It is hard to believe that Christmas is next week. Perhaps that is because this year has been so disrupted in so many ways, although disruption is hardly new to the Christmas story.  Consider Mary’s visit from Gabriel.   

Luke 1:26-33

 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, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"   29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern 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 forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."   -ESV

As I think about Mary, a young lady at the time, trying to grasp how the Messiah’s birth was going to disrupt her life, I am amazed at her simple faith-filled response... 

Luke 1:38

And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."  -ESV

Sadly, these simple words don’t seem to fit in our culture much anymore. Servanthood and submission seem to have lost their value in so many ways, yet in considering the birth of Jesus we may do well to learn from Mary’s response to God’s favor upon her. 

This is true because we, like Mary, are called and chosen for God’s amazing purpose.  Mary yielded to God’s purpose of being the vessel to give birth to the Son of God, and we, by the same simple faith, are called to have Christ live in us. 

Gal 2:20-21

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. -ESV

I pray that we will consider and emulate Mary’s response…I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.

  

I pray that you will have a Blessed time celebrating the birth of Jesus. 

Loving you all, 

Michael