THE PREDICTION OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS THE CHRIST

PROCLAMATION

“… God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.  The virgin’s name was Mary. … The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor 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 …’ ”  Luke 1:26-32 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to Luke, who was not one of the twelve apostles.  He was a physician (Colossians 4:14) and a frequent travelling companion of the Apostle Paul. (Philemon 1:24)  The gospel according to Luke is presented differently than the gospels according to Matthew and Mark.  The gospel according to Matthew was addressed primarily to the Jews and presented Jesus as The Messiah, The King of the Jews.  The gospel according to Mark was addressed primarily to the Romans and presented Jesus as a good humble worker and The Servant of God.  The gospel according to Luke was addressed primarily to the Greeks and presented Jesus as The Son of Man, the ideal human being, and the perfect man.  After an introduction which explained why he was writing this account of the life of Jesus, (Luke 1:1-4) Luke begins chapter one with a description of the elderly parents of John the baptizer.   Then he describes the events surrounding the prediction of John’s birth, (Luke 1:5-25) the prediction of the birth of Jesus, The Christ (Luke 1:26-45) and the birth of John. (Luke 1:57-66)

 

APPLICATION
The birth of Jesus, The Christ, was predicted more than four hundred years beforehand by the Prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 9:6-7 and 11:1-2)  Here Luke reveals that the angel Gabriel foretold the birth of Jesus, the Christ, (Luke 1:31) and the birth of John, the baptizer. (Luke 1:11-13)  When Mary questioned the angel, regarding how this could happen since she was a virgin, she was told that The Holy Spirit of God would cause her to conceive. (Luke 1:34-35)  Today, being a Christians means believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ.   It also means believing in His pre-existence, (John 1:1) conception, and virgin birth. (John 1:14)  The virgin conception and birth of Jesus, The Christ, is presented twice in The Holy Word of God. (Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26 to 2:7)  The Bible says it, and that settles it.