26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth 27 to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin's name, Mary. 28 Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning! You're beautiful with God's beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you. 29 She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. 30 But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: 31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great, be called 'Son of the Highest.' The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David; 33 He will rule Jacob's house forever - no end, ever, to his kingdom." 34 Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man." 35 The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God. 36 "And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months' pregnant! 37 Nothing, you see, is impossible with God." 38 And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her. Blessed Among Women
It is incredible - that Dr. Luke would report that a young woman would conceive without a man in her life; that Elizabeth, Mary, and Joseph would believe what they were told by angles. It is incredible -not that God could do it. But that they believed it would be done through them!
The miracle of Christmas you see, is not that God was born of a virgin, but that a virgin believed God was to be born through her. Not that the Holy Spirit caused Mary to conceive, but that Joseph (and Mary) believed it was the Holy Spirit who did it.
“The miracle of Christ as Virgin-born, is a trifle for the mighty God. That God becomes a man is an even greater miracle. But the most amazing of them all is that the maiden finds the angle’s message credible and that the Child he promised would be hers.” Martin Luther
Prayer thoughts for the week:
“Lord, help me to believe in the miracle of Christmas.
And walk with Mary and Joseph in a faith active in love.”
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