WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson
commentary
For Sunday December 1, 2013
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JESUS’ BIRTH FORETOLD
(We serve an awesome GOD)
(Luke 1:26-40)
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s
pregnancy, the archangel, Gabriel returns to earth to deliver another message
from GOD. This time he visits the tiny town of Nazareth in Galilee, the home of
a young teenaged virgin named Mary. Mary was engaged to marry a man named
Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Gabriel’s charge, on this visit,
was to give young Mary shocking news of GOD’s plan to bless the world through
her, with the “Immaculate Conception” of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, WHOM
HIMSELF would be, the ultimate MESSENGER (Luke 1:26-28).
The long-awaited MESSIAH, WHO had
been forecasted by ancient prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and the
likes, would be sent by GOD to usher in a new covenant that would liberate all
mankind, from under the dominion of sin. It would be a covenant that would
allow anyone, who believes in the MESSIAH, to receive the gift of eternal life,
through that faith. It would then become the duty of HIS followers to build
their spiritual foundations on that “most high faith”. As Christians, they
would learn to pray and communicate to GOD, in the power of the, soon to come,
HOLY SPIRIT, and, through regular Holy Communion Services, were to always
remember the conditions of this covenant, under which, the love of CHRIST has
called us, and then signed in HIS OWN blood.
Confused and disturbed, young Mary
struggled to try and phantom, just what the message of the angel meant. She
wondered aloud, asking the angel how a woman could become pregnant without
having sexual intercourse with a man. Gabriel explains to her that, through the
power of GOD, she would conceive, by way of the HOLY SPIRIT, and that the child
she would birth, would be the Holy SON of GOD (Luke 1:34-35). Suddenly, the
young girl’s “confusion and fear” turned to “joy and appreciation”. She
responded, “I am the LORD’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever HE
wants. May everything you said come true” (Luke 1:38) (NLT).
When we believe in GOD, in all of HIS
fullness, holiness, and eternal righteousness, it becomes easy to accept
whatever HE sends our way. We then understand that HIS tests are not meant to
make us fail, but rather, are sent to make us strong, so that we may become
better warriors in the army of CHRIST. We can then serve HIS purpose more
completely, as we, at one and the same time, try to survive in a world under
siege by the forces of satan.
GOD, is the writer, producer,
director, and star, of the movie of our lives. HE already knows the outcome of
HIS OWN divine production. We, on the other hand, are that which was created.
Therefore, we are the benefactors of the brilliance and largess of the CREATOR
HIMSELF. We are mere human players, who only get to see and live in one scene
at a time, and so, it becomes only fitting that we place our trust in the omniscience,
of the ONLY WISE CREATOR, GOD.
Mary accepted the message that GOD
sent her that day through HIS angel Gabriel, and as a result, every generation
since, can’t help but acknowledge the “favor” that GOD showed her, by way of
HIS bestowing on her, such a divine role, in the “Covenant Blessing Story”. She
would have been extremely honored to have any role in GOD’s great and divine
work. And, even though it was something unexpected, because it came from GOD,
she had faith that it would be for the greater good. And on that day, in the
tiny, inconspicuous setting of Nazareth, Mary became the first person on earth
to hear the sweet name of “JESUS”, our LORD and SAVIOR (Luke 1:31). And because
of this upcoming miraculous event, the world would never, ever, be the same
again.
GOD loves us so much, that HE gave to
us as a sacrifice, HIS only begotten SON. And if we will but only believe in
HIM, we will not ever perish, and, we can have eternal life in the glorious
presence of GOD. That adds the perfect ending to the story of “the human
experience” that has been marred by “the destructive fallout of sin”, since the
onset of our existence. And I am once again reminded of a favorite quote that
seems to sum up the “special effects” of our choice between “Salvation” and “Damnation”:
“The enigmas of life, become, at
least, less baffling, when we come to rest in the thought, that this life, is
not the final act of the human drama”.
If we truly believe that GOD is in
control, then it shouldn’t be hard to accept whatever HE sends our way in this
life. As Christians, we hold dear, the “Divine Promise” of “the ultimate happy
ending”, that has been written for us by GOD, since the foundation of this
world.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official
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