GOSPEL READING:
Luke 1:26-3826 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34 And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" 35 And the angel said to 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. 36 And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible."38 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
SCRIPTURE READING:
Isaiah 7:10-1410 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 "Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven." 12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." 13 And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Meditation: How does God reveal his favor to us? In the
psalms we pray, "Lord, show me a sign of your favor" (Psalm
86:17). In the Old Testament God performed many signs and miracles
to demonstrate his love and mercy for his people, such as their
deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the miraculous crossing of
the Red sea on dry land (Psalm 78:43-53). When Ahaz, king of Judah
and heir to the throne of David (735 B.C.) was surrounded by
forces that threatened to destroy him and his people, God offered
him a sign to reassure him that God would not abandon the promise
he made to David and his descendants. King Ahaz, however, had lost
hope in God and refused to ask for a sign of favor. God,
nonetheless, gave a sign to assure his people that he would indeed
give them a Savior who would rule with peace and righteousness
(Isaiah 7:11ff).
God's unfolding plan of redemption
We see the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy and the unfolding of
God's plan of redemption in the events leading up to the
Incarnation, the birth of the Messiah King. The new era of
salvation begins with the miraculous conception of Jesus in the
womb of Mary. This child to be born is conceived by the gracious
action of the Holy Spirit upon Mary, who finds favor with God
(Luke 1:28). As Eve was the mother of all humanity doomed to sin,
now Mary becomes the mother of the new Adam who will father a new
humanity by his grace (Romans 5:12-21). This child to be conceived
in her womb is the fulfillment of all God's promises. He will be
"great" and "Son of the Most High" and "King" and his name shall
be called "Jesus" (Luke 1:31-32), which means "the Lord saves."
"He will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). The
angel repeats to Mary, the daughter of the house of David, the
promise made to King David: "The Lord God will give to him the
throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of
Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end" (2 Samuel
7:12-16, Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 1:32-33).
How does Mary respond to the word of God delivered by the angel
Gabriel? She knows she is hearing something beyond human
capability. It will surely take a miracle which surpasses all that
God has done previously. Her question, "how shall this be, since I
have no husband" is not prompted by doubt or skepticism, but by
wonderment! She is a true hearer of the Word and she immediately
responds with faith and trust. Mary's prompt response of "yes" to
the divine message is a model of faith for all believers.
Mary believed God's promises even when they seemed impossible.
She was full of grace because she trusted that what God said was
true and would be fulfilled. She was willing and eager to do God's
will, even if it seemed difficult or costly. Mary is the "mother
of God" because God becomes incarnate when he takes on flesh in
her womb. When we pray the ancient creed (Nicene Creed) we
state our confession of faith in this great mystery: "For us men
and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of
the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was
made man."
Trust and yield to God's grace
God gives us grace and he expects us to respond with the same
willingness, obedience, and heartfelt trust as Mary did. When God
commands he also gives the help, strength, and means to respond.
We can either yield to his grace or resist and go our own way. Do
you believe in God's promises and do you yield to his grace?
Heavenly Father, you offer us abundant grace, mercy, and forgiveness through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Help me to live a grace-filled life as Mary did by believing in your promises and by giving you my unqualified 'yes' to your will and plan for my life.
Psalm 40:7-11
7 Then I said, "Here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.
10 I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
11 Do not, O LORD, withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Do you wish to be great?, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Just imagine the incredible kindness and mercy! He was the only
Son, but He did not want to remain alone. So that humans might be
born of God God was born of humans. Begotten of God is He through
Whom we were created - Born of a woman is He through Whom we are
to be re-created. The Word first wished to be born of humans, so
that you might be assured of being born of God"
(excerpt from Sermon on John 2, 13)
