Luke 1:26-38
Immanuel! God With Us!
It’s a joy to be with you on this Christmas Eve morning! And I wish for each of you….and your families…. A very merry celebration and joyful time as we consider all that God has done for us, as individuals….and as a church family.
But to be honest…. It has been a strange week for me.
Following our Children’s Worship last Sunday, my cold seemed to settle in my chest and eventually…. I lost my voice. I suddenly feel like Zechariah in Luke chapter 1, where he lost his ability to speak until the baby – John the Baptist – was born!
But it’s not just my own physical condition that has felt dark. It’s also the news. The news from Bethlehem. Bethlehem is a city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, home to thousands of Palestinian Christians and Arabs…as well as many Israeli settlements.
We usually hear about Bethlehem in the context of our Christmas celebrations. Bethlehem was not only the birthplace of King David, but of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. It was the town where Joseph and Mary traveled to in order to register for the empire-wide census which was being taken. And of course, that is when Jesus was born as a baby.
I feel sad when I consider the fact that present-day Bethlehem is even less peaceful and maybe more stressful….than it was 2,000 years ago. The attacks on Israel by the group governing Gaza – Hamas – on October 7th left over 1200 Israelis dead or taken as hostages. That triggered a thunderous response from the Israeli defense forces which has resulted (according to most reliable sources) in the death of over 20,000 Palestinians in Gaza alone. Along with this, over 240 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank during this same time period… yes, near Bethlehem.
Why these things happen… and who is “more to blame…” – is too long a history to cover in my short devotional this morning. I merely point to these news items as reason for a sense of darkness and sadness that I have struggled with as a pastor during the past few days.
Our world longs for a Savior. We cry out to God for his mercy. Sometimes… our own smaller difficulties and struggles overwhelm us. Then when we think about those that are experiencing real war and deprivation in Ukraine, or Israel, or Gaza….we feel slightly embarrassed and maybe even guilty about our own struggles. But God knows all about each of us…. Whether our struggles are big or small. And God cares. So where can we find hope today?
Our text for today is the famous conversation between the angel Gabriel and Mary. Gabriel announces that she will be pregnant, which is of course a great surprise to Mary. She then hears that this will not be a normal pregnancy, but in fact, a divine and miraculous one!
The child to be born will be named Jesus, and will be called Son of the Most High. In addition to all of this, her relative, Elizabeth, who was said to be barren, was also in her 6th month of pregnancy.
While Mary is at first surprised and filled with questions….the conversation ends with her offering this final response to the angel: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”
At this Christmas celebration today, I wish to leave you with three phrases, three promises that we find in our text today. Here’s the first one:
“Do not be afraid…. For you have found favor with God”
Imagine what it would feel like if Gabriel was saying this to you right now. Not to Mary… but to you. Put your own name in there.
None of us are Mary – and our situation is different but God’s word to us at Christmas is the same. “Don’t be afraid. I love you. I have found favor with you.” Put your own name in there and hear God’s word to you.
In Isaiah 43:4 God speaks to the people of Israel – and to us – with these words:
“You are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you.” Let those words sink in deeply right now.
And here is the second key phrase for us today:
“For nothing will be impossible with God”
No, none of us are expecting to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Maybe Gabriel’s words to Mary seem like a bit of a stretch!
But, what are the areas in your life where you are struggling with faith? Are you experiencing struggles that seem like there are no easy solutions?
I challenge you to consider this word of Gabriel and how it might relate to your own life and situation.
“For nothing will be impossible with God”
And finally, the third phrase to consider, which was Mary’s response:
“Here I am. I am a servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.”
Mary’s response showed a heart of submission.
In fact, it’s very similar to Jesus’ final prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father, not my will, but yours….”
Again, our situations are different than Mary’s …. So it might be hard to imagine how we would respond to God. Can we offer our complete lives to God? Are we willing to trust God that far?!
If we believe that God really loves us and approves of us…. And if we believe that nothing is impossible with God…. Would we be willing to offer our lives to God?
I believe these three statements could change our lives today!
- Don’t be afraid. God loves you!
- Nothing is impossible for God.
- Here I am. Let it be to me according to your word. My life is yours!
Take these statements – these truths with you this week.
Like Mary, ponder them in your hearts.
And as we pray for Bethlehem, and Gaza, and Israel, and Ukraine…and other areas of war and darkness, let us remember that Jesus was born in order to bring light and life into our dark world.
May you experience God’s great joy this Christmas!
(the above message was read by Gene Hanson, James Truesdale, and Rhys Farren as part of our Christmas worship on December 24, 2023.)
Japanese Congregational Church 