Christmas Devotional: 13th December 2020
What a shock to the system this year has been for all of us. The events of this year can certainly be described as unexpected or that word we hear all the time, ‘unprecedented’.
We could say the same about Mary’s experience within this passage, when she is told by the Angel Gabriel that she will give birth to God’s son, the Messiah, even though she is still a virgin and not yet married.
What a shock that would’ve been.
In Luke 1:26-38, we read about ‘The Annunciation’ – the formal name marking the visit of the angel Gabriel to Mary, during which he told her that she would be the mother of Jesus. It’s a classic moment in the Nativity story that so many people know well, and it reminds me of my glamourous acting debut as the angel Gabriel when I was around 5 years old.
Fond memories of drama aside, for me Mary’s experience really seems to resonate with the events of this year. We were all going about our usual (and often busy) lives until something major occurred that would change everything – for us it’s been the pandemic, for Mary it was the news of Jesus.
We’ve all been stopped in our tracks this year by something greater than ourselves.
God often does this – we see so frequently that he doesn’t show up in the ways we’re expecting and I certainly know that God has worked mysteriously in my life this year as well.
How has God worked in your life this year? Can you think of ways he’s blessed you that you weren’t expecting?
God’s choice of Mary as his servant is just one example of his unpredictable yet magnificent ways. He chooses a young, unmarried girl of little wealth or status to carry his son into the world – no wonder the Magi are confused when they cannot find the Messiah at Herod’s palace in Matthew’s Gospel.
Mary is said to be ‘perplexed’ by the angel’s words (v29) and immediately shares her doubts about her divine appointment (v34). Her honest and very real reaction to the angel’s message is probably not the most unexpected part of the passage (I know I’d definitely feel slightly perplexed!) but her astounding faith in God’s plan is something that must be commended.
As we come to the end of this year, let’s ask ourselves: are we able to put our faith in God’s goodness, in the midst of all this uncertainty? Are we, like Mary, able to follow God’s purposes for our lives and trust Him with our futures?
Let’s remember verse 37 of this passage, which is a great encouragement for the year ahead, whatever it might bring: ‘For nothing is impossible with God.’