Zion Hill Baptist Church Buford
The Meaning of Angelic Visitations (Part 2)
Luke 1:26-35
Locations & Times
Zion Hill Baptist Church, Buford
3390 S Puckett Rd, Buford, GA 30519, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Marie Monsen was a Norwegian missionary to China from 1901 to 1932. She served in several Chinese cities during her missionary career. A deeply spiritual woman, Marie suffered from chronic headaches, dysentery, and malaria. She was a woman of prayer, and was part of the great Shantung Revival that swept China for 10 years. Everywhere Ms. Monsen traveled, she would ask: “Have you been born again?” With this simple question, Marie Monsen led many to Christ. Southern Baptist missionary, Mary Crawford, who served alongside Ms. Monsen, said about her: “…Anyone with any discernment at all could see and feel that she was depending upon the promises of God in a remarkable way.”
In one Chinese city where Ms. Monsen was teaching at a mission compound for women and children, local bandits had surrounded the mission to loot and burn it. Ms. Monsen, in the bed weak from malaria, was being harassed by the Enemy with nagging questions: “What will you do when the looters come here? When the firing begins on this compound, what about those promises you have been trusting?” Marie Monsen prayed: “Lord, I have been teaching these young people all these years that Thy promises are true, and if they fail now, my mouth shall be forever closed; I must go home.” Through the night, Marie ministered to the women and children, as well as refugees that had come to the compound for protection. She exhorted them to turn to God in prayer and praise. Though fearful, destructive events happened just outside the compound, the Chinese bandits left the mission compound alone. The next day, people from the surrounding neighborhoods asked Ms. Monsen who were the four tall men standing watch all through the night on the top of the compound? She told them that no one had been on top of the compound. They told her that they saw the men with their own eyes. It was then that Marie Monsen realized that God had sent His angels to guard His children in the hour of danger. She realized that the angels’ visitation meant that God had kept His promises.
What was the meaning of the angelic visitation to Mary? What can we learn from this supernatural event in history?
1. Mary was the recipient of God’s abundant grace (1:28-29)
“Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”
· This humble, poor young woman from a seedy town called Nazareth was the recipient of God’s abundant grace; His undeserved favor. He chose her to be the mother of the long awaited Messiah. The same angel who had visited Zachariah, Gabriel, was now visiting this godly young woman with a message from God Himself. Gabriel told Mary to rejoice, the Lord was with her!
· God sends His angel(s) to serve us, to help us. Sometimes they come in the form of people or animals. Most times they are invisible. But they are with us, nonetheless. Rejoice over the ministry of God’s angels to you! They bring a message of God’s grace to you and me. The angels come on God’s behalf to comfort us, to protect us, to help us in times of distress.
· Paul said to the believers in Ephesus: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding” (Eph. 1:7-8). Just as Mary was the recipient of God’s grace, YOU are the recipient of “the riches of God’s grace,” so rejoice!
2. Mary would be the mother the Messiah—God’s Son (1:31-33)
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
· The angel told Mary that she would miraculously conceive and give birth to “the Son of the Most High.” He would be a son, a human, and He would be “the holy One” (v. 35b), “Son of the Most High,” meaning He would be God. He would be called Jesus (“the Lord saves”), because He would be the Savior.
· Jesus, the Messiah, would be from King David’s lineage, and He would rule forever and ever, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah: “He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever” (9:7). Jesus is called the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16b).
· The angel’s message to Mary gave her great joy, and she is revered for her submission to God’s plan for her to be the mother of the Messiah-Savior, though it brought great hardship. Angelic visitations bring a message from our heavenly Father to bring joy and peace, direction and guidance. Ask God’s Spirit to let you be submissive to His plan for you, even if it means hardship and difficulty.
You may not think that angels minister to you, or that they can help you. Remember Gabriel’s word to Mary about her circumstances: “For nothing will be impossible with God” (v. 37).
In one Chinese city where Ms. Monsen was teaching at a mission compound for women and children, local bandits had surrounded the mission to loot and burn it. Ms. Monsen, in the bed weak from malaria, was being harassed by the Enemy with nagging questions: “What will you do when the looters come here? When the firing begins on this compound, what about those promises you have been trusting?” Marie Monsen prayed: “Lord, I have been teaching these young people all these years that Thy promises are true, and if they fail now, my mouth shall be forever closed; I must go home.” Through the night, Marie ministered to the women and children, as well as refugees that had come to the compound for protection. She exhorted them to turn to God in prayer and praise. Though fearful, destructive events happened just outside the compound, the Chinese bandits left the mission compound alone. The next day, people from the surrounding neighborhoods asked Ms. Monsen who were the four tall men standing watch all through the night on the top of the compound? She told them that no one had been on top of the compound. They told her that they saw the men with their own eyes. It was then that Marie Monsen realized that God had sent His angels to guard His children in the hour of danger. She realized that the angels’ visitation meant that God had kept His promises.
What was the meaning of the angelic visitation to Mary? What can we learn from this supernatural event in history?
1. Mary was the recipient of God’s abundant grace (1:28-29)
“Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”
· This humble, poor young woman from a seedy town called Nazareth was the recipient of God’s abundant grace; His undeserved favor. He chose her to be the mother of the long awaited Messiah. The same angel who had visited Zachariah, Gabriel, was now visiting this godly young woman with a message from God Himself. Gabriel told Mary to rejoice, the Lord was with her!
· God sends His angel(s) to serve us, to help us. Sometimes they come in the form of people or animals. Most times they are invisible. But they are with us, nonetheless. Rejoice over the ministry of God’s angels to you! They bring a message of God’s grace to you and me. The angels come on God’s behalf to comfort us, to protect us, to help us in times of distress.
· Paul said to the believers in Ephesus: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding” (Eph. 1:7-8). Just as Mary was the recipient of God’s grace, YOU are the recipient of “the riches of God’s grace,” so rejoice!
2. Mary would be the mother the Messiah—God’s Son (1:31-33)
“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
· The angel told Mary that she would miraculously conceive and give birth to “the Son of the Most High.” He would be a son, a human, and He would be “the holy One” (v. 35b), “Son of the Most High,” meaning He would be God. He would be called Jesus (“the Lord saves”), because He would be the Savior.
· Jesus, the Messiah, would be from King David’s lineage, and He would rule forever and ever, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah: “He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever” (9:7). Jesus is called the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16b).
· The angel’s message to Mary gave her great joy, and she is revered for her submission to God’s plan for her to be the mother of the Messiah-Savior, though it brought great hardship. Angelic visitations bring a message from our heavenly Father to bring joy and peace, direction and guidance. Ask God’s Spirit to let you be submissive to His plan for you, even if it means hardship and difficulty.
You may not think that angels minister to you, or that they can help you. Remember Gabriel’s word to Mary about her circumstances: “For nothing will be impossible with God” (v. 37).