Do Not Be Afraid. “…God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and called the Son of the Most High…his kingdom shall never end” (Luke 1::26-33).

Common Sense Question. “How will this be” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34).

Profound Answer The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:35-37).

Astounding Response. “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be as you have said.” Then the angel left her (Luke 1:38).

Powerful Obedience: “…Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had a mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins…When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:18-21).

Focusing-in on Philippians 2:5-8, “…Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” 

I ponder the words “Christ Jesus…Emptied Himself” and wonder what that looked like when the eternal Son of the Most High, emptied Himself of omnipotence and omniscience and omnipresence and what I have no words for and miraculously became the Promised Seed—fully God and fully man. The One who left Heaven and came to Earth to reverse the curse.

I wonder what that looked like and how Mary felt when the Holy Spirit came upon her and the power of the Most High overshadowed her and she conceived.

I wonder how the Heavenly Father felt when His Son left Home and became a microscopic zygote in the womb of the virgin.

Surely it was a Holy Night. I wonder if the angels sang or were silent.

Was all calm and bright as they watched the young mother with child.

I wonder if the angels were puzzled or excited or both or what I cannot imagine.

The greatest love ever, the greatest grace ever unfolds in the Holy Word—The Greatest Love Letter ever from Genesis to Revelation as God reveals through the pages that the Promised Rescuer would be His One and Only Holy Perfect Son! He was the only One who could and would break “The Fall” in the most unimaginable, wondrous, horrific way!

Surely it would take more than a lifetime, more than all-time, more than all eternity to exhaust the depths of the riches of the glory of God’s love, grace, and eternal plan. Thank You Abba Father!

Oh the wonder, let us ponder together…It’s nine months ’til December 25th!🌻