Imagine a fresh evergreen wreath bedecked with festive ribbons and glowing candles is sitting on a table before us. Imagine we are sipping warm wassail from red mugs, imagine a fire is roaring inside the fireplace, and imagine snow is quietly falling just beyond the window. As you and I gather around God’s Word, let us prepare our hearts to worship Him.
Mary said Yes to God.
Mary. Multiple images play out on the whiteboard of our minds at the mention of her name. But ponder this thought: before Mary heaved her very pregnant body onto the back of a donkey, before she plodded with Joseph into the hubbub of Bethlehem, before she made do with a manger for her Baby’s bed, she made a significant choice. Mary said Yes to God.
The angel Gabriel appeared with a Special Delivery Message from God, which dramatically altered the course of Mary’s life; she would never again be the same. “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you”(Luke 1:28). Gabriel goes on, in the verses following, to offer reassurance and clarity to this youthful maiden. He articulates the specifics he had been assigned to deliver. “Do not be afraid,