Mary, Mary, Quite Extraordinary "“ Part 1

Hey, podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. And right now, your generous gift will have twice the impact thanks to the Light the Darkness matching challenge.

It's active now through December 31st. To give a special year-end gift, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory. Hi, this is Robert Jeffress and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program.

On today's edition of Pathway to Victory. Now when we come to verse 26 of Luke 1, we find Gabriel coming to earth again with another birth announcement. But this time he's not coming to an elderly priest who's in the temple burning incense on the altar. Instead, this birth announcement is made to a starry-eyed teenage girl who's preparing for the most exciting event in her life. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress. One day in the little city of Nazareth, an angel appeared to a young woman named Mary.

So why would God pick such an average, ordinary girl to be the mother of the Savior? Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress reveals that Mary was not some random choice, but a true servant of God. Now here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.

Dr. Jeffress. Thanks, David. And welcome again to Pathway to Victory. I'm glad you chose to join me on my birthday.

I hope you're having a great day as well. Just before we begin our next message in our holiday teaching series called Reigniting Your Passion for Christ, I'd like for you to join me on a special journey in 2025 as I come alongside you with daily devotional readings. Here's how we're going to do this together. Over the last 12 months, we've been preparing a brand new Pathway to Victory daily devotional for 2025. In this impressive leather-bound volume, I've written an inspirational chapter for every single weekday in the new year.

It's more than 500 pages in length. Look, spending a few minutes every single day in God's Word is one of the most important disciplines in the Christian life. It's a discipline that applies to us all, even your radio pastor. You see, the Bible is a lantern that lights our path. It keeps us on course. Reading the Bible keeps our eyes fixed on Jesus. So let me send the daily devotional to your home today.

It's my gift to you and your family when you give a generous year-end gift toward the wonderful matching challenge that's active right now. I'll say more about that matching challenge and the daily devotional at the end of today's message. But right now, it's time to continue our study in the Gospel of Luke called Reigniting Your Passion for Christ. Open your Bibles to Luke chapter 1, verse 26, as we meet a remarkable girl that God used in a remarkable way. I've titled today's message, Mary, Mary, Quite Extraordinary. Throughout the history of the church, Christians have gone to one of two extremes when it comes to talking about Mary, the mother of Jesus. There are some Christians who exalt Mary to a position that, quite frankly, is totally unbiblical. For example, there are some who have talked through the history of the church that Mary is a co-mediator, a go-between between God and man. For example, Pope Pius IX, who was Pope from 1846 to 1878, said, Yet we know what the Word of God says.

1 Timothy 2, 5 says, For there is one mediator, there is one go-between, between God and man, and it is the man, Christ Jesus. Others have talked the Immaculate Conception of Mary. And when we talk about the Immaculate Conception, that's not referring to Jesus. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception refers to Mary, that just as Jesus was sinless, Mary was also sinless.

But again, there's nothing in Scripture. Mary didn't even believe that about herself. As we'll see in a moment, she refers to God as her savior.

You don't need a savior unless you're a sinner. Mary understood that. Still others talk about the perpetual virginity, the idea that not only was Mary a virgin when she gave birth to Christ, but she remained a virgin throughout her life. The only problem with that is, among other passages, Matthew 13, 55, and 56, that tell us that Jesus had brothers and sisters. Mary and Joseph had children. There is no perpetual virginity of Mary. Now, in response to this unbiblical position about Mary, many others have gone to another extreme. Those of us who have Protestants have not wanted to lift up Mary and therefore put down Jesus. So instead of exalting Mary, we've gone to the opposite extreme, and we've ignored Mary.

I mean, think about it. When's the last time you heard a sermon about Mary, the mother of Jesus? So we just don't talk about Mary. We ignore her, and that is just as much an unbiblical position. When we come to Luke's Gospel, this great doctor who's also a historian gives us a proper balance in understanding Mary.

He neither deifies her nor does he ignore her. Instead, Luke paints Mary as somebody whose character should be admired and whose faith ought to be imitated. And that's what we're going to see today as we talk about this extraordinary girl that God used in an extraordinary way named Mary. Take your Bibles and turn to Luke chapter 1 as we continue our study of the Gospel of Luke. Now, we find Gabriel coming to earth again with another birth announcement. But this time, he's not coming to an elderly priest who's in the temple burning incense on the altar. Instead, this birth announcement is made to a starry-eyed teenage girl who's preparing for the most exciting event in her life. Look at verse 26 with me. Now, in the sixth month... You have to stop there.

What do you mean, sixth month? Well, remember, this is Elizabeth's story. Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, it was in the sixth month of her pregnancy that the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth. Nazareth was a town that was absolutely despised by the people living in the south. Why was it despised?

Not so much because of its smallness, but because of its corruption. Nazareth was an outpost for Roman troops. When they were changing assignments, they would spend a night or two in this town of Nazareth. And you can imagine what kind of town it was with these Roman soldiers. It was known for drunkenness. It was certainly known for immorality.

People would... These soldiers sleep with prostitutes when they had a night or two off from duty. And by the way, that is exactly why the rumor got started about Mary, that her pregnancy was not a result of God. It was the result of a one-night stand with a Roman soldier. And that's why in John 841, the Jewish leaders made this attack on Jesus. They said, well, we were not born of fornication.

We have one Father, even God. Now it was to this corrupt town of Nazareth that Gabriel made his visit. And I think there's a reason the announcement was made there. It was in keeping with the theme of Luke. Remember Luke 19 says, for the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost. Jesus' announcement was made in the middle of a moral cesspool. Because that's the kind of people Jesus came to save.

Not the righteous, but the unrighteous. Look at verse 27, Gabriel came to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And notice also Luke says that Mary was engaged.

Now that's the New American Standard translation, engaged. The King James says she was betrothed. Let me quickly explain to you three steps in the Jewish marriage process.

There were three steps, jot them down. First of all, there was the selection. To select a mate, you'd rely on your parents. Most marriages were arranged marriages. The parent picked out the mate for his or her child.

And when the parents of a boy would find a girl they felt like was suitable, and both sets of parents agreed, that was the selection that was made. And when they came of age 13, 14, 15, that led to the second step, and that is the betrothal period. Now the betrothal period probably best corresponds to what we call engagement. But betrothal was much more serious than an engagement. In the betrothal process, actually commitments were made, vows were exchanged. It was everything that a marriage was, except there was no sexual relationship. The betrothal period lasted about a year.

The final stage, after about a year, was the marriage ceremony itself. Now Mary and Joseph were in this betrothal period, and it's at that point that Gabriel comes to Mary with this remarkable announcement. Look at verse 28. And coming in, Gabriel said to her, hail favored one, the Lord is with you. The Latin translation says, hail one who is full of grace.

And that translation has led to a lot of confusion. Mary's full of grace, she's running over with grace, therefore that means she is the dispenser of grace to other people. No, it's simply saying God has had grace on you. He has favored you, he has chosen you for a special purpose.

You are the recipient of God's grace. Now, just like Zacharias, Mary was very troubled when she saw this angel suddenly appear before her. Verse 29 says that she was greatly troubled, wondering what kind of announcement the angel was about to make. Remember, just like in Zacharias' case, an angel appearing was not usually good news. Angels didn't come to bring good news, they usually came to bring news of God's judgment. And so Mary was very frightened, she wondered what Gabriel was about to say. But notice what he says in verse 30.

You have found favor with God, do not be afraid. Now, there's no inference again, the fact that she found favor with God, that she was sinless. It was simply that God had chosen her for a special purpose. Gabriel begins to unveil what that purpose is, beginning in verse 31. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and you shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

The word name Jesus means Jehovah is salvation. Now, I'm sure Mary wondered a lot of things at this point. But who will this baby be who I'm to call Jesus? Gabriel follows with a five-fold description of this baby that was more exacting than any sonogram could have ever been.

Because once Gabriel had finished, she had no doubt who this baby was. Notice this five-fold description beginning in verse 32. Number one, he will be great, Gabriel said. Then he goes on, number two, to say he will be the son of the Most High. Number three, he will have the throne of David. This is an obvious reference to 2 Samuel 7, 16, in which God said to David, David, one of your descendants will be the Messiah who will sit on your throne. Verse 33, number four, he will rule over the house of Jacob forever.

That's the operative word forever. Israel's history was littered with kings. Kings came and kings went, but this king would reign forever. And then climatically, number five, his kingdom will have no end. This was a reference not just to the duration of his kingdom forever, but to the extent of his kingdom. This child of yours, Mary, is going to rule over the entirety of God's creation.

That was the announcement. Mary was getting the picture who this baby was going to be. And so in verse 34, she responds with a logical question. And Mary said to Gabriel, how can this be since I'm a virgin?

We almost wince when we hear that. Oh, Mary, don't ask that. Gabriel does not like questions. Just read up a few verses. See what he did to Zacharias. He struck him dumb.

He couldn't speak for eight or nine months. Don't do that. Don't ask that. But Mary's question was not asked out of unbelief.

It was a logical question. She said, Gabriel, you do know I'm a virgin. I've never had sex before.

How am I going to give birth? Look at how he answers in verse 35. And the angel answered and said to her, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And for that reason, the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God. There's no need to try to speculate how God brought about this miracle, the virgin birth.

There's no explanation given except that God did it. And I think it's interesting in verse 35 that you have all three persons of the Godhead mentioned in this verse. The Holy Spirit will come upon you. It's the Holy Spirit who gave life to this child. The power of the Most High, a reference to God the Father, will protect you.

That is, he will overshadow you. And for that reason, the holy offspring will be called the Son of God. Why was a virgin birth necessary? Is it really important whether or not Jesus was born of a virgin? Some say, oh, that's just a little extra mythology tacked on to the Jesus story. No, let me show you why a virgin birth was absolutely necessary.

If somebody ever asks you, you can give them these four reasons. Number one, the virgin birth protects Christ's deity. Had Jesus been born of a human father, if Joseph had been the biological father of Jesus, Jesus would have inherited the curse and the corruption of Adam's sin.

Remember, the sin nature and the guilt came through the Father, Romans 5-11, just as through one man, Adam's sin entered the world and death spread to all men. So the virgin birth protects Christ's deity. He could not have been God had he been born of Joseph. Number two, the virgin birth preserves Christ's humanity. Some people say, well, why did we have to go through this whole Bethlehem thing?

I mean, why not just put God on earth in the form of a young adult male, let him go to Calvary and pay for our sins and do it that way? No, had he escaped the birth process, had he not really been totally human as well as totally divine, then we could not have a high priest who understood us. You know, Hebrews 4 verses 15 and 16, talking about Jesus says, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who is tested in all points as we are and yet without sin.

Therefore, let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we might receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The fact that Jesus was born just like you and I are born, he lived the same kind of existence we did, means he understands everything you and I are going through. And his humanity is preserved through a virgin birth. Number three, the virgin birth solves the problem of Jeconiah's curse. It solves the problem of Jeconiah's curse.

Now, stay with me for the next three minutes. Hold your place here and turn over to Matthew chapter 1. For Jesus to be the Messiah, he had to be a descendant of David. 2 Samuel 7, 16 says, the Messiah will be a descendant of David. And that's why Matthew, which was written to the Jews, showed that Jesus was in fact the Messiah because he met the qualification. He was a descendant of David. That's why you have that long genealogy, those begets that put us to sleep in our Bible reading. That's why it's in there in Matthew chapter 1 to show Jesus' connection to David.

And so as you read through that genealogy, you find you've got David. But underneath David, before Joseph and before Jesus, you find a man named Jeconiah. He was also known as Jehoiachin. He was the last king of Judah before Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, came and took Israel captive for 70 years. He was the last king of Judah.

Now, this isn't going to cost you anything extra, but I thought you'd be interested in this. I was reading this week about Jehoiachin. Did you know there's not any secular reference to Jehoiachin? Nobody could ever find him in history. The only place he was found in the Bible, skeptics said there's one more example of the Bible just making up things that have no historical basis whatsoever.

Well, guess what? In Iraq, which is where Babylon was located today, two tablets have been found called the tablets of Jehoiachin. They are tablets that came from Jehoiachin, that date his reign exactly to those dates that are recorded in the Scripture. That's just one more example of the authenticity and credibility of the Bible. But anyway, this king Jehoiachin was so evil that God placed a curse on him. God was so mad at Jehoiachin that he not only allowed Judah to be taken captive, but he gave this curse. And let's get down to Jeremiah 22, verse 30. Thus says the Lord, write this man down as childless, a man who will not prosper in his days, for no man of his descendants will prosper sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah. God said, here's the curse on Jehoiachin. Not one of his descendants will ever prosper on the throne of David.

Well, that presents a big problem. Because if you've got David here and you've got Jehoiachin here, then it means nobody who's a descendant from that point on could ever be qualified to be the Messiah because they can't prosper on the throne. And yet, the Bible says the Messiah, whoever he is, has to be a descendant of David. And for him down here to be a descendant of David up there, he has to pass through Jehoiachin.

Well, how do you solve that naughty problem? You solve it through a virgin birth. Go on in Matthew 1, you find that Joseph was a descendant of Jehoiachin, so he couldn't be the Messiah. He was a descendant. And then Joseph, the father of Jesus.

Now, here's my simple point. Had Joseph been the biological father of Jesus, Jesus would have inherited the curse of Jehoiachin. He would have inherited that curse. He could not have been the Messiah. But because he was not the biological son, Jesus escaped the curse. But by being the legal son of Joseph, which he was, Joseph was his legal guardian, he inherited the right to rule as being a descendant of David.

That is an amazing thing. Only God could come up with a solution like that to cure the curse of Jehoiachin. The fourth reason a virgin birth is necessary is it fulfills prophecy. 700 years earlier, God had said through Isaiah the prophet that the Messiah would be virgin born.

Therefore, the Lord himself would give you a sign. Behold, a virgin will be with child and shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Immanuel. And you remember I've said that word virgin is translated from the word Alma, which means young woman. It doesn't have to mean virgin.

It could mean just a young woman. But again, God was in it because this prophecy had an immediate fulfillment in a young woman in Isaiah's day, but an ultimate fulfillment in the birth of Jesus. As we'll see in a moment, when Gabriel quotes this verse, he uses the Greek word, Matthew does, parthenos, which means virgin. Now, Mary didn't ask for a sign that all of this was gonna happen. But Gabriel gave her one anyway.

Look at verse 36. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth, her cousin, has also conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. Gabriel was saying, Mary, if you really wanna know, this is gonna happen.

Your cousin's already pregnant. Elizabeth, she's gonna have a child. It's God's sign that he's going to perform this miracle for you as well. And look at Mary's response. Verse 38, behold the bond slave of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word, and the angel departed from her.

That word bond slave is the lowest kind of slave there is. In other words, Mary was saying, God, whatever you wanna do with my life, do it. I am yours.

I am here to serve you. Mary was willing to do whatever it cost to serve the living God, and her passion provides a model for us all. In closing today, I wanted to bring you an encouraging report that Pathway to Victory is enjoying a remarkable season of expansion and influence for the gospel all across America and even the world. And we wanna see this trend continue deep into 2025 and beyond, but we can't accomplish our mission to pierce the darkness with the light of God's word without faithful friends like you. Recently, we received a note from a woman who listens to Pathway to Victory over the internet.

She wrote, Pastor Jeffress, my husband and I live in a very remote area of the country with no direct access to cellular service, television, and radio. Also, the churches in our area are very scarce, and the ones that are here do not teach God's word the way we believe, but you do, and we rely on this program. Please keep doing what you are doing because you are truly touching lives. Well, thank you for that encouraging note. And for those of you listening today, this is what Pathway to Victory is all about. Together, we are shining light into the dark places of our world, but there's still much more work to do.

There are many people who have yet to hear about the life-giving love of Jesus Christ. You can be the one to help close this gap. You can be the one to help us reach our record-setting year-end goal. You see, because of the $1.5 million matching challenge, your gift to Pathway to Victory will be automatically matched and doubled in size between now and December 31st. This is the perfect time to leverage your gift so that it has twice the impact. Here's David.

Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. When you give a generous year-end gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, we'll say thanks by sending you the brand-new 2025 Pathway to Victory daily devotional. To request this exclusive resource, call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org. Now, when your gift is $100 or more, we'll also send you Reigniting Your Passion for Christ.

That's this month's study in Luke on DVD video and MP3 format audio discs. Remember, because of our Light the Darkness matching challenge, your gift today will be doubled in size and impact. So be sure to get in touch with us right away. One more time, call 866-999-2965 or visit ptv.org.

You could also send your donation by mail. Write to P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222.

That's P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins, wishing you a great weekend. Then join us again Monday for the conclusion of this message, Mary, Mary, Quite Extraordinary, right here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. And right now, your special year-end gift will be matched and therefore doubled in impact thanks to the Light the Darkness Matching Challenge. Take advantage of this opportunity to double your impact before the deadline on December 31st. To give toward the Matching Challenge, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory.