. He says, “My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways.” (Isaiah 55:8.)
As we continue study through the tradition of Christmas and Christianity, we will discover about what God is going to do with Mary. Last time, we looked in-depth through Mary and Paganism. I also discussed about the tradition of Christmas. In Jeremiah 10 and 44, we see these kinds of religious practices from the people of Israel. If you read through those two chapters in Jeremiah, we will see the comparison of that time era and today period which we are living.
Now, let’s turn to Luke 1 as we continue on the series of The Birth of Jesus Foretold. Read with me in verses 34 through 38.
"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:34-38.)
In this passage, Mary was wondering about the birth of the Messiah. In Luke 1:34 reveals that Mary was a virgin. Since the angel told her about what she is going to receiving, she wouldn’t know what to do about the situation. Mathew tells us that Joseph was going about to divorce Mary because of her pregnancy before their deep relationship (Matthew 1:19). What if you are in this situation and you do not know what to do? Our country shows that there is a greatest amount of divorce couple from the marriage. We see many young teens are taking action to have sexual relationship without knowing their risks. Unlike Mary, many people are seeking their ways to have the love, pleasure, and power in their lives.
If we look closely in Matthew 1 and Luke 1 on the account of Mary, we will see that she and her husband, Joseph, had conversation with God’s angel to see this is the right thing to do. In Hebrews 12:4 says, “Marry should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all sexual immoral.” If your marriage keeps pure, then God will pour the blessings on you and your household. If you are single as I am, God will be your friend, mate, counselor, and so on.
Then the angel said Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Luke 1:35a.) Please, be careful as you read this verse. In a moment, we will look to the pagan way to teach about Mary. As we read this first part of Luke 1:35, it does say the Holy Spirit will come upon Mary. In contrast, Jesus promised to His disciples that He will ask His Father to give them another Counselor or Holy Spirit to be with them forever (see John 14:16-17a). The Holy Spirit is usually does is helping you to keep in stay with God. The pagan way to teach with Mary and other disciples are controlling themselves to take over God’s seat and the Holy Spirit is another god in God’s family (not all three together to make One Trinity).
The second part of Luke 1:35a is “the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” The term “Most High” used as a king. In Hebrews 4:14-5:10, the writer recognized Jesus as the greatest high priest as Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17-24). There is very little detail about Melchizedek in the Old Testament. He was a king of Salem (Jerusalem) and was a priest of God Most High. In fact, the Bible has no family record of Melchizedek. The author of the Book of Hebrews wrote that Melchizedek was the foreshadowing of Jesus. In Mathew 1, Jesus came from the son of David, the son of Abraham, and Melchizedek was lived during the time of Abraham. So what this means is that Jesus was stilled existed since the beginning of the world. The power of the Most High will overshadow Mary to be born, so He can show the light of the Gospel to us.
He will be called the Son of God (Luke 11:35b). Throughout the books of Gospel, Jesus gave demonstration that He is at lower level of God’s seat, so we may know He was and is God, who loves and cares us. There is no other gods like Him. He is the part of Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—to make One Unity of Jesus Christ. This event appeared when Elizabeth was bare a son, John the Baptist, for six months (Luke 1:36).
How and why is God doing this to young and old women? Does He know about the situation they are in? Caesar Augusta tried to take over the Rome and King Herod was ruling the land of Judah. What is it possible for Mary and Elizabeth to have their own child? What if this situation was yours? Do you believe that God can do anything in your life or doubt about His plan for your life?
“For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37.) An angel of the Lord said there is nothing that God can’t do. If you are in a bad situation, just ask Him in His name, and He can do anything for you. Paul said, “I can do everything through him [Jesus Christ] who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).” You try to quit your life, but God is calling you to gear you up. When your life seems to be boring, God wants you to be enjoying your life. When your household crashes down, God wants to put your life back together.
But what is your response to God’s desire for your life? This is what Mary’s repose: “I am the Lord’s servant… May it be to me as you said.” (Luke 1:38.) Is your response like Mary? Do you give let God chance to know you? If you like to have more experience with God, let Him to come into your life.
Are you saved? Are your love ones and friends saved in the grace of God through Jesus Christ? The purpose of this ministry is to share with you how much God loves you and me and wants to come in our own life to take us through any obstacles in our daily life. As Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3.)
If you are lukewarm in your relationship with Jesus Christ and want to know Him as your personal Savior and Lord of your life, please consider asking Him to forgive your sins and invite Him into your life. Paul says, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believed and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10.) If you have done in your private room or workplace, then you need to tell to your friends or love ones about what you have done, so they may rejoice with you and want to have that relationship with Christ in their own life. There are many occultisms in the world, which do not know the love of God and His great plan for those who believe in Him. As it is written in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
