And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38 ESV)
Sadly, Christmas is not just a season of pure, unadulterated Biblical truth concerning God’s plan of redemption for mankind. So many non-Biblical ideas, traditions, and teachings have flooded the narrative that, if we aren’t careful, can cloud the true beauty of what and about who Christmas is all about. My prayer today is that your understanding of Christmas and all the people we meet in God’s plan come from the Scripture.
After the angel Gabriel appeared to the old faithful prophet Zechariah and proclaimed the miraculous coming birth of John the forerunner of Christ, Gabriel again appears in Israel to proclaim an even greater miracle. In Luke’s account, we are given intimate details concerning Gabriel’s appearance, his words to God’s chosen servant Mary, and her response to him. Certainly these details would have originally been a firsthand account by Mary herself.
As Gabriel proclaimed the incredible promise of God concerning the child she would conceive, Mary’s response is far different than Zechariah’s. The old priest struggled to believe while Mary responded with a beautiful, trusting faith. Although Mary asked how it was that a virgin was to conceive, she didn’t appear to doubt God’s power to do what He said, only the physical mechanics. In his response, we are reminded of the divine power of God at work in the conception of Christ: And the angel answered 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. (Luke 1:35 ESV)
This child was no ordinary baby, this was the promised Son of Isaiah 9:6! Some historians point out Mary was likely a young teenager during this pronouncement and in her worshipful reply, we see that even young people can possess beautiful faith. Gabriel helped comfort Mary’s heart by proclaiming the incredible work God had already wrought in the life of Elizabeth her relative (see Luke 1:36). Then Gabriel proclaims one of the most profound truths of Scripture: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37 ESV)
Today I want to remind you that the Christmas season reminds us of the wonder working power of God. The God we serve is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than all we ask or imagine (see Ephesians 3:19-20). The very same God who orchestrated the miraculous birth of both John the forerunner of Christ and Jesus our Messiah is still the same God who is moving and working in the world today! This God didn’t just do incredible things in the lives of His servants then, He is still doing incredible things today.
As this angel, who stands in the presence of God (see Luke 1:19), proclaimed this incredible news to Mary, her response should be the same response of our faith filled hearts today: Let it be to me according to God’s word. I pray you’ll pause for a moment and sit in the reality of the truth of Christmas. Ask God to give you a heart that seeks to know, believe, and live in light of His incredible promises. Don’t add to them, change them, or proclaim ones that aren’t grounded in Biblical truth. Trust me, the Bible is full of more than enough wonderful promises to fill your heart and mind with awe.
As I close, there are several resources I hope you’ll take a few moments to read through that deal more with non-Biblical ideas, traditions, and teachings that don’t come from Scripture.
Heavenly Father, thank You for being the God of impossible. Thank You for reminding us of the miracle of the incarnation of Jesus our Lord and Your eternal Son. Lord, we pray that You would help our hearts read, understand, believe, and respond in faith to Your promises. This Christmas season, please expose any non-Biblical ideas and traditions we have believed, and instead fill our hearts and minds with the truth of Your incredible work. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
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