Day 267

Day 267

Pray (ACts)

Read - Genesis 6:8 Luke 1:26-38

Message - Alan Burke 
Mary and Noah, maybe not two people that you would make a connection between. After all, Noah was one of the Patriarchs in the Old Testament and Mary was the mother of Jesus. What connected these two is that both of them found favour in the eyes of the Lord (Gen 6:8, Lk 1:28,30). Both Mary and Noah were special recipients of God’s favour, God out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity past had chosen them. It wasn’t that either of them were in some way deserving, for they like us were sinners and the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23), instead they were the recipients of God’s favour not because they had in some way deserved it, or that they had earned it, not because they had any redeeming quality but because of the grace of God, it was God’s favour, his grace that he showed them. 

As the angel Gabriel came to Mary she was troubled (29), because she knew fine well that she was undeserving and his coming made her aware of her own unworthiness. Yet it was the Lord had chosen her for a special purpose in the history of salvation, that in her the Lord would conceive and she would bear a son and he shall be called Jesus, meaning God saves (30). God was using Mary, sending the gift of salvation, all of it taking place according to the council of God’s will, whereby for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass (Eph 1:5.11, Rom 9:22-23).

This son would be the saviour, he would bring salvation to sinners by dying on the cross in shame and rising again in glory. Even though he would be born in the humblest of circumstances, this Jesus would be great, his work, his might, his power, his mercy are great, his greatness would be the greatness of God. For he is the Son of the Most High. This announcement is that Mary would give birth to a son named Jesus, who would be the great saviour and the Son of the Most High, the Son of God. For this child comes to rule and is all part of God’s plan from the very beginning. Nothing will overcome or bring a halt to his reign, neither rejection, nor crucifixion will stop the plan of God to bring salvation, for God was and is at work. All that was revealed to Mary filled her with hope, a hope of the child that was coming, a hope of sin defeated. This Jesus would have the throne of his father David, he would reign and does reign over the house of Jacob forever, his kingdom will never end (Lk 1:32-33).

Think upon how Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord (Gen 6:8), just as Mary found favour in the eyes of the Lord, it was not because they had done anything to deserve it, that they had earned it, not because they had any redeeming quality, but solely because of God’s grace, his divine initiative, his choosing. Similarly we have been have been recipients of God’s favour, for we have received his glorious grace (Eph 1:6), his grace is that which is given to all believers not because we had done anything to deserve it, that we had earned it, not because we had any redeeming quality, but solely because of God’s grace. Mary had found favour with God, she is a recipient his of grace, likewise all who have been chosen by God have received his favour. Not because in any way we deserve it but God shows his unmerited grace to us who are lowly sinners just like Mary. 

Pray (acTS)

Sing

WSC
Q 41 Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?
The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments. (Deut. 10:4, Matt. 19:17)
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