Luke 1:30-33

But the angel said to her, “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. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” ~ Luke 1:30-33


Mary’s mind must have been whirring around like a cyclone at the presence and words of the angel, Gabriel. Imagine being her and having a heavenly being suddenly stand or be in your presence, telling you first, not to be afraid, and second, that you have found favour with God! I am sure Mary would have been asking many “why?” questions in her mind. For her to be chosen from among many generations of women, and from within her own generation would astound the mind, let alone to carry the child who would be called the Son of the Most High. Perhaps it was her humility, for certainly her answer gave way to her character of humbleness and obedience. For whatever reason, which we are not given more than what is said here, Mary was to be the mother of the Christ, the Messiah. Yet, are we not all favoured by God? He chose you and me in the beginning. He sent his Son to die on the cross to bring us back from the grips of death into eternal life. And we do all carry his Son within our heart, along with the presence of his Holy Spirit as our guide, comforter, strength, and Truth. We are all adopted into God’s family as his children, no longer the Gentile outcast, but co-heirs with Christ. We have nothing to fear, those of us who follow Christ. Even the “valley of the Shadow of Death” holds no fear for us, for through this child which Mary bore, death was conquered, Satan defeated, and life eternal is ours, forever more.

Pastor Julia

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