Luke 1:34-38 A Trinitarian Christmas: God the Holy Spirit

· Last time together we saw the grace of God the Father in sending Gabriel to announce good news. The savior is coming, great David’s greater son, sent by the Father, to conquer sin and death to inherit an eternal throne. But Jesus did not come in glory he came humbly, taking on our flesh.· This is done by the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit in the incarnation is wondrous, miraculous, and powerful, but it is not irrational or unbelievable. Because God works consistently through history to prepare his people to know How the mighty creating God planned to save his people by a Child born to a woman.· The Holy Spirit not only gives life to Christ but also gives life and faith to us to know this is a trustworthy and true statement and a true event of History: Jesus, the eternal Son of God, truly was born to Mary some 2,000 years ago in history, in reality. It is not a mere story or a metaphor; it is reality. Indeed, even saying the year is Two thousand twenty five asks the question….Two thousand twenty five what? In the year of our Lord’s Nativity. The First Noel.J.C. Ryle says this “is a passage which we should always read with mingled wonder, love and praise.” (16). Hear. Believe. And Give praise to God for the wondrous things written in His word for us. From Luke 1:34-38.Read: Luke 1:34-38[34] And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” [35] And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. [36] And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. [37] For nothing will be impossible with God.” [38] And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (ESV)Prayer of Illumination#1 A Natural Question, with a Supernatural Answer (v. 34)#2 The Answer: The Holy Spirit’s Life-giving Work (v. 35)#3 Faith Seeking Reason: God Works in Patterns (vv. 36-37)#4 Responding to the Word with Spirit wrought Faith (v. 38).Look in V. 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”#1 “How will this be?” (Not unbelief like Zaccheus, not this cannot be, or will this be, but HOW, in what why – I believe but I desire explanation.· There is a Good reason for the question, we are right to question; Spontaneous, reasonless claims. Except we’ll see this is not a contextless, spontaneous, or reasonless claim. And Mary did think it was either.· The annunciations rightly underscore the supernatural character of the revelations and the events that inaugurate the age of the new covenant.· And should it have been otherwise? If nothing less than the sovereign, divine intervention of God himself was capable of accomplishing the work of restoring a fallen world, should not the initial beginnings of that wondrous work be clearly marked as divine in origin?· Remember the world is desperately fallen in sin and misery to the Root. Well-beyond merely human efforts to repair the far-reaching and powerful curse of the fall.· Let Christmas remind you that man does not redeem himself Gabriel’s words are not for the spiritually self-sufficient. Christmas was a thorn in the face of every grand-Ism (Naturalism, Marxism, Atheism, theological liberalism) of the 20th century.· Donald Macleod says, The virgin birth is posted on guard at the door of the mystery of the incarnation; and none of us must think of hurrying past it. It stands on the threshold of the New Testament, blatantly supernatural, defying our rationalism, informing us that all that follows belongs to the same order as itself and that if we find it offensive there is no point in proceeding further.’ [– O Palmer Robertson, Christ of the Consummation, 24 citing Donald Macleod.]· Christmas is unapologetically the HOW of a personal and sovereign God unfolding a plan across centuries through prophets, signs, and anticipation of these things being fulfilled.· Were not these very events predicted several hundred years before their occurrence? Does not the record of the succeeding events of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus confirm his uniqueness as the Messiah sent by God to bring to pass the promises of the prophets?· Christmas reminds us there is a God who Speaks, he gave signs, he gave plans, and Mary, as an Israelite, knew not Just the Plans, she KNEW HIM. She knew HOW he works. And knowing HOW he works, Then she may go and ponder these things in her heart. What follows is not Spontaneous, reasonless claims in a materialist world, but the planned, anticipated, Who, how, and why reasons to her Question. Not simple. Not without mystery because God’s ways are not our ways. It is not an instruction manual. But it is a sufficient answer to her and to us without us prying into the mysteries of The Holy Spirit’s work.Look in v. 35.#2 The Answer: The Holy Spirit’s Life-giving Work[35] And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.We will answer WHAT the Holy Spirit Does. Previously we read in v. 31 you will conceive in your womb and bear a son…Now we see that this will be the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit.A) The Holy Spirit will be “Upon Mary” – the singular life giving, attention of the Holy Spirit to Mary. Just as the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters at creation, and was the breath of Spirit and life to Adam from the dust of the ground….So The Holy Spirit is particularly and singularly the life-giver to Mary. So Mary if you can believe God is the creator of all things of nothing, and the Spirit of God is the Lord and giver of Life, the how is through Him. The Spirit of God you have heard of as active through the whole of the Hebrew Scriptures you have heard from childhood.B) The Spirit’s life-giving power is the power of the Most High – The power of God, his ability to accomplish his Holy Will. This the positive “God is able” vs. the double negative “nothing is impossible with God.”a. If you are at your darkest point. You feel alone and abandoned, to far from God, and there is not Joy. Remember nothing is impossible with God, the same Holy Spirit who gave life to Christ can restore, and give you a relationship of trust, belief, and joy in Christ again…The spark of life and hope in the Darkness. The Power of the Holy Spirit.C) The Holy Spirit will overshadow her: The bible frequently records the Holy Spirit appearing as a Theophany – a visible appearance of God, a theopany -as a cloud, symbolizing the immediate presence and power of God; so we see the Spirit of God at Mt. Sinai as a Cloud, the Cloud over the tabernacle, Spirit hovering over the face of the waters in creation.a. The Holy, Transcendent creator of the universe, who sustains, guides, oversees, everything with wisdom, who does not get overwhelmed, flustered, confused, has placed his Holy Attention to bring a holy, undefiled, life – human life conceived united to the eternal son of God. Through Mary.D) Therefore Christ would be Holy.a. Holy: What is Holiness?i. Holy things are set apart from common and profane uses, especially anything unclean, and tainted by sin.1. Holy things are pure, clean, and in service to God.ii. Jesus is Holy because he is the Son of God not the son of Joseph and by extension represented by fallen Adam. Jesus is not imputed with Adam’s sin or Adam’s loss of original righteousness or the corruption of Adam’s nature. No, he is the second person of the trinity who never was represented by Adam or fell with him.iii. He now by the Holy Spirit is the Son of God taking on a human nature now in the incarnation becoming a new Holy representative.b. Jesus is The Son of Godi. The Father sends the Son in the incarnation. The eternal Word took on human flesh. By the power of the Holy Spirit.1. The son didn’t send the father to become a son.2. The Heavenly Father, sent the eternal Son, to become a son.ii. He eternally was a divine person of the Trinty and in time and space at the turning point of History the eternal person of the Word, the Wisdom of God, the Son of God, assumed a human nature. A human nature is a true and united body and soul.iii. Mary is his true mother. The Holy Spirit the true creator out of nothing.What of Us Sinners?· We must consider a similar yet distinct work of the Spirit – The Holy Spirit, He is the one who gives rebirth.· I already said, nothing is impossible with God. But indeed our salvation, righteousness, turning to God is impossible with man. Why? We must be born again, the work of the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary because Eph. 2:1 says, The necessity of rebirth is because [1] And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [2] in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedienceo Dead, spiritually lifeless men walking… v. 3 we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.o We need to be born again, by the Holy Spirit: v. [4] But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— (ESV)o The Spirit takes Dead, defiled, unholy men and women and makes them Alive, Clean, and Holy Saints.o Similarly God says we are a covenant community – our covenant Children are declared “Holy” by Paul in 1 Cor. 7.o Both the Incarnation of Jesus and our Being Born again is a work of The Three persons of the Trinity. The Father sends the Son to save a chosen people, the Son is given life by the Spirit that he may die for his people’s sins, and the Spirit gives life to those who are dead in their sins.§ The incarnation and salvation are woven together and the Father, Son, and Spirit act consistently in each. Therefore – Nothing can separate us from God. Just as nothing could defile the Lord Jesus who was holy, innocent, and undefiled.§ Remember Jesus by the Power of the Holy Spirit, and the nature of himself as a divine person, despite taking on a human nature was securely HOLY§ The term for this is “impeccability” which says, Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Though Satan assails him, though he goes through many trials and temptations, He is one person both man and God: And God the Son Cannot sin. Deyoung says, “Just as an iron wire by itself can be bent (human nature), but once welded to an iron bar is rendered immovable, so that God-man Jesus Christ is rendered impeccable by the union of the human and divine natures.”§ Good news for us because while we are still being sanctified, battling indwelling sin, if we are truly in Christ Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be glorified, and in Heaven WE too will be UNABLE to Sin. Not because in ourselves we will be impeccable but because we will be glorified by the Holy Spirit and all three persons of the trinity have brought us to an eternal home.§ We have an eternal, secure home with Christ the Savior. In heaven a place that is holy, holy, holy. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit will hold us secure.· Christians are not naturalists (believing matter is all there is), Christianity is supernatural from beginning to end, and we are people who believe in the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. Mary has an answer to “how can this be”: God the Holy Spirit is doing life-giving work in her, and by extension will do the same for us his people through the centuries, and wondrously into eternity in Heaven.· So the answer How? Supernatural. The plausibility and belief of this it not just in this moment from Gabriel with no preparation to believe this….There is a history to the world…there is a history to HOW God has acted. How god has spoken in history, preparing context!Look in v. 36-37: And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. [37] For nothing will be impossible with God.”#3 Belief by other evidence: Elizabeth too has conceivedMatthew Henry states, It was a further encouragement to her faith to be told that her cousin Elisabeth, though stricken in years, was with child, Here is an age of wonders beginning, and therefore be not surprised… Dr. Lightfoot thinks, …all the instances in the Old Testament of those having children that had been long barren, which was above nature, were designed to prepare the world for the belief of a virgin’s bearing a son, which was against nature. And therefore, even in the birth of Isaac, Abraham saw Christ’s day, foresaw such a miracle in the birth of Christ. The angel assures Mary of this, to encourage her faith…. No word of God must be incredible to us, as long as no work of God is impossible to him. – Matthew Henry CommentaryMary this supernatural work will happen in your life….That is How. But God has given you a history, the entire old testament in preparation, and even you cousin Elizabeth has joined the ancient ranks of Sarah, Rachel, and others.Elizabeth: In her old age has conceived a son…she who was called barren, in her Old Age…Gabriel is not just being mean. Americans I think have a fear of old age. Whereas in the bible age is wisdom, honor, and glory, grey hairs are a glory on the head. Elizabeth is old and the bible doesn’t waste words the strong implication is that Gabriel means this in a medically technical sense of post-menopause. Luke 1:7 (ESV): “They were both advanced in years.” Luke 1:18 (ESV): Zechariah says, “I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” So Her having a child is miraculous. As is the Case of Sarah and Isaac. Indeed, wrapped up in the covenant of grace is God for thousands of years preparing the world to know that Salvation will come from a miraculous conception, not just of an old couple like Sarah and Abraham, and Elizabeth and Zecharaiah….But as Isaiah 7:14 prophesies. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (ESV)· Ryle points out the special graciousness of God in this. That he could have asked Mary simply to believe, but he graciously offers her the immediate comfort of an in context sign. Just as Jesus after the resurrection could’ve said I told you ahead of time destroy this temple and in three days I will rebuild it, I said, I am the resurrection and the Life, but here I am grilling some fish and Jesus shows them his true resurrection body by preparing and eating breakfast with his disciples.· But. Behind the merciful preparing and confirming signs and evidences we have the greater statement for faith.A) For Nothing is Impossible with God. The reality of a supernatural creator and a creator who has spoken through the centuries fills this passage.a. What is impossible with the God who is the personal transcendant creator of the world? Ryle says, “Faith never rests so calmly and peacefully as when it lays its head on the pillow of God’s omnipotence.” (Ryle, 22)b. What is plausible?i. Gabriel’s declaration—“Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37)—is itself a citation of Genesis 18:14 (“Is anything too difficult too wondrous for the LORD?”), spoken to Sarah, another woman facing an impossible birth.ii. This is not poetic flourish. It is a theological argument. The God who opened Sarah’s womb…the God of Egyptian plagues, manna, who parts waters, can impart life to a woman, bearer of life, this God can accomplish the conception of the Messiah.B) Prophesies of God down through the ages all converging on a single human being with the impossibility of coincidence…All the contours of history converging on Jesus: Kevin Deyoung says, “When Jesus Christ came into the world, he did not come unannounced. For those who had ears to hear, God had long promised to send a deliverer: a seed of the woman to crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 315), a child of Abraham (23), a lion of the tribe of Judah (49:10), a star from Jacob and a scepter from Israel (Num. 24:17), a prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15-19), a royal Son (Ps. 2:7), a son of David (132:11; 2 Sam. 7:12-13), a child born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14), a Prince of Peace (g:6), a shoot from the stump of Jesse (11:1), a revelation of the glory of the Lord (40:3-5), a light to the nations (49:6), an ancient one born in Bethlehem (Mic. 52), a speaker of peace whose rule shall extend from sea to sea (Zech. 910), and the God of justice and the Lord come to his temple (Mal. 3:1). (Deyoung, Daily Doctrine, 165).i. This conversation with Gabriel is vastly different then a contextless claim; or atheistic claim.ii. Angels, Relatives who work in the temple of God. Mary & Joseph are descendants of David.1. I read the book of James more as a kid because It had my name, Mary’s Magnificat shows that she is very familiar with God’s plan of Salvation through the Messiah.2. Let us look at Mary’s response of faith, and prayer, and song.#4 Response of Faith: The Spirit confirms in our hearts the truthfulness of the word.Look in verse 38: And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (ESV)I am the servant of the Lord…Lord I am your handmaiden, the King James said. A response of faith that accepts the coming trials and difficulties such a believing obedience would demand Matthew Henry says, “She objects not the danger of spoiling her marriage, and blemishing her reputation, but leaves the issue with God, and submits entirely to his will…She is not only content that it should be so, but humbly desires that it may be so: …We must, as Mary here,guide our desires by the word of God, and ground our hopes upon it. Be it unto me according to thy word; just so, and no otherwise.” (Matthew Henry Commentary).The Spirit who is John 14:17 says , the Spirit of truth, confirms this to her heart.she expresses her belief in prayer in song, which we call Mary’s Magnifcat from the opening line “my soul magnifies (Magnificat) the Lord. My spirit REJOICEs in God”Or even…My soul fulfills its chief end, my soul glorifies and enjoys God. Vs. 46…“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.…v. 55. as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” (ESV)Mary knew the Messiah was long expected. We capture that long-expected longing that the Holy Spirit testifies to in our Christmas carols.· Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, Born to set Thy people free.· The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight.· Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of the Virgin’s womb.Maybe less well known is “of the Father’s Love Begotton” v. 5-…Of the Father’s Love Begotton This is he whom seers in old timeChanted of with one accord, Whom the voices of the prophetsPromised in their faithful word; Now he shines, the long-expected;Let creation praise its Lord— [Evermore and evermore.]6. O ye heights of Heav’n adore him! Angel hosts his praises sing!All dominions bow before him And exalt our God and King.Let no tongue on Earth be silent, Every voice in concert ring—[Evermore and evermore.]7. Christ! to thee with God the Father, And O Holy Ghost, to thee,Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving And unwearied praises be,Honor, glory, and dominion, And eternal victory—[Evermore and evermore.] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesensley.substack.com