Joyful Confession: Embracing Christ's Lordship Together

 

Summary

In the opening of Luke's Gospel, we find ourselves amidst the remarkable days when Mary, having received an extraordinary announcement from the angel Gabriel, visits her relative Elizabeth. This visit is not just a familial encounter but a divine confirmation of the miraculous events unfolding. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, recognizes the unborn Jesus as her Lord, despite knowing little about His future works. This moment of recognition and confession is profound, as Elizabeth acknowledges Jesus' lordship even before His birth, highlighting the mystery and majesty of the Incarnation—God becoming man in Jesus.

The story of Elizabeth and Mary is a testament to the joy and faith that accompany the recognition of Jesus as Lord. Elizabeth's confession is followed by a scene of rejoicing, as the baby in her womb leaps for joy at Mary's greeting. This joy is not just for Elizabeth and Mary but extends to all who will come to know Jesus. The narrative emphasizes that confessing Jesus as Lord leads to an increase in joy, a joy that transcends circumstances and is rooted in the promise and presence of God.

Furthermore, the interaction between Elizabeth and Mary illustrates the importance of mutual encouragement in faith. Elizabeth's affirmation strengthens Mary's belief in the promises of God, demonstrating how God uses the fellowship of believers to build and sustain faith. This story encourages us to be active participants in the community of faith, supporting and uplifting one another as we journey together in belief.

As we reflect on this narrative, we are invited to consider our own confession of Jesus as Lord, the joy that comes from His presence, and our role in encouraging others in their faith. The path of following Jesus may not always align with our expectations, but it is a path filled with joy, purpose, and the assurance of God's promises.

Key Takeaways:

- Confession of Faith: Elizabeth's confession of Jesus as her Lord, even before His birth, challenges us to consider how much we need to know before we acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Her faith was based on the simple yet profound truth of the Incarnation, reminding us that recognizing Jesus as Lord is foundational to our faith. [11:27]

- Joy in the Lord: The joy experienced by Elizabeth and Mary, despite their challenging circumstances, underscores the truth that true joy is found in the presence and promise of Jesus. Confessing Jesus as Lord leads to a deeper, more fulfilling joy than any earthly pursuit. [19:17]

- The Mystery of the Incarnation: The Incarnation is an unfathomable mystery that makes sense of the entire New Testament. Understanding Jesus as God in the flesh helps us comprehend His miracles, resurrection, and His rightful claim to our worship and allegiance. [12:46]

- Encouragement in Community: The interaction between Elizabeth and Mary highlights the importance of community in nurturing faith. God brings believers together to encourage and strengthen each other, making our fellowship a vital means of grace. [23:42]

- Living Under Christ's Lordship: Confessing Jesus as Lord means surrendering our lives to His guidance and purpose. This surrender brings freedom, joy, and the assurance of salvation, as we trust in His sovereign power to deliver us from sin and lead us into a new life. [26:30]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to the Christmas Story
- [00:32] - The Angel's Announcement to Mary
- [01:28] - Confirmation of the Heavenly Message
- [02:06] - Witnesses to Jesus' Glory
- [02:42] - Elizabeth's Story
- [03:33] - Zechariah's Doubt and Silence
- [04:10] - Elizabeth's Surprise Visit
- [05:29] - The Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth
- [06:55] - The Mystery of the Incarnation
- [08:10] - Elizabeth's Confession
- [11:08] - The Significance of Confession
- [14:23] - The Joy of the Unborn
- [18:04] - Joy in Confession
- [20:15] - Belief and Fulfillment of Promises
- [23:42] - Encouragement in Faith
- [26:02] - Living Under Christ's Lordship
- [29:09] - Encouraging Others in Belief
- [32:09] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Luke 1:39-45
- Matthew 1:20-25
- John 20:28-29

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Observation Questions:

1. What was Elizabeth's reaction when Mary visited her, and how did she express her recognition of Jesus? ([08:28])
2. How does the narrative describe the joy experienced by Elizabeth and the unborn John the Baptist upon Mary's greeting? ([15:07])
3. What role does the Holy Spirit play in Elizabeth's recognition and confession of Jesus as Lord? ([08:52])
4. How does Elizabeth's confession of Jesus as Lord before His birth challenge our understanding of faith and knowledge? ([09:27])

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Interpretation Questions:

1. What does Elizabeth's confession of Jesus as Lord, despite knowing little about His future works, suggest about the nature of faith? ([09:47])
2. How does the joy experienced by Elizabeth and Mary illustrate the relationship between faith and joy in the Christian life? ([19:17])
3. In what ways does the interaction between Elizabeth and Mary demonstrate the importance of community in nurturing faith? ([23:42])
4. How does the mystery of the Incarnation, as described in the sermon, help us understand the significance of Jesus' life and mission? ([12:46])

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Application Questions:

1. Elizabeth confessed Jesus as Lord with limited knowledge. Reflect on your own journey of faith. How much do you feel you need to know before fully acknowledging Jesus as Lord? ([11:47])
2. The sermon highlights joy as a result of confessing Jesus as Lord. Can you identify a time when your faith brought you joy despite challenging circumstances? How can you cultivate that joy in your current situation? ([19:17])
3. Elizabeth and Mary found encouragement in each other's faith. Who in your life encourages your faith, and how can you be a source of encouragement to others? ([23:42])
4. The sermon emphasizes living under Christ's lordship. What areas of your life are you holding back from surrendering to Jesus, and what steps can you take to submit those areas to His guidance? ([26:30])
5. Reflect on the mystery of the Incarnation. How does understanding Jesus as God in the flesh impact your daily walk with Him? ([12:46])
6. The sermon suggests that confessing Jesus as Lord leads to greater joy. What practical steps can you take this week to deepen your confession and experience more joy in your faith? ([19:17])
7. Consider the role of community in your faith journey. How can you actively participate in your faith community to support and uplift others? ([23:42])

Devotional

Day 1: The Profound Simplicity of Faith
Elizabeth's confession of Jesus as her Lord, even before His birth, challenges us to consider how much we need to know before we acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Her faith was based on the simple yet profound truth of the Incarnation, reminding us that recognizing Jesus as Lord is foundational to our faith. This moment of recognition and confession is profound, as Elizabeth acknowledges Jesus' lordship even before His birth, highlighting the mystery and majesty of the Incarnation—God becoming man in Jesus. Her faith was not based on witnessing miracles or hearing teachings but on the divine revelation she received through the Holy Spirit. This challenges us to reflect on the nature of our own faith and the depth of our confession of Jesus as Lord. [11:27]

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to acknowledge Jesus as Lord? How can you take a step of faith today to surrender that area to Him?


Day 2: Joy Beyond Circumstances
The joy experienced by Elizabeth and Mary, despite their challenging circumstances, underscores the truth that true joy is found in the presence and promise of Jesus. Confessing Jesus as Lord leads to a deeper, more fulfilling joy than any earthly pursuit. This joy is not just for Elizabeth and Mary but extends to all who will come to know Jesus. The narrative emphasizes that confessing Jesus as Lord leads to an increase in joy, a joy that transcends circumstances and is rooted in the promise and presence of God. This joy is a testament to the transformative power of recognizing Jesus' lordship in our lives, offering a sense of fulfillment and peace that surpasses all understanding. [19:17]

"Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory." (1 Peter 1:8, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you felt joyless. How can you invite the presence of Jesus into that situation to experience His joy?


Day 3: The Unfathomable Mystery of the Incarnation
The Incarnation is an unfathomable mystery that makes sense of the entire New Testament. Understanding Jesus as God in the flesh helps us comprehend His miracles, resurrection, and His rightful claim to our worship and allegiance. The story of Elizabeth and Mary is a testament to the joy and faith that accompany the recognition of Jesus as Lord. The Incarnation is a profound mystery that invites us to marvel at the depth of God's love and the lengths He went to redeem humanity. It challenges us to deepen our understanding of who Jesus is and to respond with worship and devotion. [12:46]

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14, ESV)

Reflection: How does the mystery of the Incarnation impact your understanding of Jesus' role in your life? What steps can you take to deepen your relationship with Him today?


Day 4: Strength in Community
The interaction between Elizabeth and Mary highlights the importance of community in nurturing faith. God brings believers together to encourage and strengthen each other, making our fellowship a vital means of grace. Elizabeth's affirmation strengthens Mary's belief in the promises of God, demonstrating how God uses the fellowship of believers to build and sustain faith. This story encourages us to be active participants in the community of faith, supporting and uplifting one another as we journey together in belief. [23:42]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your community can you reach out to today to offer encouragement and support in their faith journey?


Day 5: Surrendering to Christ's Lordship
Confessing Jesus as Lord means surrendering our lives to His guidance and purpose. This surrender brings freedom, joy, and the assurance of salvation, as we trust in His sovereign power to deliver us from sin and lead us into a new life. The path of following Jesus may not always align with our expectations, but it is a path filled with joy, purpose, and the assurance of God's promises. Living under Christ's lordship involves a daily commitment to align our lives with His will and to trust in His plan for our lives. [26:30]

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?

Quotes


Elizabeth immediately on receiving this news confesses The Unborn Christ as her Lord and what is very striking to me is uh how little she actually knew when she made this confession I mean you can read at the end of John's gospel as to how after the resurrection Thomas who had been a disciple and had followed Jesus Through seen all of the Miracles for three years he falls down on his knees and he says after the resurrection my Lord and my God but Elizabeth called him her Lord before he is even born. [08:49]

Elizabeth had not heard any of his teaching she knew nothing about his miracles had seen nothing of the impact of the life that would come she knew nothing about his baptism or about his Transfiguration when the voice of the father from Heaven affirmed him as the Son of God she knew nothing about his death on the cross in which he became the sacrific offered for Sinners to bring us peace with God she knew nothing about his mighty Resurrection from the dead or his resurrection appearances to the disciples who saw him and ate him and ate with him and walked with him and talked with him over a period of 40 days. [09:47]

The Incarnation is in itself an unfathomable mystery but it makes sense of everything else that the New Testament contains that's very helpful the Incarnation that is God becoming man in Jesus is in itself an unfathomable mystery you will never be able to fully explain how such an amazing glorious thing could have come to pass it is an unfathomable mystery it is amazing and it is glorious but it makes sense of everything else that the New Testament contains. [12:04]

If this is really God In the Flesh this Jesus if he is really God In the Flesh who would be surprised that he would perform Miracles be amazing if he didn't if he's really God In the Flesh who would be surprised that he would rise from the dead what's really amazing is that he'd enter into death in the first place and for that reason he entered into our Humanity if Christmas did not happen Easter would be impossible how could it possibly be if it weren't not for the fact that God became Man in Christ. [12:56]

Confessing Christ as your lord which is what Elizabeth did will increase your joy now some of you here today would say that you believe in Jesus but somewhere deep in your heart you feel that the way to real happiness is to continue being the Lord and Master of your own life that's what you feel and so you hold yourself back and actually you're not very happy at all and I want you today to take a l hard look at these women rejoicing see their smiling faces as they're standing at the door hear them laughing as they share the news of what God is doing and as Elizabeth announces that Jesus is her Lord. [18:00]

Everything that you hold back from him makes you less happy and in every degree that you give yourself to him more fully your joy will increase that's what we're learning directly from the story confessing leads to re rejoicing and you will find greater joy in Jesus as your lord than you can ever find by pressing on as your own Lord and Master here's how Jesus put it he who saves his life what happens he loses it but he who loses his life for my sake and for the gospel what happens he keeps it he finds it he has it even for everlasting life. [19:59]

What we have here you see is a wonderful example of these two women helping each other to believe in The Amazing promise of God Mary is speaking the good news about the birth of Jesus to Elizabeth leading her to called chist Christ her Lord and now Elizabeth comes alongside as the encourager of Mary's Faith what God has promised will be fulfilled and this must have been a very wonderful thing these must have been lonely days for Mary I mean she has given this amazing Revelation from God the visitation from heaven but who in the world would believe what she had received who could possibly begin to understand understand it. [21:40]

God brings people who confess Jesus as Lord together so that we can encourage each other in believing so that we can do exactly what we see these two women doing on the doorstep right here building each other up in faith in the word of God our fellowship The Fellowship of those who truly own Jesus as Lord and are finding joy in him one writer says that that Fellowship is the nearest we can get on Earth to the joys that we will know in heaven that's quite a statement it is a wonderful gift of God that we should cherish it is a means of Grace what that means is is that it is one of the channels by which God brings his strength and his help into the life of a Christian Believer. [23:38]

If Jesus is your lord your life is no longer your own if you in Mary's words are the Lord's servant then all that you are and all that you have and all that you will ever hope to be are his because you belong to him and he is your lord and the path on which he leads you may not be the path that you would have chosen or even the path that you would have expected but it is the path on which you will find great joy because it is the path on which he will walk with you and it is the path by which he will fulfill his purposes for you and there is therefore a freedom there is a release and there is a joy that comes in submitting yourself wholly and without reservation to Jesus Christ as Lord. [26:40]

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved you'll be saved what that means is that by his Sovereign power as Lord he will deliver you from the power of the devil you come into the power of this Lord he'll deliver you from the power of the devil he will deliver you from the guilt of your sins you will be forgiven you will never face condemnation he will release you from that instead you'll be brought by him into a new and living relationship in which God is your father and you come to experience life as his child. [26:58]

The joy is in the promise of God the joy is in knowing that however difficult my life right now may be or however difficult it may become God is with me God is for me and his promises in regard to me every one of them will be fulfilled this is the joy that those who call Jesus Lord begin to experience and it's the joy that can be yours the last question is simply this will you be encouraging others in believing will you be in encourager of others in order to be an encourager of others in believing you have to be someone who's actually believing and therefore putting into practice the word of God yourself. [28:48]

A great great work of God is being done and this man who might have been at the center of it finds himself on the sidelines why because for all his hearing of the word of God which he would have done every day as a priest he's not mixing it with faith and I reckon if that could happen to someone like him that's exactly the sort of thing that could happen to people like us so that we drift into Christmas absorbed in our own problems no longer finding joy that we see in these women professing some kind of Faith but not really submitted to Jesus as Lord of our lives and all that we are and all that we have and all that we ever hope to be. [30:40]

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Transcript
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