“And the angel said unto her, ‘Fear not, Mary: for thou has found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS.’” (Luke 1:30-31)
The angel Gabriel had already spoken the words, “fear not,” to Zacharias, the old priest who would be the father of John. In our text he tells Mary to, “Fear not.” While they did not worship Gabriel, both Zacharias and Mary had a holy reverence in the presence of this heavenly being. How different from the unholy irreverence shown today by many so-called worshipers in the presence of, not just a heavenly being, but in the presence of the Christ we say we are worshiping.
The angel’s announcement to Mary was ten-fold. First, she had found grace with God. Secondly, she would conceive a child. Third, she would bring forth a Son. Fourth, she would call Him Jesus. Fifth, this Son would be great. Sixth, He would be called the Son of the Highest. Seventh, the Lord God would give unto Him the throne of His father David. Eighth, He would reign over the house of Jacob forever. Ninth, of His kingdom there shall be no end. Finally, because the power of the Highest would overshadow her, the child would be called the Son of God.
I would say at this point, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!”
No comments:
Post a Comment