Luke 1: 26-30 NLT, “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!’ Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary,’ the angel told her, ‘for you have found favor with God!”’
4000 years of prophecy was about to be fulfilled. It started with Gabriel relaying a message to Zachariah. Once more, Gabriel was dispatched to give a message, this time he visited a young woman named Mary.
How does Mary fulfill prophecy?
She was a Nazarene from Galilee (1).
According to archeological findings, the agricultural village of Nazareth had a population of 200 or so at the time of Roman occupation. Village life would have been unhurried and peaceful with hot summers and rainy winter months. The people would have been considered backwoods farmers, certainly not the cultured people that lived in the thriving metropolis of Jerusalem. In fact, the best description of this town in the Bible is found in John 1:46, "Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" In other words, as far as the people from the advanced Roman cities were concerned, it was Hicksville, Judea.
Prophecy: According to Matthew 2:23, the Messiah was to be called a Nazarene.
Mary was a virgin (3)
She was of the appropriate age to marry. Mary kept herself pure for God, and for her future husband by never having sexual intercourse with a man. Mary would have been a young woman of impeccable reputation and the testimony of her virtue would have been observed and witnessed by her parents, extended family, and local community.
Prophecy:
Isaiah 7:14, NLT, “The Lord Himself will give you a sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel (which means God is with us).”
Her name was Mary (4)
Names are significant and Mary means ‘their rebellion’. Rebellion is defined as open, organized, and armed resistance to one’s government or ruler (5). Who was Mary destined to be in rebellion against? She was a mighty spiritual soldier who rebelled against the Kingdom of Darkness, the Kingdom of Satan.
Prophecy:
Mary is filled with the Spirit of God and prophesies to her cousin Elizabeth what will happen in the future: Luke 1:79, “(God) gives light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
Mary was key in birthing the Messiah into the earth so He could annihilate Satan’s Kingdom and defeat his rule forever. Colossians 1:13 NLT, “For He has rescued us from the Kingdom of Darkness, and transferred us to the Kingdom of His Dear Son.”
Mary was engaged to be married (6)
In ancient Biblical times, there were 3 stages to a marriage (6). The father would consult his daughter about a suitor who was interested in marriage. If the daughter accepted the proposal, stage one of marriage would be initiated. Then the father and prospective groom would sign a legal contract (ketubah) (6). Once the contract is signed, the couple is considered legally married. Stage two would be the consummation of the marriage, on a day appointed and set by the father and the groom (6). This could happen several years after the ketubah was signed. The third stage of marriage was the celebration (6). Mary was involved in the first stage of marriage and was legally bound to a man named Joseph.
What about Mary’s fiance, Joseph?
Joseph’s name means, ‘let him add’ (7). What would Joseph add to? A man of integrity, he loved God, loved and respected Mary, and loved and cared for Jesus. Joseph was submitted and conformed to God’s will.
Prophecy:
His obedience added Jesus to the lineage of David (See genealogy in Luke 3).
He had other sons with Mary who later preached the Gospel. His son, James, was head of the congregation in Jerusalem.
Joseph’s obedience to God in being the stepfather of Jesus added to the Kingdom of God. Acts 2:41, states that 3000 people were added to the church on the day of Pentecost.
As the church grew, more were added daily to the fellowship according to Acts 2:47.
We are a product of Joseph’s obedience and the church continues to add daily.
Mary and Joseph were descendants of King David
The prophets proclaimed that the Messiah would be a descendant of David. Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of King David of the Tribe of Judah.
Prophecy:
Isaiah 9:7 NLT, “His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”
Gabriel calls Mary ‘favored’ twice
When Gabriel greets Mary, he calls her a favored woman. Because of her fear, Gabriel reassures her that she has found favor with God. What is favor? ‘It is the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace’ (8). Favor is a powerful force. Mary had favor with God and He held her in highest regard.
Prophecy:
Luke 1:48, “For He took notice of His lowly servant girl and from now on all generations will call me blessed (favored).”
God is with Mary
God is with Mary and for Mary. Anyone or anything that would try to destroy Mary or deter her from fulfilling her destiny would have to contend with God and be prepared to lose.
Prophecy:
Luke 1:49, “For the Mighty One is holy, and He has done great things for me.”
Prophets spoke God’s Words into the earth for several millennia. After four centuries of complete silence from God, angelic activity is preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. Everything was set in motion; the right people, the right season, the right conditions, and the right circumstances. We will continue this journey next blog.
Pray It:
Father, It amazes me the amount of thought, consideration, faith, love, and patience You have put into ensuring that Jesus would arrive here on the earth. You were determined to save us from sin. You sent Your angels to convey Your messages, give direction, forewarn, ask permission, and execute the process. Like Mary, I can place my total confidence in You and say You are Mighty and You are Holy. You have done great things for me and I bless You forever. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Say It:
God is Mighty.
God is Holy.
God has done great things for me.
Do It:
Do a study on ‘favor’ in the Bible and find out what happened to people that obtained the favor of God.
How does Mary fulfill prophecy?
She was a Nazarene from Galilee (1).
According to archeological findings, the agricultural village of Nazareth had a population of 200 or so at the time of Roman occupation. Village life would have been unhurried and peaceful with hot summers and rainy winter months. The people would have been considered backwoods farmers, certainly not the cultured people that lived in the thriving metropolis of Jerusalem. In fact, the best description of this town in the Bible is found in John 1:46, "Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" In other words, as far as the people from the advanced Roman cities were concerned, it was Hicksville, Judea.
Prophecy: According to Matthew 2:23, the Messiah was to be called a Nazarene.
Mary was a virgin (3)
She was of the appropriate age to marry. Mary kept herself pure for God, and for her future husband by never having sexual intercourse with a man. Mary would have been a young woman of impeccable reputation and the testimony of her virtue would have been observed and witnessed by her parents, extended family, and local community.
Prophecy:
Isaiah 7:14, NLT, “The Lord Himself will give you a sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel (which means God is with us).”
Her name was Mary (4)
Names are significant and Mary means ‘their rebellion’. Rebellion is defined as open, organized, and armed resistance to one’s government or ruler (5). Who was Mary destined to be in rebellion against? She was a mighty spiritual soldier who rebelled against the Kingdom of Darkness, the Kingdom of Satan.
Prophecy:
Mary is filled with the Spirit of God and prophesies to her cousin Elizabeth what will happen in the future: Luke 1:79, “(God) gives light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
Mary was key in birthing the Messiah into the earth so He could annihilate Satan’s Kingdom and defeat his rule forever. Colossians 1:13 NLT, “For He has rescued us from the Kingdom of Darkness, and transferred us to the Kingdom of His Dear Son.”
Mary was engaged to be married (6)
In ancient Biblical times, there were 3 stages to a marriage (6). The father would consult his daughter about a suitor who was interested in marriage. If the daughter accepted the proposal, stage one of marriage would be initiated. Then the father and prospective groom would sign a legal contract (ketubah) (6). Once the contract is signed, the couple is considered legally married. Stage two would be the consummation of the marriage, on a day appointed and set by the father and the groom (6). This could happen several years after the ketubah was signed. The third stage of marriage was the celebration (6). Mary was involved in the first stage of marriage and was legally bound to a man named Joseph.
What about Mary’s fiance, Joseph?
Joseph’s name means, ‘let him add’ (7). What would Joseph add to? A man of integrity, he loved God, loved and respected Mary, and loved and cared for Jesus. Joseph was submitted and conformed to God’s will.
Prophecy:
His obedience added Jesus to the lineage of David (See genealogy in Luke 3).
He had other sons with Mary who later preached the Gospel. His son, James, was head of the congregation in Jerusalem.
Joseph’s obedience to God in being the stepfather of Jesus added to the Kingdom of God. Acts 2:41, states that 3000 people were added to the church on the day of Pentecost.
As the church grew, more were added daily to the fellowship according to Acts 2:47.
We are a product of Joseph’s obedience and the church continues to add daily.
Mary and Joseph were descendants of King David
The prophets proclaimed that the Messiah would be a descendant of David. Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of King David of the Tribe of Judah.
Prophecy:
Isaiah 9:7 NLT, “His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”
Gabriel calls Mary ‘favored’ twice
When Gabriel greets Mary, he calls her a favored woman. Because of her fear, Gabriel reassures her that she has found favor with God. What is favor? ‘It is the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace’ (8). Favor is a powerful force. Mary had favor with God and He held her in highest regard.
Prophecy:
Luke 1:48, “For He took notice of His lowly servant girl and from now on all generations will call me blessed (favored).”
God is with Mary
God is with Mary and for Mary. Anyone or anything that would try to destroy Mary or deter her from fulfilling her destiny would have to contend with God and be prepared to lose.
Prophecy:
Luke 1:49, “For the Mighty One is holy, and He has done great things for me.”
Prophets spoke God’s Words into the earth for several millennia. After four centuries of complete silence from God, angelic activity is preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. Everything was set in motion; the right people, the right season, the right conditions, and the right circumstances. We will continue this journey next blog.
Pray It:
Father, It amazes me the amount of thought, consideration, faith, love, and patience You have put into ensuring that Jesus would arrive here on the earth. You were determined to save us from sin. You sent Your angels to convey Your messages, give direction, forewarn, ask permission, and execute the process. Like Mary, I can place my total confidence in You and say You are Mighty and You are Holy. You have done great things for me and I bless You forever. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Say It:
God is Mighty.
God is Holy.
God has done great things for me.
Do It:
Do a study on ‘favor’ in the Bible and find out what happened to people that obtained the favor of God.
© 2016 foundedonthebible.com
References:
- https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2147&t=KJV
- http://www.bibleplaces.com/nazareth/
- https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3933&t=NLT
- https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3137&t=NLT
- http://www.dictionary.com/browse/rebellion?s=t
- http://www.bible.ca/marriage/ancient-jewish-three-stage-weddings-and-marriage-customs-ceremony-in-the-bible.htm
- https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2501&t=NLT
- https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G5485&t=NLT
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