‘But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants for ever; his kingdom will never end.’ ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on 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.’ (Luke 1:30-35)
Summary: Let’s receive Jesus as Saviour, God and King.
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This series in Luke is subtitled 'Exploring Who Jesus is.' The aim of this gospel, as well as this particular section (1:5-38), is to reveal Jesus and encourage us to put our faith in Him. One could argue that the ultimate purpose of the Christian life is to know Christ and strive to reveal Him to others. Today, let's briefly examine what the angel reveals about Jesus.
You will conceive and give birth to a son.
Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. He was fully man (and fully God), and thus He experienced the temptations and sufferings that we do. Ultimately, as a man, He died as our substitute for all of mankind."
You will call Him Jesus
The Father instructed Mary to name Him Jesus, which means 'God saves.' Jesus is our Saviour. Through His death on the cross, we are justified and granted eternal life.
Son of the Most High… the Son of God
As the Son of God, Jesus is divine, sharing all the attributes and essence of God. He is united with the Father and the Holy Spirit while also being a unique person—the Son of God.
The Lord God will give Him the throne
In the Old Testament, there was a promise that David's reign would never end, and this promise is fulfilled in Christ, who is a descendant of David. His Kingdom reigns over all and continues to grow in the lives of believers. His Kingdom will come to fruition and fill the earth upon His return and the restoration of all things.
The Holy One
Due to being born of a virgin and conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was not imputed with or inherited the sin of Adam. Consequently, He was sinless, making Him the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God who was uniquely qualified to be our Saviour.
Response
Let’s receive Jesus as Saviour, God and King. Let’s keep growing in admiration and love for our worthy Saviour and God.
COMMUNITY GROUP NOTES AND STUDY
1. NOTICES
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. ICEBREAKER
What has God been speaking to you about from His Word this week and how has this helped you / affected your life?
3. STUDY AND PRAY TOGETHER
Please read Luke 1:5-38
The message of Luke 1:5-38 can be summarised as: God wants us to believe and receive Jesus as Saviour, God and King. Like Zechariah, Elizabeth and Mary, we have to take a journey from questioning God’s word to believing and worshipping.
What is prophesied regarding John’s character and ministry?
What is prophesied regarding Jesus' character and ministry?
What were the challenges that Zechariah, Elizabeth and Mary had to believing the angel’s promises to them?
Zechariah’s questioning receives God’s discipline whereas Mary’s does not? What made Mary’s questioning acceptable to God and what can we learn from this?
What does this section (Luke 1:5-38) teach us and how can it be applied in our lives?
SIV - What does this section teach us about how God can and wants to work through us to bring Jesus to our communities?
SIV - How could you serve, invest and invite this week and let’s pray about that.
Prayer - How would you like prayer as a result of today’s study?