Mary’s Christmas Gift
Luke 1:26-33 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Mary was blessed with a gift that would allow each of us to be blessed. Why was Mary chosen to be the one to deliver the ultimate Christmas gift to all of us? She wasn’t a sub-god of any kind, she was just a young lady in her teens, whose character traits were purity, courage, obedience, and faith. These qualities aren’t even appreciated in our culture today, but they are the same character traits God is looking for in us today.
Mary had no idea about the incredible adventure that was ahead of her. The amazing glories she would witness and the divine burden and blessing she would carry. The loss of watching her son die on the cross and the blessing of enjoying her son after he rose from the grave. She had dreams of a beautiful wedding with a young carpenter she knew and loved. The couple was already betrothed, but they could not be together until after the wedding. She would be living with the groom’s family and be nervous and excited about a life of promise. Then an angel of said to her, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High”. We see a glimpse of Mary’s heart in her response to the angel in Luke 1:38. “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”
Are we willing to go and do what God asks of us, no matter the cost? This Christmas let’s courageously share our faith with our family and friends.
