Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth.
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
MEMORY VERSE: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. —Matthew 1:23
CENTRAL THOUGHT: God Almighty chose a lowly maiden of Nazareth in Galilee, who was a pure virgin, to be the mother who would bring forth the Savior into the world to save us from our sins.
WORD DEFINITIONS
Matthew 1:18 “Espoused”: Promised, pledged, betrothed, engaged. It was a sacred and solemn time prior to marriage.
Matthew 1:19 “Make her a publick example”: Expose to infamy or disgrace; put to open shame. “Privily”: Secretly.
LESSON BACKGROUND AND APPLICATION
Today’s lesson is the first of a three-part series concerning the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the founder of the Church of God. In Luke’s account we find that the angel Gabriel had announced to Zacharias that he and his wife, Elisabeth, despite their advanced ages, were to be the parents of a son whose name was to be called John. Elisabeth was a cousin to Mary. Mary paid a visit to her cousin very soon after she was informed by the angel Gabriel that she was to be the mother of Jesus. Elisabeth was already six months with child, and when Mary greeted Elisabeth upon her arrival at her house, the baby in Elisabeth’s womb leaped for joy! How the two mothers-to-be rejoiced together!
Mary was engaged to marry a man named Joseph, and they had not begun living together as man and wife. How sad that our society has lost sight of the sanctity of marriage! There is very little “waiting” until the marriage is completed. God is very highly grieved at the loose morals and the offence that mankind heaps upon His gracious plan.
As our lesson reveals, the truth of Mary being with child was a serious scandal in their society. That is why Joseph wanted to dissolve his engagement with Mary secretly. He did not want her to suffer the insults of the public. Think of the emotional strain that was upon both Mary and Joseph. After he was enlightened by God as to what was really going on, Joseph went ahead and married Mary, no doubt rejoicing in what the Lord was bringing to pass.
—Bro. Leslie Busbee
QUESTIONS
- What kind of people were Mary and Joseph?
- Why did Mary’s being with child present a problem?
- What was Mary’s first response to the salutation of the angel Gabriel?
- What did the angel tell her was going to happen?
- What was Joseph’s first reaction to Mary’s news?
- What did the Lord show him to do?
- What was to be the name of Mary’s son?
- What was He to do for His people?
COMMENTS AND APPLICATION
Just a lowly young girl was Mary of Nazareth when God chose her to be the vessel to bring forth the Saviour into the world. There were probably many young women in Galilee, but Mary was highly favored. The Lord was with her. This means that she was serving God and God was accepting her. We do not know the background of Mary, but we are sure that she was devoted to the worship of God.
God waited until after she was betrothed to be married before He sent the angel to announce His wonderful intentions to Mary. It had to be clear to Mary and Joseph that the child she was carrying was a divine miracle from God. The truth of the virgin birth of Christ is one of the cornerstones of our faith. If Christ was not born of a virgin, then our faith is vain. The prophet Isaiah had prophesied, as quoted in our memory verse, that a virgin, an unmarried woman, would conceive and bring forth a son (Isaiah 7:14).
For a brief period of time Mary was in danger of being branded a fornicator and a wicked person. Oh, it was a disgrace to be with child and at the same time unmarried! Joseph was, no doubt, greatly disappointed and grieved about this matter when he was informed that Mary was with child. He loved Mary and had looked forward to taking her to himself for a wife, but now it looked as if the whole thing was to be called off, and Mary would be disgraced. He did not want to have any part with the affair. As he was contemplating a secret annulment of the engagement, the Lord stepped in and made known what His plan was. Joseph did as the angel had bidden him, and took unto him his wife, and knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn son.
–Bro. Leslie Busbee
REFLECTIONS
Oh, Wonder of Wonders
The Wonder of Wonders, as she looked on his face,
That this little boy spoke the worlds in their place;
The stars and the moon shining brightly on them,
The earth and the sun were created by Him.
The Wonder of Wonders, as she heard his small cry
That this voice had thundered on Mount Sinai;
The hand that she held so tenderly,
Had made a dry path thru the mighty Red Sea.
The Wonder of Wonders, as she looked down and smiled,
That He was her Maker as well as her child;
He created the Womb that had given him birth,
He was God incarnate come down to earth.
The Wonder of Wonders, as a Father looked on,
In Eternity past, this was His Son.
Had sent Him to die on Calvary’s tree,
And that is the Wonder of Wonders to me.
The Wonder of Wonders, Oh how could it be,
That God became flesh and was given for me.
The Almighty came down and walked among men,
The Wonder of Wonders, He died for my sin.
—Charles B. Wycuff
–Bro. Bob Wilson
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