Luke 1:5-14
The Coming of Jesus Satisfied…
This is the Sunday before Christmas, one of the most celebrated days on the
calendar. While we grieve to see this Holy Day de-spiritualized by so many, I
celebrate Christmas because Jesus came into the world and effected a rescue of
me and some of my closest family members and friends. No matter how secular
Christmas is to the world, I will continue to recognize it as one of the four
greatest days in history of mankind.
(The four great days - The day Jesus came, the day Jesus died, the day Jesus
arose, and the day that Jesus saved me!)
Jesus’ coming into this world had a profound impact both upon the world and
upon the hearts of mankind. This morning, let us look at the some of the
hearts that Jesus’ birth touched. Let us consider how Jesus’ arrival to this
earth satisfied those needy hearts.
I. \\#Luke 1:5-14\\ Jesus’ arrival satisfied the hungry heart.
A. Here we have the story of two hungry hearts, Zacharias and Elizabeth.
1. The Bible tells us this couple had a desire.
a. They desired to have children.
b. This was the dream of every Jewish couple.
(1) Most all couples, even today, want at least one child
to carry their name and memory into the future.
(2) Jews had a even greater desire for they each hoped to
be the couple that would bring the Messiah into the
world.
(2) Isaiah had prophesied the Messiah would be born into the
world as a Child.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
2. Unfortunately, the desire of this couple eventually died.
Luke 1:7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they
both were now well stricken in years.
a. Elizabeth was barren.
(1) That means she could not conceive. (How they knew it
was she who was barren and not Zacharias, I do not
know.)
(2) The Hebrew word literally means "stiff" or "unnatural."
(3) What a great grief this must have been to this couple.
(4) Especially since the Bible says they were both righteous
and blameless.
Luke 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
(5) Added to this was the fact that Zacharias was a priest
(5,9), a man expected to have power with God.
(6) And as a triple insult, they had prayed long and hard
about this condition.
Luke 1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is
heard….
(7) Any problem a Christian bears becomes a bit more heart-
rending when it happens to godly people, faithfully
doing what God has called them to do, and who are
seeking the face of God through prayer.
b. \\#7, 18\\ And now, they were both well into age!
(1) If the years of barrenness had not killed the desire of
this couple, old age had.
(2) Here was a couple who had a hungry heart!
3. A hungry heart is a heart that craves something it hasn’t gotten.
B. Then, one day, as the day of Jesus’ coming drew near, God satisfied
their hungry hearts.
1. \\#11-12\\ God sent the angel Gabriel to announce the conception
of their child, John the Baptist.
2. Notice how God satisfied the hungry heart.
a. God had not forgotten the prayers of Zacharias and Elizabeth.
Luke 1:13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is
heard….
(1) Zacharias and Elizabeth had both forgotten, but not God.
(2) God never forgets a prayer that is prayed!
Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and
twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and
golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Psalms 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are
they not in thy book?
(a) Maybe you have prayed for some things, hungered
for some things, but God has not given them to
you.
(b) I can not say you will get everything you pray for
because some of the things we pray for may not be
the will of God for our lives.
(c) However, I will say, God never forgets your prayer.
b. God gave to this hungry couple the desire of their hearts.
(1) God gave a son and what a son He gave.
Luke 1:13. ..and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call
his name John.
(a) John will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his
mother’s womb.
(b) John will be the fore-runner of Jesus Christ.
(c) Jesus will say of John that he is the greatest
man born of woman.
(2) This child was worth the wait!
c. God gave to this hungry couple great joy and gladness.
Luke 1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his
birth.
(1) This couple had had a hungry heart for decades.
(2) But I believe the joy they experienced, made up for it!
Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the
cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent
among you.
C. If you’re heart is hungry, craving something it hasn’t gotten, Jesus
can satisfy you.
II. \\#Luke 1:26-33\\ Jesus’ coming satisfied the humble heart.
A. We are not of those who would exalt Mary to deity, but this is one
young lady to which every person on this world owes a great debt.
B. Notice her status.
1. It is likely that Mary was no older than a middle-aged teenager,
maybe 15 or 16.
2. \\#Luke 1:27\\ She was a virgin.
3. \\#Luke 1:27\\ She was engaged to marry. (In fact, Hebrew
weddings have an extra stage to them. Mary was beyond our
engagement. She was legally married to Joseph but they had
not sealed their marriage either publically or physically.)
C. Notice her caller. (The angel, Gabriel, with a message from God.)
Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a
city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
D. Notice the message.
Luke 1:30 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.
1. There is a lot to the message but the first part of it is that
Mary is going to conceive.
2. Of course, there was no immorality on Mary’s part. This
conception was a miraculous work of God.
Luke 1:34 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.
3. However, Mary had no way of proving that!
4. In that moment, I feel certain that God made her understand what
reproach she would bear.
a. God is a God of choice and I believe He made Mary aware of
some of the burden she would bear.
b. In her life, Mary would be considered an adulteress.
c. Maybe when her Son starts doing miracles and rises from the
dead (30 years later) that would change, but for right now,
she will bear that reproach.
E. Notice her humble heart.
Luke 1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me
according to thy word.
1. This young lady was willing to bear the reproach of immorality
the remainder of her earthly life!
2. Few would want that brand upon them today. No one would have
wanted it then!
3. However, more than the desire for a pure name, this woman had
the desire to be used of God.
4. She had a humble heart.
F. However, the coming of Jesus would satisfy her humble heart!
Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
1. She found joy, even though branded immoral, in serving her Lord.
2. God met her needs and far more.
3. Even the angel knew how good God was to Mary.
Luke 1:28 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.
G. If you have a humble heart, the entrance of Jesus into your life will
satisfy you.
Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the
same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
1. God will give you joy, peace, purpose, and power.
2. God will make you blessed of all men and woman.
3. Jesus’ coming satisfies the humble heart.
III. \\#Matt 1:18-25\\ Jesus’ coming satisfies the heavy heart.
A. Here we have a man, Joseph, who must have had the heaviest heart in
the world.
1. I mentioned that Mary did not conceive her Child through
immorality, but I also said, she had no way to prove it.
2. Joseph was legally married to Mary.
3. It certainly appeared that she had been immoral.
4. The Old Testament penalty for that crime was to death by stoning,
and Joseph was to be one of the first to throw a stone.
5. This man was wrestling with the both the feelings of betrayal
and the demands upon him to kill the woman he loved!
6. Could a man’s heart get any heavier?
B. But the coming of Jesus satisfies the heavy heart!
1. God sent an angel by means of a dream with a message.
2. No doubt, Mary had told Joseph of her experience.
3. As the time for Jesus’ entrance into this world draws near, God
confirms Mary’s message to Joseph.
4. What a dream that must have been!
5. What a man Joseph must have been.
6. With a wife already 3 months pregnant (she would be showing),
Joseph performs the public ceremony of marrying his wife, then
he waits 6 months plus to physically seal his marriage to her.
C. I do not find in Scripture a verse that tells us that Joseph
experienced joy in all of this.
1. Elizabeth, Zacharias, and Mary (Luke’s writing) all have recorded
their praises and prophecies in these times as they were filled
with the Holy Ghost. Joseph (Matthew’s writing) did not.
2. I must believe he did experience joy.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest.
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to
preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to
set at liberty them that are bruised, (Isaiah 61:1)
3. I must believe that God took this man’s heavy heart and lightened
it!
4. I believe that God will take your heavy heart and lighten it too!
I see in these Scriptures a message. The message is that Jesus’ coming satisfies
the needs of your heart. This Christmas, would you let Jesus come in and satisfy
your heart?
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