Read:
Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Ponder:
Hope is realized! Hope is realized! The long awaited child/King/Messiah was coming! How would He arrive into the world? With the pomp and victory of a King?
No. God’s plan often unfolds in unexpected ways, and this was no exception. God’s own Son, the King of Kings, will be born to a young, insignificant, poor woman. He will arrive in humility. However, the hope of the world is not determined by the limitations of human circumstance, but by the fullness of God’s gift.
Pray:
God, I delight in your surprises. I delight in the way You choose to fulfill Your plan as You bring your Son into the world. The humble arrival of the King speaks to my soul. It calls me to a place of love, servanthood and sacrifice, tied together with the cords of meekness. As I reflect on Jesus’ coming this Advent season, I am reminded that Your ways are often mysterious to me. I am thankful for the mystery, because it is a reminder that You are the Author and Giver of hope.
